AngieFitnessTV: Rebounder Cardio & Upper Body Sculpt w/ Light Weights

Rebounder Cardio & Upper Body Sculpt w/ Light Weights is another fun rebounder workout from AngieFitnessTV. As the title indicates, this workout is upper body focused. The majority of the workout consists of jumping on the rebounder with the pilates/playground ball between your thighs while doing light weight/high rep upper body work–so cardio and strength at the same time. Doesn’t get much better than that. Angie also manages to hit every muscle group nicely. Since the weights are so light (I used 2 pounds) this is more conditioning than strength training, but it is still a nice way to hit your upper body that doesn’t interfere with regular strength training (as in–I could do a regular strength workout lifting heavier dumbbells tomorrow without needing any recovery time between workouts). Angie does not neglect your lower body or your core. Near the end of the workout you get some hip/glute bridges to work your glutes and hamstrings and some core work. This workout doesn’t have much of a stretch which was a little disappointing. Angie is one of the few trainers that almost never neglects stretching you out thoroughly at the end of a workout. Instead, this workout has more of a cool down while Angie has you do “lymphatic patting” all over your body. She says she has been a licensed massage therapist since she was in her 20s and knows all about this type of thing. I don’t know anything about lymphatic massage but I was definitely interested. I never heard anything about your lymphatic system until I had lymph nodes removed during my mastectomy. Then I was in fear that weird things were going to start happening to my right arm. Nothing ever happened and I eventually forgot about it. Then I got a rebounder and one of the (many) things rebounding is supposed to be good for is lymphatic drainage. I found this information Well Being Journal:

The lymphatic system is the metabolic garbage can of the body. It rids you of toxins such as dead and cancerous cells, nitrogenous wastes, infectious viruses, heavy metals, and other assorted junk cast off by the cells. The movement performed in rebounding provides the stimulus for a free-flowing system that drains away these potential poisons. Unlike the arterial system, the lymphatic system does not have its own pump. It has no heart muscle to move the fluid around through its lymph vessels. There are just three ways to activate the flow of lymph away from the tissues it serves and back into the main pulmonary circulation. Lymphatic flow requires muscular contraction from exercise and movement, gravitational pressure, and internal massage to the valves of lymph ducts. Rebounding supplies all three methods of removing waste products from the cells and from the body.

They do not list their sources for this info but I was able to find info to back that up on reputable medical sites but they summarize it so well, I am using their definition. I am open to anything that helps drain the garbage out of my body. And if rebounding is getting the drainage going then I’m all for it! I also did some research on lymphatic massage and it is good for all kinds of things: lymphedema, fibromyalgia, swelling/edema, skin disorders, fatigue, insomnia, stress, digestive problems, arthritis and migraines. Sounds like everyone could benefit from taking care of their lymphatic system. I honestly did not feel any different after doing this workout but then I rebound nearly every day, so I guess I am now taking care of my lymphatic system on a daily basis. From what I read, unless you are suffering from more acute lymphatic problems, you will not notice a visible difference after lymphatic massage, but that does not mean it is not helping you.

Anyway! Back to this review. What a great workout! You get cardio, thorough upper body conditioning, some glute/hamstring work, core work and lymphatic drainage. Along with all of the other benefits of rebounding. A pretty comprehensive workout. The only thing that would have made this workout perfect was a longer, more thorough stretch. But I can always do that on my own afterward. I didn’t today because I had other things on my schedule but when I return to this workout I will make sure I have time for some additional stretching at the end.

 Time for stats: Angie reported that she burned 489 calories and “walked” 5435 steps. I burned 385 calories, I was in my cardio zone 50% of the workout, I spent a total of 7 minutes in my peak heart rate zone and I “walked” 4797 steps. And I felt really good during and after the workout. That is another thing. Angie tells that you can make this a “push” or more intense workout by doing things to add intensity to the workout–using the intensity rebounding technique of pressing down into the rebounder when jumping and/or adding a weighted vest, or you can make this more of a feel good workout by just jumping. I had a rough week with my back hurting (it is better today) and then the horrible, devastating news last night of the wonderful Ruth Bader Ginsburg passing away–I just wanted to feel good this morning. So I did this workout without my usual weighted vest and just didn’t worry about the intensity jumping during most of the workout (I did employ it on a few moves). 

