Upper Body Strength Training For Women

You do not have to be an aspiring bodybuilder to hit the weight room. A toned upper body makes a woman appear fit and healthy. Working on your upper body through strength training can help you to build bone density, improve daily function and gain power for a sport.

Women and Muscle Growth

While the way you put on muscle depends on your body type and genetics, women can expect to experience a 20 to 40 increase in muscular strength after a few months of strength training, reports the American Council on Exercise. Building upper body strength, rather than just endurance, requires you to use heavy weights with between eight to 12 repetitions in a set. Lifting weights breaks down the muscle fibers and strength gains occur when you let them rest and repair. Using light weights for 20 or more repetions conditions your muscles to endure longer—but does nothing to change size or appearance, according to the book, “The New Rules of Lifting for Women.”

Strategy

Choose at least one exercise for each of the major areas of the upper body--including the biceps, triceps, shoulders, chest and back. Consider performing two or three moves for the chest and back, which are larger muscle groups and benefit being worked from multiple angles. If you are a beginner, start with fixed-weight machines and perform just one set of about 12 repetitions at a weight that feels challenging, but doable with proper form. Over the course of several weeks, work your way up to two or three sets with a minute or two of rest between them. Conduct upper body training on at least two nonconsecutive days per week to allow for adequate stimulation and rest. Remember to change your routine every four to six weeks to keep your body challenged. As you progress, incorporate free weights, body weight exercises and cable work to work your muscles from different angles.

Considerations

If you have layers of fat covering the muscles of your arms, you must reduce overall body fat to reveal toned biceps and triceps. Spot reducing is not possible. To lose body fat, follow a healthy, reduced calorie diet and conduct regular aerobic training. Seek only to lose between .5 and 2 lbs. per week to encourage a reduction in fat, rather than lean muscle.

Misconceptions

Women sometimes fear that weight training will lead to the development of bulky muscles that will make them appear unfeminine. Building muscle takes significant work, and unless you plan to follow an extremely regimented routine that involves spending hours in the gym and dietary supplementation, it is unlikely that you will get “huge.” According to researchers at the Department of Physical Education at Canada’s McMaster University in a 1993 edition of the European Journal of Applied Physiology and Occupational Physiology, men tend to have larger muscle fibers and more lean muscle distributed in the upper body resulting in bigger muscles in the arms, chest and back. Women’s upper body muscles are simply not designed to develop in the same dramatic ways.

Types of Exercises

A typical upper body strength routine for a woman includes a mix of exercises and equipment. For the back, try the lat pull-down machine and single arm dumbbell rows. The chest benefits from incline chest flyes and push-ups. Recruit the shoulders with the dumbbell military press. Use a barbell to perform classic biceps curls and then lie on your back to do triceps overhead extensions—also known as skull crushers. If you are unfamiliar with the weight room, consider seeking the advice of a certified trainer to help you execute the moves with proper form.