So, I've gained a considerable amount of weight - I miss being young with a good metabolism - since I started my current job about 9 months ago, mainly because I'm confined to a chair over 95% of the time. I started riding my bicycle to work, and, while that does seem to help some with its 9 mile stretch each day, it only really accomplished staving off me putting on any extra weight.

Now I'm actually facing to have to do real exercise should I want to lose some of those pounds. Mainly I'm looking for upper body exercises - my legs are in fairly good shape to due all that bike-riding - I can do at home without any needed extra gear. I'm not looking to become a mean, lean, fighting machine. I simply want to be in a bit better shape.

There are some basics I still know from my military days like jumping jacks, crunches, push-ups, bicycle kicks, bushwhackers, etc. but I'm curious to know if there are others specifically targeting the upper body you think might be good exercises for me. Any help is appreciated

Some light aerobics perhaps? Tae Bo works pretty well for me, and there are some that focus more on upper body than others.

edit: This is the one I bought. It incorporates a lot of punches and core type stuff, and takes about 40min. It's also a lot of fun to see some of the background dancers, or exerciserers, mess up here and there. The little asian dude in the front sometimes gets a little bit confused with the side-to-side movements :D

Don't do what Glenn Danzig did. Guy spent his entire life working his upper body and not five minutes on his lower.

That's why he's so funny looking. :P

Just keep going at it. That's the most important tip.

Uhuh, or what this guy did :-\

Most important thing is consistency and motivation. So picking a limited set of efficient exercises and then performing them regularly under supervision of results is the most efficient. Joining a goal-oriented group is also favorible. Pick the exercise that influences the largest muscular group (legs, back and torso) and then increase both load and duration, because its muscle mass, that does the work. Changing food habits also contributes a lot - reduce anything that contains quick carbohydrates and reduce total calorie intake, replacing it with clean, unfavored water.

I remember when I gave up on jogging for the first time. I quickly developed a newfound respect for the likes of Lara Croft and just about any other 3rd person action adventure protagonist for their ability to effortlessly maintain a light jog for more than a hundred meters :P

The only advice I can give you is to build more muscle. Cardio is good for your health in general but building muscles is a great way to lose fat. Muscles consume energy even when you rest so you definitely want them. Just don't forget to eat healthy and be hydrated everyday and don't give up if you don't see results immediately. Opt for a program like: Cardio every day / Workout every Mon-Wed-Fri. It's a good start. ;)

Hey, I've been pretty health conscious my whole adult life, and found as I got older, it definitely requires a bit more attention to combat the metabolism slowing down with age. Bicycling is awesome, stick with it for the aerobic benefits as well as lower body and leg workout. For upper body, it always a good idea to try and remember when working a body muscle, to try and work out the opposite muscle group as well...for instance biceps and triceps. Here's some great exercises just using a set of adjustable weight dumbbells, and an exercise bench....both can be obtained for a very reasonable amount of money, and don't take up a ton of room...often you can find a combo bench/weight set on sale at your local Walmart/KMart type stores everywhere. The set of exercises here are nice, because they work out opposite sets of muscle groups, helping to maintain balance in your physical condition. Just as a side note...start off with very light weight to begin, and work your way up slowly...it's not a contest, and doing too much weight too soon leads to injury easily. Also, from experience, be careful with shoulder presses, lateral raises, and lying flies, as they can put a lot of torque/pressure on shoulders and rotator cuffs, and you don't need that hassle. Again, start with light weight for these in particular, and only increase weight if you have no pain, and they become very easy. If it start to become painful, either decrease the weight, or take it out of your routine all together....not worth "pushing through", till you need surgery. After all, you're just trying to get in shape, not destroy your body.

]It probably goes without saying, but cutting down on calories and eating healthier helps a lot too....I know also from experience :) Good luck bro! Yeah, in the gym, they are known as "snowcones" around here. Don't skip leg day!

If you don't have lots of time to waste in gyms, pull-ups and push-ups are the A and O of upper body strength. Then you can add some core strengthening ones like planks and you're set. If you want some cardio added in you might want to do some burpees. The advantage of all these is that you can do most anywhere.

Hi,

I put together this guide for my friends and family; https://goo.gl/ZhfxAY

I hope you find it useful :)

Feel free to ask any questions.

Thanks for the tips so far. Some of them do look useful. Now I just have to force myself to do them. I've been dragging my feet on this matter for the past month or two. =/

Bro, do you even lift?

How about a 45 minute jog every other morning at a 9 minute mile? (Although I could do 7 minute miles).

Unfortunately jogging never becomes effortless. You have a warmup period, and then you can keep going for a while, and when you come down you need time for your body to cool down. Video games with Lara Croft and the like just bypass it all because it's too uninteresting to watch people act or get winded, and it's not part of the game/story/power fantasy.

Heh, I remember in Ft Bragg the sergeants getting mad at me because I wasn't panting when running, when my heart was pounding like crazy and I was just breathing harder (and with larger breaths) rather than faster like everyone else.

Enough about bad memories though.

7 minute workout ain't a bad start.