VGK “Pause” Workout: Day 6 (Upper Body)

Upper body workout today! It can be very difficult to get a good upper body workout without any equipment. We can ask you to do 100 push-ups, but we’d know you’d rather pull your hair out than do that. So we’ve decided to incorporate weights into this workout.

If you don’t have a set of dumbbells/weights at home, you can use anything heavy that fits in your hands. One idea would be to use two of the 100 canned goods you now have in your cupboard (darn quarantine…).

Exercises

Push-ups (sorry)

Begin with your hands just wider than your shoulders in a plank position. Keep your neck and spine in a straight line. Lower down so your elbows go to 90 degrees. Pause momentarily, then exhale as you raise yourself back to starting position. Do 10 reps.

Feel free to use the modified position, with your knees on the floor, as shown below (second photo).

Supermans

Lay on your belly with your arms extended forward. Flex your lower back to raise your legs and arms up, bringing your chest slightly off the ground. Hold for 5 seconds. Lower back down and repeat 10 times.

Bicep Curls

For this exercise you will want to use something weighted (weights, canned goods, etc).

Begin with your feet shoulder width apart, arms at your side. Without tensing your shoulders or neck, slowly raise your hands and forearms toward your shoulders. Slowly lower down again. Remember to keep your abs tight, arms close to your side, and don’t swing your arms. The upper portion of your arms shouldn’t move. Do 10 reps (or 15 if your weight is light).

Note: Many “muscle-heads” do these wrong. Don’t take advice from anyone that says something different than what you read here. Go slow, with control.

Arm Circles

Just like the warm-up in gym class, you are going to raise your arms to shoulder height and rotate your arms in small circles. Hold light weights or canned goods while doing this. Rotate 15 times in one direction, then 15 times in the opposite direction.

Tricep Dips

Position your hands on the edge of a bench, chair, or stair with your legs extended out in front of you.

Straighten your arms, keeping a little bend in your elbows to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints.

Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle. Then, press down into the bench to straighten your elbows, returning to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Bent-Over Rows

Lean forward and bend both knees, remembering to keep a flat back.

Extend your arms so they are straight. Lift weights/cans straight up to chest level, squeezing your shoulder blades together as you do. Be sure to keep your elbows in and pointed upward. Don’t arch your back.

Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position. Do 10 reps.

Leg Lifts

Lay flat on your back with your arms at your side or under your butt (to stabilize). Keeping your legs straight and together, raise them up and back down again. Only Lower your legs until they are about an inch or two off the ground before raising them back up again. Do 15-30 reps (however many you can handle).