Workout of the week: 30-min upper body workout

17th May 2021

Oberkörper Workout - upper body workout - EVO Fitness

HANNAH BRAUN

Personal trainer at EVO Fitness Mariahilfer Straße

Hannah is a health, fitness and personal trainer. With her creative workouts and individually adapted training plans, she ensures that her clients’ goals are efficiently achieved. At the same time, her top priority is to bring the fun and enjoyment of exercise and sport closer to her clients and to guide and support them on their way to become the best version of themselves.

Follow her on Instagram: @hannahxbraun

Book a PT session: [email protected]

30-MIN UPPER BODY WORKOUT

ALL LEVELS / upper body workout / 30 minutes

Equipment: Medicine ball, dumbbells, bench & mat

Today we will focus on your upper body strength. There are plenty of health-related reasons for you to target this particular area of your body: it improves your posture, benefits your heart and bones, and reduces the risk of injuries. Plus, it helps you boost all your other workouts. Last but not least, and let’s not fool ourselves here, looking good is also a valid reason to target these particular muscles.

Our friend Hannah Braun designed this workout to help you achieve all the perks mentioned above. She is a personal trainer based in Vienna that has already starred in our blog before with this full-body dumbbell workout.

This training session requires minimal equipment, and it will take you around 30 minutes. It has 4 rounds, 45-seconds on, 15-seconds off for each exercise. Rest for 1 to 2 minutes after each round.

Alternating medicine ball push-ups
Lateral raise into front raise
Bicep curl into Arnold press
Tricep dips
Plank shoulder taps into plank jacks
Commando into push-up

Let’s level up with this upper body session!

WORKOUT SETUP

6 exercises
4 rounds
45-second on, 15 seconds off
1-2 min rest between rounds
30 minutes
Equipment: Medicine ball, dumbbells, bench & mat

WORKING OUT FROM HOME? NO PROBLEM.

If you don’t have the equipment originally needed for this workout, you can substitute it with these everyday items or use these alternative exercises.

Alternative equipment

Dumbbells = water bottles filled with water and / or sand
Bench = a regular chair or the couch
Medicine ball = another type of ball or pile of books

Alternative exercise

Alternating medicine ball push-ups = walkover push-up with pile of books

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

Perform 4 rounds with a 1-2 min rest between rounds

1 – ALTERNATING MEDICINE BALL PUSH-UPS

45 seconds, 15 seconds rest

Start the movement in the conventional push-up position.
Place one hand on the floor and the other on the top of the medicine ball.
Keep your body in a straight line, squeezing your abs and glutes.
Lower your torso towards the floor, pause and get back up.
Roll the medicine ball to the other hand before repeating the whole movement.
Make sure the hand on the medicine ball is stable before lowering your torso.

PT tip: for a more significant challenge, use a heavier medicine ball.

2 – LATERAL RAISE INTO FRONT RAISE

45 seconds, 15 seconds rest

In a standing position, hold a dumbbell in each hand by your side. That is your starting position.
Lift the dumbbells alongside — they should reach shoulder height.
Then, in a continuous movement and with the dumbbells lifted all along, bring them to your front, just like in a regular front raise.
Lower them to your starting position. That is one rep.
Don’t forget to keep your core tight and back straight.
Repeat.

3 – BICEP CURL INTO ARNOLD PRESS

45 seconds, 15 seconds rest

With two dumbbells in each hand, place your feet shoulder-width apart, keeping your arms by your side.
Proceed to bend your forearms until the dumbbells almost touch your shoulders, maintaining your elbows tucked to your sides.
While keeping your arms at that position, rotate your palms so that they face forward.
Then, push your arms over your head until you’ve extended both arms above your head.
Keep your core tight and your back straight.
Return slowly to the starting position and repeat.

4 – TRICEP DIPS

45 seconds, 15 seconds rest

Sit on the edge of the gym bench. Grasp the edge of it, pointing your fingers to your feet. Make sure your legs are extended, with your heels touching the floors.
With your palms, press to lift your body and slide forward, clearing the edge of the bench.
Now lower yourself until your elbows are bent.
Slowly push yourself back up to the starting position.
Repeat.

5 – PLANK SHOULDER TAPS INTO PLANK JACKS

45 seconds, 15 seconds rest

Start in a push-up position, placing your hands directly under your shoulder, feet aligned with your hips.
Lift one hand and tap the opposite shoulder, keeping your hips as still as possible.
Repeat on the other side.
After completing the shoulder one shoulder tap on each side, return to your starting position.
Imagine you’re doing a horizontal jumping jack and jump with both feet wide to each side.
This completes one rep. Repeat.

6 – COMMANDO INTO PUSH-UP

45 seconds, 15 seconds rest

Start this exercise in the standard push-up position, with your arms straight.
Make sure you keep your core tight and head neutral.
Lower your right arm until you have your elbow on the floor., repeat the process with your left hand and arm until you are in a plank position.
Push your right and left arms to make it to the starting position.
Then, perform a push-up. That’s one rep.

How did you like our 30-min upper body workout? Find more sessions like this one in the links below:

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