If You Want to Work Out Three Days a Week: Upper-Body Routine 1
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The workout below is for 6 Weeks to Stronger, SELF’s new six-week workout plan geared toward building serious strength. Check out the full program right here for the rest of your workouts and more important info!
We hope you enjoyed your lower-body-focused day; now we’re going to flip it to show your upper body some dedicated love. Your second weekly workout will be a routine that focuses on the bigger muscles like your back, chest, and shoulders and provides some targeted exercises to hit your arms separately.
This workout will follow the same pattern as your first. You’ll start with your big main move, which will be the chest press, an upper-body staple that really strengthens your pecs, the muscles that help when you do pretty much anything that requires you to push. Again, your rep range will be relatively low here, and your rest period pretty substantial, so really challenge yourself to choose a weight that feels heavy for you. (For more detailed info about the program, check out our primer here.)
Then you’ll follow it up with a three-exercise circuit that homes in on your upper body a little more, and you’ll alternate among moves that work the front side (overhead press, which hits your shoulders), backside (single-arm row, which targets your lats), and the side (the lateral raise, which hits the medial, or side, head of your shoulders). The reason for this: You’re not working the same muscles back to back, which gives them more time to recover before they’re put to work again. The rep range and rest periods will be shorter here than with your main move, but it’s still nicely targeted to help you build strength and muscle.
Finally, you’ll end with a superset that’s all about your arms. Because you have a specific “upper-body day,” you have a little extra “room” to add some isolation exercises. With this superset, you’ll alternate again between opposing muscle groups—your triceps (with the skull crusher) and biceps (with the cross-body biceps curl) so they don’t get too fatigued.
With that, check out the specific workout below for more deets and get ready to get started!
The Workout
What you need: Dumbbells (or a barbell if you prefer). A weight bench is optional. You may also want an exercise mat for comfort.
Exercises
Straight Set:
- Chest Press
Circuit:
- Overhead Press
- Single-Arm Row
- Lateral Raise
Superset:
- Skull Crusher
- Cross-Body Biceps Curl
Directions
- For Straight Set, complete 5 to 8 reps. Rest for 2 to 3 minutes. Complete 4 sets total.
- For Circuit, complete 8 to 12 reps of the first exercise; rest for 60 to 90 seconds before going on to the second exercise. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds before going to the third exercise. Rest for 60 to 90 seconds after all three are done, and then repeat from the top. Complete this circuit 3 times total.
- For the Superset complete 12 to 15 reps of the first exercise. Rest for 30 to 60 seconds before going on to the second exercise. Rest 30 to 60 seconds, and then repeat from the top. Complete this superset 3 times total.
Katie ThompsonChest Press
- Lie faceup with your knees bent and feet flat on the floor, or on a bench with your feet planted on the floor. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your legs and your elbows on the floor bent at about 90 degrees so that the weights are in the air. You can also do this with a barbell; your hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. This is the starting position.
- Press the weight toward the ceiling, straightening your elbows completely and keeping your palms facing your legs. Pause here for a second.
- Slowly bend your elbows and lower them back down to the floor. This is 1 rep.
You can use dumbbells or a barbell for this staple upper-body exercise, which hits your pecs and triceps.
Katie ThompsonOverhead Press
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your shoulders with your palms facing out and your elbows bent. Alternatively, you can use a barbell; hold it in an overhand grip with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. (You can also do this seated on a bench with your back supported). This is the starting position.
- Press the weight overhead, straightening your elbows completely. Make sure to keep your core engaged and hips tucked to avoid arching your lower back as you lift your arms.
- Slowly bend your elbows to lower the weight back down to the starting position. This is 1 rep.
You can use dumbbells or barbells as well for this exercise, which really targets your shoulders.
Katie ThompsonSingle-Arm Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, holding a weight in one hand with your arm at your side. (You can stagger your stance if you feel more comfortable that way, and place your other arm on your thigh for support.) This is the starting position.
- With your core engaged, hinge forward at the hips, push your butt back, and keep a soft bend in both knees, making sure you don’t round your shoulders. (Your hip mobility and hamstring flexibility will dictate how far you can bend over.)
- Gaze at the ground a few inches in front of your feet to keep your neck in a comfortable position.
- Pull the weight up toward your chest, keeping your elbow hugged close to your body, and squeeze your shoulder blade for 2 seconds at the top of the movement.
- Slowly lower the weight by extending your arm toward the floor. This is 1 rep.
- Continue to do all of the reps on the same side, then repeat on the other side.
The single-arm row helps build balanced strength by making sure each side of your body is putting in the same amount of work—and that your stronger side isn’t overcompensating. Your lats, rhomboids, and biceps are the main players here.
Katie ThompsonLateral Raise
- Stand with your feet about hip-width apart, a light dumbbell in each hand, arms resting slightly in front of your thighs, palms facing your legs.
- With a slight bend in your elbows, slowly lift your arms out to the side to shoulder level. Pause for a moment, then slowly lower them. This is 1 rep.
The lateral raise works the lateral, or medial, head of your shoulder, making sure each part of that muscle is getting some love.
Katie ThompsonSkull Crusher
- Lie with your back flat on a mat and your legs bent with your feet on the floor, or on a bench with your feet planted on the floor. Hold a light dumbbell in each hand.
- Hold the dumbbells straight up and over your shoulders, palms facing in, keeping your hands shoulder-width apart.
- Bend your elbows to bring the weights down by the sides of your head, keeping your elbows in the same spot.
- Straighten your arms back out to start position. This is 1 rep.
This move hammers your triceps, making it a great accessory exercise after those muscles have already worked hard supporting your bigger lifts.
Katie ThompsonCross-Body Biceps Curl
- Hold a dumbbell in one hand, palm facing in.
- Curl your dumbbell up across your body toward your opposite shoulder, keeping your palms facing in. Squeeze your bicep when you reach the top.
- Slowly return your arm to the starting position. This is 1 rep. Complete all your reps on one side, then switch sides.
Another accessory exercise, this arms move hits the top of your upper arms, which have already put in some work during the single-arm row.
Demoing the moves above are Winnie Yu (GIF 1), a doctor of physical therapy, certified strength and conditioning specialist, and running specialist; Chad Ryan (GIFs 2 and 5), a personal trainer, group fitness instructor and life coach; Francine Delgado-Lugo (GIFs 3 and 6), a strength coach and co-founder of Form Fitness Brooklyn; and Lauren Leavell (GIF 4), a NASM-certified personal trainer and founder of Leavell Up Fitness.
Winnie Yu wears: Jacket by Splits59; and leggings, socks, and shoes by Alo. Chad Ryan wears: Top by On Running; shorts by Reebok; and shoes and socks by Alo. Francine Delgado-Lugs wears: Top by Aritzia; pants by Yitty; and shoes by Alo. Lauren Leavell wears: Top and leggings by Beyond Yoga; shoes by Reebok; and socks by Alo.
BowFlex 5.1S Adjustable Weight Bench by Bowflex.
SELF does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Any information published on this website or by this brand is not intended as a substitute for medical advice, and you should not take any action before consulting with a healthcare professional.
