Developing a strong, chiseled upper body takes time and dedication. A full upper body strengthening workout should target every major muscle group of your upper body, including your chest, shoulders, upper and lower arms, the various muscles of your abdomen, and your upper, middle and lower back. Because there are so many muscles that need attention in your upper body, it's useful to split up this workout into several workout sessions. For example, on Day One, target your shoulders, on Day Two, concentrate on your arms, and so on. Choose two days a week to rest from strength training, or use those days to concentrate on the muscles of your lower body. Perform two to three sets of eight to 12 repetitions of each exercise for best results.
Shoulders
Use dumbbells to strengthen your shoulders, along with other muscles of your upper body. Holding a dumbbell in each hand, raise the weights to your shoulders, with your elbows pointed away from your body. Raise the weights by straightening your arms.
Gripping a dumbbell in each hand, perform front raises to further strengthen your shoulders. Begin with your straightened arms at your sides and lift them straight up in front of your body until both arms are parallel to the floor.
Perform side lateral raises with a slight bend in your arms throughout the movement to target your lateral deltoids. Bend forward slightly at the waist and begin with the palms of your hands facing each other in front of your body while holding the weights. Raise the weights out to the side until your arms are parallel with the floor.
Arms
When working your arms, pay attention to your biceps, triceps and forearms. Dumbbells are efficient for strengthening all of these muscles. Perform dumbbell curls and hammer curls to strengthen your biceps. These two exercises are similar, but your hands are positioned differently. For dumbbell curls, let your palms face out from in front of your body; your palms face your body during hammer curls.
Use dumbbells to perform triceps kickbacks and extensions. Bend forward slightly at the waist and knees to perform kickbacks. Bend and straighten your arms until the dumbbells are behind your body. For extensions, raise your arms straight above your head and lower the weights behind your head by bending your elbows.
Use either two dumbbells or a barbell to work your forearms. Hold the weight with an underhand grip and curl the weight toward your forearms by bending your wrists. Change to an overhand grip and repeat this movement to target the opposite side of your forearms.
Chest
Use either a barbell or two dumbbells to strengthen various areas of your chest. Lie on your back on a flat weight bench to perform bench presses. Bend your elbows to bring the bar or dumbbells to chest height, then push the weights straight into the air by straightening your arms.
Decline the back of the weight bench 45 to 60 degrees to target your lower chest, or incline the back the same distance to strengthen your upper chest. Perform the same movements of bench presses in either exercise version.
Back
Use a barbell to strengthen various areas of your back. For your lower back, load the bar and place it on the ground in front of you. Bend forward at the hips and bend your knees to grasp the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart. Raise the bar by straightening your legs and standing straight. Keep the bar close to your body and maintain a straight back throughout this exercise.
Perform bent-over rows to strengthen your middle back. Begin in the same position as a deadlift, with the loaded bar on the floor in front of you. Grasp the bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, bending at the waist. Remain bending forward and bend your arms to bring the bar toward your navel. Straighten your arms to lower the weight, but do not return the bar to the floor until you have completed your repetitions.
Shrugs strengthen your upper back muscles. Hold a bar with your hands shoulder-width apart, keeping your arms straight and lowered. Make a shrugging motion with your shoulders, keeping your arms immobile.
Abdomen
Your abdomen can be strengthened using free weights as resistance or by using your own body weight. Decline a weight bench 45 to 60 degrees and lie on your back with your head on the lower end. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and raise your straightened arms in the air. Raise your upper body off the bench until it is parallel with the floor.
Perform crunches on a declined bench without hand weights. Cross your arms across your chest and raise your torso off the bench until your upper body is parallel with the floor. Target your obliques during this exercise by twisting your torso left and right when you lift your back off the bench.
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