Strictly Upper Body

[Leo]

Does anyone have any ideas for an upper body routine for size and strength, that I can fit around my tricking? I don't even know where to begin.

I want a larger bench/chest, wider and stronger back, and larger arms. I also want more "explosive"(?) abs to help with tucking/spinning quicker.

I can't do squats and dls and lower body work for too many reasons to explain.

Can someone help point me in the right direction?

Thaaaaaaaaaaanks!!!

[compleks]

Why can't you do any lower body work?

[Less than Dan]

I can give you some of my chest/arms/back routines, if you'd like.

For chest:
- Cable Crossovers (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Cable+Crossover) (cable height adjustments are utilized here):
- 3x12 High
- 3x12 Middle
- 3x12 Lower
(These exercises will build your pecs at an insane rate. To get the most out of this workout, when you bring your hands in, cross them over each other and squeeze your pecs for three seconds on every rep.)
- Decline Bench (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Decline+Barbell+Bench+Press) 1x10, 1x5, 1x5, 1x2 (lower reps for higher sets, of course. Also, according to electromyograms, decline bench is the most effective of the bench exercises for overall muscle fiber recruitment. Not by much, really, but I like it, haha)
- Machine Press (if available)/Incline Bench (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Barbell+Incline+Bench+Press+-+Medium+Grip) 5x5

For the back (note: the lats are the largest muscles of the entire torso, so I like to use a higher resistance 5x5 approach for them):
- Barbell bent over rows (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Bent+Over+Barbell+Row) 5x5
- Lat pull downs (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Wide-Grip+Lat+Pulldown) 5x5 SUPERSETTED WITH Cable Lat Rows (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Elevated+Cable+Rows) 5x5.
- Cable Lat Pulldowns (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Full+Range-Of-Motion+Lat+Pulldown) 3x10
- Cable shrugs (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Cable+Shrugs) 5x5 SUPERSETTED WITH Barbell Shrugs (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Barbell+Shrug) 5x5

For the biceps and triceps:
- Biceps:
- EZ Bar Curls (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=EZ-Bar+Curl) 5x5 SUPERSETTED WITH Machine Preacher Curls (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Machine+Preacher+Curls) 5x5
- Standing Cable Curls (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Standing+Bicep+Cable+Curl) 3x10.
- Triceps:
- Standing Cable Tricep Pushdowns (rope attachment) (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Triceps+Pushdown+-+Rope+Attachment) 3x10
- Dumbbell Tricep extensions (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Standing+Dumbbell+Triceps+Exten sion) 3x10
- Tricep dumbbell kickbacks (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Tricep+Dumbbell+Kickback)3x10

Abdominals and obliques (the best part!)
- Gorilla Chin up crunches (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Gorilla+Chin/Crunch) 4x15
- Cable Crunches (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Cable+Crunch) 4x15
- Ab roller (http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/exercises.php?Name=Ab+Roller) (if you can find one; they're fantastic) 3x12
- Planks (http://exercise.about.com/od/abs/ss/abexercises_10.htm) 3x2MINUTES (live by these if you want good abs, easily the most effective body weight ab exercise through my experiences)

That's just about it :) Try to figure out what works best for you in regards of splitting up the days you work each area and the exercises you choose for a given workout; remember, overtraining is bad, and bad for growth! You don't have to do every single given exercise on a back day, for example. Just focus on proper form and gradually increasing weight and you'll see results in no time, I promise.

[Ashtar]

Too many reasons that you can't explain it, or too many reasons that you think we won't read them?

Do you have leg pain or something and that's why you avoid it? Or is it large enough and you have a small upper to catch up?

[Leo]

I have a back and a hip injury which are getting treated, I want to trick anyway so any lower body work would be counterproductive, My upper body is already smaller and weaker (proportionally) than my lower and etc etc.

Dan, that looks good and everything, but wouldn't it make sense to do some benching?

[Yuri]

hand balancing and front levers

[tricker383]

hand balancing and front levers

THIS

[540Ninja]

Front levers on what? Rings?

[Yuri]

if you have a pair of rings you can do much more than front levers on them

I was just thinking a regular bar since it is more widely accessible

[Ashtar]

You can do them on a bar too, apparently. I think rings are preferred or something though because that's how this guy does them: http://www.beastskills.com/FrontLever.htm

They're hard! I am still at this stage:
http://www.beastskills.com/upsidetucklever.jpg
Trying to move to this stage:
http://www.beastskills.com/tuckleverdiagram.jpg

I always thought lat pullovers would be useful for something like this! He mentions to do them but that they aren't exactly the same. This is obvious because when he does them on a flat bench, the stress is the biggest when his arms are completely overhead. Conversely, with the lever, your arms are about halfway between up and down (like in a bench press, maybe a slight decline).

