If you want an upper body that is strong, powerful and robust for cricket, you are going to need more than just bench press. This is one of the biggest mistakes I see cricketers make in the gym. They focus heavily on chest strength, get stronger on the bench, and then wonder why their shoulders feel cranky when they try to bowl fast, swing hard or throw with intent. The bench press is not a bad exercise. The problem is that for most cricketers, it is overused and poorly balanced with other upper body work. Cricket places huge demands on the shoulders, and those shoulders need to be strong, mobile and resilient at the same time. Training the upper body for cricket is about far more than building a strong chest.

What the Upper Body Actually Does in Cricket

The upper body plays in the kinetic chain being the link between the core & the bat or the ball.

The challenge is that the shoulder joint needs to move through large ranges of motion at high speed, while still remaining stable enough to handle load. If your upper body training reduces your range of motion or irritates the joint, your performance will suffer. This is why many cricketers feel strong in the gym but limited or sore on the pitch.

The Four Essential Upper Body Movement Patterns for Cricketers

When we strip things back, effective upper body training for cricket comes down to movement patterns rather than individual exercises. Cricketers need horizontal pulling to support posture and shoulder health. They need horizontal pushing to produce force. They need vertical pushing and pulling to support overhead actions like bowling and throwing.

For most cricketers, pulling movements should outweigh pushing movements. Years of bowling, throwing and batting already place a lot of stress on the front of the shoulder. Without enough pulling work, that imbalance catches up quickly. This is why programmes that are built around chest and arms often leave players feeling tight and restricted rather than powerful.

Why Cricketers Get Shoulder Pain in the Gym

A lot of shoulder pain does not come from cricket alone. It comes from the combination of cricket and poorly chosen gym work. Fixed barbell exercises can lock the shoulders into positions that do not suit everyone. If you already have limited shoulder mobility, adding heavy loads in those ranges can irritate the joint very quickly.

This is why so many cricketers feel fine lifting weights, but struggle once they try to throw or bowl afterwards. The gym work has reduced their available range of motion, not increased it. The goal of upper body strength training should be to support the demands of cricket, not compete with them.

Shoulder Friendly Upper Body Training That Still Builds Strength

One of the simplest ways to make upper body training more shoulder friendly is to use exercises that allow the arms to move more naturally. Dumbbells are a great example. They allow the shoulders to find their own path rather than forcing them into a fixed position.

Floor pressing is another useful option for cricketers. The floor limits how deep the arms can go, which reduces stress on the shoulder while still allowing you to generate a lot of force. Incline rowing is a great pulling exercise because it supports the spine and allows you to load the movement safely without compromising position.

For overhead work, half kneeling presses force the core to stay engaged while the shoulder works through a controlled range. If you lack stability or strength, there is nowhere to hide, which makes it an excellent option for cricketers who need strength without excess strain.

Accessory Work That Keeps Cricketers Robust

Accessory exercises often get dismissed as unimportant, but they play a huge role in keeping cricketers robust. The deltoids, triceps and biceps all contribute to shoulder health and arm control. The key is how you train them.

Slow, controlled movements build resilience far better than rushing heavy weights. Lateral raises done with control improve shoulder tolerance. Tricep work helps support the elbow and shoulder during throwing. Bicep work, when done properly, contributes to elbow health and arm control. Time under tension matters far more than chasing numbers here.

How to Structure Upper Body Training Across the Week

Upper body training does not need to be crammed into one session. Pairing horizontal push and pull in one workout and vertical push and pull in another works well for most cricketers. Accessory work can be spread across sessions or added at the end depending on time and recovery.

The main thing to remember is balance. If your programme includes far more pushing than pulling, problems tend to appear. Most cricketers benefit from roughly three pulling movements for every pushing movement across the week. This keeps the shoulders strong, mobile and ready to perform.

Train the Upper Body for Cricket, Not for the Mirror

Upper body strength training for cricketers should leave you feeling better, not beaten up. Strong shoulders should move freely, tolerate load and support performance on the pitch. If your gym work is making your throwing or bowling worse, something needs to change.

Training the right movement patterns, using shoulder friendly variations and balancing pushing with pulling allows you to build real strength without sacrificing mobility. That is how you get an upper body that supports your cricket rather than holding it back.

At Cricfit, all of this is built into our programmes so you do not have to guess or experiment. You simply turn up, train with intent and know that what you are doing in the gym is helping you become a better cricketer.