Home workouts for upper-body strength require just two dumbbells and six exercises for a perfect home gym setup.
Ariel Belgrave, a certified personal trainer and Under Armour ambassador, has designed a 30-day upper-body dumbbell workout plan to help strengthen arms, shoulders, and back. This accessible and efficient workout plan is part of a larger 28-day challenge that focuses on building upper-, lower-, and full-body strength, making it ideal for those seeking to improve their fitness at home [1].
The plan consists of daily 20-minute sessions that require only dumbbells. The key features of this workout plan include:
- Time-Efficiency: With each session lasting approximately 20 minutes, the workout is perfect for those with busy schedules who want to make the most of their fitness time.
- Minimal Equipment: The requirement of only dumbbells ensures that the plan is accessible for most people, as it does not rely on expensive or hard-to-find gym equipment.
- Targeted Muscle Groups: The exercises in the plan are specifically designed to strengthen the arms (biceps and triceps), shoulders, and back. The focus is on building muscle endurance and hypertrophy.
- Varied Exercise Selection: A variety of dumbbell exercises target these muscle groups, likely including dumbbell rows, shoulder presses, bicep curls, tricep extensions, and similar moves.
- Progressive Overload: Although the exact daily exercises for each of the 30 days are not explicitly listed, the program is structured as a challenge, suggesting that it may involve progressive overload or escalating intensity over the course of the month [1][3].
While the specific daily exercises for each of the 30 days are not provided in the available sources, they can be found on Ariel Belgrave's or Women's Health's official platforms, where the full 28- or 30-day workout routines, including specific movements, reps, and sets, will be provided.
One notable aspect of the eccentric biceps curls exercise in the workout is that the lowering part of the movement should be done as slowly as possible.
Strengthening the upper body is important, as poor control of the shoulder girdle is often the cause of a lack of upper-body strength. Developing stronger arms, shoulders, and back through regular exercise can reduce the risk of injury, particularly for those who suffer from lower and upper-back pain from sitting at a desk for long hours a day.
Following a workout plan, such as Ariel Belgrave's 30-day upper-body dumbbell workout plan, can help make the most of exercise time. Good workout plans will also schedule in rest days to allow the body to recover and grow stronger, and will repeat workouts to employ the progressive overload technique.
Ariel Belgrave offers a free 30-day workout plan in her Instagram post, and her brand, Gym Hooky, offers lifestyle-change programs.
[1] Belgrave, A. (2021). Ariel Belgrave's 30-Day Upper-Body Dumbbell Workout Plan. Women's Health. Retrieved from https://www.womenshealthmag.com/fitness/a37066051/ariel-belgrave-30-day-dumbbell-workout/
[3] Belgrave, A. (2021). Ariel Belgrave's 30-Day Upper-Body Dumbbell Workout Plan. Shape. Retrieved from https://www.shape.com/fitness/workouts/ariel-belgrave-30-day-dumbbell-workout-plan
