Third-party fitness professional endorses top three workout routines for enhancing upper-body muscularity
In the quest for a well-rounded upper-body workout, personal trainers often recommend compound exercises that target multiple muscle groups at once. Alasdair Nicoll, a personal trainer at The Fitness Group, advises focusing on such exercises to build strength efficiently. Three exercises that stand out in this regard are the Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Dumbbell Bent-over Row, and Dumbbell Bench Press.
Dumbbell Shoulder Press
This exercise primarily targets the shoulders (deltoids) but also engages the triceps, providing a solid compound upper-body strength workout. To perform a dumbbell shoulder press, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height with elbows bent. Engage your core and press the dumbbells upward, extending your arms until they are straight. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and lower the weight back down. Repeat for eight to 10 reps.
Dumbbell Bent-over Row
The Dumbbell Bent-over Row works the back muscles, including the latissimus dorsi, traps, and rhomboids, while also involving the biceps and forearms. To do a bent-over row, stand with feet shoulder-width apart, hold a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip, bend at the hips, and keep the back straight. Lower the dumbbells towards your knees, then raise them back to the starting position, keeping your elbows close to your body and pointing backwards. Pull the dumbbells towards your lower ribcage or upper abdomen, and repeat for 10 to 12 reps.
Dumbbell Bench Press
The Dumbbell Bench Press focuses on the chest (pectorals), shoulders, and triceps, providing a versatile pressing movement akin to push-ups but with added resistance and range of motion. This exercise is often complemented or substituted by the dumbbell bench press for strength progression with weights.
Push-ups are an excellent bodyweight compound exercise for upper-body strength, but for dumbbell training, the bench press is a more comparable compound press movement. If you want strictly dumbbell compound lifts for upper-body strength, these three exercises are most frequently recommended.
| Exercise | Primary Muscles Targeted | Why It's Recommended | |----------------------|----------------------------------|--------------------------------------------| | Dumbbell Shoulder Press | Shoulders (deltoids), triceps | Builds shoulder and triceps strength | | Dumbbell Bent-over Row | Upper back (lats, traps, rhomboids), biceps | Develops back thickness and pulling strength | | Dumbbell Bench Press | Chest, shoulders, triceps | Effective pressing movement for chest and triceps |
Each of these exercises engages multiple joints and muscle groups, making them foundational compound lifts for building upper-body strength with dumbbells. For those who cannot do a push-up, modifications like doing it against a wall or a raised surface are suggested.
When choosing a weight for each exercise, Nicoll emphasizes the importance of selecting a weight that is manageable but challenging for the repetitions. An adjustable dumbbell like the one from Amazon Basics, with easy-to-use spinlock adjustments for adding or removing weight plates, is a recommended tool for strength training.
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This article is intended for informational purposes only and should not replace professional advice from a qualified fitness professional or healthcare provider.
- Incorporating the Dumbbell Shoulder Press, Dumbbell Bent-over Row, and Dumbbell Bench Press into a fitness routine provides an efficient strength training workout for the upper body, engaging multiple muscle groups such as the deltoids, lats, traps, rhomboids, pectorals, and triceps.
- Alasdair Nicoll, a personal trainer at The Fitness Group, advocates for using these exercises in health-and-wellness routines due to their compound nature, as they not only build strength but also promote fitness-and-exercise and overall health.
- For those who desire a solid scientific foundation for their fitness choices, these exercises align with the principles of strength training, as they isolate multiple joints and muscle groups, and offer various resistance levels for progressive improvement.
