Training chest and back in the same session lets you use agonist-antagonist supersets — a high-dollar term for exercise pairings that hit opposite sides of your body with zero rest in-between.

By deleting the rest interval, these supersets allow you to get lots of training accomplished in less time. Better yet, they’re less likely to impair exercise performance compared to supersets targeting the same muscle groups. (1)

So buckle up, grab the plan, and get to work hitting just about everything above your hips using a handful of high intensity, highly focused movements.

Chest and Back Workout

• Muscles Trained
• Chest and Back Superset Workout
• Fast and Effective Upper Body Warm-up

Meet Your Chest and Back Muscles

In his prime, massive and full pectoral muscles were among Arnold Schwarzenegger’s most impressive attributes. Arnold’s chest had size and symmetry — attributes which are key to a well-developed chest. Not only will lifters with bodybuilding goals need to perform chest exercises with sufficient intensity, but they will also need to ensure all areas of the chest are adequately targeted. 

Pectoralis major, the most prominent chest muscle, has two or three functional “subregions.” The sternocostal head is the largest portion and it is effectively trained during horizontal adduction exercises such as horizontal chest presses and flyes. (2)(3)(4) The upper-most part of the pec major, termed the clavicular head, is emphasized with shoulder flexion exercises and incline presses. (2)(3)(4)(5)

Less often discussed, but relevant to any lifter training for a top physique, is the inferior-most portion of the pecs — the lower costal fibers and abdominal fibers. These fibers pull your arms down from the overhead position, as in pulldowns and pullovers. (2)

An impressive back has three key qualities: breadth or width, thickness, and definition. While the latter can only be achieved by reaching sufficiently low levels of body fat, developing all qualities depends on robust muscle growth, or “hypertrophy,” of the back muscles. Major aesthetic back muscles include the latissimus dorsi, middle- and lower trapezius, and rhomboids. 

In bodybuilding, the muscles of the back are trained during vertical and horizontal pulling movements, along with a slew of single-joint accessory exercises. Perhaps counterintuitively, narrow-grip pulldowns and rows tend to promote back width, while wide-grip horizontal pulling tends to promote back thickness. (2) This workout builds both.

The Ultimate Chest and Back Workout

This double-duty routine incorporates free weights and machines, programs supersets and traditional sets, and leans into tension and “the pump” to build the ultimate upper body. It fits perfectly into either a chest and back/legs/shoulders and arms split or an upper/lower workout split. It might also be useful in a more classic “one body part per day” split when a missed workout necessitates doubling up.

Classic Chest and Back Superset Routine

• Neutral-Grip Pulldown — 3 x 8-12 (superset with following exercise)
• Machine Chest Press — 3 x 8-12
• Machine Wide Row — 3 x 12-16 (superset with following exercise)
• Machine Kelso Shrug — 3 x 8-12
• Incline Dumbbell Flye Press — 3 x 8-12
• Bar Dip — 2 x 8-12 (superset with following exercise)
• Standing Cable Pullover 2 x 16-20

Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

The neutral-grip lat pulldown is a joint-friendly back-builder. It principally trains your latissimus dorsi — the muscle responsible for back width. The rhomboids of your mid-back, the muscles behind the shoulders (such your posterior deltoids and teres major), and even the lower portion of your pectoralis major (“costal fibers”) will also contribute to the movement. (2)

From the deep stretch when your arms are overhead to the peak contraction when your upper arms are pinned against the sides of your ribcage, the neutral-grip lat pulldown trains the target muscles through a range of motion unmatched by most other back exercises. Since your lower body is locked into the machine, the exercise can also be loaded heavily. Starting the workout with a heavy, full range of motion exercise sets the tone for the workout.

• How to Do it: Sit at a lat pulldown station using a grip attachment with parallel handles. Secure your thighs under the roller pads and slightly lean back at your hips. Initiate the pulldown by drawing your shoulder blades downward as you bring your elbows toward the sides of your ribcage. Return to the starting position with arms outstretched overhead.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Benefits of the Neutral-Grip Lat Pulldown

• The exercise trains the back through large arcs of motion at the shoulder joint proper (glenohumeral joint) and shoulder girdle (scapulothoracic joint). Importantly, pulldowns train the latissimus dorsi at long muscle lengths, which may enhance muscle gain. (6)
• The neutral grip tends to be well-tolerated by lifters with banged-up shoulders or elbows. 
• This multi-joint back exercise largely spares the muscles that will be trained in the chest press, the second exercise of this superset.

Machine Chest Press

Provided your gym is not too busy and the lat pulldown station and chest press machines aren’t on opposite sides of the facility, plan to superset pulldowns with machine chest presses. If you’re training in a public gym and are concerned about occupying two machines at once, give the machine you are departing a quick wipe down and carry your things with you instead of leaving them to “claim” he equipment. This will give a non-verbal cue to anyone waiting to “work in.”

Sure, if someone does work in, it’ll slow your workout, but it’s the decent thing to do in a shared public space. Nine times out of ten, the machine will be empty when you return. 

Machine chest presses come in many designs — seated, lying, plate-loaded, cable stack-loaded, etc. Ideally, locate one that feels comfortable and provides a stretch across your shoulders in the bottom position. Although it may be acceptable to substitute the barbell bench press for the machine movement, you’ll need a trained spotter for the free weight version. Moreover, most lifters are more comfortable pushing high-effort sets — sets that approach or even reach failure — on a “self-spotting” chest press machine. 

• How to Do it: Adjust the seat and starting handle position so that your elbows and hands naturally track at approximately nipple-height at the bottom position. If the seat is too high (or if you are positioned too high up the bench on a lying chest press machine), it will feel like a decline press. If the seat is too low (or you are positioned too far down the bench on a lying version), your elbows will be flared out at or near shoulder-height. Even though you’re not performing a competition-style barbell bench press, you should still establish an arched mid-back position to facilitate greater chest tension. Lift your sternum and pull your shoulder blades together and toward your glutes. Press the handles until your elbows reach lockout. Lower with control to a tolerable stretch across your chest and the fronts of your shoulders.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest Time: Rest two to three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Benefits of the Machine Chest Press

• Machine chest press may offer more targeted chest training compared to free-weight variations. This is likely due to the stability offered by the equipment, as the machine bench press has shown reduced lateral deltoid and triceps muscle activity and equivalent pectoralis major activity compared to the barbell bench press. (4) However, these findings were not replicated in a recent similar study. (7)
• It’s a machine-based exercise, which enables relatively heavy loading and high-effort sets without requiring a spotter. (7)

Machine Wide Row

Wide rows, traditionally performed with an overhand grip spaced wider than the shoulders, target the mid-back and back of the shoulders. As such, wide rows are a great exercise for back “thickness.”

Chest-supported machines, in particular, allow for greater focus on the target muscles and reduced systemic demand (i.e. less fatigue), because the lifter is not required to maintain an unsupported forward-bent posture. (8) Wide rows may also be performed on a chest-supported T-bar row machine or using free weights with your trunk supported on an incline bench.

• How to Do it: Set the seat height so the support pad makes contact with your lower chest and the handles are just below shoulder-height. Lean into the pad to ensure your hips are slightly behind your chest. Grab the handles with an overhand grip. You should have to stretch to reach the handles — if not, adjust the chest support or start position of the handles. Initiate the row by drawing your shoulder blades together and driving your elbows to the sides. Your elbows should track slightly below shoulder height, not tuck toward your body or flare above shoulder-height. Return to the starting position, allowing the machine to pull your arms forward and stretch your mid back.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Benefits of the Machine Wide Row

• This rowing variation has a favorable stimulus-to-fatigue, meaning support from the machine reduces the need for activity in non-target musculature. (8)
• When appropriately set up, the machine wide row applies a profound stretch to the mid-back and shoulders, increasing range of motion of the exercise and potentially enhancing hypertrophy.

Machine Kelso Shrug

Not all muscle groups targeted by multi-joint (compound) exercises are trained equally. Some muscles are hammered, while others are left relatively unscathed. For example, when using rows to target your mid-back, your shoulder muscles (e.g. posterior deltoid) may fatigue during wide rows, while muscles of the mid-back (e.g. middle trapezius and rhomboids) may not be trained to their potential. 

Advanced training techniques such as pre- and post- exhaustion may be useful to address inequitable training stimuli among agonist muscles during multi-joint exercise. Pre-exhaustion places an isolation exercise immediately before a compound exercise with no rest. Although bodybuilding pioneers like Arthur Jones tended to promote pre-exhaustion methods, the research on this strategy is somewhat lackluster. (9) At best, lifters accomplish equivalent training volume and experience similar strength gain compared to performing the isolation exercise and compound exercise as traditional straight sets. (10) At worst, trainees may lose repetitions during the compound exercise due to fatigue. (11) 

Fortunately, a related technique called post-exhaustion avoids the major downside of pre-exhaustion. Post-exhaustion uses compound supersets in a specific way. A multi-joint exercise is immediately followed by an isolation exercise for the same target muscle(s). 

Paul Kelso, an author and powerlifting analyst, promoted post-exhaustion training for thickening the upper back by using a sequence of rows and Kelso shrugs, his namesake exercise. Kelso shrugs may also be performed on a chest-supported T-bar row machine or using free-weights with trunk supported on an incline bench.

• How to Do it: Kelso shrugs involve isolated retracting (“drawing together”) the shoulder blades. While they may be performed with free weights while bent over or supported on an incline bench, performing Kelso Shrugs on a row machine with chest support allows you to better isolate the target muscles — your middle trapezius and rhomboids. Using a wide, overhand grips on the row machine, begin with your arms outstretched in front of you. You should feel a profound stretch as the machine draws your arms and shoulder blades forward. With little to no elbow bend and absolutely no rowing, squeeze your shoulder blades together, drawing the handles slightly closer to your body. Although your mid-back may arch or extend slightly as you draw your shoulder blades together, do not drive this motion by pushing your chest into the pad. Focus on using your middle trapezius and rhomboids. Pause momentarily, then allow the machine to slowly draw your shoulder blades apart.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest Time: Rest two to two and a half minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Benefits of the Machine Kelso Shrug

• This unique shrug variation hits the mid-back in relative isolation, allowing for additional training volume, especially when performed as a post-exhaustion technique following a rowing exercise.
• Kelso shrugs have a relatively easy exercise setup and minimal systemic fatigue.
• The exercise builds strength and control of the shoulder blades, which may promote overall shoulder health. (12)

Incline Dumbbell Flye Press

Muscles are stronger during eccentric contractions, which typically occur during the lowering phase of an exercise. One technique that exploits this phenomenon by increasing the intensity of the exercise during the eccentric phase is called eccentric accentuated training. (13) The flye press is a straightforward eccentric accentuated exercise, easily set up using an adjustable bench and a pair of dumbbells. 

While any incline press biases the upper chest, the incline dumbbell flye press packs an extra punch by accentuating the eccentric contraction of the clavicular head of pectoralis major. (3)(4)(5)(13) Therefore, this exercise serves to complement other chest exercises found in this workout, which tend to bias the lower muscle fibers of the chest.

• How to Do it: Set an adjustable bench to the 45-degree incline position. Lay on the bench and set your shoulder blades together so they lie flat against the pad. Begin with the dumbbells just outside the front of your chest and press them vertically until your elbows are nearly straight. Keeping slight elbow flexion, allow the dumbbells to drift apart. Continue to lower the dumbbells until you feel a strong stretch across the front of your chest. Bend your elbows to return the dumbbells to the start position before pressing to the top to repeat the sequence for additional repetitions.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8 to 12
• Rest Time: Rest one and a half to two minutes between sets.

Benefits of the Incline Dumbbell Flye Press

• The exercise is eccentric accentuated, meaning demand on chest is greater during the lowering phase, which may enhance strength development and hypertrophy. (13)(14)
• Using an incline bench promotes upper chest — pectoralis major clavicular head — activity and development. (3)(4)(5)

Bar Dip

Dips are typically performed using a dedicated dip station or a sturdy dip attachment on a power rack. The handles of the dip station or dip attachment are often parallel or diverge slightly from parallel — a feature that results in different training stimulus and exercise technique compared to traditional bodyweight bench dips. (15) 

Compared to triceps-focused bench dips, which are performed with the heels of hands supported by the long edge of a bench, bar dips show greater pectoralis major muscle activity. (15) Also compared to bench dips, bar dips require less shoulder hyperextension. (15) Since loaded shoulder hyperextension can be hard on the shoulders, dips may be better tolerated by lifters with known shoulder issues. (15)(16)

Bar dips are easy adapt to beginner strength-levels via the use of the lower body or an elastic band for assistance. They can be made more challenging by adding weight to a dip belt. Effective and versatile, the bar dip is a great exercise for building the mid- and lower chest.

• How to Do it: If your dip station or attachment has diverging handles, select a grip width comfortable for your shoulders. Begin in the top position with your elbows locked out and your hands on the bars under your shoulders supporting your weight. Your hips should drift slightly backward as you lower your body, allowing your elbows to flex and your upper arms to extend slightly behind you. In the bottom position, achieve a stretch across the front of your chest. Pause momentarily before pushing back to the top.
• Sets and Reps: 2 x 8-12
• Rest Time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Benefits of the Bar Dip

• The dip trains your pectoralis major, pectoralis minor, triceps brachii, and lower trapezius. Your latissimus dorsi, serratus anterior, and the posterior rotator cuff may also be active, serving as stabilizing roles. (15)
• Your chest experiences a “loaded stretch” in the bottom of the bar dip, which may promote accelerated muscle growth. (14)
• High-effort sets of dips may further bias your pectoralis major, as increased muscle activity has been shown when sets are taken toward failure. (17)

Standing Cable Pullover

As the name implies, pullovers involve drawing a resistance over the body from high-to-low. Although typically thought of as back exercises, pullover variations such as the dumbbell pullover and cable pullover train your back and chest. (2)(18)

The cable pullover has a slightly different resistance curve than free weight versions, as the lifter experiences maximum resistance when their arms are perpendicular to the cable rather than perpendicular to the vertical line of gravity. (19) This feature makes the cable pullover more conducive to high repetition, “pump work” style sets. 

Cable resistance also enables the exercise to be performed standing, a variation sometimes called a straight-arm pushdown or pulldown. If you’re looking for a high-tension solution to polish off your upper body workout, don’t skip the standing cable pullover.

• How to Do it: Grab a straight bar cable attachment with a double-overhand grip, with hands placed wider than your shoulders. Hinge slightly forward at the hips and lift your chest. With your arms outstretched overhead, pull the bar toward your thighs. Once the bar contacts your thighs, control the movement back to the start position. Keep your elbows straight but not locked throughout the movement.
• Sets and Reps: 2 x 16-20
• Rest Time: Rest two to three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Benefits of the Standing Cable Pullover

• Pullovers train the back and chest together. (18)
• The resistance profile of the cable pullover applies substantial resistance when the latissimus dorsi is stretched, which may enhance muscle gain. (6)(19)
• The focused tension of the exercise tends to promote a great lat pump sensation.

How to Warm-up for Your Chest and Back Workout

Traditional warm-ups begin with a short bout of cardiovascular activity to raise body temperature, increase breathing rate, and improve overall circulation, followed by more specific movements and mobilizations to prepare the body for the workout ahead. With a substantial chest and back workout ahead of you, cardio followed by a multi-exercise specific warm-up may feel daunting. 

Rather than skip the warm-up altogether, try a high-volume warm-up instead. High-volume warm-ups include long sets of high repetition, light resistance and/or bodyweight exercises performed in circuit fashion.

The benefits of high-volume warm-ups are similar to traditional warm-ups. They physiologically and mentally prepare your body for the workout, but they have the added benefit of extra reps for muscle groups that will be targeted in the upcoming workout and for muscle groups that could benefit from additional training volume (including specific weaknesses you may need to address). 

Perform 20 to 30 repetitions of each of the following exercises as a circuit — take no rest between each exercise set. Rest 30 seconds between circuits. Repeat the entire circuit two or three times.

• Band Face Pull: Stand facing a light resistance loop anchored at chin-height. With arms outstretched in front of your body, grasp the loop leaving a length of resistance band slightly wider than your neck between your hands. Keeping your chest up and your body stationary, draw the resistance band toward your forehead by simultaneously performing a high row with shoulder external rotation — Your elbows should track at or above shoulder-height, and your wrists should travel higher than your elbows. When the band reaches or nearly reaches your forehead, reverse the movement and return to the starting position. 

• Elevated Push-up: Begin with your hands elevated on a bench or Roman chair/back extension and your feet on the floor. Perform a push-up by pressing your body up and away from the support surface until your elbows are straight. Your push-up should resemble a “moving plank,” with your trunk and legs moving together as a unit. Lower until your chest touches or nearly touches the support surface.

• Dynamic 45-Degree Back Extension: Set up a 45-degree Roman chair so the top of the pad is just below your beltline. Lay with your thighs supported by the pad and your feet on the footplate of the machine. As you lower your torso toward the floor, intentionally allow your spine to round. As you raise your torso toward the ceiling, intentionally extend (“arch”) your spine throughout the movement. This movement requires minimal movement from the hip joints.

Here’s the deal: Some lifters train their back extensor muscles (the “fins” of muscle that lie on either side of the spine) on leg day with exercises like deadlifts, good mornings, and hyperextensions. Other lifters place these exercises with their back training. The jury is out on which practice is “best,” but one thing is clear — most lifters will benefit from more low back training. 

Outside of powerlifters who’ve adopted the reverse hyper machine, and those who still use old school back extension machines, few lifters intentionally perform dynamic back extensor training — exercises that intentionally train the back extensors through an appreciable range of motion. If you are new to flexion- and extension-based low back exercises, the dynamic 45-degree back extension is a good place to start, but you may need to reduce the repetition target until you’re accustomed to the direct work.

Jacked from Front to Back

Nineteen sets in total, this formidable workout hits all major parts of your chest and back. Remember to take two or three “work-up sets” per exercise to groove your technique and identify a challenging weight for the target repetition range (“work-up sets” do not count toward set total). Altogether, plan to be in the gym a little over an hour accomplishing more than most do in two separate workouts. 

