The Best Upper Body Workout Routine and Exercises for Women

Researching and deciding on a good upper body workout for women can be challenging if you haven’t done it before. You possibly don’t know where to start, or what you can do at home versus what you can do at the gym. The good news is that you can do one, or both, if you want. While the gym is full of fancy equipment, it’s not essential. You can get in an excellent tailored upper body workout just as well in the comfort of your own home. This is the lowdown on the best upper body workout routines and exercises for women.

Upper Body Workout for Women

It’s not uncommon for women to completely miss out doing any upper body exercises. This could be because they run or cycle, and this is the backbone of their entire workout. Others assume that arm workouts for women will result in them being bulky, which really isn’t the case.  Upper body workouts for women can help to sculpt shoulders and arms, making them stronger and firmer. Upper body workouts can stop arms and breasts sagging and will increase your overall upper body strength. Investing time and effort in a good range of upper body exercises needn’t involve weight lifting at the gym. This is a common misconception. There are tons of ways to design your own regimen of tricep curls, bicep workouts, and, well…whatever you want, really. And the best thing about upper body workouts for women is that you don’t need to hit the gym to do them.

Arm Workouts at Home

One of the best things about doing arm and upper body workouts at home is you can fit them in around your job/kids/lifestyle. You can also do them in the comfort of your own home in front of your favorite TV show. This can be a major draw to people who really don’t want to head to the gym and try working out all the equipment. A basic arm workout could last 10-15 minutes (or longer, if you like). A good basic routine might contain:

Arm circles – Tricep curls (with pints of milk or tins of baked beans as weights if you don’t have dumbbells) Tricep dips

Bicep curls – Planks (start with both arms on the floor at first) Handstands against a wall (if you can manage)

Push-ups – Downward facing dog (a popular yoga position)

Each of these exercises can be repeated anywhere between 5-20 times each, depending on your fitness level. If you do not wish to use the weights, then leave the weight exercises out. If you have something you can use as a weight (anything will do), then add them in. The weights used for these are pretty light, so they are easy to manage for beginners. If you start a program like this and then find you could be using heavier weights, grab yourself something larger. A good way to do this is to buy two small bottles of water to use at the start and then increase the sizes of them as you go. This allows you to gradually increase your weights as you start to build your upper body strength. You’ll be surprised at how quickly this will happen if you keep at it. 

Bicep Workout

If you want to specifically target your biceps for toning and strengthening, try some of the following bicep workouts:

Bicep curl: take a tin of beans or pints of milk in each hand and place your arms by your sides. Slowly raise your arms until the weights are in line with your shoulders. Repeat 10-15 times.

Bicep side raise: using the same weights, start with your arms by your sides and slowly raise outwardly until you reach full extension. Repeat 10-15 times.

Tall kneeling bicep curl: Start in a kneeling position and raise each arm in turn, up to the shoulder, with the weights in each hand. Repeat on each side 10-15 times.

Bicep workouts benefit the upper body in a variety of ways. Doing a regular workout can help to build strength and flexibility. It will also help to build muscle without making you bulky. Bicep workouts are a great way to tone your arms and potentially rid yourself of the dreaded ‘bingo wings’ or ‘dinner lady’ arms.

Also read – How Can You Safely Lose Weight During Pregnancy?

Triceps Workouts for Women

If you want to specifically target your biceps for toning and strengthening, try some of the following exercises:

Triceps extension: Stand with feet apart and grab a weight (tins of beans or pint of milk will do). Raise your arms above your head and then bend and lower down your back. Slowly raise them back above your head. Repeat 10-15 times.

Lying Triceps Extension: Lie on the floor with your arms raised straight up. Hold a tin of beans in each hand and slowly lower until your arms are by your side. Repeat 10-15 times. Both this, and the exercises above, are great tricep workouts with dumbbells. In this case, we’ve just substituted the dumbbells for tins of beans, but anything you have laying around will work just fine.

Diamond press-up: This is much like a normal press up, but your hands will be inverted close together to form a diamond shape on the floor instead of stretched out straight in front of you. Once in this position, do 10-15 press ups. Have a break and repeat, if you have the energy!

Doing a regular workout that specifically targets your triceps will build muscle, strength, and flexibility. Tricep curls will help tone your arms and are doubly effective when paired with bicep exercises. Both are excellent upper body workouts for women that can easily slot into even the most hectic of lifestyles.

