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As per request from one of my readers, I’d like to explore some simple ways you can improve the integrity of your upper body, from shoulder to fingers.

I am always looking for cheap, accessible, and simple options to provide, that way everyone can apply my recommendations. It also forces us to get creative in our solutions. I believe this is important for our problem-solving abilities and I believe it keeps our bodies ready and adaptive to new stimuli.

Here are 5 easy exercises that I mix into my own routine that you can start practicing today.

Hanging

Hanging is a topic I’ve touched on before but have yet to deeply explore.

By hanging, I simply mean grabbing onto a good anchor point overhead and suspending yourself effortlessly, letting gravity do the work. Although I say “effortlessly”, there will actually be plenty of effort needed from your hands and arms if you’re not accustomed to this kind of work.

Don’t be discouraged if you can’t hang for long, everyone must start somewhere. You’ll want to practice this often because it is very important for shoulder health.

Hanging is considered an “archetypal position” – something that was very much apart of our ancestors’ lives but unfortunately not for us. The position can also be great for elbow, wrist, hand, and finger integrity as well. You will get improved strength and mobility from hanging work, a true win win.

Check out Ido Portal’s post on hanging, he gives a much more in-depth explanation.

Pull-Ups

The natural progression after hanging would probably be pull-ups, or maybe monkey-bars if you prefer. Hanging is a great prerequisite to pull-ups, giving you the positioning, strength, and mobility to take the next step.

We all know what pull-ups are, there’s nothing complicated about them. Just like hanging, I would recommend you start adding them into your routine.

If you can only do one, that’s completely fine. It’s about frequency, not intensity. Do them often. It’s more beneficial to have the “show up every day” mentality than the “max out” one.

I have a pull-up bar that sits in my door frame all the time and lets me hop on for some hanging or pull-ups.

It is excellent strength work and completely natural. Your bodyweight is the best weight there is to use. Switch your grips around once in a while to utilize different muscles and you should see rapid strength gains.

Rock Climbing

My personal favorite on this list, rock climbing is one of the most fun “exercises” out there.

It is unique as well because unlike hanging and pull-ups where gravity is pulling you directly downward, you are fighting with gravity to not fall backward. Now your pulling muscles are working on avoiding the lateral fall versus the longitudinal fall.

I’ve noticed this works the back of the shoulders very well. Not to mention the obvious forearm, wrist, hand, and finger work that you notice as soon as you jump off the wall. It’s certainly a tough activity but the fun should carry you through.

Rock climbers are typically the people who win full-body competitions like American Ninja Warrior. Not much else needs to be said on it’s effectiveness.

Crawling

This is another archetypal/primal-esque movement that is mostly gone from our lives. However, it’s easy to reincorporate.

Lately, I’ve been setting up some flat, wooden boards that I have so my son and I can have a crawling obstacle course to get through.

Crawling is unique in this list because it is technically a “pushing” exercise as you’re resisting the floor with your upper body.

One thing is for sure, it works all the same muscle groups we’ve been talking about, from the shoulder to the the fingers. The stabilizing you have to do to stay balanced and keep moving is hard work and it really tests your arm strength.

Make it even tougher by crawling on a narrow platform or by maneuvering through tight spaces. This is what I like to do and it makes it much more fun.

Check out the Movement 20XX program for guided exercises through climbing and crawling progressions.

Using Logs

Yes, logs as in dead trees. They can be used to do overhead shoulder presses, deadlifts, and various other exercises.

The reason I say to use logs instead of barbells or dumbbells is because of the texture of them. No two logs are the same. This is exactly what I want.

We have to adapt to the log, rather than the other way around. This is exactly what will make our bodies stronger and more adaptable. You will have to accommodate for the lack of symmetry and the varying sizes and weights of the different logs you use.

I have three that sit in my backyard. One is short, wide, and heavy. Another is long, medium-width, and heavy. The last is long, thin, and light.

Depending on the exercise I am doing, I will switch the log. Lately, I will use the second log I described as a test of my grip strength. Grip strength is self-explanatory and is an excellent skill to develop for lower arm strength (forearm, wrist, hand, fingers).

I will do something of a deadlift, squat, or shoulder press with the log. Each time I go up or down though, I am readjusting my grip on the log to start over and make myself pick up the log using those lower arm muscles.

I’m particularly weak with this skill so I’ve been having fun trying to improve upon it.