References

1. Weakley, J. J., et al. (2020). The effects of superset configuration on kinetic, kinematic, and perceived exertion in the barbell bench press. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 34(1), 65-72.
2. Ackland, D. C., Pak, P., Richardson, M., & Pandy, M. G. (2008). Moment arms of the muscles crossing the anatomical shoulder. Journal of Anatomy, 213(4), 383-390.
3. dos Santos Albarello, et al. (2022). Non-uniform excitation of pectoralis major induced by changes in bench press inclination leads to uneven variations in the cross-sectional area measured by panoramic ultrasonography. Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology, 67, 102722.
4. Coratella, G., et al. (2020). Specific prime movers’ excitation during free-weight bench press variations and chest press machine in competitive bodybuilders. European Journal of Sport Science, 20(5), 571-579.
5. Lee, H. M. (2019). Force direction and arm position affect contribution of clavicular and sternal parts of pectoralis major muscle during muscle strength testing. Journal of Hand Therapy, 32(1), 71-79.
6. Ottinger, C. R., et al. (2022). Muscle hypertrophy response to range of motion in strength training: a novel approach to understanding the findings. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 10-1519.
7. Muyor, J. M., Rodríguez-Ridao, D., & Oliva-Lozano, J. M. (2023). Comparison of Muscle Activity between the Horizontal Bench Press and the Seated Chest Press Exercises Using Several Grips. Journal of Human Kinetics, 87, 23.
8. García-Jaén, M., et al. (2021). Electromyographical responses of the lumbar, dorsal and shoulder musculature during the bent-over row exercise: a comparison between standing and bench postures (a preliminary study). Journal of Physical Education and Sport, 21(4), 1871-1877.
9. Trindade, T. B., et al. (2022). Pre-exhaustion training, a narrative review of the acute responses and chronic adaptations. International Journal of Exercise Science, 15(3), 507.
10. Fisher, J. P., et al. (2014). The effects of pre-exhaustion, exercise order, and rest intervals in a full-body resistance training intervention. Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 39(11), 1265-1270.
11. Vilaça-Alves, et al. (2014). Effects of pre-exhausting the biceps brachii muscle on the performance of the front lat pull-down exercise using different handgrip positions. Journal of Human Kinetics, 42(1), 157-163.
12. Sciascia, A., & Kibler, W. B. (2022). Current views of scapular dyskinesis and its possible clinical relevance. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy, 17(2), 117.
13. Walker, S., et al. (2016). Greater strength gains after training with accentuated eccentric than traditional isoinertial loads in already strength-trained men. Frontiers in Physiology, 7, 149.
14. Wackerhage, H., et al. (2019). Stimuli and sensors that initiate skeletal muscle hypertrophy following resistance exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 136, 30-43.
15. McKenzie, A., et al. (2022). Bench, Bar, and Ring Dips: Do Kinematics and Muscle Activity Differ?. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(20), 13211.
16. McKenzie, A. K., et al. (2021). Glenohumeral Extension and the Dip: Considerations for the Strength and Conditioning Professional. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 43(1), 93-100.
17. McKenzie, A., et al. (2022). Fatigue increases muscle activations but does not change maximal joint angles during the bar dip. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 19(21), 14390.
18. Muyor, J. M., López-Miñarro, P. A., & Alacid, F. (2022). Comparison of electromyographic activity during barbell pullover and straight arm pulldown exercises. Applied Sciences, 12(21), 11138.
19. Schütz, P., et al. (2022). Chest exercises: movement and loading of shoulder, elbow and wrist joints. Sports, 10(2), 19.

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However, for maximum results toward any of those goals — physique, performance, or health — a comprehensive training plan which includes cardiovascular training has shown to be more effective than treating weight training and cardio as either/or. (1)(2)

That means making time to get outside or, for some weatherproofing, hopping on the best treadmill you can find. While treadmill workouts often bring the dread of slow, painful slogs while staring at the gym’s TV monitors, you can get a more effective workout done in less time when you crank up the intensity with interval training. Here are a few detailed workouts to make your next treadmill session a more productive and (relatively) more enjoyable experience.

HIIT Treadmill Workouts

• For Fat Loss
• For Conditioning
• For Beginners

HIIT Treadmill Workout for Fat Loss

For many people in the gym, once they make the decision to drop some body fat, hopping on the treadmill is often considered par for the course, along with cutting calories and skipping desserts. Rather than logging mile after foot-numbing mile, you can crank up the fat-burning by applying high-intensity intervals to your next treadmill session. Interval training has been shown to be more efficient and more effective than steady state cardio programming. (3)

Speed Intervals

This is one of the most common ways to perform an interval-based treadmill workout. Alternating periods of high-intensity, fast-paced running with low-intensity, slower paced walking allows you to effectively balance output with recovery for an efficient training session.

Because “fast pace” and “slow pace” are relative to your own ability, use your judgment when setting the treadmill speed. Aim for a strenuous run, not necessarily an all-out sprint, on the fast portion. Use a significantly slower pace, typically an easy jog or quick walk, for recovery periods.

With this approach to intervals, you have two potential avenues of progression. You can add more interval periods to increase the overall training time. This makes the workout progressively longer, but also increases the amount of work you’re doing in each session.

You can also keep the same number of intervals while gradually reducing the rest period in each “set.” By reducing the rest by 10 to 15 seconds per week, you’re asking your body to maintain high output with submaximal recovery. This increases the overall training intensity. Both methods can be effective, and they can be used sequentially — reduce rest periods each week for two or three weeks and then begin adding intervals once per week.

This workout can be performed two to four times per week, on non-consecutive days for better overall recovery. Don’t perform the workout immediately after training legs with weights due to potential cumulative fatigue in hip, knee, and ankle stabilizers.

Treadmill Interval

• How to Do it: Set the treadmill to a very low incline (between one and three percent). Steadily increase the speed up to your fast pace. Begin watching the clock as soon as you reach your ideal speed and maintain for the desired period. After you’ve reached the target time for the fast period, steadily decrease the speed and maintain the slow pace for the desired time.
• Sets and Reps: 10 “sets” of 30 seconds at a fast pace and 60 seconds at a slow pace. 15 minutes total training time.
• Rest time: No rest between intervals.

HIIT Treadmill Workout for Conditioning

Improved conditioning, sometimes synonymous with endurance or cardiovascular health, can be a welcomed side effect of most types of treadmill workouts. You can adjust the training for a more efficient and more specific conditioning benefit by taking a strategic approach to the interval treadmill session.

On/Off Treadmill Circuit

This circuit-based treadmill workout may appear unconventional, but it delivers total-body conditioning and a high intensity session which has shown to be more effective than moderate-paced cardio workouts. (4) Rather than alternating active periods of fast running with recovery walking periods, this approach alternates steady (submaximal) runs with more traditional exercises using bodyweight movements or dumbbells (for convenience). You’re essentially “supersetting” a treadmill run with a conventional exercise.

Rather than taking a stationary rest period or walking at a low intensity to recover, the exercise acts as a type of “active recovery” from the hard run. This allows you to continue training while you catch your breath as your cardiovascular system recovers.

This plan requires a bit of coordination, because you’ll be getting on and off the treadmill repeatedly (as the workout’s name implies). It also requires a little bit of planning and, ideally, some extra space near the treadmill itself to safely perform the non-treadmill exercise.

This workout can be adjusted to incorporate a variety of exercises to train a larger array of muscle groups. Choose one exercise for each muscle and perform them in an alternating fashion: treadmill, first body part, treadmill, second body part, treadmill, third body part, etc. 

This method can also be performed in a more basic manner focusing on a single body part for the entire session, using a different exercise in each interval. This method can work especially well with ab exercises, turning the session into a “two-for-one” cardio and ab workout.

For safety’s sake, avoid using lower body exercises such as squats or lunges because excessively fatiguing the leg muscles can increase the risk of running-related injuries. Regardless of the body part trained, avoid reaching absolute muscular failure. Doing so will create unnecessary systemic stress and impact recovery. Perform this workout two to three days per week.

Treadmill Run

• How to Do it: Set the treadmill to a very low incline (between one and three percent). Gradually increase the speed until you reach a moderately challenging pace — faster than an easy jog but less than a hard sprint. Maintain the pace for the duration of the set before decreasing the speed. If you can safely dismount the treadmill as it continues moving at a very slow speed, it may be easier to begin the next interval. Safety is paramount, so if you need to stop the treadmill completely between intervals, do so.
• Sets and Reps: 12-16 “sets” of one minute.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise (alternate exercises with each interval).

Push–Up

• How to Do it: Drop into a classic push-up position with your hands and toes on the ground, and your hands just outside shoulder-width. Keep a straight line throughout your body. Don’t allow your hips to drop to the ground or spike up to the ceiling. Bend your arms to lower your body while aiming your elbows toward your feet rather than toward the walls to your sides. Move at a relatively slow pace with total control. Descend as low as possible before pressing to full lockout.
• Sets and Reps: 6-8 x 10-12
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the treadmill.

Two-Dumbbell Row

• How to Do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand hanging at your sides. Hinge forward at the waist while keeping your back straight and your knees slightly bent. Keep your hands facing each other throughout the movement. Drive your elbows up and back until the weights nearest your thumbs are close to your ribs. Pause briefly before lowering to a full stretch.
• Sets and Reps: 6-8 x 8-10
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the treadmill.

HIIT Treadmill Workout for Beginners

Whether you’re new to the gym or just new to cardio training, you can’t always dive right into an intense workout. However, you can still use HIIT to get familiar with the training method while building a base of conditioning and general fitness.

Incline Intervals

Rather than alternating fast-paced running with slower walking, this approach uses an underappreciated benefit of the treadmill — the incline feature. Most treadmills can reach a 12-15% incline. If you’re unfamiliar with your treadmill, take some time before the workout to test its capabilities.

The goal is to maintain a steady walking pace for the duration of the workout, using the incline to add (and reduce) the difficulty throughout the session. Aim for a near-maximum incline during the high-intensity interval — ideally within two or three points of the machine’s max setting. If it’s capable of 15%, try to use at least 12%; if 12% is the maximum, aim for nine or 10%.

For the low-intensity interval, reduce the incline to one percent. The speed should not change during any interval. Choose a speed that allows a comfortable walking pace during the low interval, and keep the setting the same as the incline increases. This workout can be performed three or four days per week.

One key to maximizing any incline treadmill workout is to resist the urge to hold onto the handrails. As much as possible, allow your arms to swing naturally. Needing the handrails briefly for safety or balance is one thing. Hanging onto them to support yourself during the high incline becomes counterproductive because it reduces your body’s workload.

Treadmill Walk

• How to Do it: Set the treadmill to a one-percent incline with a comfortable walking speed and begin the first interval and maintain your pace for the desired period. After the target time, steadily increase the incline to the target percentage. When you’ve reached the target, maintain the pace for the desired time before returning to the lower incline for the next interval.
• Sets and Reps: 10-12 “sets” of one minute low incline and one minute high incline, 20-24 minutes total training time.
• Rest time: No rest between intervals.

How to Warm-Up for HIIT Treadmill Workouts

Just because you’re using a treadmill doesn’t mean you can skip the warm-up. A thorough warm-up isn’t just beneficial for injury prevention. It’s been shown to improve performance during training. (5) That can help to make sure you’re actually putting “high intensity” into your high intensity intervals.

Be sure to factor time into your HIIT workout for a good warm-up. Don’t just plan on showing up, running for 10-15 minutes, and leaving. The time spent warming up will prepare your ankles, knees, hips, and back for the run, while also improving overall blood flow and ensuring an even more productive session.

HIIT Treadmill Workout Warm-Up

• Bodyweight Squat with Pause and Calf Raise: Stand with your feet roughly shoulder-width apart. Descend into a squat as low as possible. Pause in the bottom position for two seconds before standing upright. In the top position, rise onto your toes in a calf raise. Perform 10 repetitions.
• Lunge and Twist: Begin in a push-up position. Step your left foot forward into a lunge position. Raise your left arm and reach up to the ceiling. Aim to feel your hips, core, and upper back stretching. Replace your hand on the ground and step back with your foot. Repeat with the opposite side. Perform four reps per side.
• Treadmill Pyramid Run: Get on a treadmill and begin at a slow walking speed. Every 20 to 30 seconds, increase the speed several points until you reach a challenging running pace. Maintain this speed for three to five minutes before reversing the process and incrementally slowing down.

Better Results with the Ups and Downs of Intervals

Steady-state workouts can have a place in your overall workout program. Performing a reliably monotonous walk can help relaxation and general restoration. But when it’s time for a hard and productive workout, some high intensity interval training will pack more results into less time. Narrow down your goal, pick the right workout, and put that treadmill to good use.

References

1. Schroeder, E. C., Franke, W. D., Sharp, R. L., & Lee, D. C. (2019). Comparative effectiveness of aerobic, resistance, and combined training on cardiovascular disease risk factors: A randomized controlled trial. PloS one, 14(1), e0210292. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0210292
2. Ho, S. S., Dhaliwal, S. S., Hills, A. P., & Pal, S. (2012). The effect of 12 weeks of aerobic, resistance or combination exercise training on cardiovascular risk factors in the overweight and obese in a randomized trial. BMC public health, 12, 704. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-2458-12-704
3. Viana, R. B., Naves, J. P. A., Coswig, V. S., de Lira, C. A. B., Steele, J., Fisher, J. P., & Gentil, P. (2019). Is interval training the magic bullet for fat loss? A systematic review and meta-analysis comparing moderate-intensity continuous training with high-intensity interval training (HIIT). British journal of sports medicine, 53(10), 655–664. https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2018-099928
4. Sultana, R. N., Sabag, A., Keating, S. E., & Johnson, N. A. (2019). The Effect of Low-Volume High-Intensity Interval Training on Body Composition and Cardiorespiratory Fitness: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.), 49(11), 1687–1721. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40279-019-01167-w
5. Fradkin, A. J., Zazryn, T. R., & Smoliga, J. M. (2010). Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 24(1), 140–148. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0

Featured Image: Antoniodiaz / Shutterstock

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Even when your biceps aren’t getting a major stimulus from some back exercises, they’re getting warmed up and slightly pre-fatigued for the latter part of the workout, when you can finish them off with some direct biceps training.

It’s a match made in heaven and many body part split programs would be incomplete without a solid back and biceps day. Here are some of the best back and biceps workouts to add size and strength whether you’re new to the gym or think you’ve tried it all.

Back and Biceps Workouts

• For Beginners
• For Intermediate Lifters
• For Advanced Lifters
• Benefits of Back and Biceps Training
• Muscles Trained During Back and Biceps Workouts

Beginner Back and Biceps Workout

The goal with beginner-level training is to get strong and do so with a low barrier of entry, using exercises that can be relatively easily mastered. Many lifters who are new to the gym gravitate toward training their back using barbell rows. While the barbell can be a great tool for back training, it’s often skill-intensive and highly fatiguing, especially for beginners.

Base-Building Back and Biceps

This back and biceps workout routine uses exercises that are relatively simple to learn and more appropriate for establishing a base of strength and muscle. When you focus on the target muscles and apply strict technique, you’ll also give your  pulling muscles a gnarly pump by the end of the session. Technically, if you had to label your workout in detail, it could be considered a “back, biceps, and shoulders workout” because you’re also giving some direct attention to the rear head of the shoulder muscle.

Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

The bent-over dumbbell row delivers a strong back-building stimulus without taxing your spinal erectors (lower back) like a barbell row often can. Avoid swinging your torso to move the weight.

How to Do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, with your arms straight down by your sides. Bend your legs slightly and hinge forward at your hips while keeping your back neutral, not rounded. Let the weights reach toward your toes with your hands facing each other. Drive your elbow back past your ribs and try to feel a contraction in your back muscles. Return the weights to the stretched position before repeating. Maintain the same hip angle throughout the exercise.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: 60 to 90 seconds between sets

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown

The close-grip lat pulldown will help stretch your lats and hit them in a way the row didn’t. Mixing vertical pulling (like the lat pulldown) with horizontal pulling (like rows) is a very effective way to target the multiple muscles of your back.

How to Do it: Attach a neutral-grip (palms facing each other) to the pulldown cable. Grab the handles and sit, allowing your arms to straighten and stretch overhead. Plant your feet flat and secure your knees under any available pad. Keep your upper body nearly vertical, with a slight backward lean. Drive your elbows down until the bar is generally near your face or chin. Control the stretch as you return to the arms-overhead position.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: 60 to 90 seconds between sets

Machine Reverse Flye

The machine reverse flye will torch your rear deltoids. Although the rear delts are technically part of your shoulder muscle, the rear muscle head is involved in many back exercises. Training them directly as part of a back and biceps routine makes sense because your rear delts, like your biceps, are pre-fatigued after training your back.

How to Do it: Sit with your chest braced against the pad in a reverse flye (or “reverse pec-deck”) machine. Grab the handles with a thumbs-up grip with your hands at shoulder-level in front of you. Keep a slight bend in your elbows. Pull your hands back until they’re in line with your shoulders to the side. Don’t “overpull” to reach your hands behind your body. Return your hands to the forward position without letting the weights slam onto the stack.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: One minute between sets

Alternating Dumbbell Curl

The alternating dumbbell curl lets you focus on each arm individually, so you get some serious bang for your biceps training buck. The slight supination (turning of the wrist) helps to recruit more overall biceps muscle, including your brachioradialis, making the exercise a top notch biceps-builder.

How to Do it: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand with your arms hanging down at your sides. Bring your left hand up in a thumbs-up position. As your hand passes your hips, turn your hand palm up and continue curling until the weight is near shoulder-level. Reverse the motion to return the weight to your side. Repeat the movement with your right hand. Alternate arms with each repetition.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-20 per arm

Rest Time: 45 to 60 seconds between sets

How to Progress

As a beginner, your goal is to learn proper form with simple movements while getting stronger. As long as your compound (multi-joint) exercises get stronger while using good technique, you should be building muscle in all the right places.

Keep pushing each set until you eventually reach the end of the rep range. Once you reach that ceiling, increase the load and repeat the process, but only do so if your form remains strict. Don’t develop a habit of cheating just to move the weight. Once your loads have increased significantly, roughly 30% or more, you can jump into the next program.

