Essential Strength Training Exercises That Should Be a Part of Any Upper Body Workout

Chest:

          

It is important to include chest exercises that target the upper and lower pecs in order to develop overall strength. You should not lock-out your elbows in order to keep more tension on the muscles, and thus have a more efficient and effective workout. 

1. Bench Press (General): This exercise should be performed with your shoulders shrugged downward and back, and you should also have a minor arch in your lower back.
2. Incline Barbell Press (Upper Chest): This exercise should be performed on a bench with a 45 degree incline. The bar should be lowered to the top of the chest with a smooth motion.
3. Dip (Lower chest): This exercise should be performed with your torso leaning forward throughout the movement in order to fully engage your pectoral muscle.   

Shoulders: 

Strengthening your shoulders will have the cursory benefit of also increasing your max bench press. Also, like your chest, it is important to target all the muscles that comprise your shoulders.

1. Seated Barbell Press: This exercise should be performed with the use of a bench with a vertical back support in order to fully engage your shoulders. You should bring the bar just below your chin before pushing it back up.
2. Standing Shoulder Shrugs: This exercise should be performed with dumbbells. Hold equally weighted dumbbells in each hand and quickly shrug your shoulders up, and then slowly lower the weights. You should not rotate your shoulder because it is not beneficial and it can lead to injury.
3. Lateral Raises: This exercise should be performed with dumbbells. Begin by holding the weights at your side, and then lift them in a controlled motion. The weights should be lifted slightly above parallel from the ground. 

To purchase a warm Unobtainium Strength zip hoodie go to: Zip Hoodie or copy and paste the following URL into your address bar http://www.cafepress.com/unobtainiumstrength.1733915446