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Gym Workout 13: Upper Body

Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any new workout routine. Following this workout is always at your own risk. Listen to your body during exercise, and stop immediately if you experience any discomfort or pain.


The Gym Workout Plan consists of 24 different workouts with a 4-day workout split, meaning that we rotate between Upper Body, Lower Body, Total Body, and then Cardio+Core workouts. For more info on the Gym Workout Plan click here. A home workout version of this workout can be found here.



Equipment for this workout: Barbell, two dumbbells, pull up station, cardio machine


Info: Start with a warm-up for the upper body. Todays workout consists of a couple pyramid routines, start off with fewer reps, then you add reps with each set (round) and lower them back down again with additional sets. Routines in between pyramid routines are on a cardio machine. Add a finisher if you feel you need a little extra and end with a stretches.

If it says e.g. 4/4x then I mean finishing 4 reps first on the right side (R) and then 4 on the left (L). If it says e.g. 8x and this is an exercise that tests both R and L then this is the total number of repetitions and you alternate between R and L. I will note the benchmark weight under each exercise routine, please comment the weights you were using so you know when you go back to the exercise.


Upper body warm-up:

A.

1 round, optional foam roll:

  1. 5-8/5-8x shoulders (fascia release ball)

  2. 5-8/5-8x chest (fascia release ball) 

  3. 5-8/5-8x traps (fascia release ball) 

  4. 5-8/5-8x upper back (fascia release ball) 

  5. Add extra fascia release exercises if you feel the need to

B.

1 round:

C.

2 rounds:

Benchmark weight: Beginner 2x4-6lbs dumbbells, more advanced 2x8-13lbs dumbbells.

  1. 10x bicep curl (two dumbbells)

  2. 10x tricep kick back (two dumbbells)

  3. 10x shoulder press (two dumbbells)

  4. 10x bent over row (two dumbbells)

Exercise routine 1:

Benchmark weight: Beginner 2x6-11lbs dumbbells or 22lbs barbell. More advanced 2x22+lbs dumbbells or 45+lbs barbell.

8-10-12-10-8 (5 rounds, first round 8 reps of all exercises, next round 10 reps, third round 12 reps, fourth round 10 reps and finally 8 reps again). 

  1. Bent over row (two dumbbells or barbell)

  2. Wide grip standing row  (two dumbbells or barbell)

  3. Shoulder press or push press if you have too much weight (two dumbbells or barbell)

Rest as needed after each round - aim for 40 seconds

Exercise routine 2:

  1. 2 min cardio machine (difficult speed the whole time, breath in through nose and out through mouth). Log your speed/distance/cal.. to have a benchmark for exercise routine 4 and the finisher

Exercise routine 3:

Benchmark weight: Beginner 2x5-10lbs dumbbells More advanced 2x10-22+lbs. 

 8-10-12-10-8 

  1. Bicep curl (two heavier dumbbells)

  2. Lateral lifts (two lighter dumbbells)

  3. Dips (dip station or bench)

Rest as needed after each round - aim for 40 seconds

Exercise routine 4:

  1. 2 min cardio machine (try to keep the same speed/distance/cal... as exercise routine 2)

Exercise routine 5:

Benchmark weight: Beginner use your own body weight minus 22-45lbs. So if you are 170lbs then adjust the weight of the machine to 130-150. More advanced use as light weight as you can on the pull up machine or use an exercise band or do negative pull ups where you start in the top position and go slowly down.

3 rounds:

  1. Max pull ups (pull up station)

Rest as needed after each round - aim for 60 seconds

Finisher

  1. 2 min on cardio machine (if you can keep the same or faster tempo as in exercise routines 2 and 4)

Stretches

Add any stretches you feel the need to


Let me know in the comments how this workout was for you! And please share it with others so it can serve a greater purpose.

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