upper body workout

Lots of guys make an unfortunate habit of incorporating the identical exercises inside all their workouts. It is especially common with men who have been training for long periods of time. The main reason is because they'll have a favorite exercise they feel they should include in each workout or they're just too lazy to try something different.

As an advanced trainer however, you should recognize the importance of changing exercises and varying your routine regularly. That's probably why you read up and exchange opinions on different training techniques and routines.

Like many other experienced weightlifters who e-mail us, you might need a little reminder of the exercises you can complete for each muscle group.

Keep in mind that I'll only be listing the names of these different exercises without any specific explanations or pictures. At your level, you should already have a good idea of what these movements are. This week, I'll start with upper body exercises and in the next article, I'll list exercises for the lower body.

chest exercises

Dumbbell press
On an inclined, flat, or declined bench.

Barbell press
On an inclined, flat, or declined bench.

Dumbbell and cable flies
On an inclined, flat, or declined bench.

Pec dec flies

Dumbbell or barbell pullovers.

Dips
Chose between a narrow, regular and wide stance.

Cable crossovers
Opt for the high or low cables.

Push-ups
Chose between a narrow, regular and wide stance.

back exercises

Chin-ups
Vary between a wide, narrow and reverse grip.

Cable pull-downs
Vary between a wide, narrow and reverse grip. Pull the bar in front of your face or behind your neck.

Cable rows
Vary between a wide, narrow and reverse grip. Select from a wide range of bars.

T-bar row
Vary between a wide, narrow and reverse grip. Chose between the machine T-bar and free weights.

Dumbbell rows

Bent-over barbell rows
Again, vary your handgrips.

Hyperextensions

upper back and traps

Shrugs
Vary between barbell and dumbbell shrugs.

Upright rows
Diversify between dumbbell and cable upright rows.

shoulder exercises

Military press
Alter between a smith machine or barbell.

Press behind the neck
Again, choose from a Smith machine or regular barbell.

Dumbbell press

Arnold press

Side lateral raises

Front lateral raises

Shoulder cable flies

Bent over raises

Reverse pec dec flies

bicep exercises

Dumbbell curls
Curl standing up or seated on a straight or slightly inclined bench.

Concentration curls

Preacher curls
Carry them out with dumbbells, a standard barbell or EZ bar on a 45 or 90-degree angled bench.

Barbell curls
Use a standard barbell, EZ curl bar or cables. Try altering your grips.

Hammer curls

One-arm cable curls
Try lower or upper cable curls.

Barbell slide curls
They're also called drag curls.

Close-grip chin-ups

Prone barbell curls

Standing Zottman curls

tricep exercises

Close grip bench press
Use the Smith machine or a regular barbell.

Tricep push downs
Vary between a wide, narrow or reverse grip. Change your grips and use different bars.

French press
Use a regular barbell or EZ bar.

Over-head tricep extensions
Use a machine, dumbbell or barbell.

Close grip push-ups

Dips
Close grip dips work best for triceps.

One-arm dumbbell extensions
They can also be executed with cables.

gyms make it easier

Finally, keep in mind that most gyms also provide machines that can reproduce some of the movements mentioned above. They're great substitutes and should also be included in your rotation of exercises. Next time, we'll review exercises for your lower body and abs. Until then, keep on pumping.