We are back for our second workout! I hope you all enjoyed the lower body workout last week, and if you haven’t done it yet, give it a try because you will break a sweat and it will leave you sore but feeling good. This week, I have an upper body workout, which will target the shoulders and the back. It is starting to heat up and so it is perfect for you all to do it outside and burn those extra calories. I did this workout in the garage, and, by the end of it, I was dripping sweat.
This workout is not too difficult, but it definitely gives you a good burn. I know many of you may not have dumbbells at home, so I demonstrated with a bottle of bleach as my weight to give you ideas of alternatives to use. The whole point is to just add in extra weight to push yourself and help build that muscle! All you need for this workout is a resistance band — if you have one — , extra weight — dumbbells, water jug, bleach, etc. — and an elevated surface. Play your favorite playlist and let’s warm up!
Warm Up
10 minute jog or 30 minute walk
Stretch
Arm Circles15 seconds each side, repeat twice
Behind the Head Single Arm StretchHold for 15 each
Cross Body Single Arm StretchHold for 15 each
Resistance Band Shoulder Stretch20 each side, repeat twice
Workout
Shoulder Press
Three sets of 15Start with shoulders and elbows in a straight line with arms bentPush your weights directly up The inner side of the weights should be above the middle of your headSlowly bring out and down
Front Raises
Three sets of 15Start with weights in front of you with your elbows slightly bent Raise up and lower slowly back down
Lateral Raises
Three sets of 15Weights to the side of you with your elbows slightly bentLift up and turn your hands inward slightly (all in one motion)Act like you’re pouring a glass of waterRaise until your arm is in a straight line then lower back down
Incline Push-up
Three sets of 12Place hands slightly farther than shoulder-width apart on your elevated surfaceMake sure your body is in a straight line and engage your corePush down and up (do not let your hips sink in)
Decline Push-up
Three sets of 12Place your feet on the elevated surfacePlace hands slightly farther than shoulder width apart on the groundMake sure your body is in a straight line and engage your corePush down and up (do not let your hips sink in)
Resistance Band Single Arm Rows
Three sets of 15Wrap your resistance band around a pole or anything with heightSlightly bend your back and knees With one arm grab the band and pull it straight back to your sideSqueeze and then release back up
SuperMans
Three sets of 15Lay your stomach on the ground with your arms out in front of youLift your chest and arms up and bring your arms back to the side of you simultaneously Squeeze and then release back to starting position
Abs Finisher
Flutter Kicks
Three sets of 20Sit down and place your hands behind your back, either shoulder-width apart or in a triangle and place behind your backLean back at a slight angle with your legs straight out and elevatedDo small side to side motion crossing your legs
Toe Touches
Three sets of 20Lay down on your back and raise your legs up directly above your hipsLift your shoulder blades off the ground and touch your toes with your hands
Bicycles
Three sets of 20Lay down on your back and engage your coreLift your shoulder blades off the ground and place hands behind your headBring one arm forward with the opposite leg and then switch
Resistance Band Leg Raises
Three sets of 20Place band around a heavy or stable object Lay down on your back and place your feet within the bandSlowly bring your legs up towards your chest and then back downIf you cannot go all the way up, it is okay because the bands limit your range of motion
I hope this workout shows how you can make use of anything and still get a good workout in. Next week, I’ll be posting a high-intensity interval training workout to get our heart rates up and sweat like no other. I hope you all are staying safe and healthy, both mentally and physically!