Name: Playbook - Niki SugarySixpack - Upper body sculpt pairs (dumbbells)
Uploaded: 2024-03-28T18:05:10.190Z
Duration: 17 min
Description: Upper body sculpt pairs (dumbbells)

Need:
Dumbbells 
Something to place hands on for an incline path up (alternatively do full on the ground)

**if you use the warm up and cool down it adds ~10 min**

Goal for each timed pair is 3-4 rounds. If you get through 4, move to the next pair. This should be a fairly quick upper body burner😁

Rest given within the circuit is for after completing 4 rounds or time is up.

Targeting the back, triceps and chest!

Move with intention, great form, core and breath mindfulness.

Not every workout has to be crushingly hard or leave you dripping sweat. It’s good for the body to have some variation in intensity throughout the week. Upper body day can sometimes be a day that doesn’t feel that way and it’s important to know that’s ok! It doesn’t mean the workout isn’t effective.

Go through each exercise continuously only resting quickly if needed.

-Keep majority of motion in the thoracic spine, not dumping into low back
-Exhale to arch (cat), inhale to cow
-Slow, controlled and intentional
-Don’t push range of motion to discomfort

Cat cow

-Keep hips lifted and picture a line from knees to head with hips, ribs and head in line
-Keep length through the body
-Avoid hips, ribs or waist sinking towards the floor
-Deep core engaged through movement to stabilize
-Move with control
-Repeat reps on both sides

Plank reach right

Plank reach left

-Engage deep core and use lower abs to lift knees off the ground
-Keep hips ribs and head stacked for good alignment
-Keep a light length through your torso
-See core breathing/ core hold tutorials

Quadruped lift off

-Targeting the serratus anterior muscle
-This is a small range of motion
-If you are struggling to isolate the movement, think shoulder blades pulling straight together across your back and sliding down to your armpits as you press up
-This is not a thoracic mobility exercise, upper back should stay pretty netural
-Use whatever core technique feels best for you - gentle core hold or core breath along with movement can work
-Elbows aren't moving along with the exercise like a traditional push up
-Be mindful of tension in neck

Scapular push up

-Hips, ribs and head are stacked with a light length through the body
-Core stays connected through the movement, still breathing! See core hold tutorial in core function playlist
-Elbows under shoulders
-Very slight anterior pelvic tilt (tucked). Imagine ribs and hips are lightly connected by a string
-Move feet side, middle, side as quickly as you feel comfortable keeping good form
-Raise arms up on a chair/step/bench to modify

Quadruped triple tap.

-Intensify by moving off knees into regular push up position during push up portion
-Core works with breath through the movement. Exhale and engage on exertion. Core should be engaged when stretched out in ‘plank’ position
-core should help lift/hold torso off of the ground when pressing back

Pressback

-Twist open through the upper mid back, in the thoracic spine - not low back
-Exhale lightly connect to core, move
-Flow through with intention - don't push range of motion or speed through movement
-Be mindful of just trying to reach with arm and not twisting
-Hold reach through for just a second or two, we're flowing through here
-Keep in mind optimal alignment of torso(hips, ribs and head stacked in line)
-Can sit on something lower if feels better
-If you have a severed diastasis, be extra mindful of how this is affecting your core!

Thoracic windmills

-Hinge at hips to bend. Can adjust depth as needed for comfort
-Lats engage before moving arms
-Core works with breath through movement (see core hold/core breathing tutorial)

Raise & rotate

-Rotate palms up as arms open back to feel a chest stretch
-Move with control

Hug yourself

Warm up

Take rest after time is up or getting through 4 rounds.

-intensify by moving to a lower surface or the floor
-deep core is engaged through entire movement (see core hold tutorial on core function section)
-Core stabilizes especially in the X tap. Minimal shift in the body while lifting limbs. Core should feel this effort 
-hips ribs and head are stacked in line
-elbows go back in a wide V not straight out to sides (better for shoulders)
-chin is tucked
-light length through torso

Incline X tap push up

-Be sure hips, ribs and head stay stacked in good alignment so ribs don’t flare because of weight overhead
-Think pelvis and ribs lightly connected by a string
-Controlled lowering and extension of weight
-Deep core works with your breath throughout the movement. Exhale engage (see core breathing)

Overhead Tricep extension

Pair 1

-Small bend in elbow. Stays the same throughout movement
-Arms go out from the body in a wide ‘V’ not straight back along the body
-Maintain control of the weight! It’s easy to let it fling 
-Core engages before lat pullback, working along with breath (see core breathing tutorial)
-Lats engage and shoulder blades pull together before pullback
-Keep good alignment by stacking hips, ribs and head and keeping  light length through the torso. Chin stays tucked

V back fly

-Modify by raising hands up on a higher surface
-Core engages to lift and hold knees off of the floor. Core should work!
-Press through hands to lift forearms off the floor, recruit triceps 
-Hips, ribs and head stacked for good alignment. Chin tucked
-Modify by bringing legs closer to arms. The further back the legs the harder it is on core and triceps. Err on the side of closer legs later in pregnancy for the sake of your core
-Core works with breath through movement, engaging with exhale before moving (see core breathing tutorial)

Lifted quadruped Tricep press

Pair 2

-core works with breath through the movement. Exhale connect, press weight. You may was to maintain a light connect in the lowering as well depending on what feels best for you.
-arms stay tucked close in line with the body, elbows pointing towards feet (parallel to body)
-should feel this in your triceps as well as some chest
-weight should be about in line with the chest at top, not over your face.
-can be done on bench etc as well as floor like shown
-maintain control of the weight during lowering phase

Close chest press

-Keep upper arm still, all movement comes from the elbow driven by tricep
-Twist out with control at end of kick
-Bend is a hinge of the hips, doesn’t have to be deep, adjust for comfort
-Core works along with breath through movement (see core breathing tutorial)

Tricep kickback

Pair 3

-Make sure rotation is coming from the thoracic spine (upper/mid back) not the low back
-Engage deep core before rotation
-Can also squeeze ball/block/pillow between knees to help prevent twisting through lumbar spine

Thread the needle (upper) right

Thread the needle (upper) left

-Reaching over head to feel stretch along side body
-Keep length through torso
-The goal is a gentle stretch, not discomfort

Side stretch right

Side stretch left

-Can hold either arm position to feel stretch longer
-Weight is seated back on legs/heels
-Keep length and intention through stretch, don’t allow chest and belly to dump towards the floor

Lat stretch

-Keep shoulders back and pull arm across body
-Torso isn’t twisting for added range of motion

Shoulder stretch right

Shoulder stretch left

-Bend is at the hip, not by rounding the back
-Keep light length through the stretch not sinking/dumping into it
-Take range of motion to a slight stretch, not discomfort or forced range of motion

Wide leg fold + chest stretch

Cool down

Upper body sculpt pairs (dumbbells)

Natalie

This was a quick workout but a super effective one!

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This was such a FAST and entertaining cardio with upper body focus. Absolutely loved it

Alexandra

Carmen

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Great for a mama who has a toddler and short on time. I did this why my toddler had her short nap. It took a popsicle to finish it when she got up. But I finished and that's what counts!

FitnessMama

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Really enjoyed this one. I’ve had to take a few weeks off and this is a great way to start back up again when you have little time. Thank you!

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My oh my! My core is burning so good! This was a fantastic core workout 🤗

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Joanna

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This was quick but very effective! Got my legs burning and the sweat going 😅

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Bless you for such diversity in workouts! I caught a flu from my son so I modified a bit this workout to be able to complete training for the challenge today ☺️

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