Upper Body Workout Illustrated

Chest Press
Lying supine on a mat, bend your knees and place your feet hips width apart. Holding weights in your hands, extend your arms straight up above your chest, with your wrists facing away from your body so you can see the backs of your hands. Inhale lower weights to chest, exhale press weights back up, arms fully extended. Squeeze your chest muscle as you press the weights away from your chest.
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Photo of Chest Press

☺Take it to the Next Level: Try a unilateral movement with legs in tabletop position keeping one arm extended as you work one side and then switch to the other side. Unilateral movements require more concentration and control, and tabletop legs really rely on a strong core to maintain stabilization.

Photo of unilateral Chest Press

Caution! Always keep the spine long with the low back pressing into the mat and never let the back of the ribcage arch

Chest Fly
Lying supine on mat, bend your knees and place your feet hips width apart. Holding the weights in your hands, extend your arms straight above your chest, with your wrists facing each other. Inhale and open arms to the side, exhale bring weights back to center line of your body. Squeeze your chest muscles as press the weights back to the center line of your body.

Photo of chest fly

☺Take it to the Next Level: Try a unilateral movement with legs in tabletop position keeping one arm extended as you work one side and then switch to the other side. Unilateral movements require more concentration and control, it takes a strong core to maintain your legs in a tabletop position.

Photo of unilateral chest fly with legs in tabletop position

Caution! Always keep the spine long with the low back pressing into the mat and never let the back of the ribcage arch

One Arm Row
Standing with your feet hips width apart, a weight in one hand with the other hand resting on your thigh, slightly hinge on the hips, keeping your spine long, shoulders reaching down your back, and your abdominals engaged. Inhale and extend your arm to lower the weight towards the ground, exhale flexing your elbow and pull your arm back with the weight to your hip. Repeat on the other side.
Photo of one arm row.

☺Take it to the Next Level: Perform the same movement with both arms at the same time. Because the body is bent forward slightly, it takes more core strength to maintain proper form.

Photo of bilateral row.

Caution! Always keep the spine extended, abdominals engaged. If low back pain is an issue, this exercise may

Bent Over Row
Standing with feet shoulder width apart, weights in both hands, slightly bend your knees, hinge on the hips to bring your torso parallel to the ground and keeping the spine long, shoulders reaching down your back, abdominals engaged, bring your arms perpendicular to the ground. Breathe in, exhale, flex both elbows and pull them up towards the ceiling, inhale and extend your elbows bring your arms back to start.

Photo of bent over row

☺Take it to the Next Level Perform the same movement with both arms at the same time. Because the body is bent slightly forward, it takes more core strength to maintain proper form.

Photo of bent over row using both arms

Caution! Always keep the spine extended, abdominals engaged. If low back pain is an issue, this exercise may

Triceps Kickback
Standing with feet hips width apart, a weight in one hand with the other hand resting on your thigh, slightly hinge on the hips keeping your spine long, shoulders reaching down your back, and abdominals engaged. Inhale flex your elbow bringing the weight to the armpit, exhale and extend your elbow pressing the weight back.

Photo of triceps kickback

☺Take it to the Next Level Perform the same movement with both arms at the same time. Because the body is bent slightly forward, it takes more core strength to maintain proper form.

Photo of bilateral kickback

Caution! Always keep the spine extended, abdominals engaged. If low back pain is an issue, this exercise may

Dips
Using a sturdy chair, sit on the edge with your hands just outside your hips with your fingers wrapping around the seat. Place your feet together with your legs pressed together. Pressing the shoulders down your back, arms fully extended, lift the chest, and slide the buttocks off the chair seat. Inhale flex the elbows to lower the buttocks towards the floor, exhale extend the elbows to lift the buttocks up.

Photo of dip.

☺Take it to the Next Level Perform the same movement with a weight resting in the lap.

Photo of dip with weight in lap.

