Strength training is brilliant. It’s the best way to build a strong, robust and resilient body capable of withstanding whatever life throws at you. The problem is, with thousands of exercises to pick from, which ones deserve a regular spot in your weekly workout plans?
As a gym owner and personal trainer with more than a decade of experience, Raquel Sanjurjo is the perfect person to help you choose. She’s shared three of the best exercises for your upper body, targeting the back, core, shoulders and arms.
"Long hours sitting in a chair will deteriorate your posture, leading to back problems and headaches, and it can even affect your breathing," says Sanjurjo. "That's why a healthy and strong upper body is so important."
Raquel Sanjurjo is a personal trainer with more than 10 years’ experience in the fitness industry. She is also a gym owner, Crossfit coach and certified nutritionist specializing in performance and women’s health.
Lateral to front raise
Sets: 3 Reps: 8-12
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms by your side. Find a position where your feet feel stable on the floor, then engage your core.
- With a soft bend in your elbows and your palms facing inward, lift both arms out to your side until they are parallel with the ground.
- Keeping your arms level, bring both dumbbells forward until your arms are extended in front of you.
- Hold this position for a second, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- For the next repetition, reverse this motion, first lifting the dumbbells up in front of you before moving them out to your sides and lowering them from there.
Trainer’s insights
"I love combined exercises because they’re efficient," says Sanjurjo. "This is a great exercise for working the shoulder girdle [the muscles and bone where the arms connect to the body] in its totality, from your back to your shoulders to your chest."
Renegade row into triceps kick back
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 6-8 each side
- Start in a high plank position with your hands under your shoulders and your body forming a straight line from your head to your heels. Place your hands on the handles of two dumbbells.
- Drive your right elbow upwards to lift the dumbbell towards the right side of your hips.
- Holding this top position, straighten your right arm so it’s parallel to the ground.
- Reverse these movements to return the right dumbbell to the ground, then repeat on the other arm.
Trainer’s insights
"Talking about combined exercises, this is one of my all-time favorites," Sanjurjo says. "The arm pulling the dumbbell towards you will be working your upper back muscles, while the other arm is supporting your body, working on stabilizer muscles in the back and chest.
"If that’s not enough, it’s also an isometric exercise [where your muscles are working without movement] for your core—you’re effectively holding a plank position throughout. And the addition of the triceps kickback provides an extra triceps pump."
Dumbbell bench press
Sets: 2-3 Reps: 8-12 each side
- Lie on a weight bench with your feet flat on the floor. You can lie on the floor if you don’t have access to a weight bench.
- Hold a dumbbell in each hand above your shoulders, with your arms extended towards the ceiling. Your hands should be turned inwards slightly so the dumbbell handles form a 45° angle with each other.
- Bend your elbows to lower the dumbbells until they are just above your chest, keeping your forearms vertical.
- From here, push the dumbbells back to the starting position. As you do this, keep your feet planted firmly on the floor and don’t let your shoulders rise up towards your ears.
Trainer’s insights
"This is a basic and underrated exercise: nothing can beat it for chest activation," Sanjurjo says. "Bring the dumbbells as close together as possible at the top of the repetition for extra middle chest activation."
Shop adjustable dumbbells
Need some new weights for this routine? All of the options below come from our guide to the best adjustable dumbbells.
