Name: Playbook - Rob Riches - Day 24 - Upper Body Strength & Conditioning #4
Uploaded: 2022-06-17T19:05:12.032Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: Day 24 - Upper Body Strength & Conditioning #4

During the final stage of this program, you'll be focusing on higher rep ranges, with all exercises performed as a circuit with time increasing by 50% each round. The reason for this is to push you during the last week and encourage greater muscle definition and separation. 

You should select a weight for each exercise that is only about 50-60% of the usual weight you normally use, and stick with that same weight for each round you perform that exercise (It doesn't mean use the same weight for all exercises, just no need to increase the weight on the second and third circuit). 

While it may seem light during round one, you'll be performing each exercise a little longer for each additional round, and as you begin to fatigue you'll have to really dig deep and push through it. Keep the tempo controlled but not too fast. You can also slow the negative portion of the rep down as you feel yourself begin to tire.

Sit on top of a Swiss Ball with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor in front of you, slightly wider than hip width. Keep your back straight, with you chest lifted up and shoulders pulled back.

With a dumbbell in each hand, raise them up to shoulder height, palms pointing forwards with your wrists directly over your elbows.

Keep your abdominals pulled in tight as you press the dumbbells upwards until full lock out in the arm (the weights shouldn't touch at the top). Pause momentarily to flex the shoulders hard, then lower back down at a slightly slower tempo.

Perform all sets for the time shown.

Swiss Ball Overhead Press

Sit on top of a Swiss Ball with your knees bent at 90 degrees and your feet flat on the floor in front of you, slightly wider than hip width. Keep your back straight, with you chest lifted up and shoulders pulled back.

With a dumbbell in each hand, and arms at full length either side of you, raise the dumbbells out to the side, leading with your elbow, and ensuring at the top of the rep that your upper arm is inline with your shoulder. Flex the shoulder muscles, and lower the arms back down in a controlled manner.

Perform all sets for the time shown.

Swiss Ball Dumbbell Lateral Raise

Set yourself up into a bridge position on a Swiss Ball, with your shoulder blades at the center, and your hips raised up inline with your torso, and knees bent with feet flat on the floor directly under them. Keep your abdominals engaged throughout.

With a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forwards, press the dumbbells directly over you chest (making sure they don't make contact with each other at the top), and flex the muscles in the chest hard. Lower them back down to the side of your chest at a controlled tempo, and repeat.

Perform all sets for the time shown.

Swiss Ball Dumbbell Chest Press

Set yourself up into a bridge position on a Swiss Ball, with your shoulder blades at the center, and your hips raised up inline with your torso, and knees bent with feet flat on the floor directly under them. Keep your abdominals engaged throughout.

With a dumbbell in each hand, start with them directly over your chest, palms facing inwards towards each other. With the elbows kept soft, but arms at full length, open out the arms until your upper arms are parallel with the floor, or you feel a deep stretch within the chest muscles.

Reverse the movement back up, keeping the arms extended, and focusing on engaging and flexing the muscles in the chest. The dumbbells should not touch each other at the top, so as to keep all the tension within the chest muscles.

Perform all sets for the time shown.

Swiss Ball Dumbbell Chest Fly

Perform all sets using a firm overhand grip, with knuckles pointing upwards, wrists straight, and shoulders pulled back and down. Pull the bar down towards the top of your chest as you exhale, driving the elbows down, tucking them into your sides at the bottom. Pause momentarily to reduce momentum, then control back up at a slower rate until full stretch.

This exercise targets the latissimus dorsi muscle, the broadest muscle in your back, which promotes good postures and spinal stability

Lat Pulldown

Holding a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, and arms at full length, tilt forwards at the waist as you keep your knees soft and push back the hips to remain balanced. (Your shoulders should be directly over your toes).

Keep your shoulder blades pulled back, and a slight curvature in your lower back (shaped like a cashew).

Row both dumbbells up to your side by driving up at the elbows, and engaging your back muscles by pinching your lats together (this is right where a women would have her bra strap).

Pause momentarily at the top of the rep before slowly lowering the arms back to a fully stretched position.

Bent Over Dumbbell Row

Sit upright with your lower back pushed up against the back-pad and the soles of your feet firmly on the ground. With a dumbbell in each hand at arms length at the side of your body, rotate your grip so that both palms are facing forwards. Keep your grip in this position throughout the full exercise.

Keeping the upper arms at the side of your body, curl up one dumbbell at a time, stopping when it reaches the height of your upper chest (or just before the elbow starts to pull forwards). Flex the bicep hard, and lower the arm back to the start position, lengthening the arm but not straightening it out completely (as this relieves tension from the biceps).
Alternate between each arm curling up and down.

Keep the movement smooth without any jerking. If you're unable to increase the weight for the next set, slow the negative portion of the rep as you lower the dumbbells.

Seated Alt Dumbbell Curl

Lay on a bench set at a 40-60% incline, and with a dumbbell in each hand and both arms extended up as though you're about to perform a chest press. Rotate your grip inwards so both palms face each other and move your arms about 30 degrees back so your upper arms are either side of your head.

Keeping them fixed in this position, flex at the elbow and lower the dumbbells down to either side of your head. Pause momentarily at the bottom of the rep (to eliminate momentum), and squeeze the triceps to raise the dumbbells back up to the top until full lockout at the arms (keeping your upper arms fixed at the side of your head). Flex the triceps hard at the top then lower back down under control.

The skull crusher is a push exercise that works the triceps brachii in isolation. It works this muscle from the elbow up to the latissimus dorsi of the back. Try variating the grip/dumbbell angle to focus on the different heads of the muscle.

Day 24 - Upper Body Strength & Conditioning #4

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