10-Minute At Home Upper Body HIIT Workout (no equipment required)

Happy day-before-Thanksgiving, everyone!  Here's the last installment of the 10-minute HIIT workout mini series!  If you missed parts 1 & 2, I'd definitely recommend checking them out (here and here).  Combined with today's upper body work, they'll give you a total body workout in 30 minutes, or separate them out for a quick-but-effective sweat sesh when you're short on time (like this week during the holiday).  You don't need any equipment (except a timer and some room on the floor), so grab a friend or family member and let's work those arms today!

10-Minute At Home Upper Body HIIT Workout

Start with Pair 1 and go through each pair for 1 minute (30 seconds for each exercise).  Go through the entire workout twice for a total of 10 minutes.  Try not to take any breaks until the time is up!  Let's work those arms!

Pair 1

Push Up to Side Plank - start by performing a single push up, then turn to a side plank on your right side, keeping the hips neutral and feet stacked, wrist under your shoulder.  Lift your left arm up toward the ceiling and turn your head to look at your hand.  Reverse the movement and immediately go down into another push up.  Now turn onto the left side and repeat the side plank, lifting the right arm up.  Keep alternating for 30 seconds.

Mountain Climbers - you know these by now. :)  Just remember to keep those shoulders over your wrists, and abs in tight as you bring your knees to your chest.  "Climb" for 30 seconds.

Pair 2

Narrow Grip Push Ups - here you'll keep your elbows close by your sides as you perform a push up to really target those triceps.  Keep going for 30 seconds.  Trainer Tip: you can do these from your knees, too.

Jump Reaches - squat down so your finger tips touch the floor, then propel yourself up into the air reaching toward the ceiling, arms up tall by your ears.  Immediately go back down into a squat, and jump up again.  Keep going for 30 seconds.

Pair 3

Palms Up Jumping Jacks - like regular jumping jacks, but keep your arms horizontal (swinging them in front of you rather than overhead) with your palms facing up.  Cross your arms in the middle, alternating which hand is on top.  Continue for 30 seconds.

Plank Shoulder Taps - start in a high plank and lift one hand off the floor to tap the opposite shoulder.  Place it back down and do the same on the other side.  The key here is to keep your hips square with the floor - try not to twist to the side as you lift your arms.  Keep alternating taps for 30 seconds.

Pair 4

Tricep Push Ups (right) - lie down on your left side, with your left arm crossed over your chest, and right arm over it with that hand placed on the floor.  Use that arm to push your upper body up off the floor.  Try to get your right arm as straight as you can (pushing all the way up).  Continue the push ups for 30 seconds.

Tricep Push Ups (left) - same position and movement, but on the left side.

Pair 5

Plank to Pike Leg Lift - start in a high plank, abs engaged and spine neutral.  Press yourself back into a pike position, staying strong in the shoulders, and lift one leg up straight.  Place that leg back down and lower yourself back down into a plank.  Press up again and lift the other leg up into the air.  Keep alternating plank to press + leg lift for 30 seconds.

Dive Bomb Push Ups - these ones are fun!  Start in a pike position, head down so the crown of your head is facing the ground, and your gaze is back toward your feet.  From here, lower yourself down so the crown of your head touches the ground, and push yourself back up.  Remember to keep that pike position throughout the entire movement.  Continue for 30 seconds.

Remember to go through that entire series once more for the full 10-minute workout.  Enjoy! 

Readers: chat with me!  What workouts are you keeping readily available during your holidays?  Do you try to get your family and friends active with you?  What are your plans for the rest of the week?  Whatever you're up to, I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!  :)

Resistance Band Upper Body Superset Workout

Resistance bands are one of the most versatile pieces of fitness equipment.  They can be used to work just about every muscle in the body.  They're also great for traveling with since they're super light and hardly take up any space in your bag.  Do you have a set of bands?  How do you like to use them?  I'm a HUGE fan of bands both during the classes I teach and my own personal workouts.  

