I’ve covered some core exercises and some leg exercises already, so I thought I’d add in an upper body exercise today. A lot of people tend to think that a strong upper body is a negative thing when it comes to running. That’s not true. Certainly, a bulky upper body may add some unneeded weight, but stength can be gained without gaining bulk. Upper body strength works along with core strength to stabilize the body while running.

One of my favorite chest exercises is the hammer strength decline press. I like the hammer strength machines because each side moves independently of the other side. That is, my left hand and my right hand are moving equal, but different weight sources. This keeps my stronger side (right) from helping my weaker side (left). The hammer strength machines use standard weight plates much like using free weights. There is no cable and pulley system. Still, the weight is supported by the machine, so you don’t need a spotter.

Here’s a video of the decline press:

Today’s workout as you might have guessed was an upper body workout:

10 minutes warmup on stationary bike

2 sets hammer strength decline press

2 sets hammer stength wide chest press

2 sets lat pulldowns

2 sets pectoral flies

2 sets shoulder shrugs

2 sets upper back pull

2 sets tricep extensions

2 sets incline bicep curls

3 sets curls

1 plank