7 Easy Upper Body Exercises For Women

A women’s body has an entirely different orientation than a man’s body. The center of balance is lower, the sense of balance is different and the ways women walk, sit and stand are all different because of the entirely different shape each gender is supporting. And as such, the exercises for women are also different.

Basic Upper Body Exercises:

There are several very easy exercises you can perform to tone your upper body. Let’s look at some of these in more detail below:

Push Ups: – Pushups are an old standby for toning the arms and shoulders. You must perform at least 10 to 20 push ups daily. You may increase the number once you have built some stamina. Most of the women’s face difficulties in performing a standard push up. To perform a modified push up, simply push up from your knees to your arms instead of placing your weight on your hands and feet.

Most women can do a push up in this position.

Triceps Dips: – Triceps push downs is the another exercise you can perform for improving the size & shape of your arms. To perform this exercise, you would need to sit on a strong chair or bench. Place your hands on the edge of the chair and point the fingers forward. Now start lifting your back and bend down towards the ground and then get back to the original position. This is an excellent exercise for toning the arms.

Bicep Curls: – Bicep Curls is one of the best exercises which you can perform safely and easily from the comfort of your own home. In case you do not have a set of barbells, you may work out with the milk jug by filling them with water.  Lowering down is as important as lifting weight. By doing so you would evenly spread the weight bearing exercise to your arms.

Chest Exercises: – Hands wide pushups & Hand pushes in front of your body are the 2 great exercises for women’s if you want to uplift your breasts and enhance cleavage… so give them a try for a couple weeks.

Back Exercises: – This upper body workout for women helps them get rid of the back pain. Even if you are healthy, it would help you prevent it.

Shoulder Workout: – Biceps and triceps exercises would help you gain strength for your shoulders.

Cardio and Stretching Exercises: – These would help you lose the extra flab and also helps in boosting the metabolism.

So these are some upper body exercises that can help you to shape your chest, back, shoulders and arms. In order to tone your body completely, you must do exercises that shape the upper as well as the lower body. Workout for women is slightly different from men. This is because women have different reasons for their weight gain; they have different problems associated to extra fat. They must focus on exercising for their upper body. This would help you get rid of flabby arms & weak chest muscles.

Upper Back Pain Causes And Treatment

Article by Jack Woo

What is Upper Back Pain

Upper back pain is pain that is felt between the bottom of the neck and top of the lumbar spine. The upper back and neck section is a very complex part of our body because there are many joints and muscles working together.

While lower back pain affects our ability to walk and move about, upper backpain affects our ability to carry out simple daily activities like combing our hair orriding a bicycle.

Upper back pain is not as common as lower back pain, which is the most frequent excuse for absenteeism from work.This is because the upper back does not move as much as the spine in the lower back.

To understand how the upper back behaves, you need to have an idea of how it is structured in the spine.

Upper Back Structure

The anatomy of the upper body consists of the torso, arms and back. The torso which is basically the thoracic spine is made up of twelve vertebrae. The upper nine vertebrae are connected to corresponding ribs on both sides at every level and attaches to the breastbone in front. This forms the thoracic cage that provides structural protection for the internal organs of the heart, lungs and liver. This also offers space for the lungs to expand and contract but has limited motion in the spine. The lower three ribs do not join together at the front but still offer some protection to the vital organs, and allow slightly more motion in the spine. Viewing from the side, this part of the spine is a bit concave.

Since there is a lot of stability and little motion at the upper back (thoracic spine), there is less spinal disorder along this section of the spine.

The arms contain muscles such as the triceps brachii, biceps brachii and deltoid.The back contains muscles such as the rhomboids, rotator cuff and lattisimus dorsi.

Upper Back Pain Symptoms

This condition may last for a short duration, or it may last for more than three months, which is considered as chronic.The pain may be dull and throbbing, sharp and piercing, local or radiating. The pain may be constant, or only during certain activities, like lifting heavy things or after sitting for a long time. You may feel weakness and pain in your arms, and stiffness of your upper body.

This may occur in conjunction with other underlying medical conditions.