Intermediate Back and Biceps Workout

Once you’ve reached the intermediate stage — you’re feeling more skilled in the gym and your shirts have filled out with a bit of muscle — it can be tempting to start “ego lifting,” especially if you start to notice the bigger lifters in the gym swinging around weights when they row. Don’t do that. It can get you injured and, actually, doesn’t stimulate your back well as using crisp, strict technique.

Keep your form dialed in and you should feel your back working deeply across the targeted muscle fibers, allowing you to trigger growth. The same principle applies to your biceps — no swinging. Let your biceps do the work, not your ego. Elbow flexion, not momentum, will grow arms.

Back and Biceps Workout with New Angles

As you transition to an intermediate lifter, you can likely handle some more volume as long as you’re eating enough nutrients to recover and grow. It’s also a good time to introduce some variety to prevent overuse injuries while also stimulating muscle regions in different ways. (1) This back and biceps gym workout uses a few different movements to target your muscles.

The chest-supported row is a great first exercise of the day. It’s stable and doesn’t require as much warming up as a free-standing row. The stability helps you focus on your back. The single-arm rows allow you to take advantage of unilateral (single-arm) strength-building, because you can lift more with one arm than trying to lift two dumbbells together. This unilateral focus also helps to correct any imbalances you may have.

The incline dumbbell curl stretches your biceps more than the standing movement, which elicits a large growth response. (2) The stretched movement may also impose more soreness due to the increased range of motion, but you should be able to handle that now that you’ve got more experience under your belt.

Chest-Supported Row

This movement fully supports your upper body and essentially removes your lower back from the equation, making it a strict back-building exercise with few limitations. The chest-supported row is an excellent way to begin a back-focused training day because your lats and larger back muscles are doing the work without fatiguing your low back.

How to Do it: Lay chest-down on a supported bench and grab the handles with a palm-down grip. Unrack the weight before pulling the bar up as high as possible. Pause briefly in the contracted position before lowering the weight to a full stretch.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: 60 to 90 seconds between sets

Wide-Grip Pulldown

This movement is one of the most fundamental pulldown variations. The emphasis on a long overhead stretch with a strong contraction makes the wide-grip pulldown an essential player is many back workouts.

How to Do it: Attach a long bar to a pulldown station. Take a grip slightly wider than shoulder-width and sit down. Secure your knees under any pads and allow your arms to extend straight overhead. Keep your torso mostly upright and drive your elbows down, pulling the bar to nearly chin level. Pause briefly before returning to an overhead position.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: 60 to 90 seconds between sets

Single-Arm Dumbbell Row

The single-arm dumbbell row is a classic back-training exercise. Mastering this movement is an essential for long-term back development. It allows you to target your back muscles, one side at at time, while drastically reducing lower back stress.

How to Do it: Grab a dumbbell in one hand, with your palm facing in toward your body. Brace your non-working hand on a flat bench or on the same side knee. Drive your arm up and back until the dumbbell is near your ribs. Pause briefly for a maximum contraction before lowering to a full stretch. Perform all reps with one arm before switching sides.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: No rest between arms, one minute between sets

Cable Rear Delt Flye

Targeting your rear delts with cables instead of a machine increases the time under tension, which can improve the muscle-building stimulus. (3) This unique movement lets you get more benefit from relatively less weight.

How to Do it: Stand in the middle of a double cable station with a high pulley with each hand grabbing the cable from the opposite side. Flex your abs and bend your knees slightly. Keep a slight bend in your arms as you draw your elbows down and back. In the full contraction, your arms should be slightly behind your torso. Return to the stretched position, with your arms crossed in front of your body.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15

Rest Time: 45 to 60 seconds between sets

Incline Dumbbell Curl

The incline dumbbell curl is a powerful choice for a biceps exercise. The intense stretch and focused contraction creates a major trigger for muscle growth. Be sure to prioritize technique over heavy loads — if done properly, relatively light weights can feel extremely heavy. Resist the urge to cheat.

How to Do it: Set an adjustable bench to roughly 45-degrees. Lay back while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Rest your head, shoulders, and back on the bench pad. Allow your arms to hang straight with your palms facing forward. Curl the weight up while moving only your hand and the dumbbell — don’t let your elbow, upper arm, or head move. When you’ve reach the highest position possible without moving your elbow or upper arm, slower lower the weight to a full stretch.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15

Rest Time: 45 to 60 seconds between sets

How to Progress 

Once you are able to hit the end of the rep range for an exercise, increase the load in the next workout. It’s basic, bread and butter progression. There’s no need to overcomplicate things. You keep form strict and, as long as you eat enough while getting stronger, your arms will expand and your back will eventually get its own zip code.

Advanced Back and Biceps Workout

Now that you are even stronger, you need to periodize to new variations along with adding lifting straps. What often happens with advanced lifters is that their grip and forearms can become a limiting factor during back exercises, leaving progress-building reps untapped in each set.

At this stage of development, your back should be significantly stronger than your smaller forearm muscles. Strategically using lifting straps can prevent your forearms from fatiguing while allowing you to impose more stimulating reps to your back and biceps.

Back and Bi’s for Experienced Lifters

As an advanced lifter, you need to be more specific about hitting all regions of your back. The barbell row is extremely comprehensive and skill-intensive, so it becomes the first exercise in the workout. Vertical pulling is next to more thoroughly target your lats. At this point, you should be strong enough to do at least five strict pull-ups. If not, stick to lat pulldowns and figure out whether it’s a lack of strength or an excess of body weight hindering your pull-up progress.

The Jefferson curl is a unique movement added to train your spinal erectors from top to bottom. This unconventional exercise sometimes gets a bad rap because it requires a rounded back, which is usually warned against, but your spine was designed to move and these types of controlled, dynamic contractions grow your muscles best.

If you want a thick, back-dominant look in both your upper and lower back, Jefferson curls can be a secret weapon. It should go without saying, do them with control and don’t load your ego. The workout wraps up with the addition of the barbell wrist curl. Since you’ll be using straps, which supplements your gripping strength, your forearms will benefit from some isolation to keep them growing.

Barbell Row

Sometimes considered the definitive back exercise, the bent-over barbell row can be a key player in building size and strength. Don’t let the ability to move heavy weight tempt you into cheating the technique. Keep your form strict and don’t bounce or swing weight.

How to Do it: Stand in front of a loaded barbell with a stable shoulder-width stance. Hinge at your hips and grab the bar with an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width. Brace your core and explode the weight up toward your lower ab region, below your belly button. Try to pause very briefly before lowering the weight with control.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: Two minutes between sets

Pull-Up

The pull-up is a classic bodyweight exercise. In many training circles, your pull-up performance is second only to your bench press ability as a measure of your true experience and aptitude in the gym.

How to Do it: Grab an overhead pull-up bar using a shoulder-width grip, with your palms facing away from your body. Flex your abs and keep your body in a generally straight line — resist the urge to “kick” your legs up as you lift. Pull your chest toward the bar and lean slightly back. When your mouth or chin is near bar-level, lower yourself to full extension (a straight-arm stretched position) with control. Don’t free fall into the bottom.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 5-10

Rest Time: Two minutes between sets

Jefferson Curl

The Jeferson curl is performed contrary to one overriding weight training rule — here, you’re supposed to allow your back to round during the exercise. During most other movements like squats, deadlifts, and rows, proper technique usually involves keeping a stiff and neutral spine. During the Jefferson curl, the goal is to deliberately round your spine (under full control, of course).

How to Do it: Stand with a light barbell in your hands, with straight arms resting in front of your body. Lean forward at the waist and imagine curling each individual vertebrae down as you reach toward your feet. Keep your arms straight and keep the bar close to your legs. When you’ve reached the end of your flexibility, “uncurl” slowly to return to a standing position.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 5-10

Rest Time: One minute between sets

Cable Rear Delt Flye

The cable rear delt flye remains a reliable, high-intensity way to finish off your rear deltoids at the end of your workout for back and biceps. Keep your form strict and focus on feeling your delts doing the work.

How to Do it: Stand in the middle of a double cable station with a high pulley with each hand grabbing the cable from the opposite side. Flex your abs and bend your knees slightly. Keep a slight bend in your arms as you draw your elbows down and back. In the full contraction, your arms should be slightly behind your torso. Return to the stretched position, with your arms crossed in front of your body.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: One minute between sets

Incline Dumbbell Curl

Blast your biceps with the incline dumbbell curl. The intense stretch and hard contraction make it an excellent choice for zeroing in on your arms.

How to Do it: Set an adjustable bench to roughly 45-degrees. Lay back while holding a dumbbell in each hand. Rest your head, shoulders, and back on the bench pad. Allow your arms to hang straight with your palms facing forward. Curl the weight up while moving only your hand and the dumbbell — don’t let your elbow, upper arm, or head move. When you’ve reach the highest position possible without moving your elbow or upper arm, slower lower the weight to a full stretch.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12

Rest Time: One minute between sets

Barbell Wrist Curl

Work your forearms (specifically, your wrist flexors) with the barbell wrist curl. The targeted movement will give some attention to your forearm muscles, which could potentially be understimulated when using lifting straps during heavier back exercises.

How to Do it: Set up on a flat bench with an underhand (palm-up) grip on a barbell. Support your forearms across the bench. Extend your wrists down to lower the weight, allowing the bar to roll toward your fingertips. Curl your hand closed and bring your wrists up without lifting your forearms from the bench. It’s a relatively short range of motion, so focus on applying tension without swinging.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15

Rest Time: 45 to 60 seconds between sets

How to Progress 

Progression is the same as before — Train hard, don’t swing any weights, and add reps or load each week.

If you can match or beat your rep performance, that’s great. Once you get to the highest end of the rep range, add load the following week. If you’re lifting heavy, but find yourself getting fatigued and losing performance, you may need to deload at some point.

But for the most part, continual growth comes down to continual strength increase with constant nutrient intake. Just be cautious when it comes to progressing pull-ups. It’s tempting to justify reps that swing around, which can end up adding load hastily.

Focus on your form most weeks and only count reps that are performed under controlled. Once you get to 10 strict pull-up reps, add five to 10 pounds, reduce the reps back to five, and keep going.

Benefits of a Back and Biceps Workout

While each type of body part split or potential workout setup can have its own benefits, there are a few distinct reasons to consider planning a back and biceps day in your weekly training split.

Happier Joints and Better Posture

People with strong backs who do more pulling exercises have happier, healthier joints. When you bench or overhead press excessively and don’t balance your musculature with rows, pulldowns, or pull-ups, your shoulders can get cranky. (4)

Your joints and connective tissues begin to beg for more rowing and a stronger back. This can create a healthier spine, improve joint function, and promote better posture.

You Get Good at Moving Stuff

Sure, nobody wants to be “that friend” everyone in the group hits up when they need help moving, but the alternative is worse — being the friend nobody contacts to help them move because they’re scared you’ll snap in half.

That’s where a consistent back and biceps day comes in. You’ll simply be more capable through everyday life, and moving furniture will feel like child’s play. Beyond the practical benefits, building strength in your back, biceps, and grip can carry over to boost performance in the gym — everything from more obvious exercises like farmer’s walks and deadlifts to overhead pressing, where a stronger back helps to provide upper body stability.

Build Some Eye-Catching Muscle

Many people rightly associate biceps training as being essential for a more aesthetic physique. While the chest, abs, and even shoulders are often considered other contenders for attention-grabbing body parts, a well-muscled back can take your muscularity to the next level and create an undeniably athletic and powerful look.

By training your back and arms, you fill out any T-shirt better, as opposed to looking like a malnourished college freshman swimming in baggy clothes. A big back can also make your waist look relatively smaller in comparison, in case you’re still working to shed a bit of extra fluff.

Back and Biceps Basic Anatomy

Here’s a brief rundown of all the muscles you’ll be hitting with each back and biceps workout. Yes, you’re training “the back” and “the biceps,” but there’s a bit more detail to consider.

Trapezius

The traps are a diamond-shaped muscle that takes up a large part of your upper back. It spans from your mid-neck to just below your shoulder blades. The trapezius has many muscle fibers and several “sections” — the upper traps, mid-traps and lower traps — but a variety of horizontal and vertical pulling will hit the muscle in its entirety. The main function is scapular retraction (pulling your shoulder blades together), so rowing exercises will be particularly useful.

Lats

The latissimus dorsi, or lats, are another big muscle group. It takes up the outer parts of your mid-back, spanning up to your armpits and down toward the start of your lower back. The lats are often notorious for giving you that wide look.

Some lifters regard the lats as the wingspan muscle because people can see your back gains from the front thanks to your lats. Not to mention, it makes your waist look smaller as well. Any vertical pulling exercises, like all pulldown exercises, hit the lats with a strong contraction and long stretch.

Spinal Erectors

These are two long, thick beams that run from the top of your back to the bottom, including what’s typically referred to as your “lower back”. Similar to the traps, your spinal erectors get stimulated with nearly every back exercise because they’re involved in controlling posture near the hips. They’re trained directly as the primary focus during Jefferson curls or any pulling or hip hinging exercise where you are actively arching your back.

Rhomboids

Your rhomboids are relatively smaller back muscles that attach at your mid-spine and sit partially under your scapula, creating part of your upper back musculature. The rhomboids aid in scapular retraction, in a similar role to the traps, and they help your posture look better. All horizontal rowing will hit the rhomboids well, especially if you focus on pulling your elbows back to allow your scapulae to squeeze together.

Rear Deltoids 

The rear deltoids are the back head of your shoulders. Developing this relatively smaller muscle can makes your overall back look more complete, along with “rounding out” the appearance of your shoulders.

People who often ignore or underappreciate back training usually have lagging shoulders, as well. All pulling exercises where your elbow travels behind your body, like many types of rows, will hit the rear delts.

Some lifters argue that the rear delts don’t really need direct training as long as you have enough back volume each week, but well-planned isolation work never hurts, especially if you want to focus on building a specific body part.

Biceps

Your “biceps” actually consists of three related muscles: the biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis.

The biceps brachii is the spotlight “biceps” muscle consisting of two heads, a long head and short head. Both are visible and create what most people consider the biceps on their upper arm. You can’t see any distinct separation between the two heads unless you’re incredibly lean or incredibly muscled.

The brachialis is a smaller muscle that sits between your biceps and triceps. It’s rarely ever visible due to its anatomical location, but it creates arm size by “lifting” your biceps. Unless you’re very heavily muscles or as lean as a competitive bodybuilder, you’re not likely to see the muscle itself.

The last big player in the biceps game is the brachioradialis. It sits at the top of your upper forearms and rotates your wrists to a neutral (thumbs up) position, along with helping to flex your elbows. It’s more visible than the brachialis and, when developed, can help to fill out your sleeves, especially near the forearm area.

All of the aforementioned biceps muscles primarily work at elbow flexion (bending your arms), so these muscles get trained with every row and pulldown, as well as with any type of curl. This is why, if you’re getting stronger on a variety of back exercises and adding some hard curls, you don’t need many sets of biceps training to see big results.

Time For Some Back and Biceps

Time to start applying these workouts for back and biceps. Take an honest assessment of your experience level and get working on your rows, pulldowns, and curls. You’ve seen the most efficient ways to plan these back and biceps exercises, so get into the gym and get growing. Your back will widen and your arms will expand. Your upper body will look more impressive, and you might even notice that your physique is getting a few you extra admirers as a side effect.

References 

1. Kassiano, Witalo1; Nunes, João Pedro1; Costa, Bruna1; Ribeiro, Alex S.1,2; Schoenfeld, Brad J.3; Cyrino, Edilson S.1. Does Varying Resistance Exercises Promote Superior Muscle Hypertrophy and Strength Gains? A Systematic Review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 36(6):p 1753-1762, June 2022. | DOI: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000004258
2. Oranchuk, D. J., Storey, A. G., Nelson, A. R., & Cronin, J. B. (2019). Isometric training and long-term adaptations: Effects of muscle length, intensity, and intent: A systematic review. Scandinavian journal of medicine & science in sports, 29(4), 484–503. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.13375
3. Burd, N. A., Andrews, R. J., West, D. W., Little, J. P., Cochran, A. J., Hector, A. J., Cashaback, J. G., Gibala, M. J., Potvin, J. R., Baker, S. K., & Phillips, S. M. (2012). Muscle time under tension during resistance exercise stimulates differential muscle protein sub-fractional synthetic responses in men. The Journal of physiology, 590(2), 351–362. https://doi.org/10.1113/jphysiol.2011.221200
4. Cools, A. M., Witvrouw, E. E., Mahieu, N. N., & Danneels, L. A. (2005). Isokinetic Scapular Muscle Performance in Overhead Athletes With and Without Impingement Symptoms. Journal of athletic training, 40(2), 104–110.

Featured Image: Prostock-studio / Shutterstock

The post The Ultimate Back and Biceps Workout for Every Lifter From Beginner to Advanced appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The bench press is a go-to exercise when you’re looking to increase the size and strength of your chest, shoulders, and triceps. The stability of the bench and the fixed range of motion of the barbell allows you to use more weight. And moving more weight means building more size and strength.

If you’re looking for a standalone bench-focused workout to increase strength and muscle in your upper body, you have come to the right place. Let’s dive in below.

Best Bench Press Workout For Muscle and Strength

To gain absolute strength, you must focus on moving heavier weights, working around 85-90% of your one-repetition maximum. (1) The cluster set technique will give you all you can handle in this regard — performing multiple “mini-sets” of low repetitions with heavy weights to accumulate significant volume. This helps set the table for more muscle because a stronger muscle has the potential for more size. After the heavy work, two different supersets concentrate on exercises that efficiently increase your chest size and strength.

The Size and Strength Routine

Perform this workout once weekly as part of your upper/lower body split. To progress with the first exercise, start at three complete cluster sets, do four the next week, and then five. When you’re able to do five cluster sets, add weight. The other three bench exercises start at the lower end of the rep range and add one repetition each week. When you have reached the upper range, increase the weight by five to 10 pounds and start the process again.

Bench Press Cluster Set

The flat barbell bench press should be a staple in your routine and your go-to for more size and strength whenever you want to move the most weight. This benching variation focuses equally on your upper and lower chest for better overall muscle development.

