The primary purpose of this study was to compare the metabolic influence of varying work-to-rest ratios during upper body sprint interval training (SIT). Forty-two recreationally trained men were randomized into one of three training groups [10s work bouts with two minutes of rest (10:2, n = 11) or four minutes of rest (10:4, n = 11), or 30s work bouts with four minutes of rest (30:4, n = 10)] or a control group (CON, n = 10). Participants underwent six training sessions over two weeks with four to six 'all-out' sprints. During pre-and post-intervention visits, participants underwent a graded exercise test to determine maximal oxygen consumption (V O2peak) and peak power output (PPO), four constant-work rate trials to determine critical power (CP), anaerobic working capacity (W'), and electromyographic fatigue threshold (EMGFT), and an upper body Wingate test to determine peak power (PP), mean power (MP), and total work (TW). Oxygen consumption and blood lactate during the Wingate test generated estimates of oxidative, glycolytic, and ATP-PCr energy system provisions. An analysis of covariance was performed on all testing measurements collected at post with the associated prevalues used as covariates. V O2peak was greater in 30:4 (p = .007) and 10:2 (p = .036) compared to CON and PPO was greater in 30:4 than CON (p = .007). No differences were observed between groups in CP (p = .530), W' (p = .900), EMGFT (p = .692), PP (p = .692), MP (p = .290), or TW (p = .291). Relative energy contribution (p = .026) and energy expenditure (p = .019) of the ATP-PCr energy system was greater in 10:4 compared to CON. SIT protocols with larger work-to-rest ratios induce enhanced aerobic adaptions, whereas smaller work-to-rest ratios may enhance ATP-PCr utilization in the upper body over a short-term two-week intervention.