day two: arms & abs
Allow 60-90 seconds rest between circuits. Aim for little to no rest between exercises during the circuit. If you’re a beginner, take breaks as needed.
circuit 1: Complete 3 rounds.
Spider crunch burpees. To modify, omit jump. Complete 10 reps.
Start with feet hip width apart, slightly bend at your knees and propel yourself upward as you jump to the ceiling. Bend your knees as you land, and drop down placing your hands on the floor in front of you and jump both feet back so that you’re now in plank position. Bring your right knee toward your elbow, crunching your right side and then position your foot back into a plank position. Repeat on the left side. Jump the feet back in toward the hands, and then explosively jump into the air, reaching your arms straight overhead.
Commandos. Complete 6-10 reps, left-right.
Start in a push-up position with the hands under the shoulders and the legs stretched out directly behind. Squeeze the thigh and glute muscles to keep body and legs in a straight line, and lower down to the elbows one elbow at a time. From this position on the elbows, press the hands into the floor one at a time to return to the push-up position.
side plank hip dips. complete 8-12 reps, left-right.
Lie on your left side propped up on your left elbow and forearm, shoulders stacked over your elbow, legs stacked on top of each other. Raise your hips so that your body forms a straight line from head to heels. This is the starting position. Keeping your core braced and your glutes engaged, slowly lower your left hip toward the floor. Reverse the move, returning to side plank position. Repeat for reps, then switch sides, performing equal reps on each.
circuit 2: Complete 3 rounds.
Skull crushers. Complete 12-15 reps.
For this exercise, you can use a heavy dumbbell or a weighted barbell. Lie on a bench and bring the weight over the shoulders with arms fully extended. Lower your hands toward the forehead, making a 90-degree angle at the elbow without moving your elbows. Extend the arms to the starting position. Repeat this movement.
tricep kickbacks. Complete 12-15 reps.
Hold dumbbells in both hands and keep your weight evenly distributed through the heels of both feet. Stiffen your torso by contracting your abdominal and core muscles. Lean forward, bending at your knees and keeping a neutral spine from your head to your tailbone. Pull your shoulders down and back and maintain this position throughout the exercise. Position your upper arms parallel and close to your torso. Bend your elbow to 90 degrees or at least to a point where your forearm hangs vertical to the floor. Exhale and slowly extend/straighten your elbow by contracting your triceps muscles until your elbow is fully extended. Your upper arm should remain stationary next to your torso and not raised during the movement. Avoid any arching (sagging) in your low back or any rotation in your torso. Inhale and slowly return your arm to your starting position, without changing your torso position.
Negative bicep curls. complete 8-12 reps.
Secure a cable machine. Use handle attachments, and make sure it’s set on the lowest setting (closest to the floor). Grab the handles with a shoulder width grip with an underhand grip, or palms facing upward. Get in a secure stance close to the cable pulley machine with your feet shoulder width apart. Keep your upper arms stationary, elbows close to your torso, and curl the weights up while contracting your biceps up to shoulder height and slowly lower them back down throughout the negative portion of the movement. Only the forearms should move. Don’t let the weight stack touch before moving into your second repetition. Repeat for the stated number of repetitions.
circuit 3: complete 3-4 rounds.
Side to side deadball slams 10
Side to side deadball slams. complete 10 reps.
Stand with your feet hip-width apart and holding a medicine ball in both hands directly in front of your chest; grasp the ball with your hands in a neutral position (palms facing each other), and elbows fully flexed (bent) and facing down towards the floor. Begin your downward phase by first shifting your hips backwards then slowly moving downwards to create a hinge-like movement at your knees. Continue to lower yourself until your feel your heels about to lift off the floor. Pull your shoulders down and back and engage your core. Maintain a flat back by bending forward at the hips. Reach the medicine ball upwards above your head while simultaneously straightening your legs and rolling up on the balls of your toes. Explosively bring the ball down slightly turning your body to the right and throwing the ball down onto the floor near your right foot while dropping your weight back into your hips. As you throw the ball down, make sure you are maintaining the abdominal bracing and hinge from the hips to maintain spinal stability. Pick the ball up and repeat, throwing the ball down on the left-side.
Tricep extensions. complete 12-15 reps.
Begin standing upright with feet planted on the ground, shoulder-width apart or in a split stance position. Using both hands, grab one dumbbell at the handle. Keep your abdominal muscles engaged and your head and neck in line with your spine. Bring the dumbbell behind your head, pulling your shoulders down and back. Press the dumbbell overhead until arms are extended, but do not lock elbows. Inhale and allow the weight to slowly bend your elbows, lowering the dumbbell behind your head in a controlled manner without moving your upper arms.
horizontal tricep extension. complete 8-12 reps, left-right.
Adjust attachment of cable column to a height level with armpit. Grasp handle or cable without attachment with one hand and your arm fully extended and brace your core. Slowly bend at your elbow and bring the cable to your chest. Return to the starting position and repeat.
circuit 4: complete 3 rounds.
hip lifts on yoga ball. complete 20 reps.
With your feet behind you and knees positioned on top of the yoga ball and your palms on the ground directly underneath your shoulders, shoulder width apart. Stiffen your torso by contracting your core/abdominal muscles, your glute and quadriceps muscles and align your head with your spine. Lift your glutes toward the ceiling, rolling the ball toward your body, keeping your core tight and maintaining a neutral spine. Repeat.
Mountain climbers on med ball. Complete 20 reps.
In a plank position, brace your core with your hands placed on a medicine ball directly underneath your shoulders. You can also modify this by placing your palms on the ground directly beneath your shoulders. Flex your left hip, bringing your left thigh to your chest. Lift your right knee off the ground, fully extending your right leg behind you, with your toes pointing towards your shins, heel up. Stiffen your abdominal muscles to stabilize your spine, then pull your shoulders down and back. Keeping your hands firmly on the medicine ball, abs engaged and shoulder strong, simultaneously switch leg positions.
Ab rollout on yoga ball. complete 12-15 reps.
Begin in a high kneeling position with ball in front of you. Place your elbows on a yoga ball with your arms bent. Keeping back long and abdominals tight, press hands into the ball and roll it out in front of you until forearms are on the ball and your body is at a 45 degree angle. Use your forearms to pull back slowly and return to start position.