8 Seated Upper Body Exercises For A Stronger Upper Body

Exercise Instructions:

Seated Dumbbell Shoulder Press

1. Sit upright on a chair or bench with your back firmly supported. Plant your feet flat on the floor.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder height, with your palms facing forward and elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
3. Press the dumbbells directly overhead until your arms are fully extended but not locked. Keep your core engaged to prevent your back from arching.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position at your shoulders.

Seated Dumbbell Row

1. Sit on the edge of a chair, with your feet flat on the floor, slightly wider than your hips.
2. Hinge at your hips, keeping your back straight, until your torso is at about a 45-degree angle to the floor.
3. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your arms extended towards the floor, palms facing each other.
4. Pull the dumbbells up towards your lower chest, squeezing your shoulder blades together. Keep your elbows close to your body.
5. Lower the weights back to the starting position with control.

Seated Dumbbell Chest Press

1. Sit on a chair with your back supported. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, resting the dumbbells on your thighs.
2. Carefully bring the dumbbells up to your chest, with your palms facing forward or neutral (facing each other).
3. Press the dumbbells forward and slightly upward until your arms are extended.
4. Slowly return the dumbbells to the starting position at your chest.

Seated Lateral Raise

1. Sit upright with your back straight and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your body.
2. Keeping a slight bend in your elbows, raise your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor.
3. Pause briefly at the top, then slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. Avoid using momentum.

Seated Bicep Curl

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your back straight. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with an underhand grip (palms facing forward).
2. Let your arms hang down at your sides.
3. Keeping your upper arms stationary, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.
4. Lower the dumbbells back down with control until your arms are fully extended. 

If you are looking for more upper-body exercises like this, check out our guide on the chair arm workout.

Seated Overhead Triceps Extension

1. Sit upright with your back supported. Hold one dumbbell with both hands, cupping the top end of the weight.
2. Raise the dumbbell directly overhead until your arms are fully extended.
3. Keeping your elbows pointing forward, slowly lower the dumbbell behind your head until your elbows are at a 90-degree angle.
4. Extend your arms to press the dumbbell back to the starting position.

Seated Russian Twist

1. Sit on the edge of a chair and lean back slightly, engaging your core to keep your back straight. You can hold a light dumbbell or use just your bodyweight.
2. Clasp your hands together or hold the weight in front of your chest.
3. Twist your torso from side to side, moving your hands towards your hip on each side. Keep your lower body still.
4. Move slowly and in a controlled manner to maximize core engagement. 

To learn more about targeting your core from a seated position, you can review our chair ab workout.

Seated Reverse Fly

1. Sit on the edge of a chair with your feet flat. Hinge forward at the hips with a flat back, similar to the seated row position.
2. Hold light dumbbells with your arms extended towards the floor, palms facing each other.
3. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise your arms out to the sides, squeezing your rear deltoids and upper back muscles.
4. Lower the weights back down with control.

Do Quick Chair Workouts Really Work?

Yes, quick chair workouts can be surprisingly effective, especially when you prioritize consistency. 

Even a 10-15-minute session of seated upper-body exercises at home can stimulate muscle protein synthesis, the process that leads to muscle growth (6). The key is intensity (7).

A short workout can be effective if you work with sufficient effort, meaning you take your sets close to failure (1-3 RIR) (8). You could perform 2–3 of the exercises listed above for a couple of sets each. This approach is far better than doing nothing. These micro-workouts accumulate over time, contributing to improved strength, muscle mass, and metabolic wellness (9). 

For office workers, a quick chair workout can also help break up long periods of sitting (10). 

You can learn more about structuring these quick sessions in our guide to chair workout exercises.

Read more: Chair Yoga to Lose Weight: Build a Gentle Yet Effective Routine

Is It Okay To Lift Weights Sitting Down?

It is perfectly okay, and often beneficial, to lift weights while sitting down. For many exercises, sitting provides a level of safety and stability that is ideal for beginners or those with balance issues. 

It helps enforce proper form by preventing the use of momentum or lower-body assistance (11).

However, it is crucial to maintain a proper posture: 

• Sit upright, with your neck between your shoulders.
• Keep your core engaged.
• Ensure your back is in a neutral position. 

Slouching or rounding your back can place undue stress on your back (12). Always use a sturdy, stable chair, preferably one without wheels or armrests that could interfere with your movement.

Is It Better To Do Upper Body Sitting Or Standing?

Neither sitting nor standing is universally “better”; they simply offer different benefits and can suit different goals.

Sitting:

• Pros: Better isolation of upper-body muscles, increased stability, gentler for those with balance or lower-body issues, and great for focusing on strict form.
• Cons: Less engagement of core and stabilizer muscles; lower overall calorie burn than standing equivalents.

Standing:

• Pros: Engages the core and lower body for stabilization, improves intermuscular coordination, and generally burns more calories.
• Cons: Allows for more “cheating” with momentum, can be less stable, and may not be suitable for everyone.

The best approach is to incorporate both. Use seated exercises to isolate specific muscles and build foundational strength with strict form. Use standing exercises to improve full-body coordination and functional strength. 

The choice depends on your goals, experience level, and physical condition. 

A program that includes both seated upper body exercises with weights and standing movements will provide a well-rounded stimulus for optimal development.

Frequently Asked Questions

• Do seated exercises really work?

Yes, seated exercises work very well for building muscle and strength and are great for older adults (13). They provide stability that helps isolate the target muscles, allowing you to apply focused tension, which is the key driver of muscle growth (3).

• Which muscles work when sitting?

When performing seated upper-body exercises, you primarily work the muscles of your chest (pectoralis), back (latissimus dorsi, rhomboids), shoulders (deltoid), and arms (biceps, triceps). Your core muscles also work to stabilize your torso.

• Can I workout my arms while sitting?

Yes, you can get a great arm workout while sitting. Exercises like seated bicep curls, overhead triceps extensions, and concentration curls are highly effective for targeting the biceps and triceps.

• Can I do bicep curls sitting down?

Absolutely. Seated bicep curls are a classic exercise for isolating the biceps. Sitting prevents you from using your back or hips to swing the weight up, forcing the biceps to perform all the work.

• Can you build muscle while sitting?

Yes, you can build muscle while sitting, provided you apply the principles of progressive overload. This means consistently challenging your muscles by increasing the weight, repetitions, or sets over time and working with high effort and proper form (5).

The Bottom Line

Training doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing endeavor confined to a traditional gym setting. Seated upper body exercises offer a versatile, effective, and accessible path to building a stronger, more resilient upper body. Whether you’re working, seeking to add variety to your routine, or just starting your fitness journey, these movements provide a solid foundation for progress.

By focusing on proper form, consistent effort, and gradual progression, you can achieve significant results right from your chair.