Hitting the gym can feel like a daunting task, and rightfully so. If you are looking to start going to the gym after a long hiatus, it is best to split up your workout sessions. The most preferred way of dividing your workout is to split your workout up between upper body and lower body workouts.
Pacing your workout this way gives you two main benefits: it enables your muscle groups to recover in the break and it gives you a more wholesome and overall workout. Here are a few simple upper body exercises to get you started.
Yes, you have heard of push up and you have also expressed your shock at it. A push up can be a very daunting exercise, but there is no better way to get started. A few weeks of doing a painful push up can make your muscles strong enough to withstand other upper body workouts specifically targeted at building muscles.
A weighted push up is the next best step. Keep a sandbag or a weighted plate next to you. Whenever you want to increase the difficulty level of your workout, place the weight on your back and attempt the push up. This is a simple and minimal way of making your workouts more challenging for your upper body as you progress.
There is very simple physics concept at work here. A bench press is your classic exercise, and it works in an obvious and simplistic manner. The bench press helps you set the base for the foundation for strong chest and shoulder muscles.
This is also why it is a great exercise to gauge your existing muscle strength, and plan your workout from that point. Bench presses are easily available at most gyms. If you intend to do it at home, then have free weights lying around. However, you must always exercise caution above all else.
This is one you might not have heard of. Everyone knows plank. It’s the easiest and most boring kind of workout there is. However, one must not discredit its effectiveness in increasing upper body strength. However, this more interesting take on this workout will have you get results faster.
Simply get in the straight plank position. Then straighten your spine and tighten your core. Pick up your right arm and place palm on the ground. Follow the same for the left side. Pause at the high-plank position. Reversing this process will finish one rep. Start with 10 reps and move up from there. Make sure to keep your head down throughout the rep.
All of these exercises are simple and require minimal to no instruments or equipments. Once your muscles get used to these simple movements, you can proceed to more complex and high intensity exercises.
