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Upper Body Strength and Core

Goal: Improve upper body strength, tone muscles, and enhance core stability through targeted exercises.

Daily Benefits: This workout will focus on strengthening and toning the upper body, including the arms, chest, back, and core muscles. It will help improve overall upper body strength, posture, and stability, leading to enhanced daily functional movements and a more sculpted physique.

Cardio Warmup exercises:

  • Jumping Jacks: Perform 3 sets of 1 minute each. No equipment needed. Duration: 3-5 minutes. Muscles worked: Full body, especially calves and shoulders.
  • Marching in Place: Lift your knees high while marching in place, engaging your core and pumping your arms. Perform for 1 minute to increase your heart rate and warm up your lower body and core. No equipment needed. Duration: 1 minute. Muscles worked: Legs, core, cardiovascular system.
  • Elliptical Machine: Use an elliptical trainer for 5 minutes to warm up your upper and lower body, while also providing a cardiovascular workout. Adjust the resistance and intensity level according to your fitness level. Equipment used: Elliptical trainer. Duration: 5 minutes. Muscles worked: Arms, legs, cardiovascular system.

Stretching exercises:

  1. Chest Stretch: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Interlace your fingers behind your back and gently squeeze your shoulder blades together as you lift your arms up and away from your body. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
  2. Triceps Stretch: Extend one arm overhead and bend it at the elbow so that your hand reaches towards the opposite shoulder blade. Use your other hand to gently pull the elbow towards your head, feeling a stretch along the back of your upper arm. Hold for 20-30 seconds on each side.
  3. Upper Body Twist: Sit on a chair or stand tall with your feet hip-width apart. Place one hand on the opposite shoulder and gently twist your upper body towards that side, looking over your shoulder. Hold for 20-30 seconds on each side.

Main Exercises:

  1. Push-ups:
    • Instructions: Start in a high plank position with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Lower your body towards the ground by bending your elbows, keeping your core and glutes engaged, and maintaining a straight line from your head to your heels. Push back up to the starting position.
    • Equipment used: None.
    • Duration: 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
    • Muscles worked: Chest, shoulders, triceps, core.
  2. Bent-Over Rows:
    • Instructions: Stand with your feet hip-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells or a resistance band with your palms facing inwards. Bend your knees slightly and hinge forward at the hips, keeping your back flat and your core engaged. Pull the dumbbells or resistance band towards your torso, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Slowly lower back down.
    • Equipment used: Dumbbells or resistance band.
    • Duration: 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
    • Muscles worked: Back, shoulders, biceps.
  3. Overhead Shoulder Press:
    • Instructions: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells at shoulder level, palms facing forward. Press the dumbbells overhead, fully extending your arms and keeping your core engaged. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to shoulder level.
    • Equipment used: Dumbbells.
    • Duration: 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
    • Muscles worked: Shoulders, triceps, core.
  4. Plank:
    • Instructions: Start by placing your forearms on the ground, shoulder-width apart, with your elbows directly under your shoulders. Extend your legs behind you and rise up onto your toes, creating a straight line from your head to your heels. Engage your core, squeeze your glutes, and hold this position for the specified time.
    • Equipment used: None.
    • Duration: 3 sets of 30-60 seconds.
    • Muscles worked: Core, shoulders, glutes.
  5. Bicep Curls:
    • Instructions: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and hold a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing forward. Keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Slowly lower them back down.
    • Equipment used: Dumbbells.
    • Duration: 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
    • Muscles worked: Biceps, forearms.

Cool-Down:

  • Arm Circles: Stand tall with your feet hip-width apart and