Great warm-up for your upper body

Ask the average person in the gym how s/he warmed up and you will probably receive the same answer:  either s/he did not, or did some basic cardio like the treadmill or station bike for 5 to 10 minutes.

This is a fundamental error. Exercise physiology research shows that doing movements or exercise that target the specific muscles you plan on working activates those muscles to give you more strength, endurance, and bigger gains.


While the "cardio" warm-up (treadmill or stationary bike) is good for increasing your heart rate and core temperature, and boosting blood flow to muscles; targeting specific muscle groups also enhances the neural communication between your brain and your muscles, preparing them for peak performance.

Spending a few minutes on the treadmill—what most men consider "warming up"—is fine if you're only targeting your legs. But if you plan to exercise any muscle above your waist, add our Ultimate Upper-Body Warmup to your workout. The time investment is minimal (about 10 minutes), but the payoff is huge: More muscle, less fat, and a better body in half the time.