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Gym Workout 1: Upper Body

  • Writer: Sig
    Sig
  • Dec 16, 2024
  • 3 min read

Updated: Jun 5

Disclaimer: Always consult with your doctor or physical therapist before starting any new workout routine. Following this workout is always at your own risk. Listen to your body during exercise, and stop immediately if you experience any discomfort or pain.

A home workout version of this workout can be found here.


Equipment for this workout: Dumbbells, pull-down machine, cable machine, pull-up station, cardio machine (finishers). You may use a kettlebell, barbell or plate in stead of a dumbbell - see workout below.


Info: Start with a warm-up for the upper body, then you follow the exercise routines, start with exercise routine 1 and complete 3 rounds, then go to exercise routine 2 and complete 3 rounds and so on. Add a finisher if you feel you need a little extra and end with stretches.

If it says e.g. 4/4x then I mean finishing 4 reps first on the right side (R) and then 4 on the left (L). If it says e.g. 8x and this is an exercise that tests both R and L then this is the total number of repetitions and you alternate between R and L. This exercise is designed as a "beginner" exercise with few repetitions with a lighter weight or as an advanced exercise where you take quite heavy and few repetitions. 

I will note the benchmark weight under each exercise routine.


Upper body warm-up:

A.

1 round, optional foam roll:

  1. 5-8x sacrum (foam roll)

  2. 5-8x/5-8x glutes (foam roll)

  3. 5-8x upper back (foam roll)

  4. Add extra foam rolling exercises if you feel the need to

B.

1 round:

C.

2 rounds:

Benchmark weight: Beginner 2x5-10lbs dumbbells, more advanced 2x10-15lbs dumbbells.

  1. 10x bicep curl (two dumbbells)

  2. 10x tricep kick back (two dumbbells)

  3. 10x shoulder press (two dumbbells)

  4. 10x bent over row (two dumbbells)

Exercise routine 1:

Benchmark weight: Beginner 5-15lbs (15lbs for row and 5-10lbs for bicep curl and shoulder press). More advanced 15-50lbs (row 25-50lbs, bicep curl and shoulder press 15-25lbs).

3 rounds:

  1. 8-10x bent over row R (one dumbbell or kettlebell)

  2. 8-10x bent over row L (one dumbbell or kettlebell)

  3. 8-10x bicep curl+shoulderpress R (one dumbbell)

  4. 8-10x bicep curl+shoulder press L (one dumbbell)

Rest as needed after each round - aim for 30 seconds

Exercise routine 2:

Benchmark weight: Beginner light weight for pull down (25-100lbs) and focus on correct form and confidence using the machine. More advanced anything over 100lbs. Beginner sit-ups with body weight or light weight, more advanced try with weight anywhere from 20-45lbs.

3x rounds:

  1. 10-12x pull down (pull down machine) (or wide grip row) (barbell or two dumbbells)

  2. 10-12x sit-ups (optional: one dumbbell or plate)

Rest as needed after each round - aim for 40 seconds

Exercise routine 3:

Benchmark: Beginner for cable machine lightest weight around 10lbs or 2x5-10lbs dumbbells for reverse fly. More advanced for cable machine 22-35+lbs or 10-15+lbs for reverse fly.

 3x rounds:

  1. 8-10x facepull (cable machine) (or reverse fly with dumbbells or pull apart with resistance band)

  2. 12x lying leg raises or hanging (pull up bar)

Rest as needed after each round - aim for 30 seconds

Exercise routine 4:

Benchmark: Beginner use your own body weight minus 22-45lbs. So if you are 170lbs then adjust the weight of the machine to 130-150. Do narrow push-ups on wall or bench. More advanced use as light weight as you can on the pull up machine and try doing narrow push-ups on the floor or on a bench.

 3x till failure (as many as you can):

Rest as needed after each round 

Finisher

1-3x rounds:

  1. 60 sec sprint on a cardio machine 

Rest around 60 seconds between rounds

Stretches

Add any stretches you feel the need to


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