Upper Body Strength Training

[lovelylibrarian]

I've been doing so much biking that I've ignored my weight training and now I'm thinking that I really need to have a regular workout for my upper body.

What do you do? I know that abs are important for biking but I would like to strengthen my arms and back. I'm thinking I should try for twice a week. It's tough to find the time.

[Dogmama]

I've been doing so much biking that I've ignored my weight training and now I'm thinking that I really need to have a regular workout for my upper body.

What do you do? I know that abs are important for biking but I would like to strengthen my arms and back. I'm thinking I should try for twice a week. It's tough to find the time.

More information, please. Do you belong to a gym? If no, what equipment (if any) do you have available? How much time do you want to spend?

[mimitabby]

I like to do pushups. So far the most I've done at once is 16. No, not girl pushups; the real thing.
Here at work we challenge each other. There's a few people who also want to do them. It helps a lot.

[lovelylibrarian]

More information, please. Do you belong to a gym? If no, what equipment (if any) do you have available? How much time do you want to spend?

Yes, I belong to a gym. I can try to do an upper body workout after my spinning classes a few days a week. I had an entire body one set up when I had my initial training session at the gym and I could do the upper body part that he set up for me.

Would a half hour of upper body work be of any value or should I really just make enough time for an hour session?

[Andrea]

Yes, I belong to a gym. I can try to do an upper body workout after my spinning classes a few days a week. I had an entire body one set up when I had my initial training session at the gym and I could do the upper body part that he set up for me.

Would a half hour of upper body work be of any value or should I really just make enough time for an hour session?

You can do half an hour as long as you focus on compound movements and you superset things...

Example:

1 set of 8-10 bench presses
1 set of 8-10 machine rows

Repeat that 3 times

1 set of 8-10 shoulder presses
1 set of 8-10 pulldowns

Repeat 3 times

Etc...

You'll work out your arms as well as your bigger torso muscles by doing exercises that involve movement at both the elbow and the shoulder.

Edit: Couple things I forgot...
-Since you alternate muscle groups by supersetting, you don't have to rest very long between sets, so you can go faster (the pushing muscles rest while you're working out the pulling muscles).

-You can switch it up on the # of reps. Try increasing weight & decreasing reps or increasing reps & decreasing weight. Variety is good.

-Use machines or freeweights (I'm a fan of free weights, but it won't make a huge difference in this type of application)

[lovelylibrarian]

Thanks. I'm going to try the half hour thing to just get started and see where I can progress from there.

I'll have to put some towels on the machines because I'm SO sweaty after spin class. EW.

[indigoiis]

Free weights, and take a look at this site - a weight training site for women (and funny, too!) http://www.stumptuous.com/cms/index.php

I do about a half hour every other day of some of her exercizes - all in-home - using whatever is heavy (although I do own a set of weights as well.)

[indysteel]

I have a regular yoga practice which involves quite a bit of upper body work. I also lift 8 and 10 pound hand weights at home or the gym a couple times a week.

[OakLeaf]

Chin-ups! If you even do two or three you'll impress all the boys. When you've done as many as you can, do a couple-three more eccentric (climb up to the chin bar, then let yourself down slo-o-o-o-wly, 30 sec if you can), that's how you build up to doing more full ones. Or your gym may have an assist machine where you kneel on a cantilevered platform.

[lovelylibrarian]

I have a regular yoga practice which involves quite a bit of upper body work. I also lift 8 and 10 pound hand weights at home or the gym a couple times a week.

I really like yoga but never seem to have enough time to fit it in. I'm going to try to attend a few lunchtime sessions. Which type of yoga involves the most upper body work?

[lovelylibrarian]

Chin-ups! If you even do two or three you'll impress all the boys. When you've done as many as you can, do a couple-three more eccentric (climb up to the chin bar, then let yourself down slo-o-o-o-wly, 30 sec if you can), that's how you build up to doing more full ones. Or your gym may have an assist machine where you kneel on a cantilevered platform.

Yes, the chin up. I am still traumatized by the Marine physical fitness program (I think that's what it was called) that came to my high school all those years ago and had the women do the "flexed arm hang" and men do the chin ups.

My gym does have the assist machine. Thanks for the suggestions.

[Zen]

I like Mimi's suggestion of push ups. They work everything and are good for core strength too.

Check out these variations

[dachshund]

I do core strengthening - various plank & sit up exercises, some back exercises on the pully-machines, and the standard free weight exercises for arms. Now that I think about it, I could probably cut down on the leg stuff while I'm riding more.

[Fujichants]

I am also having a very tough time trying to fit in strength training twice a week with all the biking and running i'm doing. At the end of the day (or when I wake up in the morning) the last thing I want to think about is dragging myself to the gym, having to wait to use machines (or having to brave the annoying men checking me out when I go to the free weights section).

[bmccasland]

In the summer months I mow the grass, weed-eat, and sweep the sidewalks and porch. My grass grows about 6 inches in a week - OK, maybe only 4. I was using a push mower, but I finally had to give in and buy an internal combustion engine. I fought the lawn, and the lawn won. I try to remember to hold in my stomach while I'm doing all this. Amazing the amount of upper body work out I get doing the lawn.

Will try Mimi's suggestion and do *real* push-ups.