By: Ford Wilder
There are many different ways you can train your upper body whether it is to look more aesthetically pleasing, become more explosive, etc. Although there are plenty of workouts to follow, there is one way that is superior to all. This way combines lifting for aesthetics and explosiveness, making you both more athletic and better looking. This is called upper body power training. I have trained aesthetically for the upper body before but became less athletic and stiffer although I filled my body out quicker. I have also trained solely explosively where I became quicker and more athletic in my upper body, but I did not gain any muscle hardly. This is where power training comes into play so you can pair both training styles together.
I noticed the greatest strides in my training and performance when I switched over to this style of lifting. I do not train back and biceps or chest and triceps together like a bodybuilder would. Instead, I train my whole upper body together in each session which includes the chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps. I can hit my whole upper body at least twice a week without having to spend 4 or 5 days to effectively hit each muscle group. That is what a bodybuilder does, and that is why they are not athletic and instead stiff.
Furthermore, making sure to pair the right exercises together in this form of training is vital. I prefer to pair exercises together one after the other going from a push to a pull movement. By pairing push and pull exercises you stabilize and balance your muscles instead of progressing your push or pull movements too far ahead of one another. Also, by pairing push and pull movements together, you can create a heavier workload since there is less fatigue after each exercise due to the different muscles being worked in the movements.
One may ask, “What does this look like in a workout form?” In my workouts or what my strength coach provides this could be bench press paired with pull-ups or tricep press paired with hammer curls. In a power-based upper body session, you do not just lift weights. You add in things with your lifts such as med ball throws and core/trunk exercises. These accessory movements are what build the explosiveness and quickness when paired correctly with strength movements. I typically do two to three core or med ball movements with my strength exercises to build up the most explosiveness I can. Ultimately, I believe that people should reap the benefits of upper-body power training instead of dealing with the consequences that come with both aesthetic and solely explosive upper-body training. I have noticed a great deal of benefits to come along with this way of training my upper body and I believe this style of training is what many are missing.
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