7 exercises23 setsabout 55 mina full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines
Chest, back, shoulders and arms in one session, with every press matched by a pull so the shoulders stay balanced. The two heavy lifts come first while you are fresh; the arm work is last.
With a full gym you can open with a heavy barbell lift and finish on cables and machines, which let you push close to failure without technique being the thing that gives out.
Start this workout free
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The workout
Bench Press4 × 8Pinch your shoulder blades together, lower the bar to mid-chest and press up and slightly back.2 min rest
Barbell Row4 × 8Hinge to about 45 degrees with a flat back and pull the bar to your lower ribs without jerking your torso.2 min rest
Overhead Press3 × 10Squeeze your glutes and brace. Press the bar straight up, moving your head through once it clears your forehead.90 s rest
Lat Pulldown3 × 10Lean back slightly and pull the bar to your upper chest, driving your elbows down and back.90 s rest
Lateral Raise3 × 15Lead with the elbows and raise to shoulder height. Go lighter than you think and lower under control.60 s rest
Barbell Curl3 × 12Elbows stay by your sides. Curl without leaning back and lower for a full two seconds.60 s rest
Triceps Pushdown3 × 12Elbows pinned to your sides. Push down to full lockout and let the weight back up slowly.60 s rest
Muscles worked
FrontBack
Shoulders8
Lats7
Triceps6.5
Biceps6.5
Upper back5.5
Chest4
Forearms3.5
Sets per muscle. A muscle that only assists in an exercise counts half.
How to run it
Before the first exercise, do two lighter sets of it: one at about half your working weight and one at three quarters. Rest for the time shown next to each exercise; the heavy lifts at the top need more than the smaller ones at the end.
Aim to finish each set with one or two reps left in you. If every set reaches its target easily, the session is too light. Add the smallest plate you can to the barbell lifts, and move up one pin on machines and cables once every set reaches the target.
Pair it with a leg day and alternate the two, four sessions a week: upper, lower, rest, upper, lower. Twice a week is plenty for the upper body to grow.
If something is taken
Bench Press→Dumbbell Bench Press
Barbell Row→One-Arm Dumbbell Row
Overhead Press→Dumbbell Shoulder Press
Lat Pulldown→Pull-Up
Barbell Curl→Dumbbell Curl
Triceps Pushdown→Skull Crusher
Keep the same number of sets. In the app you can swap an exercise for one session without changing the program.
In myreplog
It is already set up. These 7 exercises arrive in your account as a program, with the sets and reps above.
Tap, do not type. Set your weights the first time, then mark each set done as you finish it.
Records count themselves. From your second session, a lift that beats your best is marked as a personal record on the spot.
See what you trained. The session ends with this muscle map, drawn from the sets you actually did.
Logging is free for good. The first 14 days also include Pro, where a coach reviews each session and suggests the weights for the next one. No card needed.
Questions
How long does this upper body workout take?
About 55 minutes. That is 23 working sets with the rests listed next to each exercise, plus five minutes to warm up.
What muscles does it work?
Mostly the shoulders, lats and triceps. The biceps, upper back, chest and forearms assist. The map on this page shades each muscle by the number of sets that reach it.
What equipment do I need?
A full gym: barbells, dumbbells, cables and machines.
How many exercises should an upper body workout have?
Six to eight is the useful range. Fewer leaves a muscle group out; more than that and the last exercises are done too tired to count for much.
Should I train chest or back first?
Whichever you most want to improve, since the first lift gets your best effort. This session starts with a press and follows with a row; swapping the two is fine.