Upper Body Strength Workouts You Can Do In A Chair

This video is part of the 30-Day Couch-to-Fit Challenge designed to help you improve strength, cardio, balance and flexibility. Start the challenge here: aarp.org/CouchToFit

Try upper body exercises that anyone can do with late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg's personal trainer, Bryant Johnson.

Key takeaways

• Build upper- body strength at any age with Bryant Johnson’s safe, joint-friendly chair workouts.
• Target arms, shoulders and back using seated chest presses, rows and side raises with light weights.
• Protect joints by following Johnson’s expert tips, such as using lighter weights and avoiding elbow strain.

Summary

Upper-body strength workouts you can do in a chair are an effective and accessible way to build muscle at any age. Bryant Johnson, the renowned personal trainer to late Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, guides you through safe, joint-friendly movements like the seated chest press, side raises and rows — using resistance tubes or light weights so you can work your arms, shoulders and upper back with confidence. His expert advice includes critical tips like avoiding elbow hyperextension and choosing lighter weights when working smaller muscle groups.

Seated upper-body exercises are perfect for anyone looking to improve strength, posture and daily function without the risks associated with standing workouts. Whether you’re new to fitness or want a routine that adapts to your needs, these chair-based routines allow for gradual progress and can be easily customized for different fitness levels. Start with 8 to 12 repetitions of each move, increasing resistance as your strength improves, and enjoy the benefits of greater mobility, stamina and independence right from home.

The key takeaways and summary were created with the assistance of generative AI. An AARP editor reviewed and refined the content for accuracy and clarity.

Full Transcript:

[00:00:00] Hi, I’m Bryant Johnson, and today we’re gonna work on a few strength training moves for your upper body that anyone of any age can do.

[00:00:08] We’re gonna start off with the chest press. So to start, we’re gonna use resistance tubes, which work our arms and upper body.

[00:00:15] What I’d like to do is bring it underneath the armpits. We wanna make sure you have it so there’s no slack. Arms are perpendicular as you can see, and push out and

[00:00:25] back. Out and back. When you’re going out, you do not wanna hyperextend the elbow, so

[00:00:32] you don’t wanna go all the way out until it’s locked out like this. Keep it soft, under control, bringing it back and pushing back out.

[00:00:40] Next exercise we’re gonna do is gonna be a combination exercise, and it’s gonna be working all areas of the shoulder.

[00:00:46] You wanna get a weight that’s light, because we’re working smaller muscle groups, so it’s always safer to start off with a lighter weight

[00:00:53] and then transition to a heavier weight. So starting off with the raise, down to the side, you’re gonna raise it up

[00:00:59] to the side, bring it to the front, bring it back to the side, bring

[00:01:05] it down. And again, bring it up, to the front, to the side, back down.

[00:01:14] We are gonna do anywhere from 8 to 10 repetitions. Next exercise we’re gonna do is gonna be the seated row.

[00:01:20] The seated row is gonna work the back. It’s gonna strengthen the upper-back muscles. We’re gonna just take the tube and we’re

[00:01:26] gonna wrap it around the foot. What you wanna do is make sure that you arch your back and stick your chest up and out as you come into the movement.

[00:01:37] Here and back. The repetitions you wanna shoot for here is 8 to 12. If you’re trying to build a little more strength, I’m gonna

[00:01:45] get a heavier resistance tube and shoot for 6 to 8.