#276 All In Upper Body is another excellent and intense strength workout. The key phrase for this workout is “partial reps.” Cathe adds partial reps to many of the exercises to completely burn out whatever muscle group she is working. I also love how this is all upper body–nothing else. I don’t have a problem with core work but I don’t feel the need to add it on to every workout I do. This has no core work. And Cathe works every upper body muscle group hard. This is also an endurance level, high rep workout. I used a new resistance tube for the first time this morning and they are definitely tighter/harder when they are new. It is the exact same band I was using before but seemed like it had a lot more resistance than the old band did. Of course, I bought the one it is replacing back when I pre-ordered Cathe’s Xtrain, so it was getting old! By the second half of this workout, my arms started shaking by the end of almost every exercise that used the resistance tube. I actually don’t mention it in the breakdown below so I will here, on all of the band pulls you are doing various tempos–singles, pulses and partial reps. I used the same weights as Cathe on everything except one exercise and I was very challenged. The exercise I lifted heavier on was single arm rows and that is because I have access to heavier dumbbells. Cathe has to hold 2 dumbbells together to create a weight that actually challenges her for back rows. My arms, shoulders and back are still burning nicely.
Another Cathe Live download I will definitely be buying! You can do Cathe’s live workouts by subscribing to her streaming site or purchasing the individual downloads. Here is a video clip of this workout.
All In Upper Body is 49:30 minutes; 3:30 minute warm up and 2 minute stretch. Equipment: step with 3 risers (10 inches), various dumbbells and a resistance tube with handles.
- Overhead press; changes to partial reps (Cathe is using 10# DBs)
- Bicep curls with tubing and also holding 5# DBs
- Single arm push press (Cathe is using one 12# DB)
- Repeat #2 but to different tempos, including isometric holds
- Upright rows (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
- W (wide) bicep curls to different tempos including partial reps (Cathe is using 10# DBs)
- Holding one DB in both hands do front raises to a pattern: lift to shoulder height, lower partway, return to shoulder height and hold isometrically for a few seconds then lower slowly to thighs (Cathe is using one 12# DB)
- Hammer curls to different tempos; changes to alternating single arm hammer curls (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
- Straight arm side raises, singles and partial reps; changes to a pattern: 2 alternating single arm side raises + 2 double arm side raises (Cathe is using 5# DBs)
- Sweeper/supination bicep curls (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
- Tricep dips off step
- Push ups with hands on step (1 rep to down 2/up 2 tempo + 2 reps to single tempo)
- Overhead tricep extensions (French press) (Cathe is using 12# DBs)
- Tricep push ups with hands on corners of step (1 rep to down 2/up 2 + 2 reps to singles tempo; changes to partial reps)
- Alternate close grip chest press with regular chest press (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
- Bent over tricep kickbacks using resistance tube
- Chest flys, single and partial reps (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
- Fold resistance band in half, hold below the handles in one hand and press band against opposite shoulder, grip lower on the band with other hand, straighten and bend arm, pulling down on band; changes to pulses at bottom
- Pullovers to slow tempo (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
- Repeat #11
- Pullovers–partial and full reps (Cathe is using 15# DBs)
- Bent over rear delt flys (Cathe is using 10# DBs)
- Seated T band pulls (sit on floor with resistance tube wrapped around feet, pull arms/band out to sides in a T)
- Bent over single arm rows (Cathe is holding one 15# and one 8# DB in one hand; I used one 25# DB)
- Straight arm press backs (stand on band, hinge forward, a handle in each hand, pulse straight arms up, palms facing ceiling)
- Seated Y pulls (sit on floor with resistance tube wrapped around feet, pull arms/band up in shape of a Y)
- Single arm bent over back row–wide, singles and partial reps (Cathe is using one 15# DB)
- Posture pulls (hold arms straight in front of you, holding the tube in both hands with about 18 inches between hands, open arms out straight to sides then return to start (standing band chest fly), done to various tempos)
- Bent over single arm back flys, 12 reps; single arm bent over back row, 4 reps; bent over single arm back fly, 8 reps (Cathe is using one 12# DB)
- Close grip band pulls (hold band in both hands, a foot of band between hands, palms facing ceiling and elbows kept close to sides, pull/pulse band)
