UPPER BODY STRENGTH

Strong arms and an attractive upper body are every athlete’s dream goal. Conjuring upper body strength, however, requires patience and perseverance.

Arms workouts involve something one can do anytime, anywhere, without having to go to the gym and using heavy equipment. It adds to the cumulative load of physical activity experienced that triggers the adaptive response in muscles and helps make you stronger.

Start with simple moves using your own body weight or light weights that can comprise household items like a heavy book, a water bottle., or even a pack of groceries.

Here are a few exercises that help build stronger arms and

shoulders.

Overhead Press

The overhead press aims to strengthen your shoulders, upper back, and triceps as well as your chest and neck. You can do this move holding a household item such as a soup can or small water bottle or with small dumbbells. If you have access to a gym, you can use barbells or an overhead press machine.

 Start with your hands raised and your

elbows at a 90-degree angle

 Slowly raise your arms above your head

 Hold for one to three seconds

 Slowly lower your arm to the start position and repeat

You can do one to three sets consisting of eight to 10 repetitions each.

Upright Row

The upright row targets your trapezius, deltoid, and bicep muscles. If you're doing this at home, you can use a resistance band. If you're at the gym, you can use a machine designed for upright row exercises or use free weights with a spotter.

 Stand with the resistance band under your feet and one end in each hand. If you are using weights or a machine, stand with the bar in your hands and your feet shoulder-width apart

 Turn your hands so that your palms

face your body

 Pull your arms upward so that your hands come up the center of your body and your elbows bend out to your sides

 Hold for one to three seconds

 Slowly return your arms to the start position and repeat

You can do one to three sets of this exercise consisting of eight to 10 repetitions each.

Wall Push-ups

This exercise works the bicep, tricep, pectoral, and anterior deltoid muscles. You can adjust the difficulty by moving your feet closer to or farther away from the wall.

Stand in front of a wall at your pre

ferred distance

 Place your hands on the wall at chest

height, shoulder-width apart

 Bend your elbows to bring your upper body closer to the wall, leaving your feet in place. Let your heels come up off the floor.

 Keep your core rigid and don’t bend at

the waist

 Push yourself back to the start position and repeat

You can do one to three sets of this exercise consisting of 10 to 15 repetitions each.

Bicep Curls

This is a classic exercise that will lead to stronger biceps. It also works the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles which help with lower arm fitness. You can do this exercise with dumbbells, cans, or bottles in your hand.

 Stand with your feet shoulder-width

apart

 Hold one weight in each hand with

your palms facing forward

 Slowly bend your elbows to bring the

weights up toward your shoulders

 Hold for one to three seconds

 Slowly return arms to the starting position

Do one to three sets of eight to 10 curls.

Frequency of arms exercises

If you're just starting a strength training routine, you should give your muscles time to recover between workouts. Each muscle group needs at least 48 hours between workouts. That gives your muscles time to rest but not so much time between sessions that you lose all your progress.

You should aim to work out every day, alternating between muscle groups so that you don't risk injury. If you're unsure whether you're healthy enough for strength training, check with your doctor.