Written and Image by Christina Okenla
Do you still skip upper-body day? If so, it’s about time you join us and embrace training your upper half. The idea that women will get ‘bulky’ by training upper body is one of the many myths of the fitness industry. Our hormones and physiology are what determines our muscular development, and we don’t have anywhere near the same size muscle fibres or testosterone levels as men, so you do not need to worry about looking ‘masculine’. There are many benefits of training your upper body such as improved posture which becomes more important as we age. Training upper body alongside lower body helps to create the illusion of a sexy hourglass frame by making your waist appear smaller and increased upper body strength becomes helpful in everyday tasks. If you are on a weight-loss journey, increasing your overall muscle mass by training your upper body will also help to increase your metabolism and the amount of daily calories you naturally burn!
1. Cable machine shoulder tri-set
A tri-set is 3 exercises performed consecutively with little to no rest in between. e.g., cable frontal raises, followed by cable lateral raises, followed by cable rear delt flyes. Rest for 60 seconds and then repeat x 3.
Exercise 1 – Cable frontal raises: 10 reps on each arm
Exercise 2 – Cable leaning lateral raises: 10 reps on each arm
Exercise 3 – Cable bent over rear delt flyes: 10 reps on each arm
Perform 3 sets and rest for 40 – 60 seconds in between each set.
2. Seated shoulder press
Head to the weights section for seated shoulder press. Select 3 different weights e.g. 6kg, 8kg and 10kg.
Perform 3 sets, 10 reps at each weight.
Rest for 40 – 60 seconds in between each set.
3. Barbell upright rows
Next up, we have barbell upright rows.
Perform 3 sets, 10 reps.
Rest for 40 – 60 seconds in between each set.
4. Dumbbell shoulder shrugs
Lastly, we have dumbbell shoulder shrugs.
Perform 3 sets, 10 reps.
Rest for 40 – 60 seconds in between each set.
5. 15 – 20 mins incline walk
We are going to finish off the workout with some cardio and I love to include an incline walk. It’s an effective and non-exhausting way to burn extra calories at the end of the workout. Set the treadmill to incline 15, speed 3-5 for 15-20 minutes. Stand tall and try to keep your hands off the bars for the duration of the walk.
Pro tip: Save your cardio at the end of your sessions so that you can utilise the majority of your energy to really push yourself when you are lifting your weights!
