4 Upper Body Exercises for Building Muscle

Building muscle or Hypertrophy is an arduous process that requires manipulation of a variety of factors for the advanced athlete. Having a few go to exercises for targeting major muscle groups is a good idea as it enables you to simplify the process & maintain consistency in overloading them.

1. Pull Ups

This exercise primarily targets the Latissimus Dorsi (Lats), Lower Trapesius (Traps), and Biceps Brachii (Biceps).

This exercise when completed through a full range of motion and as strictly as possible will continue to stimulate growth for beginners & intermediates for a long time. However, if you find that you need or would like to vary it up it can be down very easily.

If you are sick of just adding reps as some people are fast to adapt and can complete ten or more reps with quick succession, you can added resistance bands to progressively add tension as you get closer to the bar.

Alternatively, you may struggle to get many reps in at all and thrive with the low rep ranges 2,3 and 5 reps at a time. To continously stimulate hypertrophy it is recommended to train all across the rep range spectrum and so you may decide to use Band Assisted Pull ups to complete 10 - 15 plus reps in a set.

2. Dumbbell Bench Press

Primarily activating the Pectoralis Major & Minor (Pecs), Anterior Deltoid Head (Delts) and Triceps Brachii (Triceps) this is a favourite of many successful bodybuilders for building a chiselled slab of muscle for the chest.

While the Barbell would typically be my go to for max strength & speed/power work, Dumbbells allow for a better mind muscle connection as you can achieve greater ranges of motion and work each side independently of the other so it removes all compensation or imbalances.

My favourite go to variation of the Dumbbell Bench Press is to add a pause at the bottom of a rep, the sensation is unreal, but the Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) will have you second guess your desire to implement it! This not only assists in better targeted muscle activation through the chest it also enables greater time under mechanical load - otherwords the muscles are working for a greater duration of time against a strenous load. Another valuable factor in stimulating hypertrophy.

3. Military Press or Strict Overhead Press

This is a classic lift, that only proves itself more and more valuable as time goes on. It activates the Deltoids (Delts) - primarily the Anterior & Medial heads, and the Triceps Brachii (Triceps). Some contribution at the start of the rep is from the upper chest (Pectoralis Major) however this is categorised as a shoulder building exercise.

This lift has origins in the old timey strongman days, where these giants would lift in leopard unitards and the weights would have spherical drums of sand or lead in them. It makes MEN out of BOYS and ATHLETES out of AMATEURS. If you can build your strict overhead press strength consistently, watch out world because boulder shoulders are about to arrive.

4. Pendlay Row

This is a very strict version of the Bent over Row, and because of the sheer control required to execute the technique appropriately its a great exercise for building up abdominal engagement in the hip hinge pattern.

The Pendlay Row activates the Trapesius (Traps), Rhomboids (Upper Back), Posterior head of the Deltoids (Rear Delts) and to a degree the Latissimus Dorsi (Lats) contribute along with smaller less visually apparent muscles responsible for or contribue to scapular retraction and posture.

This lift is less popular than the Bent Over Row because of its difficulty, maintaining core & glute engagment to negate any lower back strain is difficult while progressing the lift. It is because of this systemic challenge that I love this lift.

Ed Coan was quoted saying "I've never met a strong man with a weak back" - I believe beyond the Squat & Deadlift, the Pendlay Row is key for developing a Strong and Muscular back.

These are my go to, 4 Upper Body Exercises for Building Muscle, There are multiple considerations in attempting to continously stimulate hypertrophy and they aren't all found in the bottom of a supplement tub.

I want to thank you for reading this blog I hope you found it enjoyable !

P.S.

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