It is recommended that you train your triceps 2-3 times each week. You want to tone the area, but not end up in pain or feel uncomfortable.

How can I reduce my stomach fat?

If you’re looking to reduce your stomach fat, you should aim to eat a healthy diet and pair this with exercise. Your diet should include eating a lot of fiber and soluble fiber. You should also try to increase your protein intake with food stuffs like cooked chicken, for example. Cutting out fizzy, sugary drinks, such as full fat Coke or other sodas will reduce your sugar levels. Alcohol is also full of sugar, so cutting this out will also help you reduce your stomach fat faster. Lastly, avoid fried foods and anything with a high trans-fat value. In terms of exercise, cardio workouts are a great way to shift stubborn stomach fat. In addition, target the area with crunches, sit ups, and even planking – any upper body exercises that work the stomach muscles.

Is fiber good for losing belly fat?

Upping your fiber intake and exercising is one of the best ways to lose belly fat. Fiber can help to suppress your appetite and can, therefore, help you to lose weight by stopping you from over eating. Losing weight is the way to lose belly fat in the long run. You can speed up the process by mixing the increase in fiber with other healthy eating, and getting serious about exercising. There are many workouts for women that help to target the stomach area in terms of toning it up. However, losing weight through calorie control and exercise is the only way to lose the fat you already have.

How can a woman gain upper body strength?

There are numerous upper body workouts for women to help you gain strength. Doing reps of sit ups, planks, tricep curls, and biceps workouts will all help to tone and increase strength and stamina. Tricep curls can be done with the aid of light dumbbells, if you’re just starting out. You don’t have to use weights, though. You can simply begin with a range of arm exercises for women that don’t involve lifting anything. These can be simple stretches to tone the muscles. Once you feel ready, you can then move on to arm exercises with weights, if you want to take it further. Having a strong upper body helps with your overall fitness and is often an area that women shy away from.

What is a good upper body workout routine?

A good upper body workout for women will comprise of a range of exercises to target different areas. This could include bicep and tricep workouts, arm exercises with weights, planking, sit ups, or whatever targets the areas you want. You don’t have to go to the gym to work out as there are plenty of exercises that allow you to undertake arm workouts at home. A simple plan, such as 12 reps of sit ups, crunches, bicep curls, tricep curls, 30-second planks, and pushups every other day will start you off on the right track. Once you have this down, you can increase the reps or frequency of the exercise to take it to the next level.

Does holding your stomach in help flatten it?

Holding in your stomach will help to work your stomach muscles and strengthen your core. By doing this at your desk during the day, or while you’re wandering around the grocery store, you will help to increase your coordination and balance. However, although abdominal exercises will help to tighten your stomach muscles, unless your stomach is already fairly flat, it’s unlikely to really make much difference. If you have belly fat, you need to reduce your calorie intake through a calorie-controlled diet. You should also cut out sugary drinks and snacks, increase fiber, and increase your protein. Doing this in conjunction with regular cardio and other exercises is the way to achieve the flat stomach you want. Any toning you do to your stomach muscles won’t be visible if you have lots of belly fat on top of them.

Conclusion

We hope we’ve managed to convince you that upper body workouts for women needn’t be complicated. In reality, there are so many ways you can target your upper body without going to the gym. If you like the gym, but haven’t used any of the weight’s equipment before, ask a member of staff or trainer to give you a quick rundown. That way, you can then experiment on your own and add your own program of upper body exercises to your usual workout. If you’re worried about putting on bulk, just make sure the weights you’re lifting aren’t too heavy.  At home, you have complete freedom to do your own thing. You don’t have to wait in line to use a machine, like at the gym, and you can do your workout at any time that suits you. 

Also, you can do it in your pajamas if you really want, which can never be a bad thing. There are no rules and no one to tell you off! As long as you follow instructions and ensure you don’t put yourself in danger of injury, you can kick off a great range of arm workouts at home. There are plenty of arm exercises with weights, but just as many without, and you can decide what works best for you. YouTube is a great resource for uncovering some of the best arm workouts for women. By following a video guide, you can see how to properly stand and position yourself, ensuring you get the best results for your effort.

Further reading – Meditation vs. Yoga – Which Is Better for Weight Loss?