Boost Your Performance: 3 Essential Upper Body Exercises for Student-Athletes
For student-athletes looking to build upper body strength and improve performance, personal trainer Zack Dzingle offers a set of effective exercises that can make a big difference in your training routine. While exercises like bicep curls and bench presses are common, Dzingle shares three exercises to take your workout to the next level. These exercises are scalable, allowing you to progress based on your fitness level, and they target muscle groups important for athletes across various sports.
- Hand-release Push-ups
The hand-release push-up helps strengthen your entire upper body, especially your chest, shoulders, and arms. It also improves core stability, as you engage your glutes, core, and quads during the movement. Start in a high plank position, lower your chest to the ground, lift your hands off the floor, and then press up to return to the plank. To make it easier, reduce the range of motion, and to increase difficulty, slow down the lowering phase to a count of four seconds. - Triceps Dips
Using a bench or sturdy surface, triceps dips are great for building strength in your triceps, shoulders, and chest. Start seated with your hands on the surface beside you, extend your legs, and lower your body by bending your elbows to 90 degrees before pushing back up. This exercise can be adjusted by bending your knees for an easier variation or making the movement slower for a more challenging version. - Inverted Rows
The inverted row is a pull exercise that works your back, arms, and core, mimicking the motion of a pull-up. Position a bar at waist height and pull your chest up to the bar, keeping your body in a straight line. This movement builds upper body strength and can be scaled by adjusting your feet placement to increase or decrease the load.
Incorporating these exercises into your routine can help you develop the upper body strength needed to enhance performance in your sport, whether it’s for better endurance, power, or injury prevention. Remember to progressively challenge yourself to continue making gains!