How to build up upper body strength?

[GlobalNinjaFan]

I am from England, and want to apply for season 3 of NWUK (provided we get that far). I have been training quite hard on aerobic fitness, speed etc with long runs, swimming and stuff, but I know I have to build upper body strength to haver any kind of chance. At this stage, I have a good routine for aerobic and balance, but no idea where to start on upper body.

To give you an idea, I am extremely weak on upper body. Even though I can easily run 10km without stopping, I cannot even do a single pull-up. That is how dire the situation is haha. So my query is, where can I start? I have access to a gym, but do any of you have any tips/routines I can do to build up a good level of upper body strength over months of training.

NWUK is not as heavy on upper body as ANW, but I still need to have enough to complete stuff like Cycle Road, Swinging Frames, Wind Chimes etc...

Please, help me out any way you can.

[blah123]

For developing *specific* aspects of upper body strength... honestly, it sounds like you're not there yet.

I used to have pretty much the exact body type as that you describe, and now have a very strong upper body. My main piece of advice for someone like you: just try out different things. If you can't do a single pullup, then you're probably not going to become an Isaac Caldiero by, say, next year. But you can just try different things, find out what is fun for you, what your limits are, how the machines in your gym work, what routine works for you, etc.

Once you get into the swing of things, you'll also want to eat healthy (fruit, veggies, protein, natural foods, etc.), get good sleep, find workout partner(s), and all that kinda stuff.

[GlobalNinjaFan]

Oct 19, 2015 16:50:40 GMT -5 blah123 said:

For developing *specific* aspects of upper body strength... honestly, it sounds like you're not there yet.

I used to have pretty much the exact body type as that you describe, and now have a very strong upper body. My main piece of advice for someone like you: just try out different things. If you can't do a single pullup, then you're probably not going to become an Isaac Caldiero by, say, next year. But you can just try different things, find out what is fun for you, what your limits are, how the machines in your gym work, what routine works for you, etc.

Once you get into the swing of things, you'll also want to eat healthy (fruit, veggies, protein, natural foods, etc.), get good sleep, find workout partner(s), and all that kinda stuff.

Thanks!

[brockriebe6]

I would start with workouts that aim to help you achieve your goals, so if you want to be able to do a pull up I'd say the best way to do that would be to do assisted pull ups, pull up negatives, do some type of rows, strengthen your biceps and lats with weights or machines at the gym and work your way up until you can do your pull up.

My other advice would be to start relatively slow so you don't get injured because that will only set you back in the long run. Another thing to work on for Ninja Warrior specifics would be to focus a lot on grip strength and balance.

[dudesky1000]

My advice in addition to everyone else's is to take recovery between workouts very seriously.

Also, steer clear of supplements and anything marketed as a shortcut. They're just expensive fraudulent ways to go nowhere fast. If you want a placebo effect, do things like drink a lot of water and get sleep. Those will help you plenty enough. Tuna fish is also your best friend and worst enemy--a great source of protein but beware of mercury.

Basically, anything in excess is not good. Vary your protein and carb sources and don't get greedy or overzealous in the gym. Training too hard too quickly will lead to burnout.

But, hey, if you do everything right, and you have the patience, intensity and the heart to maintain a solid routine, you are going to be a beast!

[GlobalNinjaFan]

Thanks so much for all the feedback

[Y]

A year ago, I was only able to do 1 pull up. Now, I can do about 8 pull ups. I honestly started off doing negatives and downloading a pullup and pushup app on my phone. I just followed the apps every day, in addition to cardio(running or elliptical) and doing a program that targeted different muscle groups on different days (Back & Biceps, Chest & Triceps, Lower Body & Forearms, Shoulders, Sprints, and a repeat of Lower Body on a day when I'm not as sore). This really helped me.

Now, I'm changing things up and doing circuits that combine more muscle groups together to increase the combination of muscles used and get more cardio in, as I still have a higher body fat percentage than what I would like. After I drop about 10-15 lbs more fat, I want to do more regular rock climbing and increase my number of pull ups. My goal is to get to 20 pull ups by next year.

Currently able to do about 10 pull ups (chin up grip) and about 8 pull ups (overhand grip), with almost fully extended elbows. My weakness is depending on my traps and I'm still working on form.
If I can do it, anyone can.

You don't sound like you need to lose fat weight like I do, so you will see a lot of progress after putting in the work along with proper rest and nutrition.

[GlobalNinjaFan]

Oct 20, 2015 16:39:35 GMT -5 Y said:

A year ago, I was only able to do 1 pull up. Now, I can do about 8 pull ups. I honestly started off doing negatives and downloading a pullup and pushup app on my phone. I just followed the apps every day, in addition to cardio(running or elliptical) and doing a program that targeted different muscle groups on different days (Back & Biceps, Chest & Triceps, Lower Body & Forearms, Shoulders, Sprints, and a repeat of Lower Body on a day when I'm not as sore). This really helped me.

Now, I'm changing things up and doing circuits that combine more muscle groups together to increase the combination of muscles used and get more cardio in, as I still have a higher body fat percentage than what I would like. After I drop about 10-15 lbs more fat, I want to do more regular rock climbing and increase my number of pull ups. My goal is to get to 20 pull ups by next year.

Currently able to do about 10 pull ups (chin up grip) and about 8 pull ups (overhand grip), with almost fully extended elbows. My weakness is depending on my traps and I'm still working on form.
If I can do it, anyone can.

You don't sound like you need to lose fat weight like I do, so you will see a lot of progress after putting in the work along with proper rest and nutrition.

Thanks! I may try that app...

[blah123]

Oct 20, 2015 15:53:36 GMT -5 dudesky1000 said:

Also, steer clear of supplements and anything marketed as a shortcut. They're just expensive fraudulent ways to go nowhere fast.

Agreed. 95% of supplements are useless, and are merely products that salesmen are trying to sell you. There are a few good brands and products out there, depending on your body type and what your goals are, but just be very skeptical. Pretty much everything you will hear or read regarding supplements will have come either directly or indirectly from a salesman.

[ninjavern]

Get your Push-up game on! On your knees if you have too, but you gotta start somewhere to get where your going!

One of the best exercises to help get you to that pull-up is "Australian Pull-ups". Youtube it. Start on the ground until you can do 15, then increase the height of where your foot rests by 3-4 inches until you do 15 of those. Eventually you will be horizontal and struggling, but you will be very close to a pull-up at that point. Negatives and isometric holds will also help get you there. Let me know how it goes and I can help you from there!

[SasukeDoctor]

Wait... You said your uncle works for ITV. If I remember correctly, you can't be on NW:UK because you're related to someone who works in production... But keep training.