Upper Body and Core Pyramids

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

Format: Begin with a 15 second round of move 1, followed by a 15 second rest move. Then a 30 second round of move 1, and a 15 second rest move followed by a 45 second round of move 1 and 15 seconds of the rest move. You will then go down the ladder, doing a 30 second and 15 second round of each move, also with 15 seconds rest. Repeat this format for each pyramid. 

Pyramid 1: 

Plank Walk Out to 4 Mountain Climbers to Push Ups 

• Begin in a standing position with your core engaged and chest up tall.
• Bend your knees slightly and place your hands on the floor in front of you.
• Walk your hands out to a tall plank until your hands are stacked just below your shoulders. 
• Brace your core 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 for 4 repetitions.
• From your tall plank position perform one push up. 
• Brace your core and walk your hands back in towards your feet to stand and repeat (add one push up each time you come down). 
• MOD: Do this move on an elevated surface by placing your hand on the edge of a couch or table.

Rest: Standing Side Crunch

• Begin standing with your core engaged and right arm raised.
• While balancing on the left leg, drive the right elbow and knee together for an oblique crunch and then tap your toe back to the ground and repeat.

Pyramid 2: 

Triceps Dips

• Come into a reverse table top facing away from your box or raised surface, with your hands behind you on the box.
• Bend your knees and pull your shoulder blades down and back to engage between your shoulders. This will help keep your chest open and keep pressure off of your shoulders.
• Keeping your body close to the box, bend your elbows and slowly lower yourself down until your arms are close to 90 degrees and then press back up to your starting position.
• MOD: The more you bend your knees, the easier this will be. You can also replace this with a tricep extension by taking a kneeling position holding a water bottle or weight overhead. Slowly lower the weight back behind your head and then press the weight back up to your starting position. (Be careful not to flare your elbows out). 

Rest: Russian Twist

• Start in a seated position with your knees bent, feet on the ground, chest up tall and core engaged.
• Slowly rotate your upper body from side to side and reach your hands toward the floor on either side.
• Optional: Lift your heels off the ground and/or hold a weight or water bottle in your hands as you reach from side to side.

Pyramid 3:

Lateral Raise to Cross Cross Front Raise

• 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 and across your body to perform a cross body front raise. 

Rest: Plank Hold

• Begin in a low plank position with your elbows on the ground, shoulders stacked over your hands and your core engaged.
• Press your lower back slightly up toward the ceiling and hold for the allotted time.
• MOD: Perform this move from your elbows and knees or on an elevated surface.

Pyramid 4: 

Chest Fly with Bridge Lift

• Begin lying on your back on the ground and holding your weights straight over your chest with your arms extended and palms facing each other while bracing your core, and engaging your glutes.
• With a slight bend in your elbows, open your arms out wide, stopping when your elbows are in line with your chest. 
• As you open your arms for the chest fly, press your heels into the ground and drive your hips to the ceiling and squeeze your glutes at the top.
• Bring your arms back together over your chest and drop your hips back down to the ground. 
• Reset your core and repeat.

Rest: Bicycle Crunch

• Begin lying on your back with your knees bent, feet on the floor and hands placed behind your head (not pulling your head forward).
• Lift your chest slightly off the ground to contract your core and as you rotate your torso, bring your right elbow to your left knee.
• Return to starting and repeat with your left elbow to right knee.
• Optional: for a more difficult variation, extend your leg straight out rather than placing it back on the ground.

Pyramid 5:

Reverse Fly to Bent Row

• Hinge forward at the waist to be at 45 degrees, gaze neutral, with your shoulders down and back so they’re not rounding forward and allow your weights to hang beneath your chest.
• Perform a reverse fly by lifting both arms out to the side, maintaining a slight bend in your elbows and squeezing your shoulder blades together. 
• Return to center and perform a row by pulling the weights to your sides while keeping your elbows close to the body, and squeezing your back muscles like you’re pinching the base of your shoulder blades together.
• Slowly bring the weights back beneath your chest and repeat those two moves back to back.

Rest: Slow Spider Climber to Squat Thrust Hold

• Begin in a tall plank position with your shoulders stacked over your elbows, core engaged, and back flat.
• Keeping your core engaged, drive your right knee up to your right elbow to crunch your abs, return your right foot back to your starting position and repeat on the left.
• From your tall plank, step or jump your feet in toward you hands, loading your weight in your heels and coming to a squat hold. 
• Place your hands on the ground and then step or jump your feet back into your tall plank and repeat.
• MOD: Perform this move on an elevated surface with your hands on the edge of a chair or table.

Pyramid 6:

Squat with Biceps Curl to Press and Knee Lift

• Stand with your feet about hip distance apart, with your core engaged, holding a weighted object in each hand. 
• Begin sending your hips back behind you, pulling your belly button in and up to engage your core, keeping your chest up tall (don’t bend forward), weight back in your heels and knees tracking in line with your toes.
• Power through your heels and posterior chain to return to standing and as you stand, perform a bicep curl by curling the weights to your shoulder, keeping your upper arm stationary. 
• Once standing press the weights straight up overhead (be sure to keep your rib cage down and core engaged and to not arch your back). 
• Bring your arms back down to starting position and repeat from the squat. 
• MOD: Squat down to a couch or chair. 
• Optional: During the press, drive one knee up toward your chest for an added core challenge and alternate which leg goes up each rep.

Rest: Standing Knee Lift with Rotation

• Begin standing while holding one weighted object with both hands. 
• Lift your left knee and rotate your torso to the left (similar to a Russian Twist) while contracting your abs and keeping your pelvis tucked and core engaged. 
• Return to center, placing your foot back down to the ground and repeat on the right. Repeat back and forth for the allotted time. 

Pyramid 7:

Dolphin Push Ups

• Begin in a low plank position with your shoulders stacked over your elbows, core engaged, and back flat.
• Shoot your hips up to the sky, pushing back into a down dog position while keeping your head in line with your arms. 
• Push back into your plank position and repeat.
• MOD: Perform this move on an elevated surface with your hands on the edge of a chair or table.

Rest: Low Plank Hip Twist

• Begin in a low plank position with your shoulders stacked over your elbows, core engaged, and back flat.
• Keeping your hips flat, rotate your hips to the right to reach almost to the floor. 
• Return to your starting position and repeat on the left side. 

Finisher:

Burpees (1:00)

• Begin standing with your feet wider than hip distance apart.
• Bend your knees and plant your hands on the floor or mat in front of you (hands stacked directly below shoulders). Jump or step your feet back into a tall plank position, holding your belly button in and up to keep your core engaged.
• Keeping your core engaged, bring your body all the way down to the ground until your chest and thighs touch the ground.
• Powerfully press yourself back up to a tall plank position and then jump or step your feet back up towards your hands. 
• Extend your hips back to a standing position and finish by jumping with your hands reaching toward the ceiling. 
• MOD: Do this on an elevated surface and step your feet in and out for a lower impact movement.