My 2 Favorite Upper Body Moves

I'm excited to share with you two of my favorite upper body exercises that can help you build strength, flexibility, and coordination all at once. These moves are perfect for anyone looking to improve their upper body fitness, regardless of their current level.

Let's start with the push-up progression. Many people struggle with traditional push-ups, so I've broken it down into four levels to help you build up your strength gradually.

Level 1 is what I call the "seated thigh push-up." This beginner-friendly variation helps you build a mind-muscle connection. As I explain in the video, "We're trying to feel what it feels like to be able to push your arm forward using your pecs, your chest muscles, while stabilizing your shoulder using your lat and your seratus and your core."

For Level 2, we move to the "high chair push-up." This variation introduces more of a plank position while still providing support. Remember, form is crucial here. As I emphasize, "We want to squeeze the glutes and push the lower back towards the sky... This is going to activate my core, it's going to protect my lower back, it's going to make my core and my upper body a lot stronger."

Level 3 brings us to the "low chair push-up," which increases the angle and challenge. One important tip I share is about hand position: "Turn your fingers to the outside and try to angle your knuckles down... This can often alleviate someone's pain in their hands and in their wrists."

Finally, Level 4 is the traditional floor push-up. By this point, you should have built up the strength and proper form to perform this classic exercise effectively.

The second exercise we cover is the chair dip progression. Again, we start with a basic movement and work our way up to more challenging variations.

Level 1 of the chair dip progression is actually a tricep extension. This helps you learn to activate your triceps muscles properly. As I explain, "This muscle is simply extending and squeezing and then bending and creating flexion in the elbow."

For Level 2, we move to what I call a "chair lift." This introduces more of the dipping motion while still providing support. I emphasize the importance of proper shoulder position: "Your shoulders should be away from your ears and pulled back."

Level 3 introduces the "half chair dip." This is where form becomes even more critical. As I caution, "If you do this wrong you can put your shoulders in a compromised position, but if you do it right you can create tons of flexibility and it's going to make your body feel amazing."

The final level, Level 4, is the full range of motion chair dip. However, I stress the importance of listening to your body: "The moment I feel my shoulders shrug up and roll forward and my back start to round like this, I've gone too far. We want to only go as far as we can while keeping the shoulder blades back and the shoulders away from your ears."

In conclusion

These progressions are designed to help you build strength safely and effectively. Remember, it's not about rushing to the most advanced level, but about finding the variation that challenges you while allowing you to maintain proper form. By following these progressions, you'll be well on your way to improving your upper body strength, flexibility, and coordination.