When I get a new client, I often hear, “I just don’t have a strong upper body. It’s always been that way.” It’s a well-known fact that men have more skeletal muscle than women – particularly in the upper body. Although men might have more skeletal muscle, it doesn’t mean we can’t increase our strength in our upper bodies.

I was one of those women who used to complain about having a weaker upper body. Once I became a trainer, I set my sights on being able to do a pull-up. For someone with very little upper body strength, this was a huge goal. After a year of doing countless push-ups and modified pull-ups, I finally did a pull-up! Now that I have more upper body strength, I am pleasantly surprised by how much easier day-to-day tasks are: carrying groceries, lifting the 40-pound bag of cat litter, lifting my luggage into the overhead bin on an airplane or carrying bags of soil for my garden.

This workout targets your upper body. You just need a set of dumbbells; however, if you have different weights at your disposal, use them. You will complete the first circuit three times before moving on to the next circuit. If you need some wrist/knee/hip modifications, comment below. I will provide you with some modifications.

Remember: do what feels comfortable for your body. There is a difference between feeling muscle burn and actually injuring your body. Listen to your body – you know it best!