Start building your upper body by mastering these five simple dumbbell moves, which every beginner should know

Spring is (hopefully) just around the corner so as we move from sweater weather to T-shirt season, your mind may begin to wander towards some new, fun upper-body workouts. 

If you’re looking for a solid arms workout look no further than this great routine from Hayley Madigan, a fitness trainer with a degree in Sports and Exercise Science BSc (Hons). 

You'll need access to a couple of sets of dumbbells: a lighter pair for the smaller muscle lifts and a heavier pair for the bigger lifts. Having access to a pair of good adjustable dumbbells might be useful here, as that would allow you to quickly adjust loads as needed between exercises. 

As with all weight training, form is really important in preventing injury. Watch Madigan’s routine closely below before tackling the moves yourself.

Watch Hayley Madigan’s upper-body dumbbell workout

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The workout has five movements and Madigan says to complete 8-12 repetitions of each. Once you’ve finished the circuit, repeat it two or three more times.

According to Madigan, by doing these exercises in a seated position you can reduce the natural 'bounce' that can come from your legs when training your arms. By remaining seated and still, your movements become stricter and more isolated (and more challenging for your upper-body muscles).

Benefits of strengthening your upper body

This workout will benefit your upper-body functional strength, making it that bit easier to carry your shopping up the stairs. A stronger upper body will also improve your stability and posture, support your spine and reduce strain on your back muscles.

After trying this workout, you may have some sore muscles the following day. This is known as delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and as much as it can hurt, it is totally normal. 

The pain that occurs after a strength training workout is caused by tiny tears in your muscle fibers. To help these repair it's important to prioritize recovery and make sure you're consuming adequate amounts of protein.