10 minute upper body workout with weights

Ten very effective minutes of upper body strength training fly right by in this fast paced workout that uses our signature bored easily format. You'll be doing a different exercise for each active interval, which allows you to hit all of the upper body muscles in a short amount of time.

These particular upper body exercises have been some of my favorites lately and they keep making their way into my routine, which by the way, is constantly changing, evolving, and fluctuating to meet my needs each day, week, month, etc. I hope that today, maybe even right now, you tackle these ten minutes and that by the time you're finished, you feel strong, more energetic, and more relaxed (ah; that "Workout Complete" feeling, amiright?). Turn on some music that motivates you and get ready to work!

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I love short routines like this one for a myriad of reasons. For one - a bit ironically considering I run a fitness website - work sometimes spills over and impacts my workouts, or maybe even just my motivation to get it done. These ten minutes are incredibly convenient to fit into a busy day. There's something very surmountable about one set of strength exercises. Just one set! I can typically convince myself to go through one round of "picking things up and putting them down" pretty easily. It helps to not overthink these things; instead, just start moving. Often times once you start moving, once you get over that hump of "should I workout?" or "am I really going to workout", you realize how great you feel when you're putting your body through smart movements, and then what was supposed to be a short ten minutes may turn into a 30 minute workout. Either way, 10 minutes far surpasses zero minutes and these short workouts pack a punch, so there's no time being wasted here.

Another reason is that they're a great burnout round or second session if you're doing two-a-days; add a quick warm up and cool down onto this routine and you'll have a workout that maxes out at around 20 minutes but gives you a second bout of muscle building, calorie expenditure, etc. 

You can also turn this into a real burner by doing it two or three rounds through (highly recommend it, especially if you like this particular combination of exercises). Or, if you prefer, we also have longer upper body workouts.

All you need for this workout is a set of dumbbells, resistance bands, or anything else that adds extra resistance to these moves. Dumbbells are a worthwhile investment if you're looking to workout at home; we haven't had gym memberships for years and all I typically use for my workouts is dumbbells - oh and I do love my foam roller! If you're traveling and need a hotel workout or otherwise have no access to equipment whatsoever, you can always do this using antagonistic moves, which utilize your strength, against your own strength, in order to create resistance. The way to do this is to mimic the same motions as I do with weights, except focus on working against yourself while you do the motion. It's pushing and pulling at the same time, and it makes for a very interesting challenge. I use this type of training while traveling or when in a pinch and I like the way it works the muscles differently. Either way you choose to tackle this routine, put your heart into these 10 minutes and challenge yourself to push your strength all the way through.

Workout Structure
Upper body exercises that target the biceps, triceps, upper back, shoulders, and chest. Core and glutes are lightly engaged as well; you can increase the impact on them by focusing on keeping everything strong contracted while lifting. Warm up and cool down not included. All you need is dumbbells.

Printable Upper Body Workout
Halo + Tricep Extension
Bicep Curls
Arm Circles
Lateral and Ventral Raises
Wood Choppers (one full interval on each side)
Row + Reverse Step
Overhead Press
Bridge + Pullover 
Bridge + Fly

How do you use our shorter workouts? Do you add them on as a second session or use them as quick bouts of activities over the course of the day or week? What other kinds of short workouts would you like to see on fitnessblender.com in the future? 

Many strength-training moves—like squats, lunges, and deadlifts—home in on your lower-half. That’s great news for your glutes and legs, but what about an upper-body workout?

Our latest Sweat With SELF video can help fill the gap. This 10-minute routine, led by LIT Method cofounders Taylor and Justin Norris, is all about building upper-body strength. With moves like rows, jabs, push-ups, and planks, you’ll challenge every muscle from the waist up (and some bonus muscles in your core and lower half too). You’ll also get your heart pumping, thanks to the high-intensity format that encourages you to perform moves at maximum effort with minimal rest.

Making time for upper-body strength training can bring big rewards: A strong upper body not only helps you tackle movements in the gym, but it aids you in everyday activities as well—from lowering a heavy box from a high shelf to pushing open a door to carrying bags of groceries up a flight of stairs, as SELF previously reported. What’s more, having strong back and shoulder muscles in particular can help improve your posture.

So without further ado, let’s get into this sweaty upper-body workout! All you need is a mat and a water bottle. When you’re ready, follow along with the video below. Or if you want to work at your own pace, keep scrolling for detailed workout directions and GIFs of each move.

Content

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Workout Directions

Start with the dynamic warm-up. Do the the exercise for 45 seconds, then take 10 to 15 seconds to transition to the workout. 

For the workout, do each exercise for the designated amount of time, taking 10 to 15 seconds (or less!) between exercises to transition to the next move.

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