Most women who work out their upper bodies use many of the same gym machines that men do, but their fitness goals are usually different, says Rachael Novello, a personal trainer and owner of The Simply Fit Studio, a boutique fitness facility that has an almost all-female clientele in Danvers, Massachusetts. “Many women want to feel strong and look strong, but they don’t necessarily want to bulk up the way (many) men do,” Novello says.
There was a time when many women shied away from working their upper body muscles for fear of adding too much muscle mass, says Michele D’Angona, a personal trainer and former International Federation of Bodybuilding and Fitness bikini/fitness competitor based in Los Angeles. D’Angona specializes in training women ages 30 to 60. “Luckily, in the last few years, things have shifted as more women are embracing their curves and beginning to understand the importance of keeping lean muscle mass on the body for optimal health and longevity, along with the benefits of an aesthetically pleasing appearance,” she says. “Building and working the upper body muscles are a key factor, not only in raising the metabolism, but creating a beautifully sculpted and symmetrically balanced, feminine physique.”
Aesthetics and improved strength aren’t the only benefits for women who engage in strength training. Pain relief is another motivating factor, says Dr. Naresh Rao, an osteopathic primary care sports medicine physician in New York City. Many of his women patients who work out their upper body spend most of their work days sitting at their desks and develop neck and back pain associated with long periods of physical inactivity, Rao says. “The vast majority of my women patients are looking to improve their well-being,” Rao says. “That includes pain reduction, improved posture and better-defined musculature.”
[See: 9 Useful Gym Machines for Women.]
Weight-resistant gym machines are a preferable alternative to free weights for women for a couple reasons, says Rachel Prairie, a corporate personal trainer for Anytime Fitness, which has more than 4,500 franchises nationwide. She’s based in Woodbury, Minnesota. Some women feel uncomfortable going into the free weights section of a gym, which is usually populated by men who have more experience exercising with free weights. “I’ve talked about this with my women friends,” Prairie says. “I’m used to walking around the gym. I don’t think about it, but the weight floor can be intimidating if you don’t know how to use the equipment. Cable machines are a good place to start with strength training — you can only push or pull the machine one way, so you can’t do it wrong.”
Experts recommend these gym machines to help women strengthen their upper body:
— Lats pulldown machine
— Rowing machine
— Chest fly machine
— Cable machine
— Shoulder press
— Assisted pullup machine
1. Lats pulldown machine
Exercising on a lats pulldown device can help women achieve better definition of their upper back, Rao says. “It can help give you that ‘V’ look,” he says. With this machine, you sit on a bench, extend your arms to the side and grab both ends of a vertical bar attached to cables and plates of varying weights. You pull the bar down toward your chest, raise it back up and repeat. As with all exercises, the amount of weight that’s appropriate will vary individually. Rao recommends using a weight that allows you to do 15 repetitions twice. “If you feel like your muscles are contracting but it doesn’t feel like fatigue, that’s the correct weight,” Rao says. “If it feels like a burn, the muscles are actually working. If you don’t feel that, if your muscles don’t feel engaged, that means it’s too light and you can increase the weight.”
2. Rowing machine
The motion you use with a rowing machine is similar to rowing in a boat on land, Rao says. Using this machine can help improve your posture, he says. You sit on the machine, with your feet flat on footplates, and with both hands grab a small handle, or oar, with your hands a few inches apart. The oar is connected to a cable that connects to a flywheel, which creates resistance. You can start by holding the oar with your back straight, your arms extended and your knees bent; at this point, you push back using only your legs. Once you’ve become accustomed to using your lower body, straighten your legs and pull the oar toward your chest while bending your elbows out toward your sides, just under your chest. Do a few of these, then put both motions together: With your back straight, your core engaged and your feet on the footplates, push back with your lower body, then use your upper back to pull your hands toward your chest. “This exercise will help strengthen your rhomboid muscles which will strengthen your upper back and allow for better posture,” Rao says.
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3. Chest fly machine
Many women want to work on their “bra bulge,” fatty tissue in the area where the armpit meets the chest, says Lauren Murray, a health fitness coordinator at Houston Methodist Hospital in Houston who works with employees of the facility and their spouses. Working out on a chest fly machine can help tone up that problem area, Murray says. You sit on a bench, your feet flat on the floor, and with your elbows slightly bent hold onto handles that are attached by cables to weights. You move the handles back, toward your shoulders, and forward until your hands meet, then slowly return to your original position. “It’s a great machine,” Murray says. “It also helps strengthen the front of the shoulder and the biceps.”
4. Cable machine
Some women like to wear sleeveless tops and want their arms to look well-defined, Murray says. Using a cable machine will help them achieve better definition in the back of their arms, and also “affects all the little muscle fibers you wouldn’t get to otherwise,” Prairie says. The cable machine can be used in a variety of ways to target many different muscle groups, D’Angona says. “To target the back of the arms, choose a rope or straight bar attachment,” she explains. “While standing facing the cable machine, holding the rope in a V shape, extend the arms down to the sides of the body, kicking back and flexing out the arms. You’ll feel a burning sensation at the back of the arms. Every woman desires firm and fat-free arms, and the triceps or back of the arms tend to be the most neglected.” As women age, their arms can become flabby, especially if they don’t exercise their triceps, she says.
5. Shoulder press
Working out with a shoulder press helps women build strong shoulders and trapezius muscles without bulking up, Murray says. This kind of strength work becomes increasingly important for women as they get older. “It helps women build and maintain muscle as they age, which helps them maintain their independence in doing day-to-day tasks,” she says. The motion is similar to that of lifting barbells: Sitting on a bench, you grab two handles, which are about at the width of your shoulders. You lift the handles up, extending your arms over your head, then bring them back down to the original position, with your elbows bent, and repeat. This exercise is also good for your deltoids.
[See: Neglected Muscles That Need Exercising.]
6. Assisted pullup machine
Conventional pullups are challenging for many women (and men, for that matter), Murray says. An assisted pullup machine counterbalances your body weight to allow you to execute pullups without necessarily having to lift your entire body weight. With this device, you choose the amount of weight you want to pull up; Murray recommends starting with 20 pounds less than what you weigh. After choosing the weight amount, place your feet on a footplate and reach up to grab a set of handlebars. You pull yourself up as you would with a normal pullup. Some devices include a padded platform that allows you to do this exercise on your knees. “It’s good for your shoulders, biceps, abs and back,” Murray says.
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Upper Body Gym Machines for Women originally appeared on usnews.com