Symptoms include:

FeverHeadacheNeck painShoulder painStiffness of the backSwelling or redness of the backFatigueStressInsomniaAnxietyDepression

Some people suffering from back pain may also have other medical conditions with the following symptoms:

Chest PainAbdominal painJaw painBreathing difficultySweatingNausea

These symptoms may be life threatening and they should seek emergency treatment.

Causes

This condition can be caused by trauma, sudden injury, strain and poor posture over time. People who work long hours in front of computers or stretching their upper body at an awkward angle is prone to this problem. As their joints and muscles become exhausted their spines are misaligned creating imbalances. People who stretch and swing their upper body frequently during sport activities may also develop this pain. It can also be caused by more serious medical conditions, such as:

• fibromyalgia( a chronic pain in muscles and soft tissues surrounding the joints throughout the body, accompanied by fatigue) • spondylitis (infection or inflammation of the spinal joints)• spinal disc herniation (slipped disc)• Osteoporosis (metabolic bone disease)• Spinal stenosis (a narrowing of the spinal canal that presses on the spinal cord or nerves)

Risk Factors

If you belong to any of the categories listed below, then you are at risk of getting upper back pain:

Congenital (present at birth) Family history of back pain or spine diseaseObesityIncreasing agePoor postureSedentary lifestyleSmokingStress and anxiety

Prevention and Treatment

Most treatments for upper back pain are focused on relieving the pain and do not address the underlying cause, which is normally the spinal imbalances.Unless you address the muscle and joint imbalances, pain relief is only temporary.

It can be treated by one or a combination of the following:

• Ice and/or heat therapy • Deep massage or massage therapy• Joint manipulation, performed by chiropractors, physiotherapists, or osteopathic physicians• Acupuncture• Exercise/Active and passive physical therapy• Analgesics such as non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs• Short rest on bed

Unless the severity of your upper back pain warrants it, surgery should always be your last option.

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Top Upper Back Exercises

Article by Tank Armstrong

The upper back more often than not can be described as hugely desired component of a bodybuilder’s structure. Despite the fact that you are not going to be competitive professionally, developing your upper back in most cases will result in hugely satisfying cosmetic gains.

One way to exercise the upper back muscles is with compound exercise routines. Be aware that nearly all back exercises are usually specially stressful on your biceps and triceps – predominantly the biceps. A lot of people would prefer to work out the upper back and the biceps simultaneously. In the event you opt to do this, I recommend delaying bicep exercises till the very end since you would like your arms fresh for the back workout routines.

1. Seated Cable Row – This is the best upper back physical exercise. It assaults nearly all the upper back muscles not to mention, you’ll be able to focus on various muscle groups by adjusting the bar you utilize along with the angle with which you pull. A more expansive grip using a straight bar pulled higher will work on the rear deltoids, teres and rhomboids while a close grip V-bar is harder for the lats.

2. T-Bar Row – It’s one other old school back physical exercise acknowledged with creating Arnold’s outrageous trapezius and latissimus dorsi muscle development. It truly is an incredibly beneficial upper back exercise that’s been put to use for a few decades to generate many of the most sought after backs we have ever before viewed. You can’t go wrong using the T-bar row and I just cannot suggest it highly enough. Bear in mind to squeeze the shoulder blade. It really is ideal for the rhomboids.

3. Pull Ups – Wide grip pull ups are especially productive at creating a superb looking upper back. Your deltoids, traps and latissimus dorsi muscle groups all receive a wonderful workout with the pull up. This is certainly an additional adaptable physical exercise that you could transform through the use of varied grips to target various areas of your own upper back.

4. Dumbbell Row – A commonly difficult physical exercise to perform properly, the dumbbell row can harvest awesome outcomes if done right. I cannot stress the importance of squeezing and stretching parts of your muscles once you are working on them.

5. Pull downs – It is a particularly excellent exercise for the purpose of all round back expansion. I must say that I ordinarily prefer pull ups to pulldowns even so the pulldown machine allows for an extension on the lats which pull ups are not able to achieve. You can even start using a lot more resistance on the pulldowns which inturn further fortifies your strength and also causes extra muscular advancement.

