Best way to build upper body

[Numerik]

I was wondering what kind of exercises do you do to help the chest, and arm region gain size and definition? What is the best and what should I avoid all together?

 

[Mike_Rojas]

You need to worry about more than your chest and arms.

I'm stealing this list from Louden Swain:

Training: Keep It Simple. . Exercises for Mass:

thighs: squats, leg presses, hack squats
hamstrings: stiff leg deads, lying leg curls
calves: barbell toe raises, donkey toe raises, seated toe raises, leg press toe extensions
lower back: deadlifts, good mornings, hyperextensions
lats: rows (barbell, dumbbell, and supported), chins, seated pulley rows, pull-downs (all grips and width)
traps: deadlifts, shrugs (barbell & dumbbell), power cleans, up right rows, and high pulls
chest: incline presses, flat presses, decline presses, parallel dips, and floor presses
delts: push presses, strict overhead press, and seated barbell presses
triceps: close grip bench presses, bench dips, parallel dips, lying tricep extensions, lockouts, overhead dumbbell extensions, jm presses, and floor presses
biceps: barbell curls, incline db curls, preacher curls, seated alternate dumbbell curls
forearms: behind the back wrist curls, reverse barbell wrist curls, and hammer curls
abs: who cares?

-------

And you wanted to know exercises to avoid:

isolation moves like:
tricep kickbacks
concentration curls
lateral raises

You can do those moves when you're huge.. until then work compound moves

 

[Numerik]

THX for the reply, and yes I know that I need to focus on much more than my chest and arms. But this is where people started telling me different things and I just wanted to see what you all thought was the best and most effective way to build this area up. Thanks again.

 

[Mike_Rojas]

Read the training stickies at the top. They have tons of good info.

 

[Mike_Rojas]

By the way, definition is a matter of diet.

 

[Numerik]

Read the training stickies at the top. They have tons of good info.

Doing that as I type really good info.

 

[Backlash]

Heavy presses, especially incline press and military press are probably necessary. Building the shoulders up too will really help make your upper body appear generally larger.

 

[KillahBee]

mike- why no isolation exercises? I am assuming preacher curls fall into this category.

 

[kingc_79]

mike- why no isolation exercises? I am assuming preacher curls fall into this category.

i think you have the greatest avatar ever....sorry just had to point that out. have some karma

 

[KillahBee]

i think you have the greatest avatar ever....sorry just had to point that out. have some karma

lol- glad u enjoy it. I have some even better ones on reserve, but I am nowhere near sick of this one.

 

[Toozee]

By the way, definition is a matter of diet.

Was this said? ......well....its worth saying again!

 

[Citruscide]

Eat. Train big -- hitting squats, deads, and heavy back exercises like bar rows, db rows and pullups... really do a good job of widening you out...

Also, while hitting your shoulders, you can widen up your upper body as well.

Eat.

C-ditty

 

[IJ26]

The advice everyone gave is great bc I use them and see great results. U should seriously consider throwing in hang cleans. Although it is more of a movement for athletes when i did these at college all the time I saw great growth in my upper chest, shoulders and traps

 

[Exodus]

train with basics........ include some oly lifts with powerlifting......... they will put on the meat and potatoes of your size game.


X

 

[Yarg!]

Chest- Incline DB press, Flat DB press, Dips
Shoulders- Pushpresses, upright rows, sidelateral raise, reverse pec deck, shrugs,
Arms-Close grip bench, skullcrushers, tate presses, dips, pushdowns,barbell curl, reverse grip curl, hammercurl, incline curl