Beginner Friendly: Increase Upper Body Strength

Question

How can I increase my upper body strength at home?

Pete Cerqua
Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Pete Cerqua is a Certified Personal Trainer and Nutritionist. Pete is also a five-time best-selling author of books including "The 90-Second Fitness Solution" and "High Intensity Fitness Revolution for Women/Men" published by Simon and Schuster and Skyhorse Publishing. Pete has over 20 years of personal training and nutrition coaching experience and operates the 90-Second Fitness flagship studio in New York City.

Pete Cerqua

Certified Personal Trainer & Nutritionist

Expert Answer

Planks, rows, and push-ups can all be done in your home without any equipment.

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Question

I need to build upper body muscle by next wrestling season. Does anyone know any quick solutions?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer

Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Give yourself 4-8 weeks at least to build strength and focus on the bigger muscles of the chest, back, legs and core for wrestling to gain more power. Anyone new to lifting must start with lighter weights but if you have lifted already, go heavy.

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Question

For chin ups we need strength. Main question is from where does that strength come?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer

Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Chin ups require strength from the latissimus dorsi (think of a swimmer's "V" shaped back), and the triceps, biceps, and shoulders. Strong abdominal muscles help too.

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Question

What exercises increase upper body strength?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer

Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Push ups, chin ups, bent over rows, dips, biceps curls and overhead presses all work the upper body.

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Question

How can I increase my body strength?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer

Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

Any physical activity which is more than your body is accustomed to doing will increase strength.

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Question

What food gives you strength?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer

Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

There is no food that directly makes you stronger, but we need protein to build muscles, carbohydrates for fast energy and fats to sustain healthy organ and brain function.

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Question

How do you increase core strength?

Michele Dolan
Certified Fitness Trainer

Michele Dolan is a Fitness Trainer based in Sidney, British Columbia. She has been a personal trainer and fitness instructor since 2002, and was certified as a Personal Trainer by the British Columbia Recreation and Parks Association (BCRPA). Michele is also a Registered Clinical Counselor, and uses her 20+ years of fitness coaching experience to help clients understand their mind-body connection. She is a Registered Clinical Counsellor (RCC) and Certified Clinical Counsellor (CCC), certified by the British Columbia Association of Clinical Counsellors and the Canadian Counselling and Psychotherapy Association. In her work, Michele uses the tools of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Dialectic Behavior Therapy and Cognitive Processing Therapy for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome. She practices and teaches mindfulness and acceptance in all of her coaching work. She holds a Master’s Degree in Counselling Psychology.

Michele Dolan

Certified Fitness Trainer

Expert Answer

You could try practicing the plank exercise, superman exercise and balancing on one leg.

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Question

The exercises which you are shown are only for a gym going person. What should I do to build my biceps and triceps at home?

Community Answer

You should not do dead-lifts away from a gym, but for everything else, a bit of imagination should bring a solution. Most of the exercises above can be done at home. Dumbbells are cheap to buy, but also different sized bottles of water are about the right weight and make a good substitute. All the floor exercises can be done anywhere, and you probably have something at home which will substitute as a bench. Pull-up type exercises might not be so easy to solve, but they can be done outside in many cities (play areas, outside exercise areas), or in the country on a tree branch, and if you run or cycle to where the trees are, you get double benefit.

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Question

Would you recommend this for a 14 year old? Nobody at school really thinks about building up strength.

Community Answer

It really comes down to whether you are extremely weak or you do a lot of active things that require your upper body strength, such as free running.

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Question

How do I increase my upper body strength for swimming without weights? I am a young teenager.

Community Answer

Make tight, weightlifting movements with your fist tightly closed to build arm strength. You can also do lots of sit-ups to strengthen your middle body. You can also try arm circles, push-ups, the plank, and pull-ups. Going on monkey bars is also a great way to develop upper-body strength as well as get taller.

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Question

I'm a 14-year-old female who needs to build upper-body strength. I have a school gym that I be able to use before school. I'm weak as hell, though. What exercises would be best for me?

Community Answer

Bench press, rows, and chest flies are great for this. Follow the guidelines in this article, starting with the highest weight you're comfortable with (even if it's only 5-pound dumbbells; everybody starts somewhere!). Gradually increase weight, sticking to low reps (and make sure that your form is correct). Eating a lot of protein will help build muscle quickly, and potassium--bananas are a great source of this--will help keep your muscles from getting so sore. Give yourself a rest day between workouts to allow the muscles the time and opportunity to increase.

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Question

As a 19-year-old male who is beginning a gym program, should I also take nutritional supplements?

Community Answer

It is not mandatory to take supplements along with training. Most of your nutrients should come from your food. But, if you want to see muscle growth within a shorter period of time, you could take whey protein isolate as a supplement. Whey protein helps repair muscle after strength activities. If you are looking for more energy during your workout, or in your day in general, I recommend taking creatine. Creatine augments your endurance so that you can run faster and farther and push through extra sets in the gym, therefore, increasing your "gains".

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