6. Shrugs – Shrugs are predominantly a trapezius workout. The secret with shrugs is.. wait for it… the contraction! Plenty of people just shrug frivolously and go through the motions. The strategy is usually to shrug and hold the contraction for a second and then release. After that you should really feel an even more significant workout. This will likely make your trapezius muscular tissue ‘pop’ and present you that awe-inspiring american footballer/rugby player look.

ACSM Personal Trainer and former University of Houston lineman, Anthony Amoo shows his favorite exercises for the biceps (front of the arm). Audio: DJ AH “Out Of The Blue” www.youtube.com

Upper Back Pain Treatment

Upper back conditions are not as common as lower back conditions. When problems appear in the upper part of your back, it is usually more serious than a muscle strain or herniated disc. The upper portion of your back is different from the lower part of your back because instead of being flexible and mobile, the upper back is supposed to be strong and provide stability for the body.

This is the part of the body that gives us the strength to stand and walk. The upper part of your back is not very mobile and any bone breakdown is rare; having the strength to stand up protects the muscles and organs in the chest. Most upper back issues are a result of irritated muscles or joint dysfunction.

Mild forms of pain in the upper portion of your back can result from years of bad posture. As the technology age has taken off, more people who work at desks all day are complaining of upper back problems. Slouching in a desk puts great strain on our backs. As with any injury, upper back pain can also be the result of an accident or trauma, but the most common causes of pain stem from the muscles and joints.

Muscular irritation is caused by either the overuse of the muscles in the shoulder area or by a complete lack of use. Not using the muscles in the shoulders and upper back causes them to weaken, resulting in them not being able to support the body as well, causing a strain and pain. Overuse of the muscles is a common problem for athletes or someone with a job that requires repetitive motion affecting the back muscles.

The muscles will get overworked and irritated, causing swelling that results in a back pain that is sometimes very hard to treat. Physical therapists recommend gentle exercise and abundant stretching as the best way to relieve and treat upper back pain. Rest if the exercise becomes painful. Medication may help to bring down the swelling.
Joint dysfunctions focus on the area where the ribs attach to the upper spine.

These two joints are responsible for holding the ribs in place; if they are flawed in any way, upper back pain will result. In addition to pain medication and rest, treatments will include visiting a chiropractor and physical therapist. They will manually manipulate the joints to try and move the joint and relieve your pain.

Stretching is an essential part of recovery from any upper back pain. An exercise and stretching routine at home will help maintain overall back strength. Aerobic exercise is very important as it will help a patient lose or maintain a healthy weight. Extra weight, especially weight that sits in the stomach area, will pull the upper body forward, putting strain on the back muscles.

Upper back pain is usually more serious than lower back pain. If during pregnancy you experience pain in the upper part of your back, it is likely just a result of the additional weight. Rest and speak with a doctor if the pain is unbearable. Upper back pain is typically moderate to serious and requires consulting with a doctor.

Why You Need an Upper Body Workout for Women

Article by Kate Trent

So many women today love to work out. Many love kicking their heart rate up into high gear with an intense cardio workout to release the stress of the day and to burn fat and calories. The most popular workouts for women today including jogging, group fitness classes, and biking, and largely these are cardio-based fitness options. If you scan the weight section at the local gym, you may see a few women working out, but largely it is the men who hit the weights. The bottom line, however, is that an upper body workout for women is something that every woman needs to be doing on a regular basis.

Burning Fat

Many women do focus their efforts on cardio workouts to burn fat and calories. The female body does generally have a higher level of body fat than our male counterparts, so it makes sense that women would want to burn that fat away and portray a healthy, slender body. Many, however, often think the best way to burn calories and fat is through a cardio workout, but the truth is that a strength-training session can burn just as many calories, and the results can be longer-lasting, too. It has been proven that muscle mass burns more calories when your body is at rest than body fat does, so you can continue to enjoy the benefits of a strength training upper body workout for women long after your workout is done.

