Forget push-ups — according to a scientist, these are the only two upper-body exercises you'll ever need

a photo of a man in the gym with strong abs

(Image credit: Getty/Mike Harrington)

If you’re looking to build your upper body, it turns out endless push-ups might not be the best way to go. According to Coach Pak Androulakis-Korakakis (who goes by Dr Pak), a Sports Scientist, researcher, and coach who specializes in the science of strength training, you only need two exercises to build your upper body. Read on to find out more.

As a reminder, if you’re new to exercise or you’re returning to exercise following an injury or pregnancy, it’s always a good idea to seek advice from a professional before taking on a new workout routine.

What are the exercises?

“These two exercises are like the squat and deadlift for your upper body,” says Dr. Pak but unlike squats and deadlifts, you don’t need tons of equipment — you can do both efficiently using just your body weight.

The exercises in question? Chin-ups and dips. Here’s how to do both exercises:

Chin-ups

a photo of a man doing a chin up — (Image credit: Shutterstock)

To do a chin-up, you’ll need a pull-up bar of some sort. These can be found in most gyms, but also in local parks for free. Dr. Pak says chin-ups are one of the simplest ways to get a bigger back and biceps — in fact, they target your chest, front delts, triceps, biceps and lats. He recommends going into a full stretch on the way down from your chin-up, keeping your muscles under tension for longer. Work until failure, and if you can do 15 reps easily, think about adding weight to the exercise, using a weighted belt or weighted vest.

Here’s how to do a chin-up with good form:

Although chin-ups and pull-ups look similar, there's one major difference; the way you grip the bar. To perform a chin-up, you'll need to hold the bar with your palms facing you.
Grab the bar with an underhand grip, with your hands shoulder-width apart.
Keep your body in a straight line with your core engaged, and pull yourself up until your chin is above the bar.
Hold this position for a moment, then lower back to the starting position.

If you want to build up to an unaided chin-up, you can use resistance bands for support. Loop the band around the bar and place your knees into the band before starting the chin-up.

As you develop strength, you can reduce the band's thickness to increase the intensity. Check out the best resistance bands for your workouts here.

Dips

The next exercise to try is dips, which work the chest, triceps, and front delts. You’ll need a set of dip bars for this exercise, but again, these are super common and you’ll find them in most gyms. Dr. Pak recommends going as low as you can comfortably go at the bottom of the movement, keeping your elbows close to your body, and your torso leaning slightly forward. Again, if these are too easy, you can always add weight with a best or vest, but for most people, you’ll get a serious upper body workout using just your bodyweight.

Here’s how to do dips using a dip bar:

Raise yourself onto two dip bars with straight arms
Lower your body down to the ground, bending at the elbow. If you can keep going until your shoulders are lower than your elbows.
Push into the bar, and lift your body up until you’re back in your starting position, with your arms straight.

The Only 2 Upper Body Exercises You’ll Ever Need - YouTube

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What’s the workout?

Dr. Pak recommends doing these two exercises, plus a few sets of lateral raises, using a set of the best adjustable dumbbells, to work your entire upper body. Alternatively, use the two exercises above for an equipment-free workout, and do them as a superset.

A superset in strength training means doing two exercises back-to-back with minimal or no rest in between. You’ll often target opposing muscle groups, for example, your chest, followed by your back. Supersets are great if you’re short on time.

Here’s Dr. Pak’s upper body superset:

Do a set of chin-ups to failure
Rest for 10-20 seconds
Do a set of dips to failure
Rest for a couple of minutes
Repeat four times, twice a week

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Jane McGuire is Tom's Guide's Fitness editor, which means she looks after everything fitness related - from running gear to yoga mats. An avid runner, Jane has tested and reviewed fitness products for the past five years, so knows what to look for when finding a good running watch or a pair of shorts with pockets big enough for your smartphone. When she's not pounding the pavements, you'll find Jane striding round the Surrey Hills, taking far too many photos of her puppy.

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