Your First Upper Body Workout: A Beginner's Guide
This workout is for you if you are brand new to strength training and want to start building a stronger chest, shoulders, and back. We'll walk you through a simple, safe session that works the muscles from your shoulders down to your arms. Stick with it, and everyday things — carrying bags, opening heavy doors, standing tall — will start to feel easier.
What the research says
A few things the research tells us are worth knowing before you get started. First, how long you rest between sets matters. One study found that resting 3 minutes between sets led to significantly greater gains in muscle size and strength compared to resting only 1 minute, in a group of young men who already trained regularly. So don't rush your rest — it's part of the work. Second, there's a note worth hearing about learning online versus in person. A 16-week study found that students who learned weight training through an online-only course did not improve their strength as much as those in a traditional class, and the researchers suggested that lack of motivation and accountability may have played a role. That's a good reminder that showing up — consistently, with focus — is part of what makes this work for you.
The rest-period finding comes from a controlled 8-week trial and is reasonably strong for that specific population (trained young men); the online-training finding is observational in nature and lists multiple possible explanations, so both results should be read as directional rather than definitive.
A study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research (2016) found that, in a group of young resistance-trained men, those who rested 3 minutes between sets showed significantly greater gains in both muscle strength (measured by 1-rep max bench press and squat) and muscle size in the anterior thigh compared to those who rested only 1 minute over an 8-week training program.
View study →A 2008 study published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research found that college students in an online-only weight training course scored significantly lower on bench press and squat strength tests compared to students in a traditional class, after 16 weeks. The researchers listed lack of motivation, low accountability, and the possibility that self-reported workouts were not accurate as possible reasons for the difference.
View study →The routine
Warmup
Stand up and extend your arms straight out by the sides. The arms should be parallel to the floor and perpendicular (90-degree angle) to your torso. This will be your starting position. Slowly start to make circles of about 1 foot in diameter with each outstretched arm. Breathe normally as you perform the movement. Continue the circular motion of the outstretched arms for about ten seconds. Then reverse the movement, going the opposite direction.
Stand with your feet shoulder width apart. This will be your starting position. Keeping your arms straight, swing them straight up in front of you 5-10 times, increasing the range of motion each time until your arms are above your head.
Stand with your hands together, arms extended directly in front of you. This will be your starting position. Keeping your arms straight, quickly move your arms back as far as possible and back in again, similar to an exaggerated clapping motion. Repeat 5-10 times, increasing speed as you do so.
Main
Move the cables to the bottom of the tower and select an appropriate weight. Grasp the cables and hold them at shoulder height, palms facing forward. This will be your starting position. Keeping your head and chest up, extend through the elbow to press one side directly over head. After pausing at the top, return to the starting position and repeat on the opposite side.
Lie on the floor with two kettlebells next to your shoulders. Position one in place on your chest and then the other, gripping the kettlebells on the handle with the palms facing forward. Extend both arms, so that the kettlebells are being held above your chest. Lower one kettlebell, bringing it to your chest and turn the wrist in the direction of the locked out kettlebell. Raise the kettlebell and repeat on the opposite side.
Place a bar on the ground behind the head of an incline bench. Lay on the bench face down. With a pronated grip, pick the barbell up from the floor. Flex the elbows, performing a reverse curl to bring the bar near your chest. This will be your starting position. To begin, press the barbell out in front of your head by extending your elbows. Keep your arms parallel to the ground throughout the movement. Return to the starting position and repeat to complete the set.
Run a band around a stationary post like that of a squat rack. Grab the band by the handles and stand back so that the tension in the band rises. Extend and lift the arms straight in front of you. Tip: Your arms should be straight and parallel to the floor while perpendicular to your torso. Your feet should be firmly planted on the floor spread at shoulder width. This will be your starting position. As you exhale, move your arms to the sides and back. Keep your arms extended and parallel to the floor. Continue the movement until the arms are extended to your sides. After a pause, go back to the original position as you inhale. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.
Lie back on a flat bench. Using a medium width grip (a grip that creates a 90-degree angle in the middle of the movement between the forearms and the upper arms), lift the bar from the rack and hold it straight over you with your arms locked. This will be your starting position. From the starting position, breathe in and begin coming down slowly until the bar touches your middle chest. After a brief pause, push the bar back to the starting position as you breathe out. Focus on pushing the bar using your chest muscles. Lock your arms and squeeze your chest in the contracted position at the top of the motion, hold for a second and then start coming down slowly again. Tip: Ideally, lowering the weight should take about twice as long as raising it. Repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions. When you are done, place the bar back in the rack.
Cooldown
Sit upright on the floor with your partner behind you. Place your hands behind your hand, and push your elbows back as far as you can. Your partner should hold your elbows. This will be your starting position. Gently attempt to pull your elbows forward with your hands still behind your head for 10 or more seconds. Your partner should prevent your elbows from moving. Now, relax your muscles and have your partner gently pull the elbows back as far as it comfortable for you. Be sure to let your partner know when the stretch is adequate to prevent overstretching or injury.
Lie on your side, with your upper arm against the foam roller. The upper arm should be more or less aligned with your body, with the outside of the bicep pressed against the foam roller. Raise your hips off of the floor, supporting your weight on your arm and on your feet. Hold for 10-30 seconds, and then switch sides.
This entry is for learning purposes only and is not medical advice — if you have any pain, an injury, or a health condition, check with a doctor before starting a new exercise routine, and STOP any movement that causes sharp or unusual pain.