I'm also a huge fan of supersets.  A superset is when you do 2 exercises usually targeting the same muscle group back to back with no break.  They are a GREAT way to change up your routine a bit, and add a little bit of an extra challenge to stimulate muscle hypertrophy (growth).  Today's workout is all about the band and the muscles in the upper body.  Ready to get your sweat on and make those arm muscles pop?  Let's get right to it and start your Monday off right!

Resistance Band Upper Body Superset Workout

Equipment Needed: just a heavier resistance band and some room on the floor, plus a water bottle or sweat towel.
What You'll Do: repeat each superset 3 times before moving onto the next.  Once through should be enough of a workout for your whole upper body, but if you want to repeat the workout once more to really get a good burn, be my guest!

Superset 1: Biceps

15 Bicep Curls - stand on the band with your feet about hip width apart, holding a handle in each hand.  Curl up doing a regular bicep curl for 15 reps, keeping your elbows by your ribs.  Trainer Tip: for less resistance, stand on the band with one foot instead of two.  For increased resistance, loop the band once around both feet to shorten the length.

15 Second Hold - keep the band in the same position as you had it with the curls.  All you'll do here is keep a 90˚ angle in your arms and hold the band up.  Remember to keep your elbows by your ribs here, too.

Repeat superset 2 more times.

Superset 2: Back

20 Lawnmowers (each side) - stand in a semi-lunge position with your left leg forward, right leg back straight, band underneath your left foot and handle out on the right side.  (Make sure your foot is relatively close to the handle to allow resistance when you pull.)  Using your right arm (left arm is lightly propped on your knee), pull the band up to your chest while turning your upper body to look toward the ceiling.  Release it back down close to the floor.  Pull up again.  Repeat that motion for 20 reps on the right arm, and then switch to the other side.

10 Lat Pull Downs - stand with your feet hip width apart, hands holding the band with about 1-2 feet between them (handles will dangle down).  Raise your hands above your head to start.  From here, pull the band while bringing your arms down, trying to bring your shoulder blades together.  So, your elbows and the band come slightly behind you as you pull down.  Slowly raise it back up to above your head.  Do 10 reps total.

Repeat superset 2 more times.

Superset 3: Back/Chest

20 Seated Rows - sit down with your legs out straight, feet flexed and band around them with handles crossed.  Keeping your back up straight and chest up, pull the handles toward your chest.  Trainer Tip: keep your elbows down (not winged), palms facing each other (not toward the floor), and relax your shoulders.

10 Resisted Push Ups - get into a push up position (either on your feet or your knees) with the band looped over your upper back, and underneath your hands to hold it in place.  From here, do a regular push up.  You should feel resistance from the band on the concentric phase of the push up (the actual push back up).  Trainer Tip: if you don't feel a resistance, you may need to shorten the amount of band that's behind your back.  To do this, just move your hands farther up the band and place them back down on the floor.

Repeat superset 2 more times.

Superset 4: Triceps

20 Tricep Extensions (each side) - in a standing position, hold the band vertically with one arm raised above you, elbow bent, palm facing forward, and the other arm bent behind you, palm facing away.  From here, hold the band tight and in place with the bottom arm while you take your top arm and pull the band up, moving only from elbow to wrist (shoulder to elbow stays stationary).  Do 20 reps on one arm, and then switch sides.  Trainer Tip: to decrease the resistance here, simply move your grip farther away on the band; to increase resistance, move your hands closer together.

10 Straight Arm Frontal Raises - stand with one foot on top of the band and a handle in each hand, arms by your sides, palms facing backwards.  From here, keep your arms straight and lift them up as high as you can (max = up to shoulder height).  Lower them back down.  Keep lifting for 10 reps.  Trainer Tip: to increase resistance here, stand on the band with both feet.

Repeat superset 2 more times.

There you have it!  How do your arms feel?  I hope you all had a great weekend (and Halloween!) and your week is off to a good start.  Oh, and happy November!  Did you enjoy your extra hour of sleep yesterday?

Readers: chat with me!  Do you use resistance bands in your workouts?  Do you typically use them at the gym or at home?  How many of you travel with bands to get a good workout in while you're away?

