Low Impact Upper Body Strength

Equipment: weighted objects (dumbbells, water bottles, jugs or other), optional elevated surface
Format: 3 rounds for prescribed time/reps.

Circuit 1:

Down Dog to Push Up to Plank with Slow Mountain Climber (1:00)

• Begin in a tall plank position on your mat with shoulders stacked over wrists, braced core, a flat back and neutral gaze (not looking up or down).
• Send your hips up and back, keeping your head in line with your arms as you come into a down dog. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your palms, and your heels should reach toward the mat (bending at the knees is helpful for tight hamstrings).
• Shift back into a tall plank, bend your arms 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 a tall plank.
• Brace your core and perform slow mountain climbers, alternating driving knees in towards your chest. Maintain a flat back, without lifting your hips, and keep your gaze neutral.
• Repeat sequence for allotted time.
• MOD: Complete the push-ups with your knees on the mat or complete the entire sequence with your hands planted on an elevated surface (bench/couch/chair) instead of the mat.

  

Triceps Kickbacks (8-12 each side)

• Stand with your core braced, chest up, shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall), and weighted objects in both hands.
• Hinge forward at the hips at a 45 degree angle with your body with a flat back, and engage between your shoulders, so they’re not rounding forward. Allow your dumbbells to hang beneath your chest and keep your head and neck in a neutral position.
• Draw your elbows up and back beside your ribcage and perform tricep kickback by kicking your arms straight back and contracting your triceps.
• Keep your elbows beside your ribcage as you bend your arms and repeat the kickback from a hinged position for max reps.

Wide 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 forward 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.

Circuit 2:

Hammer Curl to Bent Arm Lateral Raise (8-12)

• Begin standing with weighted objects in both hands and palms facing your sides.
• With a braced core and shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall), bend your arms at the elbows to curl the weights up to shoulder height.
• With control, lower the weights until your arms are bent around 90 degrees, and, keeping your ribcage down and core braced, lift both arms out to the side to shoulder height, maintaining a bend in the elbows and leading with your shoulders and elbows rather than your wrists.
• Slowly bring your elbows back to your sides with control and extend your arms to your sides to come back to the starting position.
• Repeat this sequence for max reps.

Bird Dog Crunch (1:00)

• Begin in a tabletop position on the mat with your shoulders stacked over your hands, knees under your hips, and a flat back with your wore braced.
• Extend your right arm and left leg while squeezing the glute of the extended leg, keeping your core braced and hips level.
• Draw your right elbow in to meet your left knee as you crunch your torso and contract your abs.
• Extend your right arm and left leg once more before returning to your tabletop position and switching sides.
• Continue alternating sides for allotted time.
• MOD: Keep both hands on the mat and extend just your leg behind you and crunch it in below your body.

Reverse Plank Hold with Walking Plank (0:45-1:00)

• Begin by sitting on the mat with legs outstretched and place your hands a bit behind and outside of your hips. Fingers can be facing forward or angled out.
• Keeping your shoulders back and down (not allowing them to roll forward or collapse towards your ears) press away through your hands and feet, squeezing the glutes and bracing the core to lift your hips and bring your body into a straight line.
• With control and minimizing any lowering or shifting of the hips, lift your right leg and bend it, planting the foot on the mat closer to your pelvis so that the right side of your body resembles a reverse tabletop.
• Lift your left leg and plant the left foot beside your right foot so that you are now fully in reverse tabletop position.
• With control, lift your right foot then your left foot to extend back into a reverse plank.
• Continue repeating this sequence, alternating on which side you start for the allotted time.
• MOD: Perform this with your hands or elbows on an elevated surface and/or remove the walk and perform a reverse plank hold.