Caution! Always keep the spine extended, abdominals engaged. If shoulders are an issue, be certain not to

Biceps Curl
Standing with your feet hips width apart, pelvis tucked under so that your tailbone points down to the ground, slightly bend your knees keeping your chest lifted, shoulders held down your back and weights in both hands with arms held at the sides, elbows at your waistline and wrists pointing forward. Breathe in, exhale and flex the elbows to bring your hands to your shoulders, inhale and extend your elbows to lower the weights back to the starting position.

Photo of biceps curl.

☺Take it to the Next Level Place both weights in one hand and do a unilateral biceps curl.

Photo of unilateral biceps curl.

Caution! Always keep the pelvis level, tailbone pointing down to the ground. Keep the upper body stable and steady by engaging the core muscles.

Hammer Curl
Standing with your feet hips width apart, your pelvis tucked under so your tailbone points down to the ground, slightly bend your knees keeping your chest lifted, your shoulders held down your back and weights in both hands with arms held at the sides, elbows at your waistline and your wrists pointing inward towards your body. Breathe in, exhale and flex the right elbow bringing the right hand to your shoulder and inhale, extend the right elbow while flexing the left elbow bringing the left hand to the left shoulder. Repeat this movement alternating arms flexing and extending the elbows.

Photo of hammer curl.

☺Take it to the Next Level Increase weights and resistance.

Photo of hammer curl with weights.

Caution! Always keep the pelvis level, tailbone pointing down to the ground. Keep the upper body stable and steady by engaging the core muscles.

Pilates 100
Lying supine on a mat with legs in tabletop position, draw the navel inward towards your spine and press your lower back down towards the mat. Keep the spine long, chin level, shoulder blades on the mat, back of the ribcage on the mat, and lower back on the mat, arms extended palms down by the sides. Breathe in, exhale, roll the upper body off the mat, looking down towards the navel, exhale for a count of five, pumping your arms up and down, inhale five counts and continue to pump your arms. Repeat ten times for a total of 100 breaths.

Photo of Pilates 100.

☺Take it to the Next Level Extend legs, toes pointing to ceiling or extend legs, hips extended to about a 45 degree angle toes pointing. Be sure to keep squeezing the inner upper thighs together.

Photo of Pilates 100 with legs extended.

Photo of Pilates 100 with hips @45 degree angle.

Caution! Always keep the navel drawn inward towards the spine, low back on the mat. If the back of the neck begins to hurt, roll the head and shoulders back to the mat or place one hand gently behind the head for added support.

Pilates Half Roll Back
Sitting up long and tall on a mat, bend your knees placing your feet firmly on the mat. Lengthen the spine by lifting the top of your head towards the ceiling and your tailbone pointing down towards the mat. Draw your shoulder blades down your back and navel inward towards the spine. Extend both arms in front of your body. Inhale, tuck the pelvis under, pointing the tailbone towards the wall in front you as you roll the low back towards the mat. Exhale when the low back just touches the mat and roll back up to the starting position. Repeat eight times

Photo of half roll back start position.

☺Take it to the Next Level Advance this move with a perfection of form.

Photo of half roll back middle position.

Photo of half roll back ending position.

Pilates Roll Up
Lying supine on a mat with knees bent feet flat on the floor shoulder width apart, draw the navel inward towards the spine and press the low back down towards the mat. Keep your spine long, chin level, shoulder blades on the mat, back of the ribcage on the mat, and low back on the mat, arms extended palms facing the body by the sides.

Inhale bringing your arms perpendicular to the ceiling, exhale bringing the chin towards the chest and rolling the upper body off the mat, inhale and continue to roll forward and look back towards your navel, exhale lengthen your spine and roll back down to the mat one vertebrae at a time. Keep your feet on the floor throughout the movement. Repeat eight times.

Photo of Pilates bent knee roll up.

☺Take it to the Next Level Fully extend the knees pointing the toes away from the body. Rolling up, keep the heels on the floor throughout the movement.

Photo of extended legs roll up.

Photo of half roll back ending position.

Caution! Always keep the navel drawn inward towards the spine. If low back problems are an issue, it is strongly advised to keep feet flat on the mat with the knees bent while doing a roll up.

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