The Best Way to Build Upper Body Strength
Building upper body strength is something many women find more challenging than training their lower body. Have you ever wondered why push-ups, shoulder presses or pull movements (bent over rows, deadlifts, pull ups etc.) can initially feel much harder than squats or lunges? Women tend to naturally have less upper body muscle mass compared to men particularly in the chest, shoulders and arms. In addition many of us may have always focussed more on training the legs resulting in the upper body not having the same level of consistent training over time. Exercises like push-ups require you to lift a large percentage of your body weight, which can make them feel particularly challenging when you are first starting out but stick with them! Building a stronger upper body really is achievable with the right tools – especially with the correct exercises, progression and consistency. It is my favourite training day!
Why Upper Body Strength Matters
Developing strength in the shoulders, back and arms plays an important role in improving posture, supporting the spine and reducing the risk of injury. It also helps to create greater balance across your overall strength, making everyday movements feel easier and more controlled. This becomes particularly important for women in midlife, when maintaining muscle mass and supporting joint health becomes a key part of staying active and feeling strong. Strengthening these muscles can also help counteract the postural changes that often come with more sedentary lifestyles, such as rounded shoulders or upper back tightness. Many women are surprised by how empowering it feels to become stronger in these movements, and developing upper body strength, particularly with functional movements, can completely change the way you feel in your workouts and in daily life.
Where Do I Start?
When building upper body strength, it’s helpful to think about creating a strong foundation rather than focusing on one single exercise. The goal in the early stages is to gradually strengthen the muscles of the chest, back, shoulders and arms, while also improving stability through the core.
A balanced approach that includes both pushing and pulling exercises is key. Pushing movements (like push-ups or chest presses) work the chest, shoulders and triceps, while pulling movements (such as rows) strengthen the back and help support posture. Training both ensures you build strength evenly and reduce the risk of imbalances.
The best place to begin is by including a small number of foundational upper body exercises in your workouts two to three times per week. Focus on movements that allow you to practise good technique and gradually increase the challenge over time. Think:
- Push-ups or incline push-ups
- Dumbbell rows or resistance band rows
- Shoulder presses
- Tricep exercises (dips or extensions)
Progressing Your Push-Ups
Push-ups are one of the most effective upper body exercises, but they are also one of the most challenging! Rather than jumping straight into full push-ups, it’s important to build strength through a gradual progression.
- Wall push-ups
- Incline push-ups
- Knee push-ups
Working through these progressions consistently helps develop both strength and confidence, and over time you’ll find movements that once felt challenging begin to feel much more manageable leading you to a full push up. Remember, each movement should feel challenging but not painful. Don’t focus at the start on the quantity. One good push up is way better than 5 with poor form. Exercises like planks will really help with building the strength in your arms and shoulders and lifting your bodyweight as you progress.
Try An Upper Body Workout
This session can be completed in around 20 minutes and is a great way to begin strengthening your upper body. For the dumbbell exercises, always use the weights which are right for you and your level of fitness – 2kg is a great place to start.
Try 3 rounds – rest for 60-90 seconds between rounds and 20 seconds between exercises
- 10 incline push-ups
- 10 dumbbell rows
- 10 shoulder presses
- 10 tricep dips
- 10 chest press
- 10 bicep curls
Consistency Is Key!
As I always say – consistency always matters more than perfection! Training your upper body two to three times per week and gradually progressing your exercises over time will lead to noticeable improvements. The reason consistency matters so much comes down to how our muscles adapt to strength training (this is relevant to the body as a whole!). When you perform resistance exercises such as push-ups, rows or shoulder presses, you place small amounts of stress on the muscle fibres. This is a positive stress that signals to the body that these muscles need to become stronger. During the recovery period after training, the body repairs those muscle fibres and rebuilds them slightly stronger than before so they are better prepared for the next session. This process takes time, which is why regular training combined with rest and recovery is so important. Without that recovery period, the muscles do not have the opportunity to rebuild effectively.
Over time, this repeated cycle including recovery is what leads to improvements in strength. As your muscles become stronger, exercises that once felt difficult begin to feel more manageable. You will find that you can perform more repetitions, move to a more challenging variation and lift slightly heavier weights!
A Final Thought
Upper body strength is one of the most transformative areas of training. It can feel more challenging at first compared to lower body work. This is not a limitation – it is simply the starting point for building strength. For women in midlife, this is especially important as it supports posture, bone health, joint stability and everyday functional strength. With consistency, progression and patience, movements that once felt difficult become more controlled and upper body strength becomes a powerful foundation for long-term health and confidence.
As always, any questions please do get in touch.
Caroline x