Due to that, I wonder if doing lat pullovers on a decline bench would be more helpful? Or heck, doing them inverted might be the most helpful! But to get enough stimulation it might take more weight than boots or ankle clamps could handle so you might need to abuse leveredge with clubbells or sledgehammers.

[Kon-El]

Ashtar, just stick to the rings or bar. I found that at the earlier stages, doing it dynamically was most helpful. So for example you could go from dead hang to tuck lever using the momentum you get from pulling your knees up. I found that at this stage, this was pretty effective even in a slightly higher rep range until you could do a few with only one leg tucked.

When you get there you can once again start with the help of the momentum you get from pulling up one leg. When you can do that, go back to the tuck and try doing totally without momentum from hang. Rinse and repeat til you can attempt the harder stuff.

This is just my experience. Like yuri has told me before, the full front lever will take some time. I've had far more success with it than with planches though, but maybe that's because I gave in too soon.

Oh and if you're still frustrated with the front lever after some time, working weighted chins is always a good idea.

[540Ninja]

Aha ok. I've got some skills on rings down. I've been working on levers also. I'm progressing, but slowly. It seems like that kind of strength takes some time to build.

[Less than Dan]

I have a back and a hip injury which are getting treated, I want to trick anyway so any lower body work would be counterproductive, My upper body is already smaller and weaker (proportionally) than my lower and etc etc.

Dan, that looks good and everything, but wouldn't it make sense to do some benching?

Yep, that's why I have incline and decline bench on there. You could take out incline for flat bench, if you'd like.

[Ashtar]

Ashtar, just stick to the rings or bar. I found that at the earlier stages, doing it dynamically was most helpful. So for example you could go from dead hang to tuck lever using the momentum you get from pulling your knees up. I found that at this stage, this was pretty effective even in a slightly higher rep range until you could do a few with only one leg tucked.

When you get there you can once again start with the help of the momentum you get from pulling up one leg. When you can do that, go back to the tuck and try doing totally without momentum from hang. Rinse and repeat til you can attempt the harder stuff.

This is just my experience. Like yuri has told me before, the full front lever will take some time. I've had far more success with it than with planches though, but maybe that's because I gave in too soon.

Oh and if you're still frustrated with the front lever after some time, working weighted chins is always a good idea.Er, are you talking about doing negatives and then tucking to get back up? It seems like you're supposed to lower down and spread out into this thing so I'm not sure how momentum works, or do you mean like to kick out quickly and then snap back in quickly and gradually do it slower?

Weighted chins is an easier idea at the moment probably. I will do those at the gym (where it would be odd to try doing levers, especially wearing shorts) and then practise these at home.

[tracekillz]

<3 rings...

i think he meant the first one. do the negative and tuck to get back up..then progress to one foot out, etc.

[Shaedar]

I practice levers like soo...

I get into tucked dead hang and then pull/rotate to inverted tucked hang. From here I either lower myself in tucked front or back lever. When I can't hold it anymore I descend to tucked dead hang or skined cat, depending on lever. Repeat.

I progressed from fully tucked to extended tucked front lever fairly quick, maybe a few weeks. I can hold it now for around 20s.
I suck with back levers though. Many say it's first skill that you'll be capable to do, but I find it much more demanding than front lever. I can hold it for barely 10s, fully tucked. :eh:

Almost forgot.
Inverted pull-ups and inverted full hangs help me too. When you're confident enough in your i. hang (which should be almost the first time you try) begin gently swaying with your body, back and forth. Rotate in your shoulders and control the movement, don't bend your hips.

[Felipe]

Muscle up are very good, lever are difficult. Simple pullups, pushups and dips works great. Handstands are nearly impossible.

[Kitosho]

hand balancing and front levers




this

[Ashtar]

Muscle up are very good, lever are difficult. Simple pullups, pushups and dips works great. Handstands are nearly impossible.I would think more people have trouble with muscleups/levers than with handstands... though I can see the other three being easier, yeah.

[Kon-El]

I would think more people have trouble with muscleups/levers than with handstands... though I can see the other three being easier, yeah.
he most likely means free handstands on rings. those I hear are indeed quite hard but I wouldn't know myself.

[Ashtar]

Ah, then he's talking about going from a dip probably to l-seat to handstand or something like that, even on flat ground that's a hard skill so now I could see how that'd be tougher. One's more arm dominant and one's more core dominant.

[Felipe]

I'm talking about this

http://www.gymsask.com/assets/images/coloring/boys/handstand_%20rings.jpg

not this (which is a eeeasy shoulderstand)

http://www.drillsandskills.com/images/articles/sstand3.jpg

I'm not talking about dynamics drills. It's just mantaining the position in a static way. It works your arms and shoulders tremendously.

[Ashtar]

Yeah that's what I thought you meant, and yeah I know, I was watching the Canadian finals last week and the guys only held that for a few seconds.