When planning their work-out routine, women need to select exercises that are well suited to their bodies and their goals; that target the correct areas of their bodies. Runners and those who do a lot of walking will, naturally build up the lower portion of their bodies. But, you want to make sure that your upper body gets toned too. In this article we will offer some suggestions, focused on women, to help you design a good upper body workout so that your entire body will be as toned as you would like.
Remember, that, as with any workout, it is essential that you are doing a good warm-up routine before you begin any more strenuous exercise. To get your blood circulating and your heart rate increasing, include jump roping, some jogging and some cycling.
Once you are warmed up you can use these exercises to tone your upper body.
Overhead Presses
Begin with a dumbbell in each hand. Raise your arms straight out from your shoulders to the side, parallel to the ground. Then bend your arms 90 degrees at the elbow to head height. This is your start position. Exhale and press the weights straight up overhead and then return to the starting position with the elbows at 90 degrees. Do this slow and steady. Do not allow your elbows to droop down below the level of your shoulders. This will help you maintain resistance. When first doing this exercise start with lighter weight dumbbells and build the weight as you build your body. This is an excellent exercise if you are looking for good shoulder workouts.
Triceps Kickback
Holding a dumbbell in each hand, bend forward from your hips while keeping your back straight, your head in line with your spine and your core tight. Your arms should be against your sides, parallel to your back with your elbows bent so that from your elbow down your arm points down to the floor. Exhale and straighten your arms so that your entire arms are in a straight line against your body. Next, inhale while bending your elbows back into the starting position. Don’t move your upper arms and do this at a slow and steady pace. Alternatively, do one arm at a time instead of both at once. This is a valuable exercise to include in your plan for a range of upper body exercises.
Lateral-Raise Side Plank
From a side plank position, take a lighter dumbbell in your upper hand, resting along your side. Move the arm down in front of you across the front of your body with your arm slightly bent. Then bring the dumbbell to shoulder height and take it back to the starting position.
Push Ups
Everyone is familiar with this classic exercise. It is well known that it provides an excellent upper body work-out. Begin in a plank position, having your hands in position under your shoulders. Use your toes to stabilize your lower body half. Being careful to keep your spine straight, lower your body and allow your chest to just brush the floor. Exhale and push back up again.
Here is a list of what many consider to be the 10 best shoulder workout exercises;
1. Barbell Push Press
2. Standing Military Press (Barbell Or Dumbbell)
3. Dumbbell Incline Row
4. Seated Overhead Dumbbell Press
5. Seated Overhead Barbell Press
6. Upright Row
7. Arnold Press
8. Machine Rear-Delt Fly.
As you can see, we have covered some of them in this article, but not all. Look for future articles to cover more of these upper body exercises. Consider exploring further options for an upper body workout for women, so that you can put together a varied and comprehensive upper body workout plan ideally suited for you. It is important to find exercises that are demanding and push you while also are enjoyable, make you feel good and help you achieve your goals. Adding resistance to your work-out design will keep you challenged and bring you pleasing results. Choosing appropriate upper body exercises will ensure that your workout plan will give you the total body fitness that you are looking for.