Avoiding That Mannish Shape

Many women love to look at a muscular male physique, but they largely do not want that mannish shape on their own bodies. This is one of the reasons why women do avoid doing an upper body workout for women with weights at the gym and instead stick to a cardio workout. However, a cardio workout that isn’t combined with regular stretching and toning exercises can result in compact, dense muscles, so women may just end up with a more muscular shape than they had intended when they avoid the weights. When you do hit the weights and do several reps with lower levels of weights, you will tone and shape your muscles without adding muscle mass.

Health Benefits

There is one more reason to be sure to include an upper body workout for women in your regular fitness regimen, and that is for your overall health and well-being. You can run 20 miles each and every day and think you are in tip-top shape. However, unless you also work your upper body muscles with a regular workout, these muscles will grow weaker. These muscles include your abs, back, shoulders, neck, and arms. Over time, this can result in chronic pains in these areas, decreased mobility, posture and balance problems, and more.

The Secret To Great Abs With Upper Ab Exercises

Article by Mike Vargas

The abdominal muscles are a hard aspect of the body system; they usually have problems with several setbacks that different muscle groups aren’t subject to as easily. Certain problems that can transpire may include unwanted fat residing in around the tummy, hardly any usage in the course of daily activities, not at all completing one’s upper ab exercises to focus on the muscles, and with regard to women, post being pregnant muscle challenges. Unfortunately with regard to the upper abdominals we merely have complete control over one element among the aforesaid points and that’s the amount of physical activity we can furnish one’s body with.

Living an inactive way of life could be the number one source of flabby ab muscles. Give some thought to simply how much television an average joe engages in per calendar day. A number of reports say a typical house-hold watches about 8 hours of TV per day. Let us assume that you’ll find 4 persons in the place so that equates out to two hours of television viewing for each and every human being in that particular residence a day. Should you walk for thirty minutes of those TV minutes each and every day, keep a stride of 3 mph, you could lose close to 180 calories a walking session. Now is the exciting piece: if you decide to adjust nothing at all within your eating plan and yet moved those 30 minutes a day, you would start to shed weight at a pace close to one lb every three weeks (because thirty-five hundred calorie units is equal to one lb, twenty events of half hour intervals at 180 calories for every time period of steady walking should be thirty-six hundred calorie units). This is not an irrational speed or stretch of time. This rise in calorie usage may minimize the extra fat around the upper abdominals and trigger far more firmness.

Lowering the level of weight is just one minor factor to ripping the upper abs. Engaging in upper ab exercises is yet another tactic to increase definition and lean muscle mass. Favorite activity options to acquire results are usually the conventional “crunch” and also “seated leg tucks”. These types of upper ab exercises demonstrate limited tension on the remainder of the upper body and do not have to have an individual to remain any sort of fantastic fitness condition.

The last thing to bear in mind is to not end up getting discouraged if you fail to see gains instantly. The loss of 1 lb every 3 weeks is not a whole lot and will likely be very difficult to verify aesthetically especially along with a regular upper ab exercise process. Make a reasonable period of time just before getting down on yourself. Shoot for a goal somewhere similar to three-six calendar months. At the same time, any time you exclusively implement just one thing but not the other, please don’t be expecting a well-defined stomach area; it requires both the items to acquire gains.

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Upper Back Pain Exercises That Work – 3 Effective Exercises to Relieve Your Back Pain

Many health conditions can be minimized with the right exercises. To reduce your upper back pain, exercises will need to be light to moderate to ensure you do not cause further damage to your back.

You should also speak with your doctor before beginning an exercise regimen. Your doctor should be able to assist you in finding the perfect exercise regimen to meet your overall needs.

Upper back pain exercises are not difficult and generally should not cause you to be in more pain. By exercising the upper back muscles on a regular basis you are giving them essential flexibility to avoid future pain. In addition to the prevention of back pain you can also reduce existing pain with the right exercises.

Here are some recommended exercises that you should discuss with your doctor:

1. The first exercise is the Pec Stretch. You will need to stand in a doorway for this.

Grab onto both sides of the frame and lean forward. You should begin feeling your chest muscles tightening. Hold your position for about 15 seconds and then release. You should do this particular exercise in intervals of three.