Rebounder Cardio & Upper Body Sculpt w/ Light Weights is 86:06 minutes (workout time is actually 60 minutes, the first 6 minutes is Angie talking to the home exercisers and the final 10 minutes is Angie talking to the home exercisers); 5 minute warm up and 1:30 minute stretch. Equipment: rebounder egg weights or 1 or 2 pound hand weights (I just used my 2 pound hand weights for everything Angie uses egg weights for), pilates or playground ball and a set of heavier dumbbells (Angie is using 8 pound dumbbells, I did, too). Angie has a step stool set up next to her rebounder with all of her equipment on it. I had my full step set up at 14 inches beside my rebounder with all of my equipment on it. The warm up starts with the pilates ball between your thighs. Each exercise is done for 60 seconds.

1. (ball is still between thighs, grab egg/hand weights) Hop side to side with alternating bicep curls; changes to hammer curls; changes to forearm curls (palms face down); changes to wide bicep curls; changes to supination curls
2. Hop with tricep kickbacks
3. Low/health bounce with overhead tricep extensions (arms are wide so that when you raise your arms they are in a V, when you lower them the weights go behind your head)
4. Continue hopping with single arm salutes (keep arm raised and bring hand/weight from forehead then extend out in a high diagonal)
5. With arms straight and palms facing behind you, pulse arms up behind you (still hopping)
6. (swap out 1 pound weights with 2 pound weights, ball is still between thighs) Alternating upright rows while bouncing
7. Alternating front raises (still bouncing)
8. Lateral raises (still bouncing)
9. Alternating over head press (still bouncing)
10. Goal post chest fly (still bouncing)
11. Hold DBs together in front of you and push them overhead (still bouncing)
12. Repeat #10 but when you bring arms together lower arms slightly (Angie calls it a decline press)
13. Upright row alternated with lateral raise (bouncing higher now)
14. Runners (alternating back rows) (still bouncing)
15. Upright back flys (still bouncing)
16. Open arms out to sides in a fly move but on a diagonal and bring forearms together in front of chest (still bouncing)
17. Bring one hand from opposite hip out to side/overhead on a diagonal (as if you are drawing a sword) (still bouncing)
18. (stop bouncing) Squat while bringing DBs to opposite knees (your wrists are crossed) and when you stand, open arms out wide in goal post
19. Double arm back rows with palms facing ceiling (bouncing again)
20. Punch down to floor across body (still bouncing)
21. (set ball and light weights aside) Water break on rebounder
22. Jumping jacks
23. Scissor runs
24. With legs wide, shift hop
25. 180 jump turn with double hop in each direction; changes to singles
26. (get heavier DBs) Double arm bicep curls; changes to alternating bicep curls (no hopping)
27. Overhead press (no hopping)
28. Single arm back row (no hopping)
29. Hammer curl into overhead press into French press/overhead tricep extension
30. (set DBs aside) Tricep dips (feet on floor, hands on rebounder frame)
31. Knee push ups on rebounder (hands on frame, knees on rebounder canvas)
32. More push ups but Angie goes to the floor (knees on floor and hands on rebounder frame)
33. (mat should be on floor beside rebounder) Lay on back on mat, heels on rebounder canvas, raise and lower hips into bridge; place ball between knees and continue raising and lowering hips into bridge
34. Same starting position as #33, raise both legs to ceiling with legs straight (ball is still between knees), crunch head/shoulders up, reaching hands toward feet; keep head/shoulders raised and alternate reaching arms to sides past bottom
35. Repeat second part of #33 (with ball still between knees)
36. Still laying on back, ball still between knees, heels still resting on rebounder canvas, place hand behind head and do basic crunches
37. Lay on side, knees bent (ball still between knees), bottom arm extended out to side on floor, top arm behind head, feet/toes are on rebounder frame, crunch upper body up
38. Low/health bounce on rebounder with ball between thighs; do “lymphatic pats” up arm (with other hand, pat the top part of your arm from wrist to shoulder; changes to patting the underside from wrist down side of body–your arm is now raised overhead; changes to patting chest and abdomen); stop bouncing and continue the lymphatic pats down the legs
39. Swipe one hand from shoulder down to hand of other arm like you are wiping something off of you

For more info on AngieFitnessTV and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.