Shredded Upper Body with Bonus Core

Warmup:

• Arm circles
• Back activator 2 ways
• Forward fold

Circuit 1 (3x):

Prone Towel Pulldowns (AMRAP)*

• Begin by lying on your stomach on your mat.
• Extend your arms beside your ears with a strap/towel held taut between them, brace your core to lift and reach your arms off of the mat.
• Press your pelvis and the tops of your feet gently into the mat as you pull the towel towards your chest, drawing your elbows back towards your ribcage, focusing on the squeeze between your shoulder blades.
• Re-extend your arms and repeat sequence for as many reps as possible.

Biceps Curls (8-12)

• Standing and holding weights with palms facing forward, a braced core and shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall), bend at the elbows to curl the weights up to shoulder height.
• With control, lower the weights to the starting position. Be mindful that you’re keeping your elbows in at your ribcage for the duration of the curl.
• Repeat for your max reps.

Side Crunch (10 each side)

• Begin on the mat with your left elbow planted directly under your left shoulder, left leg bent, hips stacked, and core braced.
• With your right arm extended beside your ear, press away through the left arm and leg to lift your hips off of the mat, feeling the engagement in your left obliques.
• Lower your hips back towards the mat with control, being mindful of not collapsing through your left shoulder and keeping your shoulders and hips stacked.
• Press your hips back up and draw your right knee and right elbow together, feeling the engagement of the right side obligues.
• Extend your right leg out long, repeat this sequence for allotted reps and switch sides.

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Circuit 2 (2x):

2-Way Push Ups (AMRAP)

• Begin in a tall plank position with shoulders stacked over wrists, braced core, back flat and neutral gaze (not looking up or down).
• Perform a narrow push up: bend your arms, keeping your elbows close to your ribcage to activate the triceps, and lower yourself toward the mat for a push-up while keeping your shoulders away from your ears.
• Be mindful that your hips and torso are moving in one line.
• Maintaining a braced core and flat back, push yourself back up to the starting position.
• Step one hand out so your arms are in a standard pushup position (slightly wider than shoulder distance) and perform a standard pushup, elbows coming out to about 45 degrees and lowering your body in a straight line..
• Continue alternating between a narrow and standard push up for your max reps.
• MOD: Drop your knees to the mat and/or perform this move in an elevated position with your hands on an elevated surface like a couch/ottoman/bench.

3 Point Triceps Kickbacks (8-12 each side)

• Begin in a tabletop position with shoulders over wrists, hips over knees, core braced, and a weighted object in your left hand.
• Engage between your shoulders so they aren’t rounding forward and, maintaining a flat back, draw your left elbow up and back beside your ribcage and perform tricep kickback by kicking your arm straight back, rotating your palm towards the ceiling, and contracting your tricep.
• Keep your elbow beside your ribcage as you bend your arm and repeat the kickback for your max reps.
• Switch sides and match reps.
• MOD for additional core challenge: Extend the leg opposite to the working tricep, either hovering the leg or keeping the toes planted on the mat. Be mindful of maintaining square hips to the mat (not allowing the hips to shift open or closed)

Wide Grip Rows (8-12)

• Begin by standing tall, core braced, shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall) and holding a weighted object in each hand, palms facing your body.
• Hinge at the hips at a 45 degree angle, keeping core braced and back flat. Allow your weighted objects to hang beneath your chest (without rounding your shoulders forward) and keep your head and neck in a neutral position.
• Using your back muscles, draw your elbows up, out, and back, squeezing between the shoulder blades.
• Maintaining the positioning of your body, lower the weight back down with control.
• Repeat this sequence for max rep range.

*AMRAP: as many reps as possible