How to Do it: Lay supine on the flat bench, arch your lower back slightly, and plant your feet on the floor. Pull your shoulder blades together to enhance stability and upper back strength. Grab the bar and squeeze your hands hard to flex your arm and grip muscles maximally before unracking the load. Lower the bar to your sternum/base of your chest. Press the weight up, keep your back tight and your shoulder blades pulled together.

Sets and Reps: 3-5 x (4×2) — Perform four mini-sets of two reps, repeated a total of three to five times.

Rest time: Rest 10 seconds between each mini-set. Rest three minutes after each full set.

Close-Grip Bench Press

The close-grip bench press has your hands set shoulder-width apart and shift the load to your triceps and inner chest. (2) You may not be able to lift as much weight, but you’ll be training your chest and triceps from a different angle for improved muscle development.

How to Do it: Set up as you would for the flat bench press, but position your hands inside shoulder-width with your elbows tucked into your body. Pull the bar out of the rack and get tight. Pull keep your elbows close to your ribs while lowering the bar to your chest. Once you have reached your desired depth, press back up until lockout.

Sets and Reps: 3-4 x 4-6

Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Seated Band Pull-Apart

After two pressing exercises, you’ll get a break with this simple pulling exercise to strengthen your upper back and keep up the health of your shoulders. This seated band pull-apart will increase your upper back engagement (because of the stability of being seated) without you leaving the bench.

How to Do it: Sit upright, holding a looped band at shoulder height with your hands shoulder-width apart. Pull the band apart, keeping your arms nearly straight. Keep your shoulders down and your chest up. Pull until your shoulder blades are together and your arms are extended to either side of your body. Return to the starting position and repeat.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 15-25

Rest time: Rest two minutes before repeating previous exercise.

Single-Arm Dumbbell Bench Press

This single-arm (unilateral) exercise won’t allow you to go as heavy as you could with the barbell bench press, but there is still a lot to like about this pressing variation. First, you’ll address any imbalances between sides of your body, leading to better muscle development and improved joint health. Second, you’ll have more freedom of movement, because the dumbbell bench press allows you to adjust your grip and arm angle to find a pressing path that is comfortable for your wrist, elbow, and shoulder joints.

How to Do it:  Place one dumbbell on your knee while sitting on a flat bench. Lean back and drive the dumbbell toward your shoulder using your knee, while pressing the dumbbell up. Lower the dumbbell, keeping your elbow at roughly 45-degrees from your body. Press the dumbbells up to lockout and repeat. 

Sets and Reps: 3-4 x 8-12 reps per arm.

Rest time: Rest 60 to 90 seconds before moving to the next exercise. 

Dumbbell Chest Flye

The dumbbell chest flye is as close to a chest isolation exercise as it gets. This exercise takes the triceps out of the movement and stretches the pecs for a more extensive range of motion, which gives you better muscle-building potential. (3)

How to do it: Lie supine on a flat bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Begin with both arms locked out above your chest. Create a slight bend in your elbows and keep this bend throughout the movement. Lower your arms out to your sides in line with your shoulders. When you feel a stretch in the pecs, reverse the motion and squeeze the chest muscles to return to the top position.

Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-15

Rest time: Rest 60-90 seconds before repeating the previous exercise.

Chest Anatomy

The chest is a large superficial fan-like muscle, and the two chest muscles are the pectoralis major and the pec minor. It has two attachment points — the clavicular head on the upper chest and the sternal head attachment on the mid-to-lower chest. The pec major is on your anterior (front) ribcage, while the pectoralis minor is a small muscle underneath the pec major.

The pec major’s clavicular head originates, as expected, on your clavicle’s (collarbone) anterior or front surface. The pec major’s sternal head originates at the sternum’s anterior surface. Both muscle heads insert on the humerus (upper arm) and are involved in most upper body movements. The two primary chest functions that the training above focuses on are:

• Shoulder flexion — Raising your arms up by pushing or lifting in front of your body.
• Horizontal adduction — Bringing your hands (and joints) together in front of your pecs, as you do during a chest flye, bench press, or push-up.

Besides creating a big and muscular chest, the pecs are the primary “hugging” muscle. Pec size and strength help tackle, grab, and fend off opponents in the sporting arena, as well as throw and swing harder and faster if you play sports like football, baseball, or tennis. 

How to Warm-Up for Your Bench Workout

Have you ever seen someone walk off the street under the barbell and start pressing away to their heart’s content? Don’t be that person, they’re asking for injuries and poor performance. Although not warming up may not a huge issue on rare occasions, over time, it may lead to a decrease in performance and increased injury risk.

It’s better to take the time to warm-up and get the blood moving through your working muscles, while get your shoulder and elbow joints ready for action.

Because your upper back and rotator cuffs are involved in the bench press, be sure to perform any upper back movement that is effective for engaging your scapula and rotators — face pulls with external rotation or band pull-parts.

After that, a few light ramp-up sets on the bench press (low rep, light weight sets getting progressively heavier), focusing hard on engaging your chest muscles, will have you ready to roll.

If you decide to take more time for a thorough warm-up, take this upper-body prep for a spin. There are a couple of upper back-focused exercises here because your lats and upper back stabilize your chest during benching. You’ll need to get your back ready for chest day to fully protect and prepare your shoulders and rotator cuff.

• Face Pull with External Rotation: Secure a resistance band to a stable object at eye-level. Take an overhand grip and step back until your arms are extended straight ahead. Drive your elbows back in line with your shoulders while pulling your hands to the top of your head. In the peak contraction, your thumbs should point behind you and your palms should be near your ears. Return to the arms-extended position. Perform two sets of 15 reps.
• Scapular Push-up: Begin in a push-up position, with your hands and toes on the ground and your body straight. Keep your arms stiff and locked as you pinch your shoulder blades together while reaching your chest toward the ground. Drive your hands “through the ground” as you extend your shoulder blades down and push your chest away from your hands. Perform two sets of 10 reps.
• Rear Delt Fly: Take a pair of light dumbbells in each hand, or stand in the middle of a light resistance band and hold each end. Bend forward at the waist, nearly parallel to the ground, and let your arms hang toward the ground with a slight bend in your arms. Drive your arms up in line with your shoulders. Don’t allow your arm angle to change throughout the exercise. Pause briefly before returning to the stretched position. Perform two sets of 12 reps.
• Spiderman With Rotation: Begin in a push-up position, with your hands and toes on the ground and your body straight. Step forward with your left leg, aiming to get your foot near the pinky of your left hand if mobility allows. Keep your right leg straight. Without bending your right arm, lift your left arm to the ceiling, turning your upper body to allow a full rotation. When your arm is perpendicular to the ground, feel a total-body stretch before returning to a push-up position. Alternate sides with each repetition. Perform two sets of five reps per side.
• Incline Plyo Push-up: Setup near a stable flat bench or box, in a push-up position with your hands on the bench, your toes on the ground, and your body straight. Lower your chest toward the bench and explosively drive upwards, letting your hands leave contact with the bench. Catch yourself with slightly bent arms and brace your core. Take a breath and reset quickly before performing the next repetition. Perform two sets of eight reps.

Happy Benching

There are many different ways to target your chest, shoulder, and triceps, but the bench press is the most popular and, potentially, the most effective tool. You can build muscle and strength by focusing on a handful of the most effective movements to complement the bench press. Always warm-up your chest and shoulders, and then attack the muscles using the in-depth, ultimate bench workout laid out above. Your Mondays will never be the same.

References

1. Schoenfeld, B. J., Grgic, J., Van Every, D. W., & Plotkin, D. L. (2021). Loading Recommendations for Muscle Strength, Hypertrophy, and Local Endurance: A Re-Examination of the Repetition Continuum. Sports (Basel, Switzerland), 9(2), 32. https://doi.org/10.3390/sports9020032
2. Lockie, Robert & Moreno, Matthew. (2017). The Close-Grip Bench Press. Strength and Conditioning Journal. 39. 1. 10.1519/SSC.0000000000000307.
3. Baroni, B. M., Pompermayer, M. G., Cini, A., Peruzzolo, A. S., Radaelli, R., Brusco, C. M., & Pinto, R. S. (2017). Full Range of Motion Induces Greater Muscle Damage Than Partial Range of Motion in Elbow Flexion Exercise With Free Weights. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 31(8), 2223–2230. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0000000000001562

Featured Image: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock

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But there are other benefits to biceps training beyond adding slabs of meat under your sleeves — improved strength, shoulder stability, and joint health. (1) Heck, you could even use it to shed some fat and preserve lean muscle while cutting calories.

People usually envision biceps training either as an afterthought after training a larger body part like their back or check, or they approach it as part of a pure arms-only gym session consisting primarily of single-joint (isolation) exercises.

But if you’re smart and creative, or if you’re in a situation with next to no equipment, you can bypass the weights and provide your body with a refreshing and effective workout yielding loads of benefits. Whether you don’t go to a gym, are traveling abroad, or want to spice things up, try one of these weight-free workouts to get your biceps training to the next level.

Best Biceps Workouts

• Bodyweight-Only Biceps Workout 
• Resistance Band Biceps Workout

Best Bodyweight-Only Biceps Workout

Training without weights is getting back to the roots of training — being able to master your own body. If you’re tired of lifting iron and want to get back in touch with your primal self, try this routine. It would be a shame to reduce yourself to exclusively single-joint (isolation) exercises, because the biceps are involved in a lot of movements other than simple arm flexion.

This workout uses a combination of multi-joint exercises tweaked to focus more on the biceps, as well as isolation movements. This will cover all of this muscle’s functions while providing the best stimulus for strength, muscle growth, and fat loss for your body. Indeed, multi-joint exercises are generally better for strength adaptations and calories spent, while single-joint work is great to improve the mind-muscle connection or to bring up a specific weak point.

The No-Weight Workout

Perform this workout once per week for optimal results, after a warm-up. Since you can’t increase the weight to progress, you’ll have to use other methods. When you can comfortably perform the desired numbers of repetitions per set, increase it to the upper bracket of the upper range. For instance, if an exercise calls for 12 to 15 reps, once you can do all your sets of 12, try to bump them up to 15. Then, you can try to add another set. Finally, you can also reduce rest periods progressively.

Commando Chin-Up

Position yourself under a pull-up bar and grab it with your thumbs facing you and you hands touching each other. Hang dead from the bar and brace your core to stabilize yourself. Pull your shoulder blades down to initiate the movement and bend your elbows to elevate yourself towards the barbell, and aim your head toward the left side of the bar.

Aim to touch the bar with your right shoulder. Lower yourself down with control back to the starting position and repeat, this time with your head toward the right side of the bar and aiming to touch it with your left shoulder. Repeat for the desired amount of reps. The next set, switch hands so that the one that was the closest to you on the pull-up bar is now the farthest.

• Sets and Reps: 4 x 4-8
• Rest time: Three minutes between sets.

Headbanger Chin-Up

Position yourself under a pull-up bar and grab it using a nearly shoulder-width supinated grip (palms facing towards you). Brace your core, pack your shoulder blades together and down, and pull yourself up until your arms are approximately at a 90-degree angle.

Hold that position and start moving your body towards and away from the bar by extending and flexing the arms. No other body part should move and it should look like you were trying to headbutt the bar — don’t do it, though. Repeat this movement for the target amount of time. Because this can be a challenging exercise, begin with a shorter range of motion (extending your arms only partially) and gradually work toward full extension.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 30-60 seconds
• Rest time: Two minutes between sets.

Towel Curl

Grab a sturdy towel with both hands and twist it until it forms a noodle or spiral. Sit on a chair or a bench, with your back flat and your chest high. Place the center of the towel under one foot and hold an end in each hand.

Pin your elbows to your side and start flexing your arms towards your face against resistance applied by your foot. When you’re at the top and your hands are near your shoulders, reverse the motion and slowly extend your arms, still providing tension through your foot.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-15
• Rest time: 90 seconds between sets.

Lateral Plank Walk

Get in a plank position with hands on the floor, both arms extended, and your legs straight. Brace your core, pack your shoulders, and keep your body in a straight line. Take one step to the side with your right arm and right foot. Follow in the same direction with your left hand and foot.

Repeat for a few steps in the same direction, then reverse to the move in the opposite direction. Continue for the desired duration.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 60 seconds
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Inverted Row

Position yourself under a doorway pull-up bar set low, a dip bar, under a table, or a sturdy broom positioned between a pair of chairs. Grab the bar using a shoulder-width, pronated grip (palms facing away from you). Brace your core and flex your legs so your body forms a straight line.

Bend your elbows and pull your chest towards the bar, aiming to touch it the bar with your chest. Lower yourself with control until your arms are extended and repeat for as many reps as you can. Try to beat your score each session.

• Sets and Reps: 2 x maximum reps until muscular failure.
• Rest time: Two minutes.

Best Resistance Band Biceps Workout

Bands are a very interesting lifting tool because they provide accommodating resistance — tension and force increases as the band is stretched farther. This type of resistance allows for a unique feeling and more training possibilities. It’s also an effective way to complement bodyweight training because bands allow for a wider exercise election and better focus on some muscles. Band training is also invaluable for joint and tendon health. (2)

With such a strong case in favor of resistance band training, it’s time to try this biceps workout to gain some strength, build muscle, and help to shed fat.

One-Band Biceps Workout

Perform this workout once per week for optimal results, after a warm-up. To progress, you can use a heavier band, or a combination of several smaller bands to provide enough resistance. You can also play with volume. For instance, if an exercise calls for 12 to 15 reps, when you can do all your sets of 12, try to bump it up to 15. Then, you can try to add another set. Finally, you can also reduce rest periods each week.

Band-Assisted Chin-Up

Loop a band around a pull-up bar. Hang from the bar using a supinated grip (palms facing you) with your hands close to shoulder-width. Place your feet on the band, keeping your legs straight. Brace your core, puff your chest, pull your shoulder blades down, and pull yourself towards the bar by bending your elbows until you touch the bar with your chest.

Lower yourself with control until your arms are straight. Repeat for the desired amount of repetitions. The band will make the exercise easier at the start of the movement, allowing you to perform more repetitions and slightly favor your arms in the movement.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12
• Rest time: Two minutes.

Single-Arm Band Hammer Curl

Stand tall and place one end of the band under your foot. Grab the other end with your working hand. Keep your elbows at your sides. Bend your elbow and flex your arm toward your face. Only your forearm should move, not your shoulder.

Contract for a second at the top, then lower with control to the starting position. Perform all repetitions on one side before switching hands. To increase the resistance, hold both ends of the band in one hand.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-15
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Band Concentration Curl

Attach a band to a sturdy object around ground-level. Sit on a chair near the band and grab the band with your closest arm, placing your elbow on the inside of your thigh, just above your knee. Widen your stance to make room for your arm. Bend your elbow and flex your arm toward your face, squeezing for a second at the top.

Slowly extend your arm afterwards until it is straight again. Repeat for the desired amount of reps before switching arms. Make sure that no body part other than your forearms are moving during the exercise — don’t squeeze with your knee to assist your arm. To increase the difficulty, sit farther from the band’s attachment.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-12
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Band Reverse Curl

Step in the center of a band and grab the ends with both hands using a pronated (palms facing down), shoulder-width grip. Stand tall, brace your core, and pack your shoulder blades down. Bend your elbows by flexing your biceps to pull the band toward your face. Only move your forearms, don’t allow your elbows to move forward. Keep your palms facing down during the exercise.

Lower your hands with control until your arms are straight, and repeat for the desired amount of repetitions. For a more intense exercise and a serious burn, you can immediately add several partial range repetitions, coming up only halfway to fully finish off your arms.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 15-20
• Rest time: 90 seconds between sets.

The Biceps Muscles

The biceps are probably the most known and most frequently flexed muscles. Developed biceps are mostly coveted for an aesthetic purpose, but they also cover an array of functions for health and performance.

Biceps Brachii

The biceps brachii is the biggest arm flexor, the ball of meat on your upper arm. Composed of two heads — hence its prefix, “bi” — the biceps is attached from the ulna (forearm bone) to the scapula (shoulder blade) going through the shoulder complex.

It is mostly known as an arm flexor and supinator (rotating the palm towards your face), but also contributes to raising your arms and stabilizing your shoulder and humerus (upper arm bone). Having healthy and strong biceps is a prerequisite for having upper-body strength and health.

Brachialis

This muscle is a part of the upper arm complex, and is located directly under the biceps. It goes from the elbow to the upper humerus, and is only involved in elbow flexion (bending the arm). It’s actually the strongest arm flexor, not the biceps.

Developing this muscle will also help if you’re only interested in looks. Making it bigger can actually increase the “peak” of your biceps, by pushing it higher. When you’re lean enough, you can also see it for a truly impressive set of guns. To emphasize this muscle, assume a neutral (hammer) grip during curls.

Brachioradialis

The biceps’ other friend, the brachioradialis, is also attached from the ulna to the humerus. It’s the biggest and strongest forearm muscle. It works synergistically with the biceps and the brachialis, assisting in forearm flexion, supination, and pronation (rotating the palms away from you).

Having big and strong forearms is useful for many exercises, but can also serve as a visual illusion to compensate for shorter biceps by making them look bigger. You emphasize this muscle with a pronated (palm down) grip.

Biceps Warm-up

Warming up before a workout can improve your performance while minimizing connective tissue strain and risk of injuries. (3) It’s especially true before doing biceps, as the elbow is a notoriously sensitive joint, and some biceps exercises involve the shoulder complex — the most unstable joint in the entire body. 

A good biceps warm-up should at least mobilize your biceps and triceps, but if the exercises require other body parts, make sure to include them as well. Here’s a complete resistance band warm-up to prime your body before a biceps workout.

Biceps Band Warm-up

• Band Over-and-Back: Grab a band with both hands, using a very wide and pronated (palms down) grip. Stand tall, then hinge at the hips to slightly bend forward while keeping your back flat, and hold this position. While keeping your arms straight, raise the band over your head, then back down to your lower back. Return to the starting position by rotating your arms, still keeping them straight and under tension. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.

