Upper Body and Core Blast

Equipment: Weighted Objects (water bottles, gallon jugs, dumbbells)
Format: Perform each move for the prescribed time/repetitions and repeat for 3 rounds.

Superset 1

Move 1: Jack Cross Punch  (0:45)

• Begin standing with feet together and your hands close to your chest in a punching position.
• Jump your feet out wide as you punch your right arm straight across your body. 
• Jump your feet back together as you bring your arm back in and as you jump your feet back out, punch your left arm straight out. 
• Repeat back and forth. 
• MOD: Take out the jump and simply step your feet out one at a time while punching your arms out in front of you. 

Move 2: Incline Pushup to Spinal Balance Crunch (8-12) 

• Begin in a tall plank position on an elevated surface, with your hands stacked below your shoulders and your core engaged (no arched back).
• Perform a push-up by lowering yourself down to the ground keeping your elbows pointing behind you, back flat, core engaged, and spine neutral.
• Keeping your core engaged and your shoulders away from your ears, press back up and away from the floor or elevated surface to return to your starting position.
• From your tall plank position, extend your right arm out straight in front of you and your left leg out straight behind you.
• Hold for a moment to get your balance, then draw your right elbow and left knee into your core to meet beneath your stomach for a crunch. 
• Return to your tall plank and repeat your push up and crunch with the opposite sides.
• MOD: Keep your hand planted and just extend one leg and then crunch it in toward your nose rather than extending your arm with it. 

Superset 2

Move 1: Skullcrusher to Floor Wipers (8-12)

• Start lying on the ground with a weight in each hand, straight over your chest, and your legs bent at 90 degrees over hips, calves parallel to the floor.
• Bend your elbows to lower the weights toward the top of your head to end right next to your ears while the upper arm remains perpendicular to the body.
• Return to your starting position and repeat. (Try not to lock out your elbows at the starting position; instead, stop just shy of locked position to maintain tension in your muscle.)
• After completing all your reps, hold the weights in your starting position with your arms straight over your chest and palms facing your feet. 
• Straighten your legs and engage your blueberry spine by gently pressing your lower back into the floor. 
• Brace your core and lift your legs up toward your weights and to the right. 
• Slowly lower your legs back down and repeat on the left. 
• Keep your hips on the floor the entire time so you’re not rocking your hips up.
• MOD: Keep your legs bent as you lift your legs.

Move 2: Superwoman with Trap Activator (0:45)

• Lie on your stomach with your arms and legs extended.
• Lift your legs and arms off the mat together, using your lower back and glute strength.
• As you lift your body off the mat, draw your elbows back towards your ribcage, focusing on the squeeze between your shoulder blades.
• Re-extend your arms, and lower both arms and legs back to the starting position.
• MOD: Begin by isolating your upper body only, leaving your legs on the mat for stability. Perform several upper body isolated lifts. Then perform several lower body isolated lifts. Work on isolated upper and lower body lifts until you feel comfortable putting them together.
• Optional: Hold weighted objects in each hand for added resistance.

Move 3: Jack Press (0:30)

• 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. 

Superset 3

Move 1: 3-Way Raise (8-12)  

• 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 then raise the weights straight up in front of your body for a front raise, ending with your palms facing the ground.. 
• Slowly bring them down again to center and with your palms facing behind you, use your back muscles to pull the weight straight back.
• Bring our weights back to center and repeat the lateral raise to front raise and back pull.

Move 2: 2-Way Knee Drivers R/L (0:30 each side) 

• Start with your left foot behind you and your right arm overhead.
• Drive your left knee up and across your body as you drive your elbow down to crunch in the middle and repeat for 5 repetitions. 
• Next, with the same leg, open your hip and drive your left knee to the left elbow for a side body crunch. Perform 5 repetitions again and then repeat the entire series for 4 rounds each way and then switch legs. 
• MOD: Hold onto a wall or chair back for support