10 Exercises to Get the Best Upper Body Workout of All Time

The best upper-body workout should consist of a series of exercises. Whether you’re after a big chest or ripped-off arms, you need constant stimulation to keep your muscles guessing. Some of the best upper-body exercises involve equipment like barbells, dumbbells, and machines, but others simply require your own body weight or resistance bands. Believe it or not, you don’t have to hit a three-plate bench to get the best upper-body workout for men.

On a mission to find a workout that will completely target your upper body? We’ve combed through our database to find the best bang for your buck. They’ll target and stimulate muscle growth in your back, biceps, triceps, chest, forearms, and shoulders, giving you a great upper body strength workout.

Many of these exercises can be modified during an upper-body workout routine. (For example, one-arm rows can be done with a cable pulley or dumbbells, and face pulls can be done with a band, TRX or cable pulley.)

Mix up variations using your body weight, a resistance band, dumbbells or a suspension trainer, depending on your personal fitness goals and the equipment you have on hand.

Here are 10 strength-training moves to create the ultimate upper-body workout.

Related: 10 Home Exercises to Lose Weight and Build Muscle

The Best Upper Body Workout of All Time

1. Push-ups

How To

1. Place your hands on the floor slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and extend your legs behind you.
2. Tighten your core and lower your body until your chest is just above the floor.
3. Take two seconds to go down and two seconds to go back up.
4. Be sure to keep your back straight throughout the movement, keep your elbows close to the sides of your torso, and fully extend your elbows at the top of the push-up.

2. Bench Press

How To

1. Lie on a flat bench and grasp the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Keeping your glutes and abs tight, your elbows slightly pointed, and your back arched, lower the bar toward your chest.
3. Once the bar touches your body, push the bar back up by pressing your feet into the floor.
4. Adjust your weights accordingly for each set.

3. Top Press

How To

1. Place the bar on a squat rack or cage and grip it just outside shoulder width apart.
2. Grab the bar from the rack and hold it at shoulder height with your forearms vertical.
3. Squeeze the bar and tighten your abdominal muscles.
4. Press the bar overhead, pushing your head forward and shrug your traps as the bar passes your face.

4. Incline Bench Press

How To

1. Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie on it at shoulder height, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Then arch your back and place your feet on the floor.
3. Press the weights up towards your chest.

5. Single Arm Row

How To

1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and assume a staggered stance with one foot forward.
2. Bend your hips and knees and lower your torso until it is almost parallel to the floor.
3. Hang the dumbbells at arm's length from your shoulders.
4. Without moving your torso, pull the dumbbell toward the side of your torso, keeping your elbow close to your side.
5. Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze.
6. Lower the dumbbell to the starting position.

6. Chin Tuck/Pull

How To

1. Grip the bar at shoulder width (or slightly inside shoulder width) and hold it in a supinated position (palms facing you).
2. Keeping your core tight, pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar.
3. Try not to use momentum to lift your chin over the bar.

7. Hammer Curling

How To

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your sides, and arms extended straight down.
2. Keeping your upper arms close to your sides, lift both weights at the same time and minimize the momentum used during the curl.

8. Lying Triceps Extension

How To

1. Lie on a bench and hold the weights directly over your face.
2. Keeping your upper arms at this angle, bend your elbows and lower the weights behind your head.
3. Extend your elbows and maintain the same angle as your upper arms.

9. Leaning Lateral Raise

How To

1. Hold a dumbbell in each hand and keep your waist in its natural arch.
2. Bend your hips back until your torso is parallel to the floor.
3. Let your arms hang down.
4. Now squeeze your shoulder blades together and extend your arms 90 degrees, with your thumbs pointing up and your upper arms parallel to the floor.

10. Face Pull

How To

1. Attach a rope handle to the top pulley of a cable station.
2. Grasp one end with each hand with your palms facing each other.
3. Step back to put tension on the cable.
4. Pull the handles toward your forehead so that your palms are facing your ears and your upper back is fully contracted.

How Should I Split Up My Upper Body Workout?

“There’s no perfect split because you can see progression in many different ways, but I always recommend the push/pull split,” says Nike Global Performance Trainer David Carson. “It’s a great way to improve balance in the upper body and also reduce injuries.”

For those who don't have time to work individual muscle groups, he recommends a two-day split (at least in the beginning). The workout split would include a pulling day, where you work your back, rear delts, and biceps, and a pushing day, where you work your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Related: Push-Pull Exercise for a Well-Balanced Upper Body

How Many Upper Body Exercises Should I Do Per Workout?

“It’s hard to give an exact number because there are so many different smart approaches to training,” says Kenna Johnson, Nike trainer and co-founder of Sona Fitness. “But generally speaking, once you’ve properly developed and activated each muscle group, you want four to eight upper-body exercises as the ‘core’ of your workout. The reason for the wide range depends on your goal. For example, if you’re doing a superset workout, you’ll have more exercises so you can hit the same muscle group back-to-back.”

How Should I Split Up My Upper Body Workout?

“Break your upper-body workout into anterior chain and posterior chain,” says Johnson. “The anterior chain muscles are on the front of the body, and the posterior chain muscles are on the back of the body. For your anterior chain workout, focus on the chest, anterior deltoids, and biceps. For your posterior chain workout, focus on the [the] posterior deltoid, rhomboids, lats, trapezius and levator scapulae.

Related: Daniel Craig's 'No Time to Die' Strength and Conditioning Workout

Which Upper Body Muscles Should I Work Together?

“To get the most out of a session, it’s a great idea to group muscles by function,” Carson says. “For example, the chest and triceps are both pushing muscles, and many moves that use the chest also use the triceps. My favorite groupings are chest and triceps, back and biceps, and shoulders and traps.”