• Band Pull-Apart: Stand with a resistance band in your hands, palm downs. Raise your arms to shoulder level, in front of your chest. Pull the band with your hands, bringing them to your sides until it touches your chest. Keep your arms straight the whole time. Return to the starting position. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Band Row: Anchor the band to a sturdy item, just under chest-height. Stand tall with your chest high and grab it using a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Pull with your elbows and squeeze your back as hard as you can until your hands are at your sides. Revert the motion with control. Perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise. 
• Band Curl: Step into the band, hold it with your palms upwards, arms extended. While keeping your body braced, curl the band toward your face and squeeze your biceps. Extend your arms with control and perform 15 reps before moving to the next exercise.
• Band Pressdown: Attach the band high, at least to eye-level. Hold the ends with a pronated grip. Slightly bend forward at your waist and glue your elbows to your ribs. Completely extend your arms down, only moving your forearms, and squeeze your triceps. Bring your hands back to your chest for a total of 15 repetitions, and perform the entire circuit one more time for a thorough warm-up.

Arm Yourself With Bigger Guns

No weights? No problems. You don’t need them to fill your sleeves. Performing these no-weight biceps workouts can increase your arm size, as well as your strength, and contribute to shedding some fat in the process. This body part might be eye-catching, but there’s more to biceps training than meets the eyes.

References

1. Rodosky MW, Harner CD, Fu FH. The role of the long head of the biceps muscle and superior glenoid labrum in anterior stability of the shoulder. Am J Sports Med. 1994 Jan-Feb;22(1):121-30. doi: 10.1177/036354659402200119. PMID: 8129095.
2. Kim GJ, Oh H, Lee S, Lee K, Kim K. Effects of resistance exercise using the elastic band on the pain and function of patients with degenerative knee arthritis. J Phys Ther Sci. 2020 Jan;32(1):52-54. doi: 10.1589/jpts.32.52. Epub 2020 Jan 22. PMID: 32082029; PMCID: PMC7008024.
3. Fradkin AJ, Zazryn TR, Smoliga JM. Effects of warming-up on physical performance: a systematic review with meta-analysis. J Strength Cond Res. 2010 Jan;24(1):140-8. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181c643a0. PMID: 19996770.

Featured Image: YAKOBCHUK VIACHESLAV / Shutterstock

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To combat these negative effects, here’s a full workout you can do right in the airport. Complete with targeted mobility work, blood-pumping strength training, mood-boosting cardiovascular exercise, and restorative stretches, this entire workout can be performed within your terminal.

Jetsetter Airport Workout 

• Why Work Out at the Airport?
• Dynamic Mobility
• Upper and Lower Body Training
• Cardiovascular Conditioning 
• Targeted Stretching
• What Will Other Travelers Think?

Why Work Out at the Airport?

It’s simple. You are choosing to spend some of the downtime around your flight moving to counteract a few of the potential downsides of travel. Travel tends to confine us to small spaces and it separates us from our regular movement practices. Fortunately, exercise has powerful effects on our bodies and minds. It can keep us moving well and feeling good. 

Just one bout of resistance training has been shown to increase concentrations of anti-inflammatory protein messengers in and around the knee joints. (1) Moreover, this effect lasted over three hours. Since prolonged sitting is typically hard on joints such as the knees, it makes sense to counteract immobility with exercise.

On the psychological side, a single bout of resistance training or cardiovascular training has been associated with improvements in mood and well-being. (2) If you work out regularly, you may be accustomed to the uplifting effects of exercise. On the flip side, you’re also likely to notice its absence. If you could keep the exercise-induced good vibes rolling through travel season, why wouldn’t you?

An underappreciated benefit of exercise is the potential boost to the immune system. Immediate and lasting elevations in immune cell activity occur after submaximal resistance training and cardiovascular exercise. (3) Ultimately, any non-fatiguing workout may stimulate the immune system to mobilize its resources.

Although these acute changes in the immune system have not been directly tied to risk of common illnesses, it seems safe to say that revving up your immune system may be desirable if you are soon to be confined with dozens of strangers on a plane.

Dynamic Mobility

The dynamic mobility part of this workout serves dual purposes. First, it’s a great warm-up. Second, it begins to address some of the “problem areas” that may become stiff or achy during prolonged travel. For this portion of the workout especially, settle into a controlled exercise pace. Find a quiet area of floor space, tune out the hustle and bustle of the airport, and then get to work.

Plank to Pike with Alternating Toe Reach

• How to Do it: Begin the high plank position — similar to the top of a push-up with your body straight and supported by your palms and forefeet. Move to the pike position by driving your hips back and up, putting your body into an inverted v-shape. Next, reach one hand toward the opposite foot. Return to the pike position and repeat with the other hand to the opposite foot. Drop your hips and return to the high plank position to complete the repetition. Repeat the entire sequence for reps. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the next exercise. 

Plank to Deep Lunge with Rotations

• How to Do it: From the high plank position with your hands and feet on the ground, bring one leg forward.  Place your foot outside of your hand, or as close as your flexibility allows. Lift your hand on the forward leg side and reach for the ceiling. Rotate your trunk and follow your hand with your eyes. Replace your hand to the floor and bring your leg back to the high plank position. Repeat with the other side to complete one full repetition.  
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the next exercise. 

Side Plank with Rotations

• How to Do it: Get into a side plank position, supporting your body with one forearm and both feet. To enhance stability, place the foot of your top leg slightly in front of the foot of your bottom leg. Reach the hand of your top arm underneath your rib cage, near the ground and toward the wall behind you. Allow your body to rotate at your support-side shoulder and keep your eyes locked on your moving hand. Reverse the movement and reach your moving arm toward the ceiling. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side.
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the next exercise. 

Dead Bug

• How to Do it: Lie on your back with you arms straight up and your legs bent at roughly 90-degrees. Bring your low back into contact with the floor by rolling your pelvis backward (imagine “tucking your tail” or “bringing your belt buckle toward your chin”). Keep your low back in contact with the ground throughout the exercise. Simultaneously bring one arm to the ground overhead and the opposite leg down to the ground. Return to the start position. Repeat with the other arm and leg to complete one repetition. This can require some coordination, so move slowly and focus on controlling the movement
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per side.
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the first exercise. 

Upper and Lower Body Training

The main course (or concourse) of the airport workout is full-body resistance training. The first two exercises use your body weight as the resistance, while the final three exercises use your carry-on luggage for resistance.

Each of these exercises will use an intensification technique called “elevator reps” to increase the training stimulus with limited load. Every individual repetition consists of one full range of motion repetition followed by one rep with roughly 50% range of motion and another rep with roughly 75% range of motion. Elevator reps are structured based on the resistance curve of the exercise. Each repetition forces you to spend extra time in the most challenging portion of the range of motion. The specific techniques are shown and described below.

If completing elevator reps for the target rep range is too challenging, either perform the basic exercise without the intensification technique or perform fewer total repetitions per set.

Push-Up with Elevator Reps

• How to Do it: Begin in the top position of the push-up. You should be supported on your palms and the front of your feet with your elbows extended and your trunk braced. Lower yourself to the bottom position of a push-up, with your chest just above the floor. This is where the “elevator reps” begin. Push halfway back to the top position then immediately reverse the movement and return to the bottom position. Push three-quarters of the way to the top position and immediately return to the bottom position. Finally, push all the way to the top position. That’s one rep.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 
• Rest Time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets. 

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squats with Elevator Reps

• How to Do it: Stand in a staggered stance with the top of your rear foot supported by a piece of stable luggage (definitely nothing with wheels), or a bench or chair. Shift your weight primarily onto your front leg and lower yourself toward the ground keeping your torso upright. In the bottom position, the knee of your rear leg should gently touch the floor or hover just above it. Time for the “elevator rep.” Push halfway to the top position then return to the bottom position. Then, push three-quarters of the way to the top position then return to the bottom position. Complete the repetition by pushing all the way to the top for one full repetition.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 per leg.
• Rest Time: No rest between legs. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Suitcase Row with Elevator Reps

• How to Do it: Hinge forward at your hips and hold your luggage below you at arm’s length. Keep your legs slightly bent. Pull your shoulders and upper arms up and back to row the luggage to your stomach. To perform the elevator repetition, lower the bag halfway to the bottom position, then row it back to your abdomen. Next, lower the bag three-quarters of the way to the bottom position and row it back up. Complete the rep by lowering the bag all the way to the bottom position. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 
• Rest Time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Suitcase Good Morning with Elevator Reps

• How to Do it: Stand up straight and hold your luggage tight to your chest. Unlock your knees and hinge forward at your hips until you feel a profound stretch in your hamstrings. This is the bottom position. To perform an elevator rep, return halfway to the top position then lower to the bottom position. Next, return three-quarters of the way to the top position and return to the bottom position. Finally, return to standing to end the repetition. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 
• Rest Time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Suitcase Upright Row with Elevator Reps

• How to Do it: Stand holding your luggage in front of your legs with your elbows straight. Draw your elbows up and out as you pull your luggage along the front of your body. In the top position, your hands should be at neck or sternum level. Lower the bag halfway to the bottom position then upright row it to the top position. Lower the bag three-quarters of the way to the bottom position and upright row it back to the top, and then lower the bag to the bottom position to complete one repetition.  
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 
• Rest Time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Cardiovascular Conditioning

In addition to duty-free shops, fast food, and the occasional shoeshine station, airports tend to offer large expanses of indoor space. If you avoid the escalators and moving sidewalks, the airport can provide a great environment for cardiovascular training.

After locating your gate and taking inventory of how much time you have to burn, go for a fitness walk. Since you cannot leave your luggage unattended, walking offers the added benefit of loaded carries. 

• How to Do it: Walk or climb stairs at the highest effort and quickest pace that allows primarily nasal breathing, which may provide a more efficient cardio training stimulus compared to open-mouth breathing. (4) For a greater challenge for your grip and core, perform a literal suitcase carry. Instead of wheeling your luggage or slinging it over your shoulder, carry it at your side in one hand. Switch sides just before your grip fails.
• Sets and Duration: Two or three five-minute intervals.
• Rest Time: Rest two minutes between each interval.

Targeted Stretching

Stretching serves as a nice cooldown. At this stage, your muscles are warm and ready for a relaxing stretch. To efficiently wrap up your workout, each of these stretches hits multiple muscle groups. Like the dynamic mobility warm-up, special attention is given to areas of the body that commonly become stiff or cranky with prolonged seated travel. 

Half Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch with Side Bend

• How to Do it: Kneel down with your front hip and knee bent to 90-degrees and your the knee of your trailing leg on the floor underneath you. Roll your pelvis underneath you (again, think about “tucking your tailbone” or “tilting your belt buckle toward your chin”). You should feel a stretch develop in the front of your trail leg thigh. Squeeze your glute to maintain this stretch. Reach overhead with the arm of the kneeling leg and slightly bend sideways to increase the stretch. Hold this position before switching sides.
• Sets and Duration: 3 x 15 to 30-second holds per side. 
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the next stretch. 

Pretzel Stretch

• How to Do it: Lie on your side with both legs bent in a “zig-zag” position — your bottom leg’s thigh in line with your torso and your other thigh pointed straight ahead. Reach back with your top arm to grab the foot of your bottom leg. Use a luggage strap, belt, or shoelace if necessary. Flex your top side hip and knee and use your opposite arm to push your knee toward the floor as far as comfortable, thereby promoting trunk rotation. Lie back and try to rest your head and both shoulders on the ground. Hold this stretched position for time before switching sides.
• Sets and Duration: 3 x 15 to 30-second holds per side. 
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the next stretch. 

Thoracic Spine Extension Stretch

• How to Do it: Kneel in front of your luggage with your glutes resting on your heels. Place your elbows on the luggage and interlace your fingers at the back of your head. Drive your sternum “up” and forward, and aim to feel a stretch in your mid-back, lats, and triceps. If your luggage is soft-sided or collapsible (like a duffel bag), use a bench or chair instead.
• Sets and Duration: 3 x 15 to 30-second holds. 
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the next stretch. 

Thoracic Spine Flexion Stretch

• How to Do it: Stand with your fingers interlaced in front of your stomach and your arms straight. Drop your chin to your chest and reach your hands forward as you push your mid-back backward. Think about maximizing the distance between your sternum and your hands and focus on feeling a stretch through your mid-back.
• Sets and Duration: 3 x 15 to 30-second holds. 
• Rest Time: Rest only long enough to transition to the first stretch. 

But What Will Other Travelers Think?

If you commit to this airport workout, you will draw some curious (and maybe even judgmental) eyes. Forget the lurkers. Your lifestyle is your business alone. Only you will live with the ramifications of prolonged sedentary behavior at the airport, and only you will experience the benefits of completing a light workout during your next layover or wait at the airport gate. 

Assuming you want to arrive at your destination feeling fresh, why wouldn’t you take a few steps to ensure that outcome? A light workout at the airport can help. And speaking of feeling fresh, if you do work up a sweat, be sure to make a pit stop at the restroom to freshen up before you board your plane. Mobilized, energized, clean, and ready for take-off.

Add a Workout to Your Itinerary

Let’s face it, air travel is hard on the body. Fortunately, a workout that promotes mobility and a healthy pump might be the best non-pharmaceutical tonic for the ills of air travel. Until more airports start building gyms within their gates, bodyweight moves and luggage lifts might be your best options. Bookmark this airport workout as your travel companion for your next flight. 

References

1. Helmark, I. C., et al. (2010). Exercise increases interleukin-10 levels both intraarticularly and peri-synovially in patients with knee osteoarthritis: a randomized controlled trial. Arthritis Research & Therapy, 12(4), 1-11.
2. Rocheleau, C. A., et al. (2004). Moderators of the relationship between exercise and mood changes: Gender, exertion level, and workout duration. Psychology & Health, 19(4), 491-506.
3. Schlagheck, M. L., et al. (2020). Cellular immune response to acute exercise: Comparison of endurance and resistance exercise. European Journal of Haematology, 105(1), 75-84.
4. Dallam, George & Kies, Bethany. (2020). The Effect of Nasal Breathing Versus Oral and Oronasal Breathing During Exercise: A Review. Journal of Sports Research. 7. 10.18488/journal.90.2020.71.1.10.

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Resistance training helps to maintain and improve physical health, appearance, and strength. Strong evidence even links resistance training to reduced risk of death from all causes. (1) Beyond these obvious benefits, resistance training is emerging as a potential intervention to support mental health. (2)(3)

For the sake of your body, lifespan, and mind, resistance training must be accomplished during travel. Since hitting the weights can be challenging when you’re on the road, here are three travel-ready workouts for your next expedition.

World-Class Travel Workouts 

• With Bodyweight 
• With a Resistance Band
• In a Hotel Gym

Bodyweight-Only Traveler’s Workout

Staying in a hotel or short-term rental with no fitness facility? Fortunately, bodyweight training is a viable option to hit nearly all major muscle groups.

No Weights, All the Gains

This quick and efficient bodyweight workout can be performed in the comfort of your hotel room or short-term rental bedroom. Classic exercises like the push-up are combined with challenging moves that train body parts you might not have known were possible using bodyweight. Since strength levels and body weights vary, a wide range of repetitions are suggested for this workout. Shoot for a repetition target that results in a challenging set. 

Push-Up

• How to Do it: Lie on the floor with your palms under or just outside of your shoulders and your toes dug in to the floor. While maintaining a ridged plank (straight line through your torso and legs), push through your palms until your elbows are straight. Lower with control.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 5-20
• Rest time: Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Pike Push-Up

• How to Do it: Begin in a high plank or push-up position supported on palms and toes with straight arms and straight legs. Push back into the “pike” position by shifting your hips back and keeping your back straight, inverting your head downward. Perform a push-up by lowering your forehead toward the floor then pushing back to the v-shaped pike position. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 5-15
• Rest time: Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat

• How to Do it:  Set up for the Rear Foot Elevated Split Squat, also known as Bulgarian Split Squat, by sitting on the edge of the bed and straightening your working leg in front of you, with your heel on the floor. Maintain this foot placement as you stand, and place your non-working foot behind you on the bed. Lower your body toward the floor with control, then return to standing. Keep most of your weight through your front foot, not on the rear support foot.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-20 per leg.
• Rest time: No rest between legs. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Elevated Single-Leg Bridge

• How to Do it: Lie on your back perpendicular to the bed with your knees bent approximately 90 degrees. Place your working side heel atop the bed, while maintaining the other leg unsupported. Bridge your hips up by driving your heel into the bed and extending your hip. Lower with control. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x5-15 per leg.
• Rest time: No rest between legs. Rest 60 seconds between sets.

Side Plank

• How to Do it: Lie on your side with your support arm on the floor directly under your shoulder. Straighten your support arm and reach your top arm to the ceiling. For balance, widen your base by placing the heel of your top leg far in front of the toes of your bottom leg. Imagine a straight line running through your nose, chin, sternum, and zipper. Don’t let your hips drop toward the ground. Hold this position for time before switching sides.
• Sets and Hold Duration: 3 x 20-30 seconds per side.
• Rest time: No rest between sides. Rest 60 seconds between sets. 

Travel Workout with a Resistance Band

Along with a toothbrush, deodorant, and clothing, a resistance band belongs on your list of “travel essentials.” One simple resistance band allows you to train and add resistance to movement patterns that might otherwise be impossible without access to a gym. Best of all, a resistance band is light, easy to pack, and inexpensive.

Have Band, Will Travel (and Train)

This workout can be completed with a single loop-style resistance band (41-inch / approximately one meter) of moderate thickness. Select a band between 0.5 and 1.5 inches (1.27 to 3.81 centimeters) thick, depending on your strength. 

Band Pull-Apart

• How to Do it: Stand with the resistance band loop around your torso. Hold a short length of band in front of your shoulders with outstretched arms, palms down. Stretch the band by pulling your arms apart and squeezing your shoulder blades together. Return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-20
• Rest time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets. 

