Workout:
Flat Dumbbell Press: 4 x 8
Incline Fly: 3 x 10
Tight-grip Barbell Bench: 3 x 10
Seated Dumbbell Press: 4 x 8
Lateral Raises: 3 x 12
Upright rows: 3 x 10
This chest and shoulder workout will really challenge your body and is awesome for growing strength, toning, and feeling strong. We’ll target your chest, shoulders, and all the stabilizing muscles – emphasizing some supplementary muscles in your arms and shoulders to get a more full upper body workout. Once you’ve warmed up and stretched, you’re ready to get going!
Flat Dumbbell Press:
To start, grab dumbbells that you are a comfortable weight. It’s okay to work up and down as far as weight so that you can find something challenging but manageable. Lie flat on a bench while holding a dumbbell in each hand. The weight should be right at your chest. Your palms should be facing forward and you want to engage your chest and triceps and extend your arms so that they are straight and perpendicular with the floor. Try not to push up towards your head or down towards you knees. Once your arms are fully straight, lower your arms back down so that your elbows are at a 90 degree angle. 4 sets of 8 reps!
Incline Fly:
The incline fly is great for isolating the pecs while using the triceps to stabilize. Adjust the bench to 30-45 degrees. Grab your dumbbells – something lighter than the regular flat dumbbell press as it is important to have good form here. To get in position, lean back against the bench and get the dumbbells up to your chest and lock out straight in the air. Retract your shoulder blades and unlock your elbows to a slight bend. You want to keep your elbows locked here now that they are slightly bent. You then want to lower the dumbbells laterally until you feel a stretch in your chest, then reverse the movement and squeeze your pecs to bring the dumbbells back to the starting position. Much like a butterfly flaps its wings or like you are hugging a tree. 3 sets of 10!
Tight Grip Barbell Bench:
Tight grip bench allows you to take some stress off your elbows and really engage your triceps. Lie on the bench with your feet flat on the floor. Place your hands shoulder width apart and keep your elbows tight to your body. Make sure to use a lower weight if this is your first time doing the movement. The tighter grip can sometimes feel awkward or like you don’t have very good balance. Slowly lower the bar to your chest and press up powerfully. 3 sets of 10!
Seated Dumbbell Press:
Adjust the bench to 90 degrees and grab some dumbbells. It’s important to have a bench that has back support for this. Raise the dumbbells to shoulder height, using your thighs to help to propel them up into starting position. The palms of your hands should be facing forwards. Push the dumbbells upwards until they touch at the top above your head. Slowly lower back down to shoulder height and repeat. 4 sets of 8 reps!
Lateral Raises:
Lateral raises engage the anterior, medial, and posterior portions of your shoulder – engaging all of your muscles and stabilizing elements. Stand with lighter weight dumbbells, you don’t want to use very heavy weights for this because there is a lot of stress on your shoulders and joints with this exercise. It’s perfectly safe, but you want to build up to heavier weight. Brace your core and with elbows slightly bent, you want to raise your arms to form a T with your body. Don’t lift the weights above shoulder height, it can cause unnecessary strain. Lower back down and repeat. 3 sets of 12 reps!
Upright Rows:
Upright rows target some muscles in your back, shoulders, and your biceps and is a great finisher for the workout. Grab a barbell with an overhand grip that is slightly inside your shoulders. With arms fully extending towards the ground and the bar resting on your thighs, use the sides of your shoulders to lift the bar, raising your elbows up towards the ceiling. Continue to pull upwards as high as you can until the bar is as close to your chin as possible. Keep your core stable and slowly lower back down. 3 sets of 10 reps!
You’re done! Make sure to hydrate and stretch after you’ve finished. We asked a lot of some targeted muscle groups so they may be sore the next day. Eat a good, healthy meal to give your muscles the nutrients they need to grow and recover. If you want help figuring out what to eat or how to cook it, we have some great healthy eating classes and grocery store tours where we can help you figure out just that. We also have personal trainers that can guide you in your fitness journey – regardless of what your goals are. Make sure to check out all of our services and to stop on by and enjoy some of our free ab workout or dance fitness classes as well!