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Sometimes going to the gym can be a bit boring and limiting. You can easily find yourself getting stuck performing the same exercises and not feeling inspired or committed to your workouts. And if you find yourself juggling a super busy and jam-packed schedule it can feel impossible to even make it to the gym. This is why I love at home workouts. You can squeeze out a quick at home workout in no time with just a few supplies and will still be able to accomplish your health and wellness goals. Today’s workout is going to help you do just that.

Workout Breakdown

I love workout circuits! Not only are they super quick and effective. They also work on increasing endurance by performing weight-based exercises at a faster pace. It’s like you’re getting the benefits of two exercises in one. You get the muscle building benefits of weight training combined with the fat burning benefits of cardio. This is what makes circuits so effective for fat loss and weight management.

 

This particular workout is an upper body workout that contains 5 exercises. You will be working your biceps, triceps, chest, shoulders, and back. This workout was designed to be performed in a series of rounds. Rounds are a combination of different exercises that are performed back to back with little to no rest in between movements. This means that you will perform each exercise for the designated amount of reps and then move to the next exercise and do the same. You will follow this pattern until you have completed all 5 of the exercises. Then you will have a 90 second-2 minute break before you start from the top all over again. In general, this should take you between 15-20 minutes depending on how long you rest in between circuits as well as your general pace during your workout.  

If you are new to working out or you are returning back to fitness. You may find that you have to take more breaks and rest a bit more. That is ok. Your body is doing something new and getting used to something it hasn’t done before. This means that adjustments should be made to accommodate your fitness level. Perhaps instead of 15 reps, you start with 12 reps. You can also decrease the rounds and start with 2 rounds instead of 3 or even 1 round and work your way up to 3. Also, experiment and play around with weight. Since this is more about building and creating muscular endurance you do not need to use heavy weights. Instead, focus on choosing a weight that you can comfortably work with for 12-15 reps. The weight should become challenging as you are approaching your last 3-2 reps. You can always increase your reps as your fitness improves and your strength increases.

Workout Details

Exercise

Repetitions

Rounds

Rest

Alternating Bicep Curl

12-15

3

0

T-Extension

12-15

3

0

Floor Press

12-15

3

0

Shoulder Press

12-15

3

0

Straight Arm Extension

12-15

3

90 sec.-2 minutes


Supplies Needed

Exercise Mat

Dumbbells (5-10 lbs)

Water

The Workout

Alternating Bicep Curl

  1. Start with feet shoulder-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing in.
  2. Rotate your left wrist and curl the dumbbell towards your shoulder. Once you reach the top of the move lower back to starting position.
  3. Repeat on the right side to complete one rep
  4. Continue this pattern until you have completed all reps.

 

T-Extension

  1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart with a dumbbell in each hand.
  2. Bend at your waist and bring dumbbells inward towards your chest with palms facing your chest and knuckles facing each other.
  3. Slowly with control and with elbows pointing outwards, extend dumbbells outward keeping in line with elbows. This is one rep.
  4. Return to starting position and repeat the movement for the total number of reps.

Floor Press

  1. Lie on an exercise mat with back on the ground and knees bent. Hold a dumbbell in each hand on either side of your chest in the shape of two 90 degree angles with palms facing toes.
  2. With control slowly press the weight towards the ceiling, making sure to engage your chest muscles. Continue the movement until your arms are fully extended. Then slowly and with control return to the start position. This is one rep.
  3. Repeat until all reps have been finished.

 

Shoulder Press

  1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart, while holding a dumbbell in each hand with arms forming two 90 degree angles on either side of your head. Make sure palms are facing forward.
  2. Begin to press the weight toward the ceiling. Once arms are fully extended slowly return to starting position. This is one rep.
  3. Repeat until all reps have been finished.

 

Straight Arm Extension

  1. Stand with feet shoulder width apart while holding a dumbbell in your left hand with your palm facing your thigh.
  2. Bend at the waist making sure to maintain a flat back, and neck in line with the spine.
  3. With control extend the weight in front of you making sure to avoid swinging, or powering through the movement.
  4. When the arm is fully extended return to start position to complete the first rep.
  5. Repeat until all reps are complete on the left side, and repeat on the right.

Workout Wrap Up

I hope you find this upper-body workout a good one and that you include it in your workout routine. Before you start or begin any type of exercise make sure you are cleared for exercise and that there are no preexisting conditions that could be irritated due to you starting a new workout program. If you are new or returning to working out on a regular basis make sure you start slow and work your way into a more intense workout. Experiment with how many rounds, reps, and the amount of weight you are using. It’s ok to start with a low weight, or low reps and work up. Also, make sure you are including a 5-minute warm-up and 5-minute cooldown. A proper pre-workout warm-up session is going to prevent injury and prepare you for a more intense workout. While a post-workout cooldown session is going to help stretch and ease tight muscles and aid in proper recovery.

About The Author

Hi, my name is Kathleen but you can call me Kat. I am a Lifestyle Wellness Coach and I am super passionate about empowering women. I encourage women like you to take charge of their feminine health and anti-aging wellness. You can accomplish this holistically and naturally by creating healthy habits with your nutrition, fitness, wellness, and skin health. I create awareness and provide educational content here on my blog, as well as  YouTube, Facebook, and Instagram.

My intention is to provide you with education and awareness about women’s health, nutrition, fitness, beauty, wellness, and lifestyle. I primarily help women that are seeking holistic and natural solutions to common feminine health and wellness issues. From infertility to inflammatory acne, from endometriosis to minimalism. I aim to arm you with the tools necessary to speak up and speak out about your issues until you get the answers and solutions you need. If you want to learn more about how you can redefine your health click here and schedule a FREE Discovery session with me and get empowered!