Upper Body + Plyo Blast Workout

By Kim C. March 25, 2014

This week’s workout is focused on upper body, but I mixed in some plyometrics (jump training) to keep your heart rate up. The only equipment is a chair and some dumbbells, but you need heavy weights. I listed approximate ranges to give you an idea of what weight to use. The whole workout should take you around 20 minutes. If you are looking for something longer, repeat the whole thing twice through. Move slowly when you are lifting to make sure you aren’t cheating and relying on momentum. During the plyo intervals, move as fast as you can while keeping good form (this is your cardio!). Let me know how it goes!

*Disclaimer: I am NOT a doctor, medical professional, or anyone else with any special expertise. I am designing these workouts to share what I do for workouts so that you can try them if you’d like, but always check with your doctor and listen to your body.

Shawn Johnson's The Body Department - Upper Body + Plyo Blast Workout

 

I couldn’t figure out what to do with my face when facing the camera so sorry for the weirdness. The problem is that I have BRF lol.

Notes on Form:
Bicep Curls – Keep your elbows pinned to your sides. At the top, stop before the weights to your shoulder.

Overhead Press – Start with your elbows just below shoulder level. Press up, keeping your arms in line, and don’t lock your elbows at the top.

Tricep extension – Hold one weight overhead with two hands. Lower the weight behind your head, keeping your arms by your ears, you should just be able to see your elbows in your peripheral vision. Lower to 90 degrees, then raise back to the top.

Elevated push-ups – Put your feet up on a chair, bench, or stability ball and do a push-up. Beginners keep your feet on the ground (go to your knees if you really need to).

Jump lunges – Lower into a lunge, front knee in line with your ankle, legs bent at 90 degrees. Explode up, jumping into the air, switching your feet and landing in a lunge with the opposite foot forward.

Jump squats – Squat down, sticking your butt back, chest up, don’t let your knees come over your toes. Jump up, land softly back in a squat position.

Plie squat jumps – Feet wide apart, toes pointing out, lower straight down keeping a straight back, aiming your knees in the direction of your toes (but don’t let them go past your toes). Jump up a few inches off the ground, then land back in the plie squat position.

Burpees – See the breakdown here.

Front press – Arms bent at 90 degrees in front of you face, elbows in line with your shoulders. Press up, keeping the thumb side of your hand facing you and maintaining the spacing of your elbows.

Tricep push-up – Like a normal push-up, but rotate your arms so that your elbows stay right next to your ribs.

Hammer curls – Just like a normal bicep curl, but you lead with the thumb side of your hand, as if you were raising a hammer.

Lateral raise – Keep a slight bend in your elbows, raising your arms out to your sides. Keep your hands in line with your elbows or below them (aka, don’t lead with your hands, the weights should never be higher than your elbows).

Arnold press – Start with palm side of your hand facing your face. As you press up, rotate the weights as you go. At the top of the press, your hands should be facing the opposite direction. Reverse the motion to lower.

Tricep dips – Feet straight out in front of you, bend your knees if you need to. Lower your body straight down.

Posterior fly – Bend forward slightly, slight bend in your knees. Raise your arms out to the side, leading with the pinky edge of your hand. You are targeting the back of your shoulder.

Front raise – Don’t lock your elbows. Raise both arms straight out in front of you shoulder width apart, stopping at shoulder level.

*This workout was originally published on Kim’s blog, Busy Bod. For more from Kim visit www.busy-bod.com!

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