Upper-Body Foam Roller Workouts and Stretches

When you're working out your upper body or participating in a sport that uses a lot of upper-body muscles (such as rowing), you need to strengthen and stretch those muscles to prevent injury. Get started with the foam roller workouts and stretches for your upper body from your upper back to your hands.

Your upper back and shoulders are part of your “upper body” because most arm activities transfer the forces proximally to your shoulders and upper torso.

Upper body–strengthening exercises

Try out the exercises in this section when you want a good upper body–strengthening workout using your roller. Each of these five upper body exercises will have two levels of intensity: Level 1 and Level 2. Always start at Level 1 in a slow and controlled manner. Focus on proper technique through a full range of motion.

Many of these exercises have an important balance element included with the strengthening so start slow.

Level 1: Two sets of ten reps; progress as tolerable to four sets of 20 reps with a 30-second rest between sets.

Level 2: Two sets of ten reps; progress as tolerable to four sets of 20 reps with a 30-second rest between sets.

Chest Press

For Level 1 (see the following figure), follow these steps:

1. Place both hands on a full roller.
2. Lower the chest to the roller.
3. Return to the starting position.

When you’re ready, move up to Level 2 (see the following figure):

1. Place both hands on a half roller.
2. Lower the chest to the roller.
3. Return to the starting position.

Rows with bands

For Level 1 (see the following figure), follow these steps:

1. With hands up in front of the body and palms kept apart in a resistive band, lower the elbows towards the floor.
2. Return to the starting position.

When you’re ready, move up to Level 2 (see the following figure):

1. With hands up in front of the body and grasping a resistive band, lower one elbow towards the floor.
2. Return to the starting position.
3. Finish all reps on one side before switching sides.

Prone reverse flies

For Level 1 (see following figure), follow these steps:

1. Lift bent arms off the floor while maintaining a 90-degree angle at the shoulders, a 90-degree angle at the elbows, and forearms parallel to the floor until the elbows are elevated to shoulder level.
2. Return to the starting position.

When you’re ready, move up to Level 2 (see the following figure):

1. Lift arms straight backwards, with or without a light weight, off the floor while maintaining a 90-degree angle at the shoulders, a 90-degree angle at the elbows, and forearms parallel to the floor, until the elbows are elevated to shoulder level.
2. Return to the starting position.

Standing delt raises

For Level 1 (see the following figure), follow these steps:

1. Lift bent arms while maintaining a 90-degree angle at the elbows until the elbows are elevated to shoulder level.
2. Return to the starting position.

When you’re ready, move up to Level 2 (see figure):

1. Lift straight arms with or without a light weight while maintaining a 90-degree angle at the elbows until the elbows are elevated to shoulder level.
2. Return to the starting position.

Hand squeezes

For Level 1 (see figure), follow these steps:

1. Grab and squeeze a roller/dense foam/gripper with both hands, keeping it close to your body for 30 seconds.
2. Perform five sets.

When you’re ready, move up to Level 2 (see figure):

1. Grab and squeeze a roller/dense foam/gripper with one hand extended away from your body for 30 seconds.
2. Perform five sets.

Upper-body stretches

All upper-body stretches in this section are performed with a three- to four-foot stretch cord, so make sure you have one handy before you get started.

Lats

With the assistance of a stretch cord, reach your hand up and over the top of your head while side-bending away from the elevated arm (see figure).

Triceps

With the assistance of a stretch cord, elevate the elbow towards the sky while pulling the hand toward the floor behind you (see figure).

Chest

With the assistance of a stretch cord, reach the back of the hands towards each other behind your back while guiding the middle of the chest directly forward (see figure).

Shoulder joint flexion

With the assistance of a stretch cord, reach your hand forward and up toward the ceiling behind you (see figure).