Band Push-Up

• How to Do it: Wrap the band around your mid-back, below your shoulder blades. Pin the ends of the band under your palms and begin the exercise in the top push-up position — supported on your palms and toes with your elbows straight. Lower your body toward the floor, then return to the top position. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 5-12 
• Rest time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Band Split Squat

• How to Do it: With the band looped around the base of your neck or across your upper back, securely anchor the other end under one foot. For safety, hold the band with both hands during the exercise. Take a large step back with the leg that isn’t atop the band. While keeping most of your weight over your front foot, lower your body toward the floor by bending your hip, knee, and ankle. Drive back to the top position. Perform all reps with this foot position before carefully switching legs.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-20 per leg.
• Rest time: No rest between legs. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Band Row

• How to Do it: Place one foot securely on the center of your band. Hold the ends of the band with a neutral grip (palms facing each other) and perform a modified bent-over row by drawing your upper arms and shoulder blades back. Return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3×10-20 
• Rest time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Band Half-Kneeling Single-Arm Overhead Press

• How to Do it: Hold the band with one hand just above shoulder-height and anchor the other end of the band securely under the same-side knee. Place your opposite foot flat on the floor in front of you. Perform the press by stretching the band toward the ceiling until your elbow is straight but not fully locked out. Return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-20 per arm.
• Rest time: No rest between arms. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Band Good Morning

• How to Do it: With the band looped around the base of your neck or across your upper back, securely anchor the other end under both feet. For safety, hold the band with both hands during the exercise. Perform the good morning by hinging forward at the hips while keeping your back straight and your legs slightly bent. Return to the standing positioning. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-20. 
• Rest time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Band Hammer Curl

• How to Do it: Stand with both feet securely on a short length of the band. Grasp the other end of the band with your arms at your sides and your palms facing inward. Perform a hammer curl by bending your elbows as you stretch the band. Return to the starting position. 
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10-20 
• Rest time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Workout for the Hotel Gym

The typical hotel gym or “fitness center” is minimalist, to say the least. If you’re lucky, you might find a few treadmills or stationary bikes, a set of dumbbells up to 40 or 50 pounds, an adjustable bench, and, potentially, a random assortment of strength machines. However, even a simple hotel setup is nothing to scoff at. It can provide the tools for a high-quality, full-body resistance training workout.

Get Your Money’s Worth

This workout focuses on building muscle, also known as hypertrophy. A range of 8 to 12 repetitions is the traditional recommendation for muscle growth. (4) For strong lifters, a hotel gym might not offer adequate weight to achieve challenging sets in this repetition range. To remedy this predicament, the hotel workout uses advanced exercise variations, mechanical drop sets, and intensification techniques to ensure a stimulating level of effort is achieved. 

Heels-Elevated Dumbbell Front Squat

• How to Do it: Elevate your heels one to three inches (approximately 2.5 to 7.5 centimeters) by placing them on the frame of an incline bench. Alternatively, weight plates or squat wedges can be placed under your heels. Hold the dumbbells atop your shoulders. Keep your torso upright as you squat deeply and drive your knees forward to bias the quadriceps. (5) Return to a standing position.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Bench-Supported Dumbbell Row with Alternating Isometric

• How to Do it: Set an adjustable bench to 45-degrees and lie face down holding two dumbbells. Row both dumbbells to the top position by pulling your arms and shoulder blades back. Hold the dumbbell on the left side in the top position as you lower the dumbbell on the right side and row it back up. Next, hold the right dumbbell in the top position as you lower and lift the left dumbbell. Alternate sides with each repetition.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12 per arm.
• Rest time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Single-Leg Dumbbell Romanian Deadlift

• How to Do it: Hold two dumbbells at your sides and carefully lift one leg into the air behind you. Maintaining a slight bend in your standing leg, fold forward at your hips until you feel a profound stretching sensation in the hamstrings of your working leg. Return to standing. Perform all reps with one leg before switching sides.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12 per leg.
• Rest time: No rest between legs. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Seated, Incline, and Flat Dumbbell Press Drop Set

• How to Do it: This is a mechanical drop set — It uses the the same set of dumbbells and progresses from the most challenging exercise to the least challenging exercise with littler to no rest between each movement. Improved leverage (and mechanical advantage) will allow your muscles to continue after initial fatigue. Set an adjustable bench to a fully upright position. Perform a set of seated overhead presses by pushing the dumbbells from jaw-height to lockout overhead. When your muscles fatigue, adjust the bench to 45-degrees and perform a set of incline dumbbell presses, pushing the dumbbells from your upper chest to overhead. After reaching muscular fatigue again, finally adjust the bench to flat. Perform classic flat dumbbell bench press by pushing the dumbbells from your chest toward the ceiling. 
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12 for each movement (you may get fewer reps on the latter two exercises due to cumulative fatigue).
• Rest time: Rest only long enough to adjust the bench for each movement. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Incline Dumbbell Triceps Extension

• How to Do it: Perform two arm exercises back-to-back without rest as a superset. Set the bench to a 45-degree angle and perform the incline dumbbell triceps extension — Hold the dumbbells alongside your head with your elbows pointed toward the ceiling. Straighten your elbows to lift the dumbbells, then control them back to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise. Rest 90 to 120 seconds between sets.

Incline Dumbbell Curl

• How to Do it: Stay on the bench and begin the incline dumbbell curl with your arms hanging at your sides and your palms forward. Curl the dumbbells without allowing your upper arms to swing, then control them back to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-12
• Rest time: Rest 90 to 120 seconds before returning to the previous exercise.

Resistance Training on the Road

Travel can be hard on the body. Changing time zones and forced sedentary behavior in a car, plane, or train threaten to disrupt our normal rhythms and routines. Fortunately, dedicated resistance exercise can be restorative. It maintains training consistency and enables ongoing realization of resistance training benefits. Whether you check into the hotel gym, use a resistance band, or simply show up for bodyweight workouts, be sure to pack resistance training for your next trip. 

References

1. Shailendra, P., et al. (2022). Resistance training and mortality risk: A systematic review and meta-analysis. American Journal of Preventive Medicine, 63(2), 277-285.
2. Carneiro, L., et al. (2020). The effects of exclusively resistance training-based supervised programs in people with depression: A systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 17(18), 6715.
3. O’Connor, P. J., Herring, M. P., & Caravalho, A. (2010). Mental health benefits of strength training in adults. American Journal of Lifestyle Medicine, 4(5), 377-396.
4. Schoenfeld, B., et al. (2021). Resistance training recommendations to maximize muscle hypertrophy in an athletic population: Position stand of the IUSCA. International Journal of Strength and Conditioning, 1(1), 1-30
5. Fry, A. C., Smith, J. C., & Schilling, B. K. (2003). Effect of knee position on hip and knee torques during the barbell squat. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 17(4), 629-633.

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The Assault Bike® is one of a handful of modern fan-resistance, full-body stationary bikes, or “air bikes.” Similar machines include the Echo Bike, Airdyne Pro, and various other models. However, much like Rollerblade®, Q-tip®, or Band-Aid®, “Assault bike” has become known universally to encompass all brands of air bikes, or simply as a phrase used interchangeably with “air bike.”

Because air bikes work muscle groups in the arms and legs simultaneously and without reprieve, they may be the most efficient machine for conditioning, shedding unwanted bodyweight, and training all major metabolic energy pathways.

If you’re lucky enough to have access to an air bike, check out the brutal workouts below. 

Best Air Bike Workouts

• For Conditioning
• For Fat Loss
• Workout Finishers

Best Air Bike Workout for Conditioning

Due to their formidable and non-adjustable resistance, air bikes are thought to be more strength-based than spin bikes. (1) On a spin bike, individuals typically pedal at 70 to 110 revolutions per minute, whereas most riders on an air bike will reach 40 to 80 revolutions per minute. (1)

Unlike a spin bike, an air bike’s resistance progressively increases the harder and faster you ride. Altogether, air bikes may represent a preferable conditioning method for athletes with strength backgrounds and biases.

Air bikes also offer a more efficient method for training anaerobic capacity, or short-term, high-intensity endurance. Push hard enough on an air bike and you will lean hard into anaerobic glycolysis — a system that provides energy when demand outpaces our ability to deliver oxygen to the working muscles.

You’ll also experience the physical anguish associated with anaerobic training. Lactate is a metabolic by-product of anaerobic glycolysis. Workouts that produce uncomfortably high levels of lactate tend to be perceived as “hard workouts.” (2)

Compared to Wingate cycling — the gold standard “all-out” test of anaerobic fitness — a max effort ride of equal duration on an air bike produces higher lactate levels. Moreover, these elevated lactate levels diminish more slowly. (3)

Now, lactate is not the direct cause of muscle “burning”. Rather, lactate is produced alongside hydrogen ions, which alters the pH of your tissues, likely creating the searing burn of high-intensity exercise. (4) Have trust in the pain. This suffering pays dividends in the form of improved conditioning and fitness. 

Modified Sprint Time-Trial Interval Training

Unless you’re a special type of masochist, you’re riding the air bike for the physiological benefits — the multi-system adaptations that improve our health and our ability to do more work inside and outside the gym.

Your go-to conditioning workout should be like a Swiss Army Knife — versatile yet manageable enough for practical use. Specifically, a robust conditioning workout should train all major energy systems (phosphocreatine, anaerobic glycolysis, and aerobic metabolism). A proper routine will also promote fatigue-resistance, tap into muscle fibers with massive potential for adaptation, and enhance your overall work capacity.

This air bike workout was inspired by a protocol developed by researchers out of Denmark. The original protocol consisted of six five-minute intervals at 85% of one’s maximum heart rate followed by two five-minute intervals with five 15-second all-out sprints followed by 45 seconds of active recovery. (5)

Only elite cyclists and triathletes were included in the Danish study, and the protocol made these extremely fit individuals fitter. For average folks, following an identical protocol would be insurmountable. Therefore, the volume and frequency of the program are modified.

Build towards the full, eight-interval protocol by adding one five-minute interval every month of consistent training. Repeat this workout once or twice per week, ideally after your resistance training or separated by at least six hours to avoid potential interference. 

• How to Do it: Use your arms and legs to pedal during the high intensity intervals. You can use legs-only during the recovery periods. Warm-up thoroughly, and then perform three five-minute intervals at the fastest pace you can sustain for the duration, with two minutes rest or recovery between each interval. After the third recovery period, proceed into five shorter intervals with 15 seconds of an all-out sprint followed by 45 seconds of easy recovery pedaling. 
• Sets and Reps: Three sets of five minutes moderate with two minutes recovery, followed by five sets of 15 seconds maximum effort with 45 seconds recovery.
• Rest time: Rest two minutes between each five-minute interval. Rest 45 seconds between each 15-second interval.

Best Air Bike Workout for Fat Loss

Air bikes may be the most “recoverable” form of cardio. The training stress is distributed across both the upper and lower body rather than overworking one area for the duration of the session.

Air bikes are also a ‘concentric-only’ exercise — meaning the involved muscle groups must overcome resistance with negligible eccentric, or “braking,” action. This makes them less likely to cause post-workout soreness.

High-load and/or high-volume eccentric exercise is associated with delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and varying degrees of damage to the muscle cell at the microscopic level. (6) Ultimately, you’re less likely to be sore in the hours and days following a hard Assault bike workout compared to an eccentric-heavy mode of cardio (like jogging or jumping rope). As a bonus, concentric contractions are more energy demanding, which may result in greater energy expenditure during your workout.

Zone 2 Fat-Burning Workout

For a low-impact, total-body workout that is unlikely to leave you sore, you can’t beat Zone 2 cardio on an air bike. Zone 2 refers to low-to-moderate intensity aerobic exercise — 60 to 70% of your maximum heart-rate.

To find this range, first estimate your maximum heart rate as 220 minus your age (in years). Then, multiply that maximum heart rate by 0.6 and 0.7 to identify the upper and lower bounds of the training range.

If you’re not using a heart rate monitor, these numbers aren’t relevant and you can simply ride at the highest effort you can sustain while breathing only through your nose. If you break into open-mouth panting, you’re training too hard.

Aerobic training is driven by the breakdown of fats in the presence of oxygen. Non-endurance athletes benefit from aerobic training to improve body composition (e.g. fat loss), boost heart health, and enhance recovery between sets of resistance training.

Aerobically trained muscles develop better vascularization and greater density of mitochondria over time. These adaptations help our muscles to do more work and potentially recover more quickly.

The air bike is ideal for aerobic training, because it trains large muscle groups in the upper and lower body. Unless you enjoy the monotony of a steady-state workout, break your Zone 2 work into segments to stay motivated. This fat loss workout consists of five segments with descending calorie targets — use the readout on the bike’s display to monitor progress.

As part of a fat loss plan, repeat this workout three to five times per week, ideally after your resistance training or separated by at least six hours to avoid potential interference with recovery and performance. 

• How to Do it: Warm up, and then begin the workout pedaling with your arms and legs together. Instead of tracking time, pedal to burn 120 calories, 110 calories, 100 calories, 90 calories, and then 80 calories. The goal is to achieve “negative splits” by completing each calorie-segment slightly faster than the previous. Be sure to maintain Zone 2 intensity throughout the workout, either by using a heart rate monitor or by maintaining nose-only breathing.
• Sets and Reps: Five calorie-segments: 120 calories, 110 calories, 100 calories, 90 calories, and 80 calories.
• Rest time: Rest passively (“following” the momentum of the pedals and handles) or actively (very low-intensity pedaling) for 30 seconds after reaching each calorie target. It should be just enough time to grab a sip of water or towel off before going again.

Best Air Bike Workout Finisher

A “finisher” refers to a short metabolic conditioning workout added to the end of your primary workout. After hitting the weights, for example, hop on the air bike to empty the tank and ensure you’ve gotten the most out of your workout.

Since you’ve already trained, your levels of muscle glycogen (a form of stored and readily accessible energy) will likely be low. “Training low,” or training with low levels of glycogen, stimulates energy system adaptations. (2) With regular high intensity interval training, your muscles will build larger stores of accessible energy and better manage the metabolic byproducts of high intensity training.

Sprint Interval Training

Consider this sprint interval training (SIT) “finisher” to rev your metabolism and leave you feeling accomplished when you leave the gym. The workout allows incomplete recovery between short, high-intensity bouts of riding.

Because “fast energy” from the phosphagen system doesn’t fully replenish between bouts, anaerobic glycolysis and aerobic pathways will contribute progressively to the energy demands of the workout. (7)

Translation: You’ll train all three major energy pathways in this workout. Perform this workout at the end of one resistance training workout each week.

• How to Do it: Because your weight training will have just ended, you should still be relatively warm. Perform just two minutes of easy pedaling and then begin the workout. Pedal with all-out effort, using arms and legs, for 20 seconds, every minute on the minute (EMOM). End with two minutes of easy pedaling. 
• Sets and Reps: Perform intervals every minute on the minute for five minutes total.
• Rest time: Using the EMOM approach, work for 20 seconds and rest for the remaining 40 seconds of each minute. The rest period can be active (low-intensity pedaling) or passive (following the moving handles and pedals).

How to Warm-Up for Air Bike Workouts

A proper warm-up primes the body for movement and peak performance. Body temperature and blood flow increase, boosting metabolism and oxygen delivery to the working muscles.

Joints begin moving more freely. You might start to sweat, which helps with temperature regulation when the real work starts. Give this warm-up a try before your next air bike workout. 

Air Bike Workout Warm-Up

• Easy ride: Spend three minutes pedaling at a low level of effort.
• Trunk rotations: Stay seated and brace your feet on the pegs. Maintain an upright posture as you rotate your trunk and reach forward with one arm. Alternate arms with each rotation. Perform 20 total repetitions, 10 per side. 
• Legs-only ride: Rest your arms at your sides and ride for one minute at an “easy” effort using just your legs. 
• Arms-only ride: Place your feet on the pegs and ride for one minute at an “easy” effort using just your arms.
• Triple ramp-up: Pedal with your arms and legs together for 10 seconds at an “easy” effort. Increase to a “moderate” effort for 10 seconds. Transition to a “hard” effort for 10 seconds. Perform the entire sequence a total of three times (90 seconds).

The Most Effective Cardio Machine?

The air bike is unrelenting and versatile. You can push as hard as you’re able during interval training or you can ease off for steady-state aerobic work. Air bike workouts are great for metabolic conditioning and fat loss. They can be stand-alone conditioning or fat loss sessions, or you can tack them onto the end of a traditional workout for a sprint interval “finisher.” Once your recovery and adaptation take their course, air bike workouts set you up for better fitness and future gains.

But you’ve been warned — they can be brutal. 

References

1. Schlegel, P., Křehký, A., Hiblbauer, J., & Faltys, V. (2022). Air biking as a new way for stress testing. Movement & Sport Sciences-Science & Motricité. Published online ahead of print. doi.org/10.1051/sm/2022001.
2. Buchheit, M., & Laursen, P. B. (2013). High-intensity interval training, solutions to the programming puzzle. Sports Medicine, 43(5), 313-338.
3. Schlegel, P., & Křehký, A. (2020). Anaerobic Fitness Testing in Crossfit. Acta Facultatis Educationis Physicae Universitatis Comenianae, 60(2), 217–228. 
4. Robergs, R. A., et al. (2018). Lactate, not lactic acid, is produced by cellular cytosolic energy catabolism. Physiology, 33(1), 10-12.
5. Gejl, K. D., Andersson, E. P., Nielsen, J., Holmberg, H. C., & Ørtenblad, N. (2020). Effects of acute exercise and training on the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ release and uptake rates in highly trained endurance athletes. Frontiers in Physiology, 11, 810.
6. Hotfiel, T., et al. (2018). Advances in delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS): Part I: Pathogenesis and diagnostics. Sportverletzung· Sportschaden, 32(04), 243-250.
7. Bogdanis, G. C., Nevill, M. E., Boobis, L. H., & Lakomy, H. K. (1996). Contribution of phosphocreatine and aerobic metabolism to energy supply during repeated sprint exercise. Journal of Applied Physiology, 80(3), 876–884. 

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The first is steady-state cardio training, where a single speed or intensity is maintained for the entirety of the workout without resting, The other is interval training, which alternates periods of work with periods of rest.

One unique type of interval training may actually deliver better results in less time. (1) Specifically, we’re talking about HIIT — high intensity interval training. It’s a particular training protocol that alternates periods (or “intervals”) of high effort followed by periods of recovery for the duration of the workout.

A critical element of HIIT workouts are those first two words. High. Intensity. For best results, aim to apply something close to maximum effort in each work period, not simply something that “feels hard.”

Many generic HIIT workouts you see on the internet are “intense” because of short rest periods and insufficient recovery, rather than requiring high intensity output during the work intervals. This short rest/high volume approach can have its place in a workout routine, but it’s just interval training. It’s not going to give you the same outcome as following these truly high intensity workouts.

