Wednesdays’ Upper Body Strength and Conditioning Plan
Like Monday’s workout, you’ll start your Wednesday with the warm-up and then step right straight into some sprints. Once you get your heart pumping, you’ll move on to building muscle in your upper body. Get ready to flex!
Wednesday Week 1 Plan
CIRCUIT 1 (Intervals), repeat for 5 rounds
1. 15-Second Sprint
2. 45-Second Res
*You want to reach about and 8 or 9 on your level of perceived exertion during the sprint (translation: you should be breathing heavy!).
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CIRCUIT 2 (TRX)
If you don’t have a suspension system, don’t fret. You can easily crank out the first four moves with dumbbells or a resistance band. For the final two, you just need your feet on a sliding surface, say, a towel on your kitchen floor or like Marraccini is using, opt for gliders.
1. 1-Minute TRX Mid Row
How to: Holding a handle of the TRX in each hand, palms facing each other, walk your feet forward to hit a reverse plank. Abs should stay tight through the entire exercise (a). Use your back muscles to pull your elbows back and body forward, keeping your body in a straight line. Elbows should stay in close to your sides (b). Slowly lower back down (c). Repeat.
2. 1-Minute High Row
How to: Holding the handle of a TRX in each hand, palms facing the floor, walk your feet forward to hit a reverse plank. Abs should stay tight through the entire exercise (a). Keeping your elbows high, pull yourself up until your wrists are about in line with your shoulders (b). Slowly lower back down (c). Repeat.
3. 1-Minute Bicep Curls
How to: Holding the handle of a TRX in each hand, palms facing toward the ceiling, walk your feet forward to hit a reverse plank. Abs should stay tight through the entire exercise (a). Keeping your elbows in line with shoulders, bend them as you bring your hands toward your forehead to perform a curl (b). Slowly lower back to the start (c). Repeat.
4. 1-Minute Triceps Extension
How to: Holding the handle of a TRX in each hand, palms facing the floor, come to the other side of the TRX (facing away from the hook). Walk your feet back to hit a regular plank-like position. Abs should stay tight through the entire exercise (a). Keeping your elbows in line with shoulders, bend them as you lower down, bringing your hands toward your forehead. Your body should remain in one straight line (b). Slowly push back up to the start (c). Repeat.
5. 1-Minute Push-Ups with Knee Tucks
How to: With your toes on gliders or a towel, get into a high plank position, shoulders over wrists and body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles (a). Perform on triceps push-up (b). At the top of the plank, pull your knees in toward your chest, then straighten them back out behind you (c). Repeat.
6. 1-Minute Body Saw to Pike
How to: With your toes on gliders or a towel, get into a forearm plank position, shoulders over elbows and body in a straight line from shoulders to ankles (a). Push off your toes to move your body forward, shoulders coming behind elbows (b). As your push yourself forward again, come up into a high plank position (c). Then, using your abs, pull your hips up to hit a pike, legs straight (d). Push your feet back and hips down, returning to your forearm plank as you go (e). Repeat.
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CIRCUIT 3 (Core Work)
1. 1-Minute Standing Resistance Trunk Twist, repeat for 2-3 rounds
How to: Standing with your side to the band’s anchor, feet hip-width apart and slight bend in the knees. Grab both end of the band with both hands in front of your waist, slight bend in the elbows. You should be far enough away from the anchor that you feel resistance in keeping the handles in front of you (a). Engaging your abs, pull the band to your opposite, away from the anchor (b). Return back to neutral and repeat.
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Wednesday Week 2 Plan
CIRCUIT 1 (Intervals), repeat for 5 rounds
1. 30-Second Sprint
2. 30-Second Rest
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CIRCUIT 2 (Resistance Bands)
Anchor a resistance band to a chair or door for these moves. If you don’t have one, dumbbells work, too.
1. 1-Minute Chest Press
How to: Start standing facing away from the band’s anchor, with your feet staggered (you’ll switch at the 30-second mark). Hold one end of the band in each hand and lean slightly forward, front leg bent (a). Keeping your abs tight, push your arms straight up, close to your ears (b). Bend your elbows again and return them to your sides, with control (c). Repeat.
2. 1-Minute Push-Up Alt Arm Raise
How to: Face away from the band’s anchor. Holding the end of the band with each hand, get into a high plank position, shoulders over wrist and body in a straight line (a). Perform one push-up (b). When you reach the top, raise one arm straight by your eat (elbow straight) (c). Repeat from the top, this time switching arms (d). Continue alternating.
3. 1-Minute Row
How to: Facing the band’s anchor, grab one end in each hand, palms facing each other and elbows extended. Stand with feet hip-width apart and sit down into a shallow squat, chest up and shoulders back (a). Keeping your elbows in close to your sides, pull the band back until your hands are in line with your ribs (b). Slowly return then straight out in front of you (c). Repeat.