Buns & Guns Dumbbell Circuit Workout

Good morning!  How was your weekend?  I'm in full-fledged packing mode now as my boyfriend and I are moving in together in 2 weeks!  It's a super exciting time, but also getting a bit stressful.  He and I were wondering how we were going to fit in our workouts at the gym between all this packing and cleaning of both our apartments.  And you know what?  We aren't.  The packing and hauling is a workout enough!  It's not anything close to what we'd do in the gym, but I'm trying to remember rest is important during these stressful and sometimes exhausting times.  Luckily he does have a set of resistance bands and a few dumbbells at his place, so if there's time, I'll probably try to fit in this workout at least once while we're here!

This one's a fun circuit workout that targets your glutes (buns) and biceps & shoulders (guns).  All you need is a set of dumbbells and some floor space, so if you have some weights at home, grab 'em and have some fun!  And of course, you can do this one in the gym, too.  Keep reading for the details of the workout and a note on selecting an appropriate amount of weight.

Buns & Guns Dumbbell Circuit Workout

Equipment needed: a set of medium to heavy dumbbells and some floor space.  
For beginners: I'd recommend 8-10lbs, and go through this circuit twice (once per leg with 1 set of curls and 1 set of presses).
For more advanced fitness levels: I'd recommend 10-12lbs, and go through this circuit 4 times (twice per leg, and 2 sets of curls & presses total).

Here's an example:
Circuit 1 = right leg all the way through with 10 bicep curls between each exercise
Circuit 2 = left leg all the way through with 10 shoulder presses between each exercise
if you want to continue...
Circuit 3 = repeat right leg w/ bicep curls
Circuit 4 = repeat left leg w/ shoulder presses
Feel free to modify the amount of curls and presses you do between each exercise based on your own fitness level.

20 Dumbbell Curtsey Lunges + Pulse - start standing with a dumbbell in each hand by your sides.  Holding the dumbbells by your side, bring one foot diagonally back behind you (e.g. with your right foot, step back and to the left, like a curtsey).  As you step, make sure you're lunging down, and pulse once before coming back to standing.  Do 20 lunges.

20 Single Leg Deadlifts - start standing with a dumbbell in each hand.  Keeping one foot planted on the ground and that leg straight, slowly lower the dumbbells as close to the floor as you can, lifting the other leg straight out behind you as you go down, forming a T position with your body.  Slowly raise yourself back up to starting position for 1 rep.  Continue the deadlifts for 20 reps total.

25 Single Leg Glute Bridges (weighted) - lie on the ground, one leg bent with your foot flat on the floor, other leg raised high in the air.  Keep a dumbbell resting on your hips/lower abdomen, and raise your pelvis up toward the ceiling, activating your glutes and quads.  Lower yourself back down to the floor.  Keep raising your pelvis up for 25 reps, making sure to squeeze your glutes at the top of the raise.  Trainer Tip: if the added resistance of the weight is too much, do them without the dumbbell.  If you need to, you can also do them with both feet on the ground.

30 Runner Stance Heel Touches - crouch down on one leg, hands on the ground, other leg extended back behind you, toes lightly touching the floor, as if in a runner's stance.  (All your weight should be on the front leg here.)  From here, bring your back leg forward so your toes meet the heel of your stationary foot.  Extend the that leg back out, tap your toes to the floor again, and bring it back in to meet your heel.  Continue that pattern for 30 reps.  Trainer Tip: your front leg should be bent such that your quads engage, but you shouldn't be crouched so far down that your butt is touching your lower leg.

30 Kneeling Rainbows - get in an all-fours position on the ground, with one leg extended out straight, toes touching the floor.  From here, you'll make a "rainbow" in the air with your leg by bringing it up as high as you can and arching over side to side.  Do 30 "rainbows" total on one leg. 

Remember to go through this circuit on your other leg next to get 'em both feelin' the burn, then once more each side for the full workout, alternating bicep curls or shoulder presses between each exercise.  Enjoy! 

Readers: chat with me!   How was your weekend?  Do anything awesome?  What's your favorite glute burner exercise?  How about for your arms?