How to get a stronger upper body fast?
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We don't have a row machine at my local gym, u pretty much have to pull a bench to the cables, I'm consuming around 1500 during the week, sometimes more, I have a cheat meal one a week, I also do cardio everyday after weights for 45-1 hour. I do strength training on MWF so I do take a day off to recover in between.1
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If you always do the same routine, then change it up. You need to shock the muscles. At least it works for me whenever I plateau15
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Ultimately, if you want to get stronger, Pick an exercise(or 3) and do the prescribed rep/set block
For a beginner female, I'd suggest dumbbell bench press/rows for a while or floor press/rows with the heaviest weight you can manage(with correct form) for 8 reps by 3-4 sets per exercise progressing in weight when you are able to do more than 12 reps.
Ideally you'd follow a stock program, but for something this basic, make sure you're using correct form. Once you dial in your form, you should be jumping up in weight/reps fairly consistently. At this point in your training, you shouldn't be grinding out reps. they should be smooth and easy and you should feel like you have 1-2 left when you quit.
Don't worry about curls or tricep pushdowns or skullcrushers or any auxillery exercises. If you want to start out with 5s. that's fine, you'll just end up getting some extra form practice as you progress to your actual training/work weight. IF you can't manage 8 comfortably when you bump up, do the remaining sets at the lower weight. Don't do fewer than 8 or more than 12 reps per set.3 -
I use 5-12 lbs for different workouts. I usually do 2-3 sets of 15 but normally just do 2 sets of 15 since my upper body tends to get tired very quickly.1
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Nothing fast is good.
It was probably said on previous comments but I was too lazy to read.
Take your time.3 -
Patience is key, especially with upper body. You need to be able to do movements with good form or you can end up with injuries in your connective tissue, which get strong more slowly than your muscles. One thing that really makes you feel strong is to be able to do things like push-ups and pull-ups. You can start with planks and dead hangs and work your way up- nerdfitness.com has some great progressions.
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Planks. Planks and more planks. You’ll gain good upper body strength from this deceptively simple excercise.7
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Ironandwine69 wrote: »Nothing fast is good.
It was probably said on previous comments but I was too lazy to read.
Take your time.
ditto.1 -
Stick to compound movements. Forget isolation for now. Keep reps between 4-6 with as much weight as you can handle with good form.
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Watch your protein intake. You need the protein to make all that lovely muscle, or you are wasting time.0
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prescottgal7 wrote: »Planks. Planks and more planks. You’ll gain good upper body strength from this deceptively simple excercise.
Planks are primarily a core exercise.3 -
Upper body responds to increased frequency more so than lower body. If you want to make progress on upper body lifts, you should be doing them 2-3 times a week, once with heavy weights/fewer reps and once or twice with lower weights/higher reps. If you aren't on a regimented strength program, get on one.
You also need to be in a caloric surplus to continue to make gains. You can only build muscle and recover efficiently long term in a caloric surplus. Upper body lifts like OHP respond especially well to an increase in body mass.0 -
DevilsFan1 wrote: »prescottgal7 wrote: »Planks. Planks and more planks. You’ll gain good upper body strength from this deceptively simple excercise.
Planks are primarily a core exercise.
Not if you're doing them right.1 -
stanmann571 wrote: »DevilsFan1 wrote: »prescottgal7 wrote: »Planks. Planks and more planks. You’ll gain good upper body strength from this deceptively simple excercise.
Planks are primarily a core exercise.
Not if you're doing them right.
Yes, they are. The will work other muscles to some extent, but there are much more efficient exercises for arms/chest/shoulders/back than planks.1 -
DevilsFan1 wrote: »stanmann571 wrote: »DevilsFan1 wrote: »prescottgal7 wrote: »Planks. Planks and more planks. You’ll gain good upper body strength from this deceptively simple excercise.
Planks are primarily a core exercise.
Not if you're doing them right.
Yes, they are. The will work other muscles to some extent, but there are much more efficient exercises for arms/chest/shoulders/back than planks.
Not really-- Do 5-10 minutes as below. You'll get plenty of arm, back, chest, shoulder work.
1. Floor plank-Lay flat on your face/belly(Think Superman pose) beginning with your toes, introduce tension into your muscles maintaining tension as you go until you are tense from head to toe. Pay special attention to glutes, and abs. Hold for 15-30 seconds then release the same way.
2. High Plank-Same as above, but as the tension passes through your shoulders, begin to draw your arms under your shoulder blades and finish in a "pushup position" Hold 15-30 seconds to begin.. but no more than 120. -Lower to floor and release tension as before.
3. Low plank-Same as above, but after a brief pause at the top, lower to 90 degrees arm bend for 5-10 seconds before reversing up, and relaxing down and out. This one can be held for up to 30 seconds if desired.
Don't try the low plank until you can hold the high for 45 seconds or so. IF you don't have a timer or someone time for you, use breaths/heartbeats... 1 natural(not exaggerated) slow breath(in/out) is about 5 seconds.
Once you master the above series, incorporate knees to elbows and shoulder touches.
Once you master the shoulder touches-incorporate weights... starting with 15-25 lb dumbbell/Kbells
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Pushups0
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make sure you eat enough protein, for your arms you want to be doing bicep curls and tricep pushdowns.
your triceps are a bigger part of your arm than the biceps.
do high reps, like find a weight that you can curl for 20 / 30 reps, do that 5 times with a minute or two rest in between. when you can do those five sets comfortably, increase the weight a little bit.4 -
make sure you eat enough protein, for your arms you want to be doing bicep curls and tricep pushdowns.
your triceps are a bigger part of your arm than the biceps.
do high reps, like find a weight that you can curl for 20 / 30 reps, do that 5 times with a minute or two rest in between. when you can do those five sets comfortably, increase the weight a little bit.
she is looking to build muscle - why would you recommend a rep range that is for endurance, not muscle building??1 -
Because for a natural lifter doing high rep ranges absolutely does build muscle. High frequency and high volume works really well for hypertrophy in arms.
Plus for someone starting out with a very low base of strength, going heavy early and often can lead to injuries, especially on things like the elbows, wrists, shoulders and the associated tendons.
At the moment the OP is struggling with relatively low weights, personally I think that high volume and high frequency would be the best way to go to see quick results safely.
The high rep ranges would really allow the OP to practice the form through sheer number of repetitions and then when comfortable with the exercises and has made some progression, she would be able to push the max weight.
Speaking from my personal experience when I go heavy (for me) say 100lbs + on barbell curls I end up with really annoying pain in my wrists that lasts for a few weeks.
But if I do a high volume of cable curls or cable tricep pushdowns I am able to really work the muscle, get an excellent pump and I have seen good results in terms of my arm development and strength.
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