Upper body muscle mass can come in handy when you need to move heavy objects around like hay bales, wheelbarrows, cinder blocks, or even bodies if you play contact sports. When it comes to gaining upper-body mass, you need to overload your muscles with a maximal resistance. The best way to go about this is with multi-joint exercises, also known as "compound exercises." The main muscles that should be targeted are the chest, back, shoulders and arms.
Step 1
Press a barbell to target your chest. Place a barbell on the safety rack of a bench press and lie on the bench. Grab the bar with a wide grip and push it up in the air until your arms are extended. Slowly lower the bar until it is right above your chest, then push it straight back up. Do 10 to 12 reps and four to five sets. Inhale as you are lowering the bar and exhale as you lift it.
Step 2
Execute shoulder presses with a loaded barbell. Place the barbell on the ground and stand behind it in a shoulder-width stance. Bend your knees and hips, and reach down to grab the bar in a shoulder width grip. Lift it off the floor and swing it up to the height of your upper chest. Your palms should be facing forward at this point. Take a deep breath and push the bar straight above you as you exhale. Slowly lower it back down to your upper chest and repeat 10 to 12 times. Do four to five sets.
Step 3
Utilize a dumbbell to do one-arm dumbbell rows. Place the dumbbell on the ground to the right side of a flat bench. Kneel on the bench with your left knee, and place your right foot back behind you. Bend forward until your back is about parallel to the ground and place your left hand on the bench. Grab the dumbbell with your right hand and lift it off the floor. Your arm should be hanging straight down at this point. Pull the dumbbell up toward your right hip. Slowly lower it back down and repeat 10 to 12 times. Switch sides and do four to five sets with each arm. Inhale as you are lowering and exhale as you are lifting.
Step 4
Zero in on your triceps with weighed dips. Place two benches parallel to each other and slightly wider than the length of your legs apart. Grab the edge of one bench with your hands and place your heels on top of the other one. Have an assistant place a weight plate on your lap and perform 10 to 12 dips. Do four to five sets. Inhale as you lower your body down and inhale as you push yourself back up.
Step 5
Twist your wrists to work your biceps. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold dumbbells at your sides with your palms facing in. Lift the dumbbells up and twist your wrists so your palms are facing your chest. Lower the weights back down slowly by reversing the movement. Do 10 to 12 reps and four to five sets. Inhale when you are lowering the weights and exhale as you are lifting them.
Tips and Warnings
- When you do your one-arm rows, make sure to keep your arm in tight against your side when you are lifting and lowering. When you do triceps dips, use a 45-lb. weight plate. When you do twist curls, you can do them one arm at a time in an alternating fashion if it is too intense to do both arms at the same time. Perform this workout every three days to give yourself plenty of recovery time. Make sure to follow a healthy diet that includes lean protein for muscle building and complex carbs for energy.
Things You'll Need
- Barbell
- Weight plates
- 2 benches
- Dumbbells
- Training partner
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