Upper Body Workout At Home With Dumbbells
by Marine Le Sager
December 05, 2019
Whenever you are a beginner or advanced in fitness, we sometimes cannot go to the gym for whatever reasons. In this blog post, I will share with you an upper body workout, composed of chest, arms, shoulders and back exercises, that you can do at home!!
So get your set of dumbbells and here we go!
What Are the Upper Body Muscles?
To understand why it's important to workout out this part, it is first crucial to learn about the different muscles that form the
upper body.
Knowing their functions will allow you to better understand all the exercises below.
The Chest
-
Pectorals - The function of these muscles is to raise and lower the arms, cross them in front of the chest and rotate them.
The Arms
-
Triceps - This muscle is an extensor of the forearm to the elbow. It allows the extension and adduction of the arm at the shoulder joint. The triceps also stabilize the shoulder.
-
Biceps - The functions of this muscle are numerous: flexion of the shoulder, elbow, and forearm, abduction and adduction of the shoulder. Thanks to the biceps, we can carry food to our mouth!
The Back
-
Trapezius - It takes up the upper part of the back. It is divided into several muscle groups: upper, middle, and lower. These muscles allow most of the shoulders and head movements, like shrugging.
The Shoulders
-
Deltoids - The deltoid is a muscle that gives the rounded shape to the shoulders. Its main function is the abduction of the arm.
If you want a harmonious and aesthetic shape, it is very recommended to work out EVERY PART of your body, including the upper part.
Muscle imbalances can lead to injury risks. So don't neglect any part of your body!
Strengthening the upper body makes it easier to do powerlifting exercises of the lower body, such as squats or lunges. Therefore, you will avoid back pain because you will be toned at the top of your body.
Have you ever noticed that you sweat more when you work on your back than when you only work on your abs? By working on large muscle groups, you will burn more calories than by focusing on small ones. So forget about the 200 crunches a day challenge!
And guess what? You also work your abs when you execute an upper body workout!
So let's jump into the training!
What you will need to make this upper body exercises at home:
-
A pair of Dumbbells. For a beginner, is recommended to start with light weights from 7 to 10 lbs. If you already have fitness skills, you will probably use 25 lbs dumbbells.
- A Gym Ball
- Push-Ups bars
Do you want to know the benefits of the push-up bars? Discover why it's on our favorite gym accessories list!
Alright, let's get to work with the very promised upper body workout at home!
Chest Exercises
The Chess Press on the Exercise Ball
Accessory: exercise ball and dumbbells
Step by Step:
- Sit on the stability ball and take a few steps forward to roll over it so that it is beneath your shoulders.
- Feet flat on the ground, raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from your knees to your shoulders.
- Place the weights on your chest and turn your wrists so your thumbs are facing each other (pronation shape).
- Push the weight to the ceiling, align your arms with your shoulders, keeping your elbows slightly bent. Hold the position for a second.
- Do not let the weights touch each other at the top of the movement.
-
Slowly go down and spread your elbows as far apart as possible. Contract your torso and keep this contraction for 1-2 seconds.
- Repeat the movement.
Tip: If you are at the gym, you can totally do this exercise on a regular bench with a weight bar.
Push-Ups
Accessory: Push-Ups Bars
Step by Step:
- Put your hands on the bars, spaced from the width of the shoulders, or a little wider if you want to increase the amplitude and work harder on your pectoral muscles.
- Your body should form a straight line from head to feet.
- Bend the arms to bring the torso to the ground.
- Push on the arms by contracting the pectoral muscles to return to the starting position.
- Repeat the movement.
Tip: If the movement is still too hard, you can do the exercise on your knees.
Arms Exercises
Biceps Curls
Accessory: Dumbbells
Step by Step:
- Stand up, arms along your body, a dumbbell in each hand, palms in front of you. Your knees should be slightly bent and your back straight.
- Contract your right arm and bend your elbow to lift the weights to your shoulders. Your elbow should not move, only the forearm are mobile.
- Keep the contraction for a second, then lower the weight slowly by controlling the movement.
- Repeat on the left side.
Triceps Extension
Accessory: Dumbbells
Step by Step:
- Stand up, with your knees slightly bent and your back straight.
- With your right hand take a dumbbell, keep your chest straight and your eyes directly forward.
- Bend your right elbow and raise your arm above your head, leaving your forearm and dumbbell hanging behind so that your elbow points to the ceiling.
- Keep the upper part of your right arm still, push the dumbbell up until your arm is fully extended.
- Contract your triceps strongly while exhaling, then come back slowly towards the starting position.
- Repeat to make the required number of repetitions, and pass to the left side.
Shoulders Exercises
Side Raise
Accessory: Dumbbells
Step by Step:
- Stand up, arms along your body, a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing your body. Your knees should be slightly bent and your back straight.
- With your elbows, raise both arms at the same time to the horizontal. Your thumbs should be facing down.
- Slowly go down to come back to the initial position.
- Repeat the movement.
Tip: Don't take too heavy weights for this exercise
Overhead Press
Accessory: Dumbbells
Step by Step:
- Sit down with the weights on your thighs, put your back on the back of the chair and your feet flat on the ground.
- Take a dumbbell in each hand, bend your elbows and lift the weights until you reach a 90° degree position with your elbows and shoulders.
- At this stage, develop your arms above your head and keep the position during 1 seconde.
- Slowly come back to the initial position.
- Repeat the movement.
Tip: If you're at the gym, be sure to sit on the dumbbell fitness chair to help you to have the straightest back.
Back Exercises
Bent-Over Row
Accessory: Dumbbells
Step by Step:
- Take your dumbbells in each hand, lean your chest forward, bend your knees, and put your feet apart from the width of the shoulders. Your back should stay straight.
- Bring the weights to your lower abdominals by tightening the back muscles.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells to the initial position.
- Repeat the movement.
Tip: If you're at the gym, you can do this exercise with a weight bar instead of dumbbells.
Upright Row
Accessory: Dumbbells
Step by Step:
- Stand up, a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your body, and put your feet apart from the width of the shoulders.
- Bring your chest forward.
- Bring the weight towards your chest by bending the elbows and lift them so they are in line with the shoulders.
- Contract your muscles and slowly come back to the initial position
- Repeat the movement
Tip: If you're at the gym, you can also do this exercise with a weight bar instead of weights.
Workout Plan
| Exercise duration |
Breaks between sets
|
Sets
|
Total Time
|
| 5 to 10 repetitions |
30 sec to 1 min |
3 to 4 |
45 to 60 minutes |
Example for an intermediate with a 10 lbs set
| Exercise duration |
Breaks between sets
|
Sets
|
Total Time
|
| 10 repetitions |
30 sec |
4 |
60 minutes |
To Wrap Up
We hope this article's recommendations will help you feel stronger. As mentioned above, you should adjust the number of repetitions and sets regarding your goals and your level.
Always listen to your body. Go at your own pace and push yourself harder progressively, increase the weights and number of repetitions. The heavier you lift, the less repetitions you should make.
Also, make sure to warm up first with our HIIT workout routine!
Once you are done exercising, don't forget to drink Falcon Protein to get the best out of your sweat. To help your muscles recover, check out Tropical Paradise Protein Smoothie Recipe! For more post-workout snacks and fitness tips, please feel free to have a look at our Birdman Blog.
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Marine Le Sager
Author