If you're serious about building an upper body that's not just strong but also durable, you need more than just heavy bench presses and biceps curls. True upper body resilience comes from training across full ranges of motion, targeting key muscle groups with both compound movements and high rep isolation work that promotes blood flow and joint integrity.

The following 10 exercises blend those principles. These movements emphasize control, mobility, and joint health, making them ideal for bulletproofing your upper body against injury while developing real world strength.

1. Deficit Push-Ups on TBG Parallel Bars

Standard push-ups are great, but they only take your body so far. To truly build pressing power and reinforce your shoulders and chest, you need to train deeper.

Using the TBG Parallel Bars you can perform push-ups through maximal range of motion, taking the muscles and joints through a much larger movement than can be achieved on the floor. This added stretch builds resilience in the anterior delts, pecs, and even the biceps tendon common injury points for lifters and athletes alike.

Add a weighted vest and pause at the deepest point of the range of motion to really crank the stimulus to the next level.

2. Max Range of Motion Dips

When performed correctly, dips are a cornerstone movement for upper body development. But when done through a limited range, much of their bulletproofing potential is lost. Instead, lower yourself under control into the deepest position your shoulders can safely tolerate,. The goal isn’t to bounce or rush through the movement it's to train control under load in the bottom range where most people are weakest. This full ROM approach develops strength and tissue resilience through the triceps, chest, and shoulder girdle.

For an added challenge, use a pause in the bottom position to eliminate momentum and build true structural integrity.

3. Chin-Ups

Chin-ups are one of the most powerful tools for upper-body development and when done through a complete range of motion, they become a foundational exercise for bulletproofing the lats, arms, and upper back.

Start from a dead hang, allowing your shoulders to stretch and your scapulae to elevate naturally. From there, pull yourself all the way up until your chin clears the bar, driving the elbows down and slightly back. Lower yourself slowly and with control to reinforce joint integrity and strengthen the muscles through their entire length.

This full-ROM approach trains the shoulder extensors, scapular retractors, and elbow flexors in one seamless movement, developing both raw strength and connective tissue durability. Rotate through a variety of grip types for maximal development and resilience.

4. Inverted Rows

Inverted rows are one of the best bodyweight pulling movements for scapular control and horizontal pulling strength. Keep your body straight like a plank, pull through your elbows, and aim to touch your chest to the bar. This trains the rhomboids, mid traps, and rear delts areas often neglected in pressing dominant routines.

Modify the difficulty by adjusting the elevation of your feet. The higher the feet relative to the head the more difficult the pulls will be. Adding a pause at the fully contracted position will also greatly increase the difficulty, as will placing a weight plate on the chest. As with chin-ups, using a variety of grips will provide the greatest bulletproofing potential over time.

5. Lu Raises

Lu Raises are named after Chinese weightlifter Lu Xiaojun and involve raising light dumbbells or plates from the sides to overhead in an arcing motion, maintaining straight arms throughout.

This exercise is similar to a lateral raise but is taken all the way overhead. It targets the entire shoulder complex, especially the lateral delts, through the full range of motion of the shoulder.

The key is to use light weight, high reps, and flawless control. This builds strength through full scapular rotation, reinforces shoulder integrity, and increases blood flow for connective tissue health. Perfect as a warm-up or finisher to encourage a therapeutic training effect for the shoulder girdle.

6. Hammer Curls with a Slow Eccentric

Bulletproofing the biceps and elbow tendons goes beyond simple curls. Hammer curls—with a neutral grip and controlled eccentric—build strength through the brachialis and brachioradialis, reinforcing the elbow joint from multiple angles.

Use a 3–5 second lowering phase to increase time under tension and stimulate tendon adaptation. High reps (12–20) work well here, especially at the end of an upper body session to flush the area with blood and accelerate recovery.

7. Triceps Pushdowns with Extended ROM

The classic triceps pushdown pairs with the hammer curl to bulletproof the elbows from both sides. Perform triceps pushdowns with a slight forward lean and the shoulders fully extended. Focus on a controlled eccentric that puts the triceps into a large stretch at the top, and a complete lockout at the bottom with a big squeeze of the triceps at peak contraction.

The goal is to maximize both stretch and contraction. Use cables or resistance bands and work in the 15–20 rep range to emphasize joint friendly hypertrophy and elbow resilience. Go for max blood flow in the elbows, and pair these with hammer curls for an intense pump in the arms.

8. Dumbbell Pressing Variations (Flat, Incline, and Overhead)

Barbell pressing builds maximal strength, but dumbbells offer a unique advantage when it comes to bulletproofing the upper body. By forcing each arm to stabilize independently, dumbbell presses activate more stabilizer muscles around the shoulders and reinforce balanced development across the chest, delts, and triceps.

Incorporate a mix of flat, incline, and overhead dumbbell pressing into your routine. The flat variation emphasizes the mid pecs and triceps, incline presses bring the upper chest and front delts into focus, and overhead pressing challenges the shoulders while demanding core stability and scapular control.

Use a full range of motion with a controlled eccentric, and avoid bouncing at the bottom of each rep. This approach promotes healthier shoulders, builds pressing strength, and reduces imbalances that could lead to injury.

9. Feet-Elevated Pike Push-Ups

When you're not ready for full handstand push-ups, this variation targets the delts and upper chest while demanding stability through the core and wrists. With your feet elevated and hips piked high, lower your head between your hands like you're descending into a vertical press. Drive back up explosively to a full lock out.

This calisthenics based overhead press builds overhead strength with minimal equipment, while also reinforcing wrist, elbow, and shoulder health.

10. Band Pull Aparts (3 Angles)

As a high-rep finisher, few movements match the simplicity and effectiveness of the band pull apart. By pulling a light to moderate resistance band apart across three angles straight ahead, overhead, and diagonally you can target the upper back, rotator cuff, and rear delts in one sequence.

This exercise pumps blood into the shoulders and thoracic area, supporting recovery and structural balance. Perform 3–5 sets of 15–25 reps per angle, focusing on a controlled eccentric and a big squeeze at peak contraction.

Final Thoughts

A bulletproof upper body isn’t just about muscle mass. It’s about joint integrity, mobility, control, and balance. By combining full ROM bodyweight movements with strategic isolation work, you can build strength, muscle, and resilience while avoiding the nagging aches that sideline many lifters. Train smart. Move well. Stay durable.