UPPER BODY EXERCISES

Bench Press: Laying down flat on a bench grab the bar with an overhand grip slightly greater than shoulder width apart. Take the bar off the rack and lower the bar down to the middle of your chest and press the bar upward and slightly back so that at the completion of the movement the bar is approximately over your neck.

Incline Bench Press: This exercise is performed the same way as the flat bench press with the same grip on the bar, but will be done on an incline bench press station that is elevated to a 45 degree angle. Lower the bar down to your upper chest and press the bar straight back up.

Close Grip Bench: This exercise is performed the same way as a flat bench press, but your grip will change. Move your hands in on the bar so that they are slightly less than shoulder width apart. As you lower the bar to your chest keep your elbows pinned to your side. Once the bar is at your chest, press the bar back up to the starting position concentrating on keeping your elbows in.

DB Bench Press: Lying down flat on a bench, grab a dumbbell in each hand so that your palms are facing forward. Start with the dumbbells lowered so that they are directly beside your chest on each side of your body. Press the dumbbells straight up until your arms are completely extended, and then lower them back to the starting position.

DB Incline Press: This exercise will be performed the same way as dumbbell bench press, but will be done on a bench that is set at an incline of 45 degrees.

DB Bench on Swiss: Start by sitting straight up on a Swiss ball with your feet flat on the floor, and a dumbbell in each hand resting on your thighs. Roll your body down on the ball so that only your upper back and shoulder blades are touching the ball. Keep your butt up, so that your torso is straight. Perform the rest of the exercise as you would a regular dumbbell bench press.

Dips: This exercise can be performed on a dip station or on a bench. On a dip station grab the bars so that your palms are facing each other, and get into the starting position by extending your arms and bringing your feet off the floor. Cross your legs behind you, and slowly lower your body straight down, until your elbows are completely flexed. Once you come to the bottom position press yourself back up until your arms are completely extended again. For bench dips, sit on a bench and put your hands directly next to your hips on each side of your body. Put your legs out in front of you completely extended on the floor or on another bench. Let your butt slide off the bench so that your arms are supporting all of your weight. Drop your body straight down until your elbows are flexed, and then press your body straight back up until your arms are completely extended.

Alternating Med Ball Pushups: This exercise will be performed with one med ball. Get in a pushup position with your right hand on the med ball and your left hand on the floor. Perform one pushup. Once you have extended both of your arms, roll the ball across from your right hand to your left hand. Perform another pushup, and then roll the ball back to your right hand. Continue to alternate hands for the prescribed number of pushups.

Swiss ball Pushups: There are two different ways this exercise will be performed. The first way will be with your feet on the ball and your hands on the floor. Roll out on the ball until only your feet are touching the ball, and then do the prescribed number of pushups. If you can, raise your toes up on the ball before performing the pushups. The second way will be with your hands on the ball and your feet on the floor. Put your hands on the ball about shoulder width apart with your arms completely extended. Your whole body should be straight at about a 45degree angle. Slowly lower your body towards the ball, and then push yourself back up to the starting position.

Standing Military Press: Standing with your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent, hold a bar shoulder width apart across the front your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Press the bar over your head until your arms are completely extended, and then lower it back down to the starting position.

DB Shoulder Press: Sitting on a bench with the back at 90 degrees, grab a dumbbell in each hand with an overhand grip and bring them to the top of your shoulders with your palms facing forward. Push the dumbbells straight up over your head until your arms are completely extended, and then lower them back down to the starting position.

Alternating DB Shoulder Press: Start in the same position as if doing a regular dumbbell shoulder press. Push both dumbbells straight up over your head until your arms are completely extended. Lower the dumbbell in your right hand back down to the starting position, while keeping the one in your left hand above your head. Press the dumbbell in your right hand back up over your head. Next, lower the dumbbell in your left hand down to the starting position, while keeping the one in your right hand above your head. Press the dumbbell in your left hand back up over your head, and continue to alternate this sequence for the prescribed number of repetitions. DB Shoulder Press on Swiss: Sitting on a Swiss ball with your feet flat on the floor, bring a dumbbell in each hand up to the top of your shoulders as if doing a dumbbell shoulder press on a bench. Keep your torso tight to keep your body stable while sitting on the ball. Push the dumbbells straight up over your head until your arms are completely extended, and then lower them back to the starting position.

Shoulder Circuit: For this exercise you will complete the prescribed number of repetitions for 3 different movements to complete one set. The first movement is a front raise. Standing straight up with your feet slightly apart, grab a dumbbell in each hand so that your palms are facing toward the front of your thighs. Keeping your arms completely extended, raise both arms at the same time straight up in front of you until they reach shoulder height, and then lower them back down to the starting position. Complete all repetitions for the front raise before moving on to lateral raises. To perform the lateral raise, start with your arms on each side of your body. Keeping your arms completely extended, raise your arms at the same time straight out to the side until they reach shoulder level, and then lower them back down to the starting position. The last movement is a posterior raise. For this movement bend over at the waist and stick your butt behind you. Keep your back flat by pinching your shoulders back and arching your low back. With a slight bend in your elbows bring the dumbbells down in front of you. Raise the dumbbells up to the side until your arms are parallel with the floor, and then lower them back to the starting position.

