2 New Workouts – Upper Body + A Bodyweight, Lower Body Workout

This is Week 1, Day 1 of an upper body session for an online client. My Online Programming has actually become 40% of my entire business, which is way more than I would have imagined when I first started.  There are week to week progressions, and the exercises + warm-ups are altered every 4 weeks.

I have some people whose programs I have been writing every single month since 2012! It’s absolutely incredible what you can do over the long-term with training, nutrition, and your overall health. This is why I do not take short-term clients.

This is a client who is shifting from the powerlifting life, to maintaining strength, looking better, and moving a little smoother. Still wants to move some heavy weights here and there, but the priorities are shifting. It’s my job to facilitate that transition. They are completing this at a home gym, so I can only program what they have access to.

The circuit at the end is separate and just something similar to what I’ll do on off/recovery days for myself.

Day 1 – Upper Body

Warm-up

• Foam roll upper body (upper back, lats)
• Mini band pull apart series 1×10 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M8t5xJNcrSk)
• 6-8lb Medball or Plate halo x 8/e direction
• Facepull, ext rotation, press – 1×12 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOloBjyRavQ )

DB Shrugs

• Single arm – 2×15

Barbell Bench Press

• 70% – 3×6

A1.) Barbell or Swiss Bar Seal Row

• 3×6-8 (heavy)

A2.) DB Bench Press

• DB Floor press – 3×10

B1.) Seated Thick Band Pulldown

• 3×8-10 – 4 count eccentric

B2.) Overhead Band Tricep Extensions

• 3 count eccentric, 2 count hold in the contracted position – 3×8

Abs – Banded Crunch – 2×12-15 (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NaUiRZpjabI )

*A1/A2 are paired together, so perform set 1 of A1, rest 60-90 seconds, perform set 1 of A2. 

Bodyweight Lower Body Circuit

• Bird-dog pressing back foot into a stationary object x 5 count hold – 5/e side
• Standing hip circles x 5/e (Watch Here)
• Prisoner squat x 15
• X-Band Walk x 15/e
• Split squat iso-hold x 20 seconds
• Side plank with hip drop x 10/e
• Hip airplane x 5/e
• Messier squat x 10/e (Watch Here)

*These are set up specifically because I like how the preceding exercise influences the next. Hip airplanes lead to smoother lateral lunges for me.

Squat Finisher (1-2x)

• Holding onto something, perform 10 squats, then hold 10 seconds on the 10th rep, then perform 9 reps, hold 9 seconds on the last, down to 4-5.
• Your quads will be on fire after this