Most important muscles in upper body?

[sampaguita]

Every part of my body needs strengthening, but as I don't have enough time,  I have to prioritize certain muscle groups first. I mainly do isometric exercises because they work better for me than dynamic ones (I don't know -- probably because I like them better? lol).

I have a 20-minute core strengthening routine which I got from the PT for my back pain and mild scoliosis. I also have a 50-minute routine for the lower extremity which includes

hip extension:
bridge
single-leg bridge
glute kick
lying leg lift

hip abduction:
clamshell
quadruped

hip adduction:
side lying leg lift

quadriceps:
wall squats
lunges

And I do a 15-minute stretching routine afterwards. I do the entire routine 3x a week.

I have almost NO upper body exercises, except once a week when I can go the gym and do the dumbbell shoulder press. The current routine takes so long (1.5 hours!) and is so tiring that I can't include a comprehensive upper body routine. However, I think I can squeeze in maybe 2-3 exercises. Which part of the upper body is the most needed in skating, and what are some efficient exercises (preferably isometric!) that I can use to strengthen them?

Thanks!

[hopskipjump]

Arms, core - my daughters arms are really strong now and her jumps/spins "look" easier.

[rachelplotkin]

I work one on one with a personal trainer once a week as well as take group classes with her 2x/week.  She will often combine upper body exercises with the lower body stuff.  For example, squats of lunges coupled with bicep curls is an efficient exercise which targets many different areas.

[threenorns]

if you're doing the lower-body exercises 3x a week,  you have plenty of time to work your upper body.  just alternate days (although, for my money, 3x a week is too much - i never did strength training for each body part more than 2x/wk bec the body needs at least 2 days betw workouts to allow for repair and rebuilding although, to be fair, i was using heavy weights at the gym).

if you only do pushups and planks, that's an entire upper body and core fitness routine, right there.

planks, obviously, you hold as long as you can and try to beat your time with each session.

pushups, work up to 15.  if you can do 15 pushups in the plank position (not "lady" pushups), then it's time to intensify.  you can do that by adding weight (put something on your back or wear a weighted vest or have your toddler sit on you) or you can slow it down - take a full steady count of ten to go down, hold in the down position for three, then count a steady ten on the way up, kinda thing.

just a little side note:  you should know that once your body has caught up to it, 20 min three times a week really isn't going to do much at all for strength building.  your body is a wickedly marvellous machine - it adapts fast and it likes to cheat, lol.

[sampaguita]

just a little side note:  you should know that once your body has caught up to it, 20 min three times a week really isn't going to do much at all for strength building.  your body is a wickedly marvellous machine - it adapts fast and it likes to cheat, lol.

That's just for the core. The entire workout now takes around 1.5 hours since I've included quads strengthening isometrics too. But yes, my core has adapted to the core routine, so now I'm planning to replace it with planks, planks, planks and use the extra time to work on the quads and upper body.

Can't do pushups (even lady pushups are hard!), so I'm starting to do this isometric exercise for the chest where you push your hands against each other. I don't do heavy weights as I'm still in the "rehab" stage -- I've lived a sedentary life for too long and my muscles just aren't up to it yet.

Do the pushups work the back as well? I also have the one-arm dumbbell row as part of the routine...thanks threenorms!

[threenorns]

pushups is one of the kings of exercise.

there are three exercises you can do - only three - referred as "kings", that will build you as buff a body as you desire:  squats, pushups (or bench press - same thing), and deadlift.  if you never do anything except those three , you have a complete body routine.  you can make yourself lean and mean or you can turn yourself into she-hulk - it all depends how much intensity you put into them.  (but no, you can't end up accidentally looking like a she-hulk - you have to *work* for that kind of body)

all three of them are total body workouts with different emphasis:

squat = total-body with emphasis on lower body and lower back (but still works upper)
pushup/bench press = total-body (IF done properly and not with the legs up in the air or up on the bench, kind of silliness) with emphasis on chest, shoulders, and lats (upper back)
deadlift = total-total body workout - it works everything, all at once.

here's another thing you could try, since you're trying to strength overall in the least amount of time:  sled dragging.  get a weight-lifting belt and put it around your hips.  attach a chain to it, then attach a sled to the other end of the chain.  a "sled" could be a real one used for the sport or what i used to use was a tire with a steel rim and then i'd load on car batteries for the extra weight (it was what was convenient at the time, lol),.

[sampaguita]

pushups is one of the kings of exercise.

there are three exercises you can do - only three - referred as "kings", that will build you as buff a body as you desire:  squats, pushups (or bench press - same thing), and deadlift.  if you never do anything except those three , you have a complete body routine.  you can make yourself lean and mean or you can turn yourself into she-hulk - it all depends how much intensity you put into them.  (but no, you can't end up accidentally looking like a she-hulk - you have to *work* for that kind of body)

all three of them are total body workouts with different emphasis:

squat = total-body with emphasis on lower body and lower back (but still works upper)
pushup/bench press = total-body (IF done properly and not with the legs up in the air or up on the bench, kind of silliness) with emphasis on chest, shoulders, and lats (upper back)
deadlift = total-total body workout - it works everything, all at once.

here's another thing you could try, since you're trying to strength overall in the least amount of time:  sled dragging.  get a weight-lifting belt and put it around your hips.  attach a chain to it, then attach a sled to the other end of the chain.  a "sled" could be a real one used for the sport or what i used to use was a tire with a steel rim and then i'd load on car batteries for the extra weight (it was what was convenient at the time, lol),.

Ooh thanks for this! I didn't know I could work out the entire body with only 3 routines.

As for being a she-hulk...I have no intention of looking like one. Glad to know you can't "accidentally" build bulk just like that!

[discombobulate]

I am surprised that you suggest powerlifting exercises (squats & deadlift) and say that you can't accidentally bulk up. Infact, powerlifting exercises are the best for hypertrophy.
You have to be careful with how much weight and reps you do.
Try 70% or less than your 1RM.

[Query]

You are sure spending a lot of time at this.

http://www.usfsa.org/content/Exercises.pdf ??

Bear in mind that Kat Arbour, who created the source from which that page comes, directs her attention to elite figure skaters.

[discombobulate]

^ I don't think it matters that Kat directs her guidelines toward elite skaters.
That pdf is full of exercises that are helpful for everyone & anyone!  Elite skaters probably would just do more of those more often at a higher intensity.
I'm all about strength training