The upper body workout behind Ibai Llanos training
The upper body day in Ibai Llanos's training is built on four basic patterns plus a final block of arm and shoulder work: a horizontal push (bench press or dumbbell press), a horizontal pull (row), a vertical push (overhead press) and a vertical pull (pull-up or lat pulldown).
The key to this session is the balance between push and pull. For every set you push, you should do at least one that pulls. It is the detail most neglected when training without guidance, and the one that eventually takes its toll on the shoulder and on posture.
Just as on leg day, what adapts to each person is the variation and the load, not the skeleton. Below you have the full session with sets, reps and the progression rule.
Structure of an upper body day
The big patterns first, the detail work at the end.
Why your back matters more than your chest
Almost everyone who starts out on their own overtrains the push and undertrains the pull. The result is predictable: rounded shoulders, niggles that appear within a few months and a plateau on the press itself, because a weak back gives you no stable base to push from.
That is why this session has at least as many pull sets as push sets, and why the row carries a slightly higher rep range: the back tolerates and needs a little more volume.
- A 1:1 balance at minimum between pushing and pulling
- Full range of motion ahead of loading more weight
- Lateral raises at the end, no swinging and with a moderate weight
- A record of every set so you can progress with a clear rule
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Frequently asked questions
What upper body workout does Ibai Llanos do?
An upper body session with the standard Barcelona Barbell Club structure: a horizontal push, a horizontal pull, a vertical push, a vertical pull and a final block of arm and shoulder work, with the load adapted to his level.
How many sets does an upper body session need?
Between 14 and 20 effective sets per session is usually a sensible range. More volume does not mean a better result if the quality of each set drops.
Do you need to balance push and pull?
Yes, and it is one of the things people training on their own most often neglect. For every push set it is worth doing at least one pull set to keep the shoulder healthy and posture balanced.
Can you combine upper body and legs in the same week?
That is precisely the recommended approach: alternating upper body and leg days lets you train frequently without piling up excessive fatigue on the same muscle groups.