Muscular strength is defined by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as the amount of force you have to exert in one all-out repetition, or your one rep max--1RM. Use the flat bench press, push-ups or pull-ups to measure your upper body strength. Build your strength with heavy weight training and sufficient rest periods between sets. Combine your training with a healthy lifestyle to properly build your upper body strength.
Bench Press Heavy Weights
The flat bench press is the most effective upper body exercise you can do to increase your upper body strength. Use heavy weights so you are only able to do between one and six repetitions. You must use 80 percent of your 1RM to continually increase your strength, according to the American College of Sports Medicine.
Use a spotter or do bench presses in a squat rack with safety bars to avoid dropping the barbell on your chest. Perform a bench press by lowering the barbell toward the center of your chest, inhaling to fill your lungs with air. Push the barbell back up, exhaling between clenched teeth. This slow release of pressure in your chest cavity helps push the barbell back up, enabling you to lift heavier weights. Complete five to six repetitions for most of your sets. You must rest for three to five minutes between sets so your muscles completely recover and restore their fuel supply.
Pull Down Heavy Weights
The principles of strength training apply to every muscle group. Do pull downs with heavy weights to increase the strength of your largest back muscle, your lats. Perform pull downs with a straight bar or a wide triangle bar. Grasp the handles, and sit down. Contract your core tightly to keep your buttocks on the chair as you pull the bar down toward the top of your chest. Do not let your hands dip below your shoulders.
Use the bench press and pull down exercises to increase your upper-body strength so you can do pull-ups and push-ups. Increase the intensity of push-ups by placing your feet on a flat bench instead of the floor. Increase the intensity of pull-ups by strapping on ankle weights or using a weighted vest. Both exercises require--and will build--tremendous upper-body strength.
Calories
Consume plenty of calories to ensure you have the energy and protein to support your strength training. In general, highly active females must eat 44 calories per kilogram of body weight per day for normal activities. Highly active males must consume 50 calories per kilogram of body weight per day. To increase your strength, you must eat an additional 350 to 700 calories above your daily requirement, according to the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Include 1.5 to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight as part of your calorie requirements.
Sleep
Most of your body's repair and growth occur while you sleep, especially the repair and growth of muscle tissue. The amino acids from the protein you eat, as well as those from the breakdown of old cells, are used to increase the contractile units of your muscles. Contractile units are made of amino acids that are pulled together, causing the muscles to move. Your body releases an increased amount of growth hormone during your sleep, increasing the rate of contractile unit production and the repair of your tissues. Sleep improves your strength because of these cellular processes.
References
- "Exercise Physiology, Energy, Nutrition & Human Performance"; William D. McArdle, Frank I. Katch and Victor L. Katch; 2007
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; Thomas R. Baechle and Roger W. Earle; 2000
- "Strength and Conditioning Journal"; Sleep, the Athlete, and Performance; Dr. Peter Hudson; April 2002
- American College of Sports Medicine: Progression Models in Resistance Training for Healthy Adults
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