Chest & Back Supersets // STRENGTH Workout

Chest & Back Supersets // Strength Workout is was a tough upper body workout from Heather Robertson. This workout really kicked my butt! I love how hard Heather worked my chest and back. My muscles were burning and by the end of the workout I was spent. Since this workout is only 43 minutes, I used Heather’s No Equipment Arm Toning as a starter/warm up. This workout does include a good warm up, but I had previewed this workout and knew in advance that I would not be motivated to do anything else when I finished–so I led with it. And I was right. At the end of this workout I was done! Actually, the last superset is the easiest of the 6 supersets in this workout, so it felt like a nice recovery after the previous 5 supersets shredded me so thoroughly. Though the targeted muscle groups in this workout are the chest and the back muscles, you recruit shoulders, biceps and triceps throughout this workout to assist so this is a full upper body workout. Everything is hit at some point and in some manner. I added a little something extra to one of the exercises. On the Super V Squeezes I held a medium resistance band between my hands. When you pull your elbows back you are also opening your arms wider. The addition of the band added some resistance to give my upper back and shoulders a little extra work.

As the title indicates this workout consists of supersets. There are 6 supersets and each superset is done 3 times. Each exercise is done for 45 seconds of work followed by 15 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Heather previews the next exercise.

Chest & Back Supersets // Strength Workout is 43:20 minutes; 3:30 minute warm up and 2:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and fitness mat. Heather is using 5, 10, 15 and 20 pound dumbbells. The weights listed below are what I used. I also used a resistance band for the Super V Squeezes.

Superset 1:

1. Chest press (20# DBs)
2. Narrow row (bent over double arm back row, palms face each other) (30# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times

Superset 2:

1. Chest fly (hips are raised isometrically in bridge throughout) (16.5# DBs)
2. One arm rear flys (bent over single arm rear delt flys, alternate arms) (10# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times

Superset 3:

1. Super V squeeze (lay on stomach with arms extended in front of you, raise arms and legs in superman, hold and pull elbows behind back, push arms in front of you again then lower hands/legs) (I used a medium resistance band)
2. Climber push up (one push up + 4 mountain climbers)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times

30 second rest

Superset 4:

1. Side to side push up (one push up then walk both hands out to side and do one push up, walk hands back to front and do one one push up, walk hands out to other side side and do one push up)
2. Underhand row (bent over double arm row with palms facing forward) (25# DBs)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times

Superset 5:

1. V-press (lay on back with one DB in each hand, start with DBs together over ribs, push DBs upward opening arms into a V then return to start) (15# DBs)
2. Pull overs (hips are raised isometrically in bridge throughout) (one 25# DB)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times

Superset 6:

1. Scapular squeeze (hold DBs in front of thighs with palms facing in front of you, extend arms out to sides in a T then pull elbows behind ribs, push elbows back out to a T then lower both arms in front of body, palms still facing forward) (5# DBs)
2. Inchworms (stand at end of mat, hinge forward and walk hands out to plank, lower hips into updog, return to plank, walk hands back to feet, stand and jump, reaching arms overhead)
3. Repeat #1 & 2 two more times

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