Upper Body and Ab Sculpt

Equipment Needed: Weighted objects (water bottles, dumbbells, etc).

Format: Perform each move for the prescribed time, repetitions and rounds. Rest as needed.

Superset 1: 4 sets

Starter (1 Round): Low Plank Spider Climbers (:45)

• Begin in a low 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 and crunch your abs. Return your right foot back to your starting position and repeat on the left and alternate back and forth.
• MOD: Do this move on an elevated surface with your elbows on the edge of a chair or table.

Move 1: W Raises (:30) 

• Begin standing with your core engaged, chest up, shoulders rolled back, and arms bent with your weighted objects in hand and pressed together. 
• Using your shoulders, lift both arms out and up to the side while also externally rotating to end in a W position overhead (use your back muscles to pull your arms back in your finishing position). 
• Slow and controlled, bring your arms back to center where your arms are bent at a 90 degree angle and your weights are pressed together.

Move 2: Hinged Row to Hang Curl (:40)

• Hinge forward at the waist to be at 45 degrees with your core engaged, chest up, shoulders rolled back and down, and your weights in your hands and hanging beneath your chest with your palms facing each other.
• Pull 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.
• Bring your arms back to center and perform a hanging hammer curl by curling the weighted objects to your shoulders (keep your palms facing each other).
• Return to center and repeat those two moves back to back. 

Superset 2: 4 sets

Starter (1 Round): Russian Twists (:45)

• 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.

Move 1: Hinged Wide Row Pulse (:30) 

• Hinge forward at the waist to be at 45 degrees with your core engaged, chest up, shoulders rolled back and down, and weights in your hands hanging beneath your chest with your palms facing you.
• Pull the weights out to the side and away from your body and squeeze your back muscles like you’re pinching the base of your shoulder blades together.
• While in this wide row position, bring your arms down and inch or two and then back up to perform a pulse. 
• Slowly lower the weights down again to the starting position and repeat.

Move 2: Tricep Pushup (:40)

• Come into a tall plank position, with your core engaged (no arched back) and hands 2-3 inches apart and stacked below your chest. 
• Bend your elbows and slowly lower yourself down while 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 body straight and your core engaged, press back up to your start position and repeat.
• 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.
• Use the Push-up Progression Tutorial to work your way through all the types of push ups.

Superset 3: 4 Sets

Starter (1 Round): Dead Bugs (:45)

• Lie face-up with your arms extended toward the ceiling, directly over your shoulders, and knees bent at 90 degrees over your hips, calves parallel to the floor.
• Keeping your shoulders down and feet flexed, engage your core by pressing your lower back into the mat and extend your right arm and left leg away from you until straight out.
• Bring your arm and leg back in and repeat with the other sides. 
• MOD: Keep knees bent and touch your heel down to the mat instead of extending.

Move 1: Hinged Reverse Grip Row to Fly (:30)

• Stand with your core engaged, chest up, shoulders rolled back, and dumbbells in hand (palms facing in front of you).
• 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 for a row while keeping your elbows close to the body and squeezing your back muscles like you’re pinching the base of your shoulder blades together.
• Return to your hanging position and with your palms still facing in front of you, kick your arms straight back by initiating at the base of your shoulder blades (your palms will end facing the floor).

Move 2: Biceps Curl to Lateral Raise (:40)

• Begin standing, holding your weighted objects with your palms facing you, pull your shoulder blades back and down with your core engaged. 
• Keeping the upper arms stationary, perform a bicep curl with both arms by curling the weight up to your shoulder while contracting your biceps (palms facing you). 
• Reverse the movement to return to your starting position and then perform a lateral raise by raising your arms out to the sides, leading with your elbows and keeping your wrists and elbows in line. (Keep your shoulder blades pulled down and back throughout the lateral raise).
• Return to your starting position and repeat back and forth. 

Bonus Abs: 2 sets 

(see form notes above)

• Low Plank Spider Climbers (:30)
• Russian Twists (:30)
• Dead Bugs (:30)