Upper Body Exercises

Four families make the choices easier

Think about where your hands travel relative to your torso. A horizontal press pushes away from your chest; a row brings resistance toward you. Overhead presses and pulldowns cover different directions. These categories describe exercise selection, not a medically proven push-to-pull ratio.

Choose an exercise for a reason

These are useful candidates for the job shown, rather than a ranking of universally “best” movements. The individual guides have their own setup and technique details.

Match the plan to your equipment

No equipment: begin with a push-up variation

A wall push-up is a practical place to start if the floor version is too demanding. Keep your back straight and move smoothly; both Mayo Clinic and the NHS describe this option. [3] [9] A floor push-up remains a pressing exercise. Doing more variations of it does not create a row or an overhead pull.

Can push-ups build muscle? In a small eight-week trial, 18 men aged 19–22 trained twice weekly using either bench presses at 40% of their one-repetition maximum or push-ups adjusted to a similar load. Both groups increased chest and triceps thickness and bench-press strength, with no significant between-group difference in those changes. This supports push-ups as a useful resistance exercise; it does not prove that any push-up routine equals heavy bench training for every person or goal. [8]

Dumbbells: combine a press with a row

Dumbbells give you rowing and overhead-pressing choices alongside push-ups. Start with a manageable load, then progress while keeping the same controlled technique. You do not have to improvise a pulldown just to fill the fourth box on the map. [2]

Bands, cables and gym machines

Resistance bands are a legitimate way to train, and the ACSM review did not find that one equipment category consistently determined results. Choose according to your space, setup and goals. [1] For a band exercise, use its intended secure setup and the manufacturer's instructions; do not copy a cable-machine setup onto an improvised anchor.

A cable station can provide a row and a pulldown; pressing machines provide another option for the pushing slot. “Machine” is not the movement name: check the equipment's instructions and keep a note of the seat and handle settings you use.

A small session to start from

This is an example for a generally healthy adult who is learning the movements, not a rehabilitation plan. Warm up with 5–10 minutes of easy aerobic activity. Mayo Clinic suggests starting with one set of about 12–15 controlled repetitions and increasing the load gradually as you get stronger. [2]

Rest about a minute between exercises, and take longer if needed to regain control of your breathing and technique. Leave a day between sessions for the same muscles. Add lower-body work elsewhere in your week: an upper-body session alone does not cover all major muscle groups. [2]

Write down the variation, resistance, repetitions and sets. For example, “wall push-up, 12 smooth repetitions” is more useful than “chest done.” Repeat a comparable setup so you can see what changed.

How much depends on your next goal

The ACSM's 2026 guidance recommends training the major muscle groups at least twice a week. Moving from no resistance training to a routine you maintain matters more than finding a complicated split. [1]

For maximizing strength, its evidence synthesis favored heavier loads, two to three sets, and putting priority exercises early in a session. For muscle growth, higher weekly volumes of at least ten sets per muscle group were associated with better results. Those are findings about optimizing adaptations, not an instruction for a new lifter to begin with ten hard sets for every muscle. [10]

Our starter example is deliberately smaller. Learn the movements, establish a repeatable week, then adjust the load or number of sets toward the result you want. The study population was healthy adults; sport-specific performance and recovery after illness call for a more individual plan.

Three mistakes worth avoiding

• Counting exercise names instead of coverage. Three presses still leave you without a row. Use the map to see what your session emphasizes.
• Chasing a heavier number as technique changes. If you have to swing, sag or lean back to complete the movement, lower the load or shorten the set. [2]
• Treating every set as a maximum test. ACSM did not find training to momentary muscle failure consistently necessary for results. [10]

Adapt the exercise, not the label on the plan

Women and men: use the same movement map, then choose resistance and variations that fit you. The ACSM guidance emphasizes individual goals and abilities rather than one fixed prescription. “For women” does not tell you what weight to use. [1]

Older adults or anyone returning after a break: the NHS demonstrates wall push-ups and seated curls, with a gradual buildup. These are options to discuss if standing balance or a floor setup is a barrier; age alone does not pick your starting load. [9]

Pain, an injury or recent surgery: stop an exercise that hurts and seek advice if you cannot find a comfortable, controlled version. After a heart attack or heart surgery, get the exercise plan from your doctor or cardiac rehabilitation team before taking up this routine. Recovery differs between people; the timetable in a general lifting guide is not your clearance to train. [2] [11]

Go deeper on the area you want to train

Choose one of the detailed collections for anatomy, exercise selection and the limits of the research.

• Chest exercises
• Back exercises
• Shoulder exercises
• Arm exercises
• Core exercises

Browse the exercise guides

Two detailed exercise guides in this selection are available now. Open one for the setup, technique and variations.

Workouts to explore next

For now, use the example above to understand how the pieces fit together. The longer sessions below are in preparation.

• Upper body workout
• Upper body dumbbell workout
• Push day workout
• Chest and back workout
• Bodyweight upper body workout

Sources and review

1. ACSM: Updated resistance training guidelines, March 2026. Practical summary for healthy adults, including frequency, individualization and equipment options.
2. Mayo Clinic: Weight training—do's and don'ts of proper technique. January 2026. Starting dose, progression, warmup, rest and pain advice.
3. Mayo Clinic: Modified pushup. November 2025. Chest, triceps and trunk roles; wall and knee-supported options.
4. Mayo Clinic: Bent-over row with dumbbell. November 2025. Upper-back and rear-shoulder involvement; controlled movement.
5. ACE Exercise Library: Seated overhead press. Equipment, target areas and setup.
6. ACE Exercise Library: Seated row. Machine-row setup and pulling action.
7. Lusk SJ, Hale BD, Russell DM. Grip width and forearm orientation effects on muscle activity during the lat pull-down. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 2010. PMID 20543740. Abstract: twelve healthy men, acute muscle-activity measurements, not a long-term growth comparison.
8. Kikuchi N, Nakazato K. Low-load bench press and push-up induce similar muscle hypertrophy and strength gain. Journal of Exercise Science & Fitness, 2017. PMID 29541130. Abstract: eighteen young men over eight weeks.
9. NHS: Strength exercises. Wall push-ups, seated curl option and gradual progression.
10. Currier BS, et al. ACSM Position Stand: Resistance Training Prescription for Muscle Function, Hypertrophy, and Physical Performance in Healthy Adults. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 2026;58:851–872. PMID 41843416. Abstract: overview of 137 systematic reviews; replaces the 2009 position stand.
11. British Heart Foundation: How to exercise after a heart attack or heart surgery. Individual recovery and cardiac rehabilitation guidance.

This guide is general exercise education for adults. A qualified trainer has not yet reviewed this page. Research summaries state the populations studied; the example session is an editorial starting template, not a tested program.