Looking for a well-rounded upper body program

Hello all -

I'm just looking for recommendations/review from someone who knows what they're doing when it comes to lifting! I want a well-rounded upper body program that I can follow.

Some stats about me:
5'8"
138 lbs (on average, I bounce between 137-140)
17.8% body fat
37.4% muscle mass
I spin once per week, practice yoga almost daily, and teach yoga the other days.

I want to add in a lifting program to help put on some muscle so I can become stronger in my yoga practice. I've been lifting about 3x per week doing the following:

Clean & jerks, bent-over rows, bicep curls, tricep dips, delt raises (anterior and lateral). 3 sets of each, 12 reps per set, increasing weights slowly as I feel able.

Is this a well-rounded program? Should I be doing the same things every time, or should I change it up?

Thanks in advance for all of your help!

Replies

  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    kzooyogi wrote: »
    Hello all -

    I'm just looking for recommendations/review from someone who knows what they're doing when it comes to lifting! I want a well-rounded upper body program that I can follow.

    Some stats about me:
    5'8"
    138 lbs (on average, I bounce between 137-140)
    17.8% body fat
    37.4% muscle mass
    I spin once per week, practice yoga almost daily, and teach yoga the other days.

    I want to add in a lifting program to help put on some muscle so I can become stronger in my yoga practice. I've been lifting about 3x per week doing the following:

    Clean & jerks, bent-over rows, bicep curls, tricep dips, delt raises (anterior and lateral). 3 sets of each, 12 reps per set, increasing weights slowly as I feel able.

    Is this a well-rounded program? Should I be doing the same things every time, or should I change it up?

    Thanks in advance for all of your help!

    If you want a well rounded program, look into doing a 3x full body routine. Limiting lifts to only upper body will lead to being imbalanced and ignores the largest muscle groups in our body. Plus working lower body will improve your other activities. There are plenty of good programs to start with and can be found in the link below. If you are concerned with recovery, you can always keep weight a bit lighter on lower body.

    http://community.myfitnesspal.com/en/discussion/10332083/which-lifting-program-is-the-best-for-you/p1
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    Limiting your lifts to upper body is not a well rounded program...Cleans and jerks are great...where are all of the other compound movements that should be front and center of any solid program?
  • kzooyogi
    kzooyogi Posts: 121 Member
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Limiting your lifts to upper body is not a well rounded program...Cleans and jerks are great...where are all of the other compound movements that should be front and center of any solid program?

    Those are the types of things I'm asking about. I don't really know where to start, so I'm looking for help from those who have been in the game for a while now. As far as limiting to upper body - that's just where I want to start. I do TONS of leg strengthening through yoga, so I feel (maybe mistakenly?) that I don't necessarily need to focus on it as much as the upper body.
  • psuLemon
    psuLemon Posts: 38,373 MFP Moderator
    kzooyogi wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Limiting your lifts to upper body is not a well rounded program...Cleans and jerks are great...where are all of the other compound movements that should be front and center of any solid program?

    Those are the types of things I'm asking about. I don't really know where to start, so I'm looking for help from those who have been in the game for a while now. As far as limiting to upper body - that's just where I want to start. I do TONS of leg strengthening through yoga, so I feel (maybe mistakenly?) that I don't necessarily need to focus on it as much as the upper body.

    Yoga would be more muscular endurance for lower and upper body, as well as balance. It would be no where near effective as a good routine that incorporates the main 4 lifts (OHP, bench, deadlift, squat). I do a 4 day routine, 2 days of HIIT and 1 day of yoga. In total, they all complement each other.
  • cwolfman13
    cwolfman13 Posts: 41,879 Member
    edited January 2017
    kzooyogi wrote: »
    cwolfman13 wrote: »
    Limiting your lifts to upper body is not a well rounded program...Cleans and jerks are great...where are all of the other compound movements that should be front and center of any solid program?

    Those are the types of things I'm asking about. I don't really know where to start, so I'm looking for help from those who have been in the game for a while now. As far as limiting to upper body - that's just where I want to start. I do TONS of leg strengthening through yoga, so I feel (maybe mistakenly?) that I don't necessarily need to focus on it as much as the upper body.

    Look at the link that @psuLemon posted. There are lots of great programs in there. You're going to have best results following a structured program. Any solid program is going to have it's foundation in compound movements and/or variations of those movements (i.e. squats, deadlifts, Olympic lifts (if you know how to do them), bench press, and overhead press)...and yes, you still need to work legs. I'm a cyclist and I still work legs...neglecting them will lead to imbalances and ignores the largest muscle groups in your body. You would be best off at this point looking at a full body program that you would do 2-3x per week...most of them are 3x weekly.

    Most of what you're doing is isolation which has it's place, but is generally not at the foundation of a solid program...
  • kzooyogi
    kzooyogi Posts: 121 Member
    Thanks cwolfman! I found that link and looked through the beginner ones. I think I'm going to go with the Stronglifts 5x5 to start out with. Already downloaded the app and am looking forward to getting started. Thanks for taking the time :)
  • fitbethlin
    fitbethlin Posts: 162 Member
    I love the Wendler 5-3-1 program. If you start to get into the big lifts and love it but want a different set up, it's one of my favs. I use the Boring But Big set up on a 4-day split and have noticed changes in my strength pretty quickly. The book is also a good way to start to learn about the value of these big compound lifts and start to educate yourself on the ways to safely do those exercises. It will also help you understand how an imbalanced program (all upper or all lower) won't actually get you what you want. For example, squats involve using a lot of muscles throughout your back and arms, even though we often think of them as a "lower body" exercise.

    https://jimwendler.com/blogs/jimwendler-com/101065094-5-3-1-for-a-beginner

    http://blackironbeast.com/5/3/1/calculator

    Starting Strength is another often-recommended program, but for me personally, it is really hard because there's a lot of squats. They might be the king of lifts, but I have to be in better shape to actually use that "beginner" program. ;)