2. The second exercise is called Mid Trap Exercise. For this exercise you should lay flat, with your stomach to the ground/floor. You will need a pillow. It should be put under your chest for this exercise. Your hands should be at your sides but outstretched.. Raise your hands slightly into the air until you begin feeling the tension. Essentially you should be squeezing your shoulder blades together. Repeat this for at least 10 times.

3. The final exercise you should consult with your doctor about is the Arm Slides. This is another very simple exercise to do.

All you need is a wall for this exercise. You need to stand flush against the wall with your palms facing out. Move your hands slowly but constantly up the wall. Once your hands are over your head you can slowly glide them back down to your sides on the wall. Repeat this at least 10 times.

As you can see, upper back pain exercises are fairly simple. Taking a few minutes a day out of your hectic schedule could prove to be in your best interest if you want to avoid upper back pain. These exercises should be done even on the days that you are not suffering from back pain, to prevent future back pain.

The Best Upper Arm Exercises

Article by Dr. Begovich

Throughout the centuries men have always wanted huge arms to impress people and women have always wanted lean and toned arms without the flab. Everyone seems to struggle with this at one time or another in their workout life. It should not be that difficult but there is more to it than just lifting weights for upper arm exercises. So here is my take on this concept and what every man and woman can do to help themselves achieve their best looking arms. The concept is a two step approach which consists of exercises and diet management.

Well I believe the first thing you need to accomplish is the actual arm exercise routine, but your goals will dictate your workout. The two obvious goals are to either get huge defined arms or lean and toned arms. The approach is vastly different and below is a typical workout regimen to help for either goal.

UPPER ARM EXERCISES TO GET LEAN AND TONED ARMS:

If you have flabby arms with a lot of fat and skin then the workouts you need to accomplish are two-fold. The first part of your exercise regimen will have to start with a cardiovascular routine. I recommend a routine that is a high intensity interval training. For example, if you are working out on the elliptical then try to adjust your intensity every 2-3 minutes from a low to high level or a high to low level. This will allow your body to keep guessing which way you are going with the intervals and then it has to work harder to get the workout done. Burning off the fat will enhance your upper arm exercises and their outcome. Further, you should adjust your cardio from one exercise to another, such as a elliptical to treadmill to biking, etc…

Next, you need to workout the muscles of the upper arm to get the results you desire. The above cardiovascular routine will help burn fat off the arms and then the weight exercises will increase the strength and size of the arms. This result will lead to lean and toned arms with less flab and more definition.

The upper arm exercises I recommend to begin with are as follows:

BICEP EXERCISES:

This is the muscle on the top of the upper arm.

Each exercise is for 10-12 reps per set for 3 sets. However, the Three Part Bicep Curl, which is 18-24 reps for 3 sets.

1. Alternating Dumbbell Supination Curls. Begin with a dumbbell weight you can handle and hold it with your palms facing behind you. As you curl the weight up rotate your arm to where your palms are facing you. Pause at the top and give an extra squeeze with the bicep. Then slowly lower the weight back to where your palms are facing behind you and repeat. You can curl each dumbbell at the same time or alternate arms, it’s your choice.

2. Isolated Dumbbell Curls. If you have a weight lifting bench then put it at an incline and take a weight you can handle effectively. Bring yourself to the top of the inclined weight bench and stick the top of the weight bench in your arm pit. You may have to bring a stool to the weight bench so you can sit on the stool with your arm over the weight bench. This will allow your arm to lower onto the weight bench fully. Then without taking your upper arm off of the bench, curl the weight up and as noted above give an extra squeeze and pause at the top of the curl then slowly lower the weight and repeat.

3. Three Part Bicep Curl. Begin with a lighter weight than what you would normally use. Have the dumbbells at your side with the palms facing outward. Curl the weight up halfway and then lower it back to the starting position at least 6-8 times. Then start with the weight halfway curled up with your hands sticking out in front of you. Now curl up from the halfway starting position up to the top and then lower back only to the halfway point and repeat at least 6-8 times. Finally you can then curl from the bottom to the top 6-8 times for a total of 18-24 reps.

TRICEP EXERCISES:

This is the muscle at the back of the upper arm.

