Upper Body and Core Sculpting Supersets

Equipment: Weighted Objects (dumbbells, water bottles, household objects), Optional Elevated Surface

Format: Perform each move for the prescribed time and repetitions and repeat for 3 rounds.

Superset 1

Move 1: Jack Press Ups (BW) (0:45)

• Start standing with feet together and your arms upright at a 90 degree angle position, pulling your shoulders back and down.
• Jump your feet out wide as you press your arms straight up while maintaining an active back.
• Jump your feet back together as you bring your arms back down to your starting position and repeat. Really focus on keeping your shoulder blades pulling back through the whole movement.
• MOD: Take out the jump and simply step your feet out one at a time while pressing your arms overhead.

Move 2: Bent Row (10) to Triceps Kickback (10)

• Begin standing with your core engaged, chest up, shoulders rolled back, and weights in hand.
• Hinge forward at the waist to be at 45 degrees, and engage between your shoulders, so they’re not rounding forward, allowing your dumbbells to hang beneath your chest and keeping your gaze neutral.
• Pull the weights to your sides, keeping your elbows close to the body and squeezing your back muscles like you’re pinching the base of your shoulder blades together.
• Repeat this move for 10 reps and on the last row, perform tricep kickbacks by kicking your arms straight back and contracting your triceps for 10 reps.

Move 3: 2 Way Push Ups (8-12)

• Begin in a tall plank, with your hands stacked below your shoulders and your core engaged.
• Lower yourself toward the mat by bending your elbows, keeping your shoulders away from your ears and your elbows shooting back behind you. Keep your gaze about 6 inches in front of you rather than looking up or down, to maintain a neutral spine.
• Keeping your core engaged and your shoulders away from your ears, powerfully press back up and away from the floor or elevated surface to return to your starting position.
• Step one hand out so your arms are in a wide stance and repeat the push up.
• Repeat your regular to wide push up back to back for the allotted reps.
• MOD: Perform the push up with your hands on the side of your couch or other elevated surface.
• Alternatively, remain on the mat, but in a kneeling, or single knee down position.
• Check out my Push-up Progression Tutorial for tips on perfecting form and building strength!
  

Superset 2

Move 1: Renegade Row to Mountain Climbers (0:45)

• Begin in a tall plank position with your core engaged, back flat, and shoulders stacked over your hands holding weighted objects.
• Keeping your hips square to the ground and core engaged, perform a row with your right arm by pulling your elbow straight back along your body and squeezing the base of your shoulder blade.
• Slowly return your right arm back to the ground and repeat with your left arm.
• Return to center and run your knees into your chest and back out by pulling each knee in as far as you can and then back out, one at a time.
• Repeat the row and mountain climber for the allotted time.
• MOD: Do this move on an elevated surface by placing your hand on the edge of a couch or table, from a kneeling position, or remove the weights completely.

Move 2: Lateral Raise (10) to Push Press (10)

• Stand with your core engaged, chest up, shoulders rolled back, and weights in hand.
• Keeping your ribcage down and core engaged, lift both arms out to the side, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows and leading with your shoulders and elbows rather than your wrists.
• Slowly bring the weights back down to your sides with control and repeat for 10 reps.
• Next, bring the weight together in front of your shoulders with your shoulders pulled back and down and your core engaged.
• Slightly bend your knees and drive up with your legs as you powerfully press the weights straight up overhead.
• Slowly bring them back to your starting position and repeat for 10 reps.

Move 3: Biceps Curl Variation (5-5-2)

• Begin standing with your core engaged, chest up, shoulders rolled back, and weights in hand.
• Bring one arm to a 90 degree angle so your bicep is holding in a halfway bicep curl position.
• With the other arm, keep the upper arms stationary and perform a bicep curl with both arms by curling the weights up to your shoulders, ending palms facing you.
• Perform 5 curls and then switch arms.

Finisher

Move 1: Mountain Climbers (0:20)

• Begin in a tall plank position with your shoulders stacked over your hands, core engaged, and back flat.
• Keeping your hips down, run your knees into your chest and back out by pulling each knee in as far as you can and then back out, one at a time.
• MOD: Do this move on an elevated surface by placing your hand on the edge of a couch or table.

Move 2: Walking Plank (0:20)

• Begin in a low plank position with your core engaged and shoulders stacked over your elbows.
• Brace your core and raise yourself up to your hands, one arm at a time.
• One at a time, step down to your elbows and up to your hands and repeat.
• MOD: Perform this move from an elevated surface.

Move 3: Pushups (0:20)

• Begin in a tall plank, with your hands stacked below your shoulders and your core engaged.
• Lower yourself toward the mat by bending your elbows, keeping your shoulders away from your ears and your elbows shooting back behind you. Keep your gaze about 6 inches in front of you rather than looking up or down, to maintain a neutral spine.
• Keeping your core engaged and your shoulders away from your ears, powerfully press back up and away from the floor or elevated surface to return to your starting position.
• MOD: Perform the push up with your hands on the side of your couch or other elevated surface. Alternatively, remain on the mat, but in a kneeling, or single knee down position.
• Check out my Push-up Progression Tutorial for tips on perfecting form and building strength!