Gym Upper Body Workout for Beginners
A gym upper body workout for beginners that you can do in a commercial gym. 5 exercises, about 31 minutes, targeting biceps, chest, lats, shoulders, upper & mid back.
| Level | Beginner |
| Equipment | Gym |
| Time | About 31 minutes |
| Muscles | Biceps, Chest, Lats, Shoulders, Upper & Mid Back |
The workout
| Exercise | Sets / reps |
|---|---|
| 1. Dumbbell Bench Press | 3 × 10 |
| 2. Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown | 3 × 10 |
| 3. Side Lateral Raise | 3 × 10 |
| 4. Seated Cable Rows | 3 × 10 |
| 5. Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 3 × 10 |
See each exercise
How to do this workout
- Warm up for 5 minutes: brisk walk or easy cardio, then one light set of the first exercise.
- Do the exercises in order. Finish all sets of one before moving on.
- Use a weight you could lift for 2–3 more reps than written. Rest 60–90 seconds between sets.
- Do this workout 1–2 times a week, with at least one rest day before training the same muscles again.
How to progress
When you can do every set with good form at the top of the rep range, add one rep per set the next week, or a small amount of weight (1–2.5 kg). Progress slowly — consistent small jumps beat big ones. For fat loss, pair this with a small calorie deficit and around 1.6–2 g of protein per kg of body weight.
Exercise notes
1. Dumbbell Bench Press
Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hands will be facing each other. Then, using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells up, lift the dumbbells one at a time so that you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width.
2. Wide-Grip Lat Pulldown
Sit down on a pull-down machine with a wide bar attached to the top pulley. Make sure that you adjust the knee pad of the machine to fit your height. These pads will prevent your body from being raised by the resistance attached to the bar. Grab the bar with the palms facing forward using the prescribed grip. Note on grips: For a wide grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance wider than shoulder width. For a medium grip, your hands need to be spaced out at a distance equal to your shoulder width and for a close grip at a distance smaller than your shoulder width.
3. Side Lateral Raise
Pick a couple of dumbbells and stand with a straight torso and the dumbbells by your side at arms length with the palms of the hand facing you. This will be your starting position. While maintaining the torso in a stationary position (no swinging), lift the dumbbells to your side with a slight bend on the elbow and the hands slightly tilted forward as if pouring water in a glass. Continue to go up until you arms are parallel to the floor. Exhale as you execute this movement and pause for a second at the top.
4. Seated Cable Rows
For this exercise you will need access to a low pulley row machine with a V-bar. Note: The V-bar will enable you to have a neutral grip where the palms of your hands face each other. To get into the starting position, first sit down on the machine and place your feet on the front platform or crossbar provided making sure that your knees are slightly bent and not locked. Lean over as you keep the natural alignment of your back and grab the V-bar handles.
5. Dumbbell Bicep Curl
Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand at arm's length. Keep your elbows close to your torso and rotate the palms of your hands until they are facing forward. This will be your starting position. Now, keeping the upper arms stationary, exhale and curl the weights while contracting your biceps. Continue to raise the weights until your biceps are fully contracted and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold the contracted position for a brief pause as you squeeze your biceps.
Weekly plans that use this workout
More workouts like this
Gear for this workout
Gym duffel bagShoe compartment and space for everything.See it on Amazon →
Gym glovesBetter grip and fewer calluses.See it on Amazon →Stop if anything hurts (sharp pain is different from muscle burn). If you have an injury or health condition, check with your GP or a physio first.