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 45-
degree 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.