Perform these workouts no more than three days per week. If you can perform them on consecutive days without rest, reconsider how much “high intensity” you’re really putting into each interval.

The Best HIIT Workouts

• With One Dumbbell
• With One Kettlebell
• EMOM HIIT
• With Bodyweight, Lower Body
• With Bodyweight, Upper Body

One-Dumbbell HIIT Workout

This workout is done for time using an AMRAP approach which, in this case, stands for As Many Rounds As Possible. Start a timer immediately before performing the first rep of the first exercise. Instead of performing strict “sets,” work through the series of exercises continually until the timer ends.

The full-body workout follows a specific sequence: One lower body exercise, one upper body exercise, and finally an ab exercise. This structure lets you move non-stop while also allowing the involved muscle groups to get some rest before you have to repeat an exercise. This is how you keep the overall training intensity high throughout the entire session.

Goblet Squat

• How to Do it: Hold the dumbbell in front of your chest with both hands supporting one side of the weight. Pull your shoulders back and maintain an upright torso as you squat down by bending at both the hips and the knees. The goblet position keeps your torso relatively vertical and allows you to achieve a deeper squat position. Make sure your head and shoulders rise first as you stand up. Throughout the exercise, keep your elbows near your ribs and keep the weight near your chest.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Sets and Reps: 12 reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Single-Arm Floor Press

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground holding the dumbbell in one arm. Extend that arm above your chest in a locked out position. Bend your legs and brace your feet flat on the floor. Lower the weight as if performing a dumbbell bench press. Keep your upper arm at an angle roughly halfway between your feet and shoulders. Use a controlled speed to avoid bouncing your arm off of the ground.
• Sets and Reps: 5 reps per arm, 10 total reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Alternating Jackknife Raise

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground with your legs extended straight and your arms by your sides. Raise one leg while reaching the opposite arm above your body until your hand and foot meet. This will require a total-body sit-up motion. Alternate sides with each repetition: left foot meeting right hand, right hand meeting left foot, etc.
• Sets and Reps: 4 reps per side, 8 total reps
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. After three minutes of continuous work, rest for one minute. Perform a total of two “sets” of three minutes.

One-Kettlebell HIIT Workout

Many exercises can be performed interchangeably with either a dumbbell or a kettlebell. However, the kettlebell’s unique shape and offset center of mass make it the preferred choice for certain exercises. This workout uses a kettlebell, specifically, to improve muscle recruitment and increase explosive output. It should be done for time using an AMRAP approach — as many rounds as possible.

Goblet Clean

• How to Do it: This dynamic movement brings the weight from the floor to the goblet position, near chin-level, in one powerful motion. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and the kettlebell set between them. Squat down and grab the top of the kettlebell with both hands using a palms-down grip. Maintain a neutral spine as you explosively stand up while pulling the kettlebell to chest-height. As the weight passes above your hips, quickly transition both hands to the “horns” of the kettlebell (the handle stems on either side). Stabilize your body in the upright position, with the weight held just below your chin, before reversing the process to lower the weight.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Sets and Reps: 12 reps
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Single-Arm Push Press

• How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Hold the kettlebell in one arm, with your hand near the front of your shoulder and the “ball” of the kettlebell supported along your forearm. Dip down a few inches into a short-range squat and use your body as a spring to generate force as you stand up while pressing the weight to lockout overhead. Slowly lower the weight to the starting position. Repeat all reps for one arm before switching sides.
• Sets and Reps: 5 reps per arm, 10 reps total
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Straight-Arm Sit-Up

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground with your legs bent and your feet flat. Extend your arms overhead with the backs of your hands touching the ground. Perform a full range of motion sit-up, bringing your chest to meet your knees. As you rise up, bring your arms from overhead to straight out in front of your chest. In the top position, your elbows should be near your knees. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 8 reps
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. After three minutes of continuous work, rest for one minute. Perform a total of two “sets” of three minutes.

EMOM HIIT Workout

EMOM training is an intense, time-based protocol which typically requires performing one set of an exercise every minute on the minute. Generally, you have 60 seconds to complete a given number of repetitions. The only rest time is the remainder of that minute, because the next “set” will begin at the start of the next minute. This intense training method incentivizes you to work harder and faster so you can get more rest.

While the most common EMOM uses one-minute periods, you can adapt the method to almost any timeframe. This allows you to perform a higher volume of work with more reps per exercise and/or more exercises per workout. The goal is still to complete each work phase as quickly and efficiently as possible so that you can get enough rest to maintain your performance in the upcoming rounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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In this HIIT workout — “E4MO4M” or “every four minutes on the four minutes” — you have four minutes to complete all of the work below. You can use different weights for each exercise to keep the reps challenging, but pre-arrange the weights before starting the workout to save time.

The goal is to finish all 102 repetitions in three to three-and-a-half minutes so you can get some rest before starting the next set. Perform three to five total circuits — a 12 to 20-minute workout.

• Single-arm dumbbell row: 15 reps per arm, 30 reps total
• Single-arm clean: 12 reps per arm, 24 reps total
• Single-arm push press: 10 reps per arm, 20 reps total
• Goblet squat: 16 reps
• Alternating reverse lunge: 6 reps per leg, 12 reps total

Bodyweight HIIT Workout

Bodyweight HIIT workouts can be surprisingly effective. By removing any external load, you reduce the likelihood of raw strength being a limiting factor and you can focus on technique and straightforward effort.

Many bodyweight exercises can be programmed with speed and intensity for a HIIT workout. Here are two ways to blast your upper and lower body.

Lower Body HIIT Workout

This is a relatively advanced workout for lifters who’ve mastered basic technique and can safely perform plyometric jumps quickly, explosively, and safely. Less-experienced lifters can choose an alternative exercise like alternating lunges.

Air Squat

• How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Drop into a squat position, with your thighs roughly parallel to the floor. Keep your hands near your chest and upper body roughly vertical. Quickly return to the starting position. Keep your feet on the ground throughout the exercise.
• Sets and Reps: Perform continuous repetitions for 20 seconds, ideally reaching 18 to 22 reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Jump Squat

• • How to Do it: Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width. Squat down partially, with your thighs above parallel. Let your hands drop down to your side. Bring your arms up near chest-height as you stand up explosively and jump into the air. Soften your landing by catching yourself in a squat and smoothly transition to the next repetition.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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• Sets and Reps: Perform continuous repetitions for 20 seconds, ideally reaching 10 to 12 reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Squat Hold

• How to Do it: Bring your hands to chest-height and lower your body into a deep squat position. Your thighs should be at least parallel to the ground, or deeper if possible. Actively push your feet into the floor and engage your glutes and core to remain stationary. Maintain an upright torso. Don’t lean forward as you fatigue. Your muscles will be on fire as they work to hold the position. Embrace the burn.
• Sets and Reps: Hold the position for 20 seconds.
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise. Complete two consecutive sets. Advanced lifters can rest one minute before performing a third set. Extremely advanced lifters should aim for three consecutive sets.

Upper Body HIIT Workout — 55’s

This workout uses the countdown method for an extremely efficient HIIT workout — lots of work, minimal rest. It is often used in a circuit of two or three exercises, to give each muscle group slight recovery for optimal performance.

To perform the countdown method: Complete 10 repetitions of the first exercise, then immediately complete 10 repetitions of the second. Immediately do nine reps of the first exercise, then nine reps of the second, followed by eight reps of the first, and eight of the second, etc. Continue all the way down to one rep of each to complete a total of 55 reps of each exercise.

Be sure to time how long it takes to do the workout. The progression goal is to complete the same workout faster each time you repeat it. This also creates a competitive environment and personal challenge to keep your intensity high.

Push-Up

• How to Do it: Support your body on your toes and hands, with your hands set slightly outside shoulder-width. While keeping a straight line from your neck to your ankles during each rep, bend your elbows to lower your entire body, and press to full lockout. To reduce shoulder joint strain, aim your elbows more towards your feet than your shoulders.
• Sets and Reps: Countdown method, 10 to one reps.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Chin-Up

• How to Do it: Grab an overhead chin-up bar using a palms-up grip with your hands roughly shoulder-width apart. Pull your body up until your chin or neck is in-line with your hands. Lower yourself under control until your arms are almost fully extended. Don’t allow your shoulders to shrug up in the bottom (stretched) position. Maintain a tight core to prevent any leg swinging.
• Sets and Reps: Countdown method, 10 to one reps.
• Rest time: No rest before returning to the first exercise.

HIIT for Fat Loss, Conditioning, or Both?

HIIT Workouts are often used as part of a fat loss plan. Fat loss occurs when you create a calorie deficit by consistently burning more energy than you consume. Various types of exercise can contribute to increasing energy expenditure, but it’s much less than you think. Over-focusing on exercise has been shown to be less effective for fat loss than using a more well-rounded approach that combines goal-focused nutrition and training. (2)

The main benefit of fat loss workouts is the maintenance of muscle mass, so that when you do lose weight, the majority of that loss comes from body fat. In order to stimulate muscle preservation, you need to work your muscles close to failure, and HIIT workouts are an effective and efficient way to do that in a short period of time.

HIIT Workouts can also be used to improve conditioning or endurance, as well as general cardiovascular health. HIIT workouts have consistently been shown to be as effective as other cardio training methods when it comes to improving general conditioning and multiple cardiovascular health markers.(3)(4)

Time to HIIT It

HIIT training can be an extremely effective and (relatively) enjoyable part of any training plan. When paired with appropriate nutrition and combined with structured strength training and some low-to-moderate intensity aerobic (steady-state) training, you end up with a comprehensive training program and should be able to see improvements in performance and body composition. The key to HIIT training is to always remember what it stands for. You can’t avoid putting the high intensity into your high intensity interval training.

References

1. Ito S. High-intensity interval training for health benefits and care of cardiac diseases – The key to an efficient exercise protocol. World J Cardiol. 2019 Jul 26;11(7):171-188. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v11.i7.171. PMID: 31565193; PMCID: PMC6763680.
2. Johns, D. J., Hartmann-Boyce, J., Jebb, S. A., Aveyard, P., & Behavioural Weight Management Review Group (2014). Diet or exercise interventions vs combined behavioral weight management programs: a systematic review and meta-analysis of direct comparisons. Journal of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, 114(10), 1557–1568. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2014.07.005
3. Bacon AP, Carter RE, Ogle EA, Joyner MJ (2013) VO2max Trainability and High Intensity Interval Training in Humans: A Meta-Analysis. PLOS ONE 8(9): e73182. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0073182
4. Batacan RB, Duncan MJ, Dalbo VJ, et alEffects of high-intensity interval training on cardiometabolic health: a systematic review and meta-analysis of intervention studiesBritish Journal of Sports Medicine 2017;51:494-503.

Featured Image: Teerasan Phutthigorn / Shutterstock

The post The Best HIIT Workouts With Bodyweight, With Kettlebells, and More appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Once you start training them effectively, you can end up looking better, moving better, and feeling better. These workouts may look simple, but don’t be fooled because simple does not mean easy. Get ready to build a midsection that will help you crush any workout and, if needed, anyone.

Best Dumbbell Ab Workouts

• For Strength
• For Muscle
• For Fat Loss

Best Dumbbell Ab Workout for Strength

If you want to get stronger, training your abs is extremely underrated. You might be more focused on heavy squats and deadlifts. While these types of big movements do require abdominal engagement, you’re limited to the amount of direct exposure to properly train those muscles with progressive overload through longer ranges of motion. (1)

To really build serious core and total-body strength, expose your abdominal muscles to a variety of challenges and stimuli when both creating and resisting movement. During compound movements, that happens through the sagittal plane when you are resisting flexion and extension (abdominal bending and straightening) using isometric contractions to create tension.

The Core Strength Workout 

This workout exposes your abdominal muscles to unique stresses that aren’t already addressed in your training program. It will challenge your abs to resist and redirect force, as well as overcome direct resistance in different directions. Perform this workout two to three times per week at the end of your other sessions.

Dumbbell Plank Pull-Through 

• How to Do it: Place one dumbbell on the ground and position yourself at arm’s length to the side. Begin with your hands, knees, and toes on the floor. Set shoulders directly over your wrists and your knees directly under your hips. Keep your arms straight and actively push your hands into the ground while reaching your shoulders down to engage your serratus anterior. With the hand farthest from the weight, reach across your body and then drag the dumbbell across the floor underneath you. Take three to four seconds to move the weight, which should allow you to feel your abdominal muscles working. Continue dragging the weight until your arm is fully extended. Don’t allow your body to tilt or rotate. Switch hands and return the weight to the starting position.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 16 total reps, alternating sides each rep for 8 reps per side/per set.
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Dumbbell Sit-Up

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground and hold one dumbbell by the ends, horizontally, under your chin and resting on your chest. The key is to keep the weight touching your body, which will make the initial part of the sit-up much harder (in a beneficial way). It also ensures that your abdominals, not your hip flexors, are performing the movement. (2) Dig your heels into the floor and pull them back statically to engage your hamstrings. Curl your torso toward your knees. When you successfully get to the top, slowly lower yourself down back to the start position. Keep your head and shoulders away from the floor so you don’t fully relax in between each rep.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10
• Rest time: 60 seconds between sets.

Dumbbell Side Bend 

• How to Do it: Stand up straight with one dumbbell in the suitcase position (in one hand, at hip-level as if carrying a suitcase). Without rotating or twisting, lean your upper body down towards the weight and feel a stretch along the other side of your body. Maintain a stable base and don’t shift your entire weight over to the side. Your individual range of motion will be different based on overall mobility and strength. When you’ve reached the maximum comfortable stretch, pull yourself back to an upright position using the stretch your obliques and core. Avoid “over-correcting” or leaning too far over to the opposite side. Perform all reps on one side before switching hands.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 10 reps per side.
• Rest time: No rest between sides. 60 seconds between sets.

Best Dumbbell Ab Workout for Muscle Gain

Many people think abs are closely associated with fat loss, and that’s a fair connection. However, the abdominal muscles are, in fact, muscles just like any other. They can be trained for growth which, just like your biceps, calves, or any other muscle group, can help them stand out and look even better.

How to Build More Muscular Abs

These three moves will make your abs look and feel like they have been carved out of rich mahogany. To really build muscle, challenge the abdominals with both more load and more volume than they’re used to. Perform this workout three to four times per week.

Dumbbell Double Crunch

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground with your legs bent and your heels elevated on a bench, box, or stability ball. Hold a dumbbell from the sides with both hands and straighten your arms above your chest. Crunch your upper body while reaching the weight straight up towards the ceiling, not forward towards your feet. While you’re reaching up, simultaneously push your heels down into the bench and lift your hips up a few inches away from the floor. Hold the double-contracted position for a second and then slowly return yourself to the start position. This exercise gets nasty pretty quickly so get ready to embrace the burn. 
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-10
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Leg Raise

• How to Do it: Lie on a flat bench, with your body positioned towards one end, and place the dumbbell handle between your thighs. Hold the bench behind your head and extend your parallel with the floor. Bend your legs as you pull your knees towards you with control. Squeeze your legs tightly to control the weight. Focus on covering your stomach with your thighs instead of trying to bring your knees to your elbows.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 8-10
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Dumbbell Side Bend 

• How to Do it: Stand up straight with one dumbbell in the suitcase position (in one hand, at hip-level as if carrying a suitcase). Without rotating or twisting, lean your upper body down towards the weight and feel a stretch along the other side of your body. Maintain a stable base and don’t shift your entire weight over to the side. Your individual range of motion will be different based on overall mobility and strength. When you’ve reached the maximum comfortable stretch, pull yourself back to an upright position using the stretch your obliques and core. Avoid “over-correcting” or leaning too far over to the opposite side. Perform all reps on one side before switching hands.
• Sets and Reps: 4 x 10 per side.
• Rest time: No rest between sides. 45 seconds rest before returning to the first exercise.

Best Dumbbell Ab Workout for Fat Loss

Unfortunately, there are no specific ab workouts or special ab exercises that will increase the rate of fat loss or weight loss. To improve body composition, you need to maintain or increase overall activity throughout the week while adjusting your nutrition, to support a calorie deficit.

The Program to Reveal Abs

Here’s a simple and effective ab routine to increase your weekly training load, increase calorie-burning, and maintain strength and muscle as you drop body fat. Perform this workout two to three times per week at the end of your other strength training sessions.

Dumbbell Renegade Row

• How to Do it: Start in a plank position (top of push-up) with legs straight and your toes on the ground. Begin with both arms straight, with one hand on the ground and the other holding a dumbbell directly under your shoulder. Row the dumbbell towards your ribs while actively pressing the other arm into the ground. Resist any twisting at your hips or shoulders. Perform all reps with one side before switching arms.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8 reps per side.
• Rest time: No rest between sides, no rest before moving to the next exercise.

Chest Press in a Hollow Hold

• How to Do it: Lie on the ground in the “hollow rock” position — both legs extended and your heels and shoulders lifted off the ground. Raise your feet slightly higher than your hips, and press your lower back into the floor to engage your core and stabilize your body. Maintain this static position throughout the exercise. Hold one dumbbell at chest-level horizontally, grabbing it at each end. Perform a repetition by pressing the weight towards the ceiling. Reach as far as possible to really engage the serratus anterior and oblique muscles.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-10
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Half-Kneeling Wood Chop

• How to Do it: Start in a half-kneeling position, holding a dumbbell with both hands near the hip of your “down” leg. Bring the weight up towards the opposite shoulder while rotating at the waist and straightening your arms. Return to the starting position. Perform all reps on one side before switching legs.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 16 reps on each side. 
• Rest time: No rest between sides. 30 seconds rest between sets before returning to the first exercise.

The Ab Muscles

To some peoples’ surprise, “the abs” aren’t one single muscle. A group of several muscles —some visible on the surface and some deeper but just as important — work in coordination to control your torso position, provide stability, and offer postural support and strength.

Rectus Abdominis

This muscle gets the glory and is recognized as the main ab muscle. The rectus abdominis is divided into several “sections” depending on your unique genetic structure and tendon arrangement. This is why some people may “only” ever develop four-pack abs while others can be capable of building an eight-pack — it’s not about specific exercises or dieting, the end result is entirely genetic.

