Upper Body and Core Supersets

Equipment Needed: Weighted objects (water bottles, dumbbells, etc) and an elevated surface.

Format: Perform each superset for the prescribed time/repetitions and repeat for 3 rounds. Rest as needed.  

Superset 1

Move 1: Arnold Press (8-12)

• Begin in a standing position with weights in each hand.
• Engage your core and bring your arms to a 90 degree position in front of you with your palms facing you.
• While pressing up, externally rotate your arms out and up with the dumbbells and finishing with the weights straight over your head (palms will face outward at this point).
• Reverse the movement by drawing your arms back down and ending in the position you started in.
• MOD: Do one arm at a time. 

Move 2: Floor Wipers (10 each side)

• Begin lying on your back holding your weights straight in the air over your chest and palms facing your feet and legs out straight. 
• Tuck your pelvis 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.

Superset 2

Move 1: Tricep Row to Kickback (8-12)

• Stand with your core engaged, chest up and weights in hand.
• Hinge forward at the hips into a chair pose, pull your shoulder blades down and back so they’re not rounding forward, allow your dumbbells to hang beneath your chest and keep 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.
• While in this row position perform a tricep kickback by kicking your arms straight back.
• Bring your weights back down to the row position and repeat the tricep kickback for the prescribed repetitions. 

Move 2: Wall Isolated Single Arm Curls (8-12 each side)

• Begin standing with your back supported against a wall
• Holding your weighted objects with your palms facing you, core engaged, pull your shoulder blades back and down with your core engaged.
• Keeping the upper arms stationary, perform a bicep curl with one arm by curling the weights up to your shoulder while contracting your bicep (palms facing you).
• Reverse the movement to return to your starting position and repeat on the other side.

Superset 3

Move 1: Rotating Plank Push Up with Hip Dip Crunch (10-12)

• Begin in a tall plank position with your core engaged and shoulders stacked over your hands.
• Rotate to one side, bringing one arm up to the sky and your leg extended out.
• Drop your hip down towards the ground, keeping your core engaged. When you come back up, bend your knee and your arm, drawing them together to do a side crunch.
• Come back to a tall plank and perform two push ups by lowering yourself down toward the mat, bending your elbows and keeping your shoulders away from your ears.
• Once back in your tall plank position, repeat the hip dip crunch on the other side.
• MOD: Perform this move from an elevated surface or from a kneeling position.

Move 2: 3 point DB Row (8-12 each side)

• Begin standing with a weighted object in one hand.
• With a surface in front of you, take one leg back into a lunge position and place your opposite hand on the surface in front of you.
• Hinge at the hips to a 90 degree position with your core engaged, gaze neutral and weight hanging beneath your chest.
• Roll your shoulder blades down and back so you’re not rounding forward and then pull the weight up to your side while keeping your elbow close to the body and squeezing your back muscles.
• Slowly lower the weight down again to the starting position and repeat on the other side.