Upright Rows: Standing with your feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent, grab the bar with an overhand grip slightly less than shoulder width apart. Keeping the bar close to your body, pull the bar straight up to a point just below your chin. At the top of the movement your elbows should be pointing straight up towards the ceiling. After pausing, slowly lower the bar back down to the starting position

1 Arm DB Row: Using a flat bench, put your right hand down flat on the bench with your arm completely extended. Bring your right knee up on to the bench in line with your right hand. Put your left foot out to the side on the floor with your leg completely extended. This positioning should put your back completely flat. Reach down with your left hand on the left side of the bench and grab one dumbbell with your palm facing in. Pull the dumbbell straight up to your lower chest and upper abdominal area so that your elbow is pointing toward the ceiling. Lower the dumbbell back down so your arm is completely extended without the dumbbell touching the floor. Complete all repetitions with the left arm, and then switch positions and perform with the right arm.

Bent-over row: Grab a straight bar with an under grip slightly greater than shoulder width apart. Bend over at the waist as if you were doing a stiff leg dead lift, with your knees slightly bent and your arms hanging down in front of you. Keep your back flat by pinching your shoulders back and arching your low back. Pull the bar straight up, pulling your elbows toward the ceiling until the bar touches the top of your stomach, and then lower it back to the starting position.

Lat Pull down: Sitting down on the lat pull down machine, grab the bar with an overhand grip, greater than shoulder width apart with your arms completely extended. Keeping your back straight pull the bar down in front of your face until it touches the top of your chest, and then slowly let the bar rise back up to the starting position.

Reverse Grip Lat Pull downs: This exercise will be done the exact same way as a regular lat pull down, except that your grip will be different. With your arms completely extended, grab the bar with an underhand grip slightly less than shoulder width apart. Pull the bar down in front of your face until it touches the top of your chest, and then slowly let the bar rise back up to the starting position.

Cable Rows: Sitting in a cable row machine, grab the handles and place your feet against the footrest with your knees slightly bent. Keeping your back straight for the entire movement, pull the handles to your lower chest and upper abdominal area. Concentrate on pulling your elbows straight back and pinching your shoulder blades together. As your slowly let you arms extend back to the starting position, focus on keeping your back straight with out rocking forward.

Pull-ups: Using an overhand grip greater than shoulder width apart, grab a pull-up bar over your head. Pull yourself up until your chin clears the bar. You can use a spot on this exercise by bending your knees and having someone hold your feet behind you.

Inverted Row: This exercise is performed like a reverse bench press or pushup. Lay a straight bar across the safety catches of a squat rack about 3 to 4 feet off the ground. Lay underneath the bar so that it is in line with your chest. Grab the bar with your bench press grip and keeping your whole body rigid, pull yourself toward the bar until you touch it with your chest. At this point only your heels should be touching the floor. Slowly lower yourself back to the starting position without letting your body touch the floor.

Pullover: Laying flat on a bench, grab one dumbbell with both hands on the inside of the dumbbell. Keeping a slight bend in your arms, bring the dumbbell over your head and down towards the floor until your shoulders and chest are stretched as far as they can go. Once you have reached this point, bring the dumbbell back up until it is over your face.

Straight Bar Curl: Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Grab the bar with an underhand grip with your arms hanging by your side. Your hands should be on the outside of your thighs, so that the bar is resting across the front of your thighs. Keeping your back straight raise the bar forward and upward until the bar is slightly underneath your chin. Hold the bar at the top position, and then lower it back down to the starting position.

Reverse Curls: This exercise will be performed the same way as a straight bar curl except that your grip on the bar will be different. Grab the bar overhand, so that your palms are facing backward. Curl the bar up in the same motion as a regular curl using mostly your forearms until it is slightly below your chin, and then lower it back to the starting position.

DB Bicep Curl: Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip, with your palms facing the sides of your thighs. Curl the dumbbells one arm at a time until they reach the top of your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body. As you curl, rotate your wrist so that your palm is facing your shoulder. Return the dumbbell back to its starting position, and then curl the dumbbell in your opposite hand.

Hammer Curls: Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and your knees slightly bent. Grab a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip, with your palms facing the side of your thighs. Keeping your palms facing in, curl the dumbbells one at a time until they reach the top of your shoulders. Unlike the regular dumbbell bicep curl your wrist does not rotate during this exercise.

Tricep Pushdowns: Standing in front of a lat pull down machine grab the bar with an overhand grip slightly less than shoulder width apart. The bar should be at chest level for the start of the exercise and your elbows pinned to your side. Keeping your elbows in, push the bar straight down until your arms are completely extended. When you reach the bottom of the movement, pause and then slowly allow the bar to return back to the starting position. Do not move your shoulders at any point of the movement.

DB Tricep Ext: Grab one dumbbell with both hands on the inside of the dumbbell and lift it over and behind your head with your arms completely extended. Lower the dumbbell straight down below your head bending only at your elbows, so that your use your triceps. Once the dumbbell cannot go any further, press the dumbbell back up to the starting position.

Kickbacks: Get in the same position as you would for a 1 arm DB row. Pull the dumbbell to your lower chest and upper abdominal area, and hold that position with your elbow pointing toward the ceiling. Keeping your shoulder and elbow still, push the dumbbell straight behind you until your arm is completely extended. Slowly return the dumbbell back to the starting position and repeat. Perform the prescribed number of repetitions for both arms.

Lying DB Tricep Ext: Laying flat on a bench, grab a dumbbell in each hand and push them straight up until your arms are completely extended. Turn the dumbbells so that your palms are facing each other. Keeping your shoulders still, slowly lower the dumbbells together towards your head until your elbows are completely bent and the dumbbells are on each side of your head. Push the dumbbells back up to the starting position using your triceps, and repeat.