Fit Pregnancy Part 3: Upper Body

Welcome to Part 3 of my Fit Pregnancy Series!

I have a confession to make: I shot these pictures over a month ago when I wrote part 2 of this series. I had a feeling I might not be pregnant anymore by the time I was writing this post, and I was right! Baby Ellie was born on October 16th at 10:10 am. I can’t believe I’m a mom!

Pretty cute right? Not that I’m biased or anything. 😀

But on to the whole point of this post – more fit pregnancy exercises! Let’s get started, shall we?

Bicep Curls

Bicep curls can be done essentially the same way pregnant as you would if you weren’t pregnant. The only thing to modify would be the weight used – you don’t want to go too heavy and strain muscles in other areas of your body. You also don’t want to risk dropping the weights on your feet or hitting your belly with them!

The curls I’ve shown here are alternating: when one arm is curled up, the other is down. After the working arm is down you curl the other arm up. One on each side counts as one rep.

You can also do these in a reciprocating fashion. For that, the weights meet at your belly button when you switch. This means that both arms are working at the same time.

Of course, you can also curl both arms at the same time. This gets the job done faster, but it also tires out your arms faster because neither arm gets a break.

Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps.

Tricep Dips

No one likes a jiggly back of the arm. The way to get rid of it (or prevent it)? Tricep dips. These can be done using a bench, as I’ve shown, or on the ground. I find the bench to be a bit easier with a pregnant belly. You can easily modify this exercise by moving your feet closer to the bench. If you move your feet farther away from the bench, it will be harder. Speaking from experience, if you have a large belly, move your feet closer to the bench! The added weight from baby already makes this exercise harder.

Do 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.

Shoulder Press

As with the two exercises above, a shoulder press can be done the same way pregnant as you would if you weren’t pregnant. However, I recommend modifying the weight used so you don’t risk dropping it on your belly or hitting your belly.

This exercise is fairly straight-forward. I’ve shown it working both arms simultaneously, but it can also be done alternating arms. Keep both elbows at a 90 degree angle and press up until your arms are straight (but don’t lock your elbows). Bring your arms back down to the 90 degree position.

Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps.

Wall Push Up

Regular push ups become nearly impossible with a big belly, regardless of whether you do them on your knees or in a plank position. Plus, doing them in a plank position is not easy with a belly because your ab muscles are not all there. So, enter the wall push up! Keep your body at an angle, as I’ve shown, and do a push up against the wall. It’s harder than it looks!

Do 2-3 sets of 15 reps.

Side Plank

I’m a firm believer in continuing to work your ab muscles while pregnant. It may seem counterintuitive, but the more you work them in pregnancy, the faster you’ll get them back afterward. (Teaser: I’m 2 weeks postpartum as of writing this post, and I can see my obliques and some of my upper abs peeking through as my belly shrinks down. More on that in my next post!).

The safest and easiest way to do a side plank in pregnancy is to keep your bottom knee on the ground. This gives you some additional support since your balance is probably off right now. You should be able to feel your obliques engaged on the side closest to the ground.

Hold for 10 seconds on each side and work up to a full minute.

Hopefully this post as well as part 1 and part 2 were helpful for you if you’re pregnant or planning to be pregnant. And even if you aren’t, I know that these exercises will benefit you anyway! Put all the exercises together to create a great circuit workout!

Stay tuned for my next post on getting in shape after pregnancy. I’m excited to share my own progress with you too!