Each exercise is for 10-12 reps per set & perform 3 sets per exercise.

1. Closed Grip Bench Press. For this exercise you start with either dumbbells or a barbell with the proper amount of weight for you to use. Keep your hands as close to each other as possible and perform a bench press workout emphasizing on the tricep extension.

2. Tricep Extensions with Dumbbells. For this exercise start in a bent over position and pick a weight that you can handle. Keep your arm from shoulder to elbow locked in against your side and then bend your elbow towards your head and then extend to a full position.

3. Overhead Extensions. For this exercise pick a weight that you can handle. In a standing position raise the dumbbell overhead with your arm completely extended. Then bend at the elbow and lower the weight behind your head and then extend it back up to the starting position.

Perform the above exercise routine at least twice per week mixed in with the cardio routine.

Now for the next workout, which is to obtain the goal of getting huge arms. This workout is typically for the man who wants larger muscles in the upper arms. This is a a size and mass gaining routine.

UPPER ARM EXERCISES TO GET HUGE ARMS:

For these exercises you should perform 5 sets in a stepwise fashion of starting with lighter weights and progressing to heavier weights. Each set will work the arms muscle fibers differently to gain size, strength and mass.

BICEP EXERCISES:

1. Barbell or Dumbbell Curls.

2. Alternating Dumbbell Supination Curls

3. Preacher Dumbbell or Barbell Curls

4. Hammer Curls. Pick your weight and hold the dumbbell in your hand so your arm from elbow to dumbbell looks like a hammer. Your fist should be knuckles to the outside and fingers to the inside.

TRICEP EXERCISES:

1. Closed Grip Bench Press

2. Bent over Tricep Extensions

3. Overhead Tricep Extensions

4. Lying Down Tricep Extnesions. Lay down on a bench and hold the dumbbells straight up to the ceiling. Then lower them to your forehead and then extend at the elbows to a full extension for one rep.

The most important part of this workout is to drink or eat a light snack about an hour before the workout with fast acting carbohydrates. This will allow the energy you need to finish the exercises.

Once your workout is over you need to drink a post-workout protein shake with protein and carbohydrates. This will give the muscles the nutrients they need to grow.

Further, don’t forget to rest as your upper arm muscles will grow when you rest.

DIETARY MANAGEMENT:

You should have a healthy diet with lean meats, vegetables and complex carbohydrates. Look at portion sizes as they should be the size of your fist or palm of your hand. You should eat at least every 3 hours to keep your metabolism elevated to help with burning fat calories. Your intake of protein is the most crucial as you should consume at least 1gram of protein per pound of body weight. The rest of your caloric intake should mainly be with green vegetables and complex carbohydrates.

This should be a good start for your upper arm exercises to either help with getting lean and toned or huge upper arms that most men desire to carry around town. There is a dietary start, a cardio exercise routine and the most important a weight exercise routine. Start today and get the upper arms you want.

For what it’s worth,

Dr. B.

You can check out more information on diet and exercises for healthy weight loss at http://www.healthyweightlossasap.com.

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Upper Chest Workout

Are you one of the 9 in 10 guys that is unhappy with the way your chest looks? Well, there is good news, an upper chest workout can change the way your chest looks in short period of time.

Most guys don’t go to the gym and then wonder why they don’t look good with their shirts off. Others go to the gym on a regular basis but still don’t have the results that they desire. I am going to tell you how you can get a great looking chest by focusing on the most important part.

What is an upper chest workout?

It is a workout that focuses on training the upper most part of the chest. To do this you have to do all your lifts on an inclined bench instead of a flat one.

You will notice that you are much weaker in the upper chest than the rest of the chest. You will have to do lighter weight and that is normal. Plan on doing about three fourths of the weight that you would use on the flat bench.

I recommend doing dumbbell presses instead of using the bar because you shoulders will be able to move in their range of motion that is comfortable to them instead of being forced in awkward positions.

Start training on the incline bench now and make sure you do a really light warm-up set before starting because you don’t want to put too much stress on the shoulder joint. You will notice that your chest will look better than ever before when you focus on upper chest exercises.

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