MY TOP 5 EXERCISES FOR MAINTAINING UPPER BODY MUSCLE MASS

There are a number of exercises which we all use in the lockdown period, in the hope that it will support us in maintaining that muscle mass that we have worked so hard to build in the mo the before. However, there are a certain few, which if used properly, will provide you with the best possible outcomes. So, I this short but sweet post I'm going to be outlining my top 5 exercises which will allow you to still strive for that upper body pump, and make sure those gains are going absolutely nowhere!

EXERCISE 1

In this exercise we are going to be replicating the movements used during a lat pulldown. Simply grab yourself a t-shirt, broom stick etc, and use this to keep constant tension within the lats. Alternate from side to side and keep the chest up throughout to work the lower back. This one is an absolute killer, if you keep it slow, keep the contractions strong, and focus on creating a deep squeeze.

EXERCISE 2

In this absolute gem, once again we are gonna work on that back. Like in the last exercise you'll need to grab yourself a top or broom stick in order to keep tension in the back by feeling like your pulling it outwards to engage the lats. From here simply lift the chest up, squeezing the entire back, before slowly coming down and repeating over and over again, to finish off that back. Again strong contractions are everything here, so focus on every rep!

EXERCISE 3

These diamond pushups are an absolute banger if you want to work those triceps to the absolute max! Simply get those hands close together, with the arm falling bellow the shoulders, and perform a simple push up movement, keeping the arms tucked in to the body. Make sure on the way down the movements are slow, to engage the biceps slightly, and then squeeze at the top to get the blood pumping to them arms ASAP.

EXERCISE 4

To finish off those pecs, one great exercise to use is a tempo push up. For such a simple movement, this one is an absolute diamond. Simply adjust a simple push ups pace and keep it as slow as possible on the way down, to engage the arms as much as possible. Then on the way up, pick up the pace, and squeeze those pecs. Again make sure the arms are falling bellow the shoulders.

EXERCISE 5

Right, back is done, chest is done, shoulders and arms worked, so let's finish on those abs with my favourite exercise on this list. These v-sit crunches are perfect when wanting to work the entire core. When contracting make sure you're breathing out to get a maximum contraction, and then keep it slow on the way down, where we breathe in. Controlling your breathing is crucial when training abs, so really focus on each of these reps.