5 Best Upper Body Compound Exercises You Need For Busy Schedule

Compound exercises for the upper body are the most effective and efficient way to build muscle and strength.

When you're short on time, the following upper body exercises can take care of all your needs. Just be sure to do them with proper form so that you maximize the results and minimize the risk of injury.

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Upper Body Compound Exercises for Busy Schedule

Here's a look at five such exercises:

#1 Seated Row

The seated row is a great compound exercise to build upper body muscles. You can do it with a single-arm grip for greater control, or use both arms at once and go heavier.

Here's how it's done:

• Sit with your back straight, abs tight, and feet flat on the floor. Hold the cable grip in front of you with a neutral grip, with your hands shoulder-width apart.
• Pull the weight to your core, and squeeze your shoulder blades together as you pull it up and back toward your armpits.
• Retract your scapula, and make sure you're extended as much as possible so that you can gain maximum benefit from the exercise.
• Slowly lower the weight back down till it's almost even with where it started, and repeat.

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#2 Wide Grip Pulldown

The wide grip pulldown is a great compound exercise for the lats, rhomboids, and biceps.

It targets the upper back muscles as efficiently as pull-ups and bent-over rows. This movement may be done with either one or two arms at a time, depending on your preference.

Here's how it's done:

• Sit perpendicular to the pulldown machine, with your feet directly under the handles.
• Make sure your toes point forward and knees are slightly bent while keeping your torso straight. Your arms should be fully extended.
• Hold onto the bar with a grip that's wide enough that it can fit two hands around it (a little more than shoulder-width apart), and palms facing away from you.
• Do not use straps or gloves, as they could reduce strength gains in other exercises.

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#3 Overhead Press

The overhead press is a great compound exercise for strengthening the shoulders, chest, and arms. It also helps build muscle in the back of the arms, which are often neglected during workouts.

Here's how you can do it:

• Standing with feet shoulder-width apart; hold a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing forward and elbows bent at 90 degrees (arms parallel to the floor).
• Lift both arms straight up till they're above head level, and lower them back down to complete one rep.
• Do 8-12 reps per set, resting aminute between sets, if needed.
• To add weight: Place a weight plate on either side of the barbell (this will require stabilization from the core muscles).

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#4 Close Grip Bench Press

This compound exercise is a variation of the bench press and involves pressing a barbell or dumbbells from an arm-extended position to the front of the torso. The close grip bench press is a compound exercise that works the chest, triceps, back, and shoulders.

To do the exercise:

• Lie on a flat bench, and grab the bar with both hands using a narrow grip. This should be a little narrower than a shoulder-width grip.
• Keep your feet flat on the floor, and push up through the heels to lift yourself off the ground. The back should be straight with arms fully extended at all times during the movement (do not let go).
• Bring down your elbows so that they're tucked in tight against your sides as you lower yourself till you feel a stretch in your chest and tricep muscles (try not to arch or round out as you do so).

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#5 Incline Dumbbell Bench Press

The incline dumbbell bench press is a great exercise for the chest and shoulders. It works the upper body muscles of the chest, front shoulders, and triceps. This is an easy-to-do exercise that can be done at home or in the gym.

To do this exercise:

• Sit on an incline bench holding two dumbbells in each hand at arm's length. Slowly lower the weights till they reach your chest while exhaling out through your mouth.
• Raise back up to starting position while inhaling through the nose.
• Repeat till you have completed 10-12 reps before repeating on the opposite side.

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Takeaway

To surmise, the aforementioned upper body compound exercises are some of the most effective ones to improve your workout.

The best part is that they don’t require a lot of equipment or time and can be done at home or in a gym. So the next time you have some spare time, try out these exercises for yourself.