If you like short and snappy workouts or you want to find a nice little upper body pump to tag onto your full-body strength sessions, here is a three-move routine that only requires a pair of dumbbells and one of the best resistance bands.
Sandy Sklar is the trainer behind this trifecta of an upper body pump. In her words, it's a "quick sequence that will light up those shoulders and give you an epic arm pump." To get stuck into these exercises, you'll need a pair of dumbbells and a resistance band with handles. If you're using this routine at the gym, you can do the banded exercise on the cable machine instead.
You can find demonstrations of each move on Sklar's Instagram page or, you can simply check it out below before reading about the benefits of this style of workout. The aim of the workout is to perform 10-12 reps of the first two exercises, 12-15 reps of the third and final exercise, and repeat the full circuit three to four times with minimal rest.
Watch Sandy Sklar's 3-Move Upper Body Routine
- Alternating grip biceps curls x 10-12 reps total (each curl = 1 rep)
- Front to lateral raise x 10-12 reps (each front to lateral raise combo = 1 rep)
- Reverse grip triceps press downs x 12-15 reps
I am not as big a fan of upper body sessions as I am of training my lower body, so this short series of upper body dumbbell exercises works perfectly for me. I can either slot it into a time-efficient full-body session or have a quick upper-body pump at home with a pair of the best adjustable dumbbells.
There is also no pressure to go heavy with the weights. Choose a weight that feels challenging by the final few reps but still allows you to maintain proper form throughout the exercise. If your form starts to slip, it could be a good idea to lower the weight and smash the rest of the session with excellent form.
Sklar's medley of upper body exercises work together to strengthen your arms and shoulders. The bicep curls build arm strength and definition by focusing on the front of your arms, while the front to lateral raises target the shoulders, improving strength and stability. Finally, the triceps press downs round out the workout by toning and strengthening the back of the arms.
As I mentioned above, if you are using these moves in your next gym workout, you can use the cable machine instead of a resistance band for the reverse grip tricep press downs. Simply attach a rope or straight bar to the high pulley and follow the same movement pattern as Sklar demonstrates with the band for a similar effect.
What are the benefits of building a strong upper body?
There are lots of pros to having a strong upper body. First of all, having and maintaining strength and muscle up top in your body is a great way to make everyday tasks a whole lot easier, like carrying groceries, lifting heavy objects, or even reaching for things on a high shelf.
It also helps improve your posture, which can reduce back and neck pain, especially if you spend a lot of time sitting. Strengthening your arms, shoulders, and chest also supports other exercises. Plus, building upper body strength helps prevent injuries by making your muscles and joints more stable, which is especially important as you get older.
Strength training, or lifting weights, isn’t just about building muscle. It can also help boost your metabolism. Your metabolism is the process your body uses to turn food into energy. When you do strength training, your muscles need more energy to repair and grow stronger after a workout. This means your body can be burning more calories, even when you're resting.
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- Build stronger arms and upper body muscle using just 2 dumbbells with this 10-minute resistance workout — no gym required
