I hear, very, very, very often that 'I have no upper body strength'. Well that's ok: that's going to be highly unlikely unless you train it. It took me 2 years (not focusing specifically on that!) to get my first full push up.
These lifts are going to be best suited for intermediate weight lifters, but it gives you a flavour of my training style: simple, effective, strong. The only fancy stuff is the emphasis on mind-body connection, tempo and range of movement.
Go get it girl. Yes you can.
First, the warm up:
PUSH
A - Push up
Take a version that suits where you're at. You can also mix n match between the versions to make up a full set. Elbows at 45-60 degrees (pointing back towards the body) and PLEASE can we film our reps from the side so we can check out where your hips are at? Think: tail bone down, ribs in = one strong, straight line (and if you can't hold that straight line, let's have a different modification please).
B - Bench press
I LIKE this one as a second exercise because you've already fatigued a lot in the push ups, so time to add in as many reps of these as you can. Strength!
PULL
Let's have twice as much pulling in our workout as pushing. Why? Because we already 'push' a lot in our lives, and hunch over screens. Pulling gives us balance the demands of our everyday lives.
C - Chin up/pull up
They are not the same thing (chin up: more biceps, less lats & pull up: more lats, less biceps). Pull ups are 'harder'. If you've not got your full pull up yet (speak to me!!), then an incredible alternative would be a lat pull down.
D - 1 arm row
Either one hand on your bench, or one hand and one knee on. Either way, think: make a box, which means make sure your hand is underneath your shoulder and knee underneath hip (if knee is on the bench). To get more lat action, let's row the elbow backwards towards the hip, keeping elbow in towards the sides of the body
Watch the demos here:
A load of juicy accessory lifts would include a shoulder press, bench dip, lateral raises, rear flyes, chest flyes, face pulls, pike press, skull crushers = HAVE FUN!!
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