1. Push-Ups
Push-Ups are the ultimate
upper-body pressing exercise, developing the chest, triceps and
shoulders. Variations include the Close-Grip Push-Up, One-Arm Push-Up
and Spiderman Push-Up.
To gradually increase the level of difficulty, raise your feet by resting them on a bench (Decline Push-Ups).
2. Chin-Ups/Pull-Ups
Just like the Push-Up, the
Chin-Up/Pull-Up is one of the most effective upper-body exercises. It
works your back and biceps more than any machine or free weight
exercise.
Beginners should start with a
standard Chin-Up (palms facing you) since the biceps come into play a
little more and will support your weight. As you get stronger, advance
to Pull-Ups (palms facing away from you) and aim for 10 reps of your
body weight. When that becomes too easy, perform the exercise with added
weight.
3. Dips
Dips are one of the best exercises for chest, triceps and shoulders.
For a chest focus, lean forward
slightly with your upper body. For a triceps focus, keep your upper body
upright. When performing dips, keep tension on your muscles by staying
in control on the lowering part of the exercise. A good number of reps
to shoot for is 15-20 with your body weight.
4. Muscle-Ups
Muscle-Ups work almost every
single upper-body muscle. They require a significant amount of
upper-body pulling and pushing strength, as well as core stabilization.
Because they're a little more
challenging than other bodyweight exercises, Muscle-Ups take a lot of
determination and strength to master. Practice until you can do at least
5 reps.
5. Inverted Rows
Inverted Rows develop the mid-
and upper-back muscles. They're harder to perform than they look. They
can be performed on a bar, suspension strap, rings, or even ropes. Just
like with Push-Ups, you can increase the level of difficulty by
adjusting the height of your feet.
Another way to challenge
yourself is by adjusting your grip. An overhand grip will increase the
difficulty of the exercise compared to an underhand grip.
6. Pistol Squats
No barbell or dumbbell available? No problem.
Pistol Squats work every muscle
in the lower body while also improving balance. When you do these with a
full range of motion, you work your quads, hamstrings and glutes.
This is a difficult exercise and
might cause some pain if not done properly; Practice with a TRX
suspension cable first. Twelve to 15 reps on each side is a good goal.
7. Hip Thrusts
Hip thrusts work the hamstrings and glutes intensely, which is essential for any athlete who requires tremendous power work.
Start by setting up your
shoulders and upper back on a bench, and place your feet on the ground
or an elevated surface. Let your hips drop as low as you can, then drive
your heels off the ground while squeezing your glutes as hard as you
can. Hold the top of the movement for about two seconds, then lower your
hips back down to perform another rep.
8. Pike Roll Outs
If you could only pick one core
exercise to do for the rest of your life, this is the one. It combines a
stability ball pike with a rollout to activate both the upper and lower
abs, as well as the obliques. Unlike regular Crunches, this exercise
completely leaves out the hip flexors and lower back. In other words,
your abs are isolated much more effectively compared to other exercises.
9. L-Sits
Great for developing core
strength, these also add a little upper-body work. L-Sits also develop
your strength for exercises such as Dips. Use dumbbells or parallel
bars. Hold the position for 10 seconds.
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