The rectus abdominis controls torso flexion (bending your upper body) and it plays a role in resisting extension (bending backwards) and resisting lateral flexion (bending sideways). 

Transverse Abdominis

The deep and powerful core muscle, your transverse abdominis is essential for serious core strength. It is heavily involved in creating intra-abdominal pressure, which stabilizes the lower back. The transverse abs are also significantly activated to resist flexion and extension, and helps to create a stable pillar throughout your upper body.

Internal and External Obliques

The obliques, found on either side of the abs, are most recognized for their rotational power and strength. Any movement which involves twisting at the hips, or which prevents the waist from rotating, will rely on well-developed oblique muscles. They are also responsible for lateral bending as well as resisting movement to the sides.

Ab and Core Warm-Up

Like any body part, a thorough warm-up is critical for optimal performance with a reduced chance of injury. When it comes to weighted ab exercises, one very efficient way to warm-up is to perform the exercises without weight before grabbing the dumbbells.

Especially since ab training is typically performed at the end of a training session, you shouldn’t need a general, total-body warm-up. Simply run through your intended exercises, without added weight, for several reps to prime the specific movement pattern and directly prepare the muscles and joints.

For example, you may prepare for the strength workout by holding a basic plank position, performing several sit-ups, and performing unweighted side bends before beginning the weight-bearing versions of the exercises.

Ab Training is Essential

Your abs play an important role in many different activities and exercises, yet including specific exercises to really challenge them is treated as less-than-important. The standard bodyweight-only ab training will only take your results so far. Just like any other muscle, the abs need be loaded and progressed overtime with either more reps, more weight or both. Make intense ab training a higher priority, and watch your performance and physique grow.

References

1. van den Tillaar, R., & Saeterbakken, A. H. (2018). Comparison of Core Muscle Activation between a Prone Bridge and 6-RM Back Squats. Journal of human kinetics, 62, 43–53. https://doi.org/10.1515/hukin-2017-0176
2. Workman, J. C., Docherty, D., Parfrey, K. C., & Behm, D. G. (2008). Influence of pelvis position on the activation of abdominal and hip flexor muscles. Journal of strength and conditioning research, 22(5), 1563–1569. https://doi.org/10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181739981

Featured Image: Maridav / Shutterstock

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On August 25, 2022, Hemsworth shared a 50-rep full-body workout featuring a combination of burpees, squats, lunges, biceps curls, and shoulder presses. The actor appeared to perform the respective exercises by a body of water, which may have again been on the deck of a Navy ship from the recent record-breaking blockbuster, Top Gun: Maverick. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: How to Do the Kettlebell Swing for Explosive Power, Strength, and Conditioning]

Editor’s Note: This article covers a workout published by Hemsworth’s fitness application Centr. Breaking Muscle is not affiliated with or sponsored by Centr, nor is beholden to any form of public endorsement.

Here’s a complete rundown of Hemsworth’s 50-rep full-body workout:

Chris Hemsworth’s 50-Rep Full-Body Workout

Grab one pair of dumbbells and run through the sequence once, rest for 60 seconds, and complete four more times for five total rounds.

• Dumbbell burpee curl and press— 10 reps
• Squat curl and press — 10 reps
• Alternating reverse lunge and curl — 10 reps
• Biceps curl — 10 reps
• Standing shoulder press — 10 reps

According to the caption of Hemsworth’s post, the workout apparently becomes more manageable as one shifts from exercise to exercise. However, and this seems like an imperative aspect, he stresses not to rest until all 50 total reps are finished. That could indicate the full-body routine emphasizes both strength and conditioning. 

In encouragement, Hemsworth’s Thor: Love and Thunder co-star, Chris Pratt, appeared to endorse the workout in the comment section of Hemsworth’s Instagram post. 

“Thanks for the inspiration!” Pratt wrote. “Just did it. Great quick workout.”

Pratt also noted that he used “big rocks” he found on the beach instead of dumbbells before telling Hemsworth that he continues to “inspire” with his fitness work. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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[Related: The Best Sled Workouts for Muscle, Strength, Fat Loss, and Recovery]

This full-body workout isn’t the first related to Hemsworth’s Centr application that the actor has shared recently. 

For example, in early July 2022, Hemsworth walked through an intense chest routine predicated on volume in a relatively short amount of time. Then, in mid-August, the actor broke down a functional “minimal equipment” workout that may have taken place in the same naval location as his 50-rep full-body demonstration. A general perusal of Hemsworth’s Instagram will show he makes it a point to periodically post different workouts.

Based on the increasing frequency of the promotion of Centr, Hemsworth might become even more visible in the fitness space very soon. Given that the actor initially started the application as a way to promote healthy habits in the gym and the kitchen, it seems he’s starting to reach his precise and noble goal.

Featured image: @chrishemsworth on Instagram

The post Actor Chris Hemsworth Issued a Five-Round, 50-Rep Full-Body Workout Challenge appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The barbell is used for lever-based resistance — one end pivots on the floor or in a purpose-built sleeve as the lifter moves the loaded end through space. Make no mistake, this is not flashy “training for the ‘Gram” or some gross misuse of equipment.

The landmine provides opportunities for exercises with characteristics distinct from traditional free-weight training. The best part? Landmines offer versatility to train the entire body along with multiple components of fitness. Here, you’ll find the best landmine workouts for building serious upper and lower-body muscle, along with elite-level conditioning. 

Best Landmine Workouts

• For Upper Body Muscle
• For Lower Body Muscle 
• For Conditioning

Benefits of Landmine Training

Landmine training (literally) leverages a simple piece of equipment for a wide range of exercises. Traditional barbell training is already versatile, so why use your barbell as a landmine?

Landmines provide a more predictable bar path than a barbell moving freely through space. In motor learning — the scientific field that studies movement and skill acquisition — this predictable bar path represents a “constraint.” That is, the landmine is constrained to move along an arced path.

This constraint helps a lifter to master the form of technical multi-joint lifts, such as the presses, rows, and cleans used in the workouts below. It also promotes more consistent movement performance. Constant movements, when performed under load, stimulate the target muscles exceptionally effectively. The result is a fast-learning curve and predictable gains in strength and size.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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The arced bar path also alters exercise form compared to barbell training. Landmine presses keep the shoulder out of end-range flexion, an area of common restriction. Landmine rows encourage ideal shoulder blade movement “down and back.” Landmine squats virtually ensure we sit back into our hips with an upright trunk position, which demands textbook form.

Landmine exercises also appear to stress our joints differently than traditional free weight lifts. (1) Altogether, the landmine may be helpful if you have banged up knees or shoulders. Set your landmine and get ready for a different angle on barbell training. 

Best Landmine Workout for Upper Body Muscle

The upper body landmine workout below is like a multi-course meal — a feast for your muscles. The meat and potatoes are compound exercises followed by isolation movements. 

Compound exercises, or those involving multiple joints, are efficient because they train many muscle groups simultaneously. They’re also very effective for building strength because they allow you to move heavier loads than exercises training a single joint in isolation.

Upper body compound exercises are broadly categorized as either “pushes” or “pulls.” Pushing exercises involve driving a resistance away from the body and training the chest, shoulders, and triceps. Pulling exercises involve drawing a resistance toward the body. These exercises train the back and biceps.

The compound exercises in this workout are structured as a series of push/pull supersets for efficiency. The final two movements are isolation exercises like a satisfying dessert after the main course. They train the glamour muscles that stretch our sleeves and broaden our frame.

Upper Body Training, One Arm at a Time

Due to the lever-based resistance of the landmine, your typical free weight loads and percentages will not be appropriate. It would be best to determine appropriate working weights that result in “hard” sets within the recommended repetition range.

To determine working weight for each exercise, perform two or more progressively heavier “work up” sets. Once you land on a weight that challenges you within the set rep range, stick with that load for your working sets. 

Half-Kneeling Landmine Press

• How to Do it: Assume a “half-kneeling” position with the working-side knee down. Hold the bar above your shoulder, brace your torso, and drive the bar up and forward along the natural arc of the landmine. Lower to the starting position.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-10 per arm.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Meadows Row

• How to Do it: Stand perpendicular to the landmine. Hold the bar sleeve with an overhand grip and brace your non-working arm on your thigh. Lift the bar by driving your elbow out as you squeeze your shoulder blade toward your spine. Lower to full extension until you feel an intense stretch behind your shoulder. Be sure to load the bar with small diameter plates (five, 10, or 25-pound) to allow an extended range of motion.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12 per arm.
• Rest time: Rest two to three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Standing Landmine Press

• How to Do it: Face the landmine with a staggered stance, keeping your working side leg behind you. Press the bar forward and up until your elbow reaches full extension. Lower with control.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12 per arm.
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Landmine Row

• How to Do it: Stand parallel to the barbell. Hinge forward at the hips and grip the barbell just before the sleeve. Pull your shoulder and arm back to row the weight toward the outside of your hip. Lower with control.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12 per arm.
• Rest time: Rest two to three minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Landmine Lateral Raise

• How to Do it: Stand with the end of the barbell just in front of your working side hip, quarter turned toward the landmine. Lift by pushing the bar forward and out until your wrist is higher than shoulder. Lower with control.
• Sets and Reps: 3 x 12-16 per arm
• Rest time: No rest before moving to the next exercise.

Landmine Concentration Curl

• How to Do it: Drop into a wide-stance quarter squat and brace your upper arm against your inner thigh. Grab the end of the bar sleeve. Without moving your upper arm, curl the landmine barbell. Notice how the bar path forces you to keep your palm turned up and out as you curl. This enhances biceps stimulus. (2)(3) Lower with control. 

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 8-12 per arm.
• Rest time:Rest 90 seconds to two minutes before repeating the previous exercise.

Best Landmine Workout for Lower Body Muscle

Wheels, lower extremities, jets, getaway sticks — whatever you call them, most people want strong, muscular legs.

Like the upper body, the basic compound movements of the lower body can be categorized as push and pull or, more commonly, squats and deadlifts, respectively. Squats and squat-derivatives train the glutes, quadriceps, and calf muscles. Deadlifts and deadlift-derivatives train the hamstrings and also hit the glutes.

Leg-Building Landmine Workout

This workout combines heavy, double-legged exercises with single-leg lifts to promote athleticism, and it finishes with a loaded mobility exercise for the commonly-neglected inner thigh muscles.

The landmine provides a small amount of balance assistance, which may allow single-leg variations of squats and deadlifts to be loaded heavier than free-weight single-leg versions.

To ensure adequate recovery, the lower body landmine exercises are structured as straight sets. Take two to three-minute rests to ensure intensity is maintained for maximum strength gains. (4)

Landmine Squat

• How to Do it: Cradle the end of the barbell atop your sternum with your arms pulled in toward your ribs. To account for the arced path of the bar, place your feet farther from the plates so that your body is inclined forward in the top position. Squat down as far as your mobility allows, and return to standing. 

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-10
• Rest time: Rest two to three minutes between sets.

Modified Single-Leg Landmine Romanian Deadlift

• How to Do it: Unlike the standard single-leg landmine Romanian deadlift, which is performed facing the landmine, (5) the modified version provides more stability, which lets you lift more weight. Stand perpendicular to the landmine. Hold the sleeve palm-down with your inside hand. Hinge forward at your hips and allow your inside leg to travel behind you, while that foot rises into the air. Keep a slight bend in your standing knee and descend until you feel a strong sense of tension in your hamstring. Return to standing and repeat.

• Sets and Reps: 3 x 6-10 per leg.
• Rest time: Rest 2 to 3 minutes between sets.

Landmine Hack Squat

• How to Do it: Ensure you landmine base is secure and will not slide. Face away from the landmine and rest the sleeve on your upper trapezius, just inside the point of the shoulder. Position your feet well in front of your body. Keep your feet flat as you descend into a deep squat, reaching your hamstrings to your calves if possible. Drive up and back to the starting position. On your next set, rack the landmine on your opposite shoulder.

• Sets and Reps: 2 x 12-16
• Rest time: Rest two to three minutes between sets.

Landmine Cossack Squat

• How to Do it: Face the landmine with a wide stance and hold the landmine in front of your sternum. Sit down and back, sinking into your right hip while allowing your left foot to pivot onto the heel. Push through your right leg to return to center. Perform all repetitions to the right, then repeat to the left.

• Sets and Reps: 2 x 8-10 per side.
• Rest time: Rest two to three minutes between sets.

Landmine Workout for Conditioning

Barbell complexes are commonly used for metabolic conditioning. Complexes are sequences of lifts performed in continuous succession. The lifter finishes all reps of one lift before moving on to the next, using the same piece of equipment and the same weight for all movements.

Complexes can be designed to tax every energy system — the phosphagen system provides quick bursts of power. The glycolytic system becomes prominent as the complex drags on for more than the first few reps. Finally, if you string multiple complexes together in a fashion popularized by many notorious CrossFit workouts, the aerobic system helps you recover.

Every Two-Minute On the Two-Minute Landmine Complex

The landmine is a wonderful tool for complexes. The workout below uses repeated landmine complexes to promote metabolic conditioning. For simplicity, a time-based rest strategy provides most athletes an approximate 1:1 work to rest ratio. Every two minutes, you will start a new complex and complete it as quickly as you can.

• How to Do it: Place a moderate amount of weight on the landmine. First perform the Landmine Hang Clean & Jerk — Stand perpendicular to the bar and hold the sleeve in the hang position (palm down with your hand near your hip). Extend your hips, knees, and ankles as you shrug and pull the bar along its natural arc. As the bar is in motion, pivot to face the landmine and receive the bar with your other hand. Perform a split jerk by dropping down and immediately driving back up with your legs as you extend your elbow and switch your footing. Control the bar back to the hang position with both hands.The next movement is the classic standing Landmine Rotation — Hold the bar with both arms outstretched above you. Lower the bar to the left, allowing your hips to rotate and your feet to pivot. Rotate the landmine back up and across to the right, again allowing your feet and hips to move smoothly.The third and final exercise in this complex is a Landmine Push Press — This exercise begins similar to a shallow landmine squat with a ballistic concentric (“up”) phase. Transfer the energy from your leg drive into both arms as you press the bar up and forward. Repeat the process for for each repetition.

• Sets and Reps: One “set” of the complex consists of 3 reps of each movement — 3 per side landmine hang clean & jerk, 3 rotations in each direction, and 3 push presses. Perform one set every two minutes for a total of 12 to 16 minutes.
• Rest time: Perform one full set and rest the remainder of the two minute block. This rest strategy is a variation on the much more popular EMOM (Every Minute on the Minute), but “E2MO2M” doesn’t have the same ring.

How to Warm-Up for Landmine Workouts

Before you detonate these workouts, perform a high-quality warm-up to ensure your body is primed for performance. Options for effective warm-ups are innumerable, but for those who can’t spare the bandwidth to conjure one up, here’s a simple plan.

Start with five or six minutes of low intensity aerobic exercise (jump rope, bike, or cardio method of choice), then grab a light resistance band and move through the following sequence:

Landmine Workout Warm-Up

• Deep Squat with Trunk Rotations: Drop down into a deep squat. Keep your chest up and reach toward the ground with both arms between your legs. Use one arm to “pry” your same-side thigh outward as you reach up with the other arm. As you reach, keep your eyes on your overhead palm by rotating and extending your trunk. Repeat with the other hand. Perform 8 rotations in each direction, alternating sides each repetition.

• Backstep Lunge to Hip Flexor Stretch: Take a large step backwards and lower your knee to the ground. Squeeze your rear-leg glute muscles to feel a stretch in the front of the hip or thigh. If you are unable to achieve a stretch, attempt to tuck your pelvis under your body by bringing your belt buckle toward your chin. Hold the position momentarily. Return to standing and repeat with the opposite leg. Perform 8 reps per leg.
• Plank to Pike: Assume a tall plank or “top of the push-up position” supporting your body on your palms and forefeet. Move into a pike position by pushing forward with your hands and driving your hips back and up, Keep your spine, arms, and legs straight. Return to the plank position. Perform 8 reps. 
• Dynamic Hug: Wrap a light resistance band around your back just below your shoulder blades. Stand with arms outreached straight ahead at shoulder-height. Reach forward in a “hugging” motion. Imagine you are wrapping your arms around a gigantic tree to maximize the space between your arms as you reach your hands together. Reverse the movement, allowing your shoulder blades to move toward your spine as you open your arms. Perform 8 repetitions.
• Band Pull-Apart: Hold the resistance band straight ahead with your arms in front of your shoulders. Stretch the band by pulling your arms apart without bending your elbows. Initiate the movement by squeezing your shoulder blades toward your spine. When your hands are sideways in-line with your shoulders, return to the starting position. Perform 8 repetitions. 

An Angled Approach to New Gains

The landmine is a fun and versatile tool for training all major muscle groups. Landmine lifts promote a balanced physique while hammering the core, and may actually result in superior gains in on-field or on-court athleticism. (6) Bookmark these landmine workouts and blast your next high-quality training session.

References

1. Collins, K. S., Klawitter, L. A., Waldera, R. W., Mahoney, S. J., & Christensen, B. K. (2021). Differences in muscle activity and kinetics between the goblet squat and landmine squat in men and women. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 35(10), 2661-2668.
2. Murray, W. M., Delp, S. L., Buchanan, T. S. (1995). Variation of muscle moment arms with elbow and forearm position. Journal of Biomechanics, 28(5), 513-525.
3. Kleiber, T., Kunz, L., & Disselhorst-Klug, C. (2015). Muscular coordination of biceps brachii and brachioradialis in elbow flexion with respect to hand position. Frontiers in Physiology, 6, 215.
4. Schoenfeld, B. J., Pope, Z. K., Benik, F. M., et al. (2016). Longer interset rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 30(7), 1805-1812.
5. Weaver, A. N., & Kerksick, C. M. (2017). Implementing landmine single-leg Romanian deadlift into an athlete’s training program. Strength & Conditioning Journal, 39(1), 85-90.
6. Zweifel, M. (2017). Importance of horizontally loaded movements to sports performance. Strength and Conditioning Journal, 39(1), 21-26.

Featured Image: Merrick Lincoln, DPT, CSCS / YouTube

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