4. 1-Minute Triceps Kickback
How to: Facing the band’s anchor, start standing with feet hip-width apart, slight bend in your knees. Bend over at the hips with a flat back, shoulders back. Grab one end of the band in each hand, palms facing each other and elbows bent by your sides (a). Maintaining a flat back and neutral pelvis, pull the band back as your straighten your arms behind you (b). Return to start and repeat.
5. 1-Minute Y to I
How to: Start standing facing the band’s anchor, feet hip-width apart and slight bend in the knees. Grab the end of the band in each hand, palms facing you and arms straight down by your sides (a). Keep your abs tight and spine neutral as you extend your arms straight overhead into an I shape (b). Lower them back down (c). Lift your arms overhead again, this time bringing them slightly out to the sides to form a Y shape (d). Return back down and repeat.
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CIRCUIT 3 (Core Work), repeat for 2-3 rounds
1. 1-Minute Standing Resistance Trunk Twist
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Wednesday Week 3 Plan
CIRCUIT 1 (Intervals, repeat for 5 rounds
1. 45-Second Sprint
2. 15-Second Rest
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CIRCUIT 2 (Dumbbells)
Today is all about those weights! Some of these moves might look familiar, while others are brand new. Either way, don’t be afraid to grab heavy dumbbells. You’re stronger than you think.
1. 1-Minute Floor Press
How to: Lie on your back, knees bent and feet planted on the floor (a). Holding two dumbbells, palms facing away from you, start with arms straight with dumbbells over shoulders (b). Slowly lower the weights to the ground, bending the elbows to a 90-degree angle (c). Push the weights back overhead (d). Repeat.
2. 1-Minute Skull Crushers
How to: Lying on your back, knees bent and feet planted on the floor. Hold two dumbbells together overhead, right in front of your chest (a). Bend at the elbows so the dumbbells come to the outside of your face; elbows stay high (b). Extend your elbows to bring the dumbbells back to start (c). Repeat.
3. 1-Minute Strict Press
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart, slight bend in your knees. Hold the weights in racked position (a). Push the weights straight overhead, biceps by your ears (b). Lower back down with control (c). Repeat.
4. 1-Minute Bent Over Lateral Raise
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart, slight bend in your knees. Bend over at the waist with a flat back. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other (a). Maintaining a neutral spine, lift your arms straight out to the sides with a slight bend in your elbows (b). Bring your arms back down slowly (c). Repeat.
5. 1-Minute Bent Over Row
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart, slight bend in your knees. Bend over at the waist with a flat back. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other (a). Maintaining a neutral spine, pull your elbows back, keeping them close to your sides (b). Extend your arms straight out in front of you again (c). Repeat.
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CIRCUIT 3 (Core Work), repeat for 2-3 rounds
1. 1-Minute Standing Resistance Trunk Twist
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Wednesday Week 4 Plan
CIRCUIT 1 (Intervals), repeat for 5 rounds
1. 1-Minute Sprint
2. 10-Second Rest
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CIRCUIT 2 (Strength)
We’re rounding out your upper body plan with a mix of dumbbells, med balls and bands. If you you’re lacking on equipment, go straight bodyweight only, but move a little faster (don’t forget to focus on form!). And if you do have the weights, keep reaching for a heavier set.
1. 1-Minute Dumbbell Bent Over Row
2. 1-Minute Med Ball Slam
How to: Standing with feet hip-width apart, slight bend in your knees, bring a med ball straight overhead. Engage your abs so you don’t arch your back (a). Slam the ball into the ground, using your arms and keeping your abs tight (b). Grab the ball and repeat.
3. 1-Minute Dumbbell Strict Press
See week #3.
4. 1-Minute Reverse Bear Crawl
How to: Start standing with feet hip-width apart and reach down to place your palms on the ground (a). With a slight bend in your knees, hips raised, step one hand and the opposite foot backward and then the other. You want to move at a switch pace and use the power of your legs to move backward (b).
5. 1-Minute Push-Up Alt Arm Raise
How to: Face away from the band’s anchor. Holding the end of the band with each hand, get into a high plank position, shoulders over wrist and body in a straight line (a). Perform one push-up (b). When you reach the top, raise one arm straight by your eat (elbow straight) (c). Repeat from the top, this time switching arms (d). Continue alternating.
6. 1-Minute Burpees
How to: Start standing, then drop your hands to the floor and jump your feet back to a plank position (a). Drop your chest all the way to the ground and push yourself back up (b). Jump your feet back up to your hands (c). Jump up into the air and pull your knees into your chest for a tuck jump (d). Land softly back down and repeat.
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CIRCUIT 3 (Core Work), repeat for 2-3 rounds
1. 1-Minute Standing Resistance Trunk Twist