Looking for an awesome upper body burn today? Coach Amanda from Team Betty Rocker has you covered with a fast and effective elimination round workout. If you’ve never tried this type of workout, you’re going to have so much fun!
Coach Amanda is a NASM and NESTA Certified Personal Trainer, Crossfit Level 1 Trainer, TRX Qualified Trainer and a Team Betty Rocker Coach in Rock Your Life.
One of the many reasons I love workouts like this one is because you can get maximum benefit in a short period of time. And my favorite way to make the most of a workout is by incorporating resistance training and high intensity movements.
This workout is a great one to do from home or in the gym with simple equipment like dumbbells, or any weighted objects you have around the house like water jugs, laundry jugs or anything you can easily hold onto.
Coach Amanda will be offering lots of options so you can make it your own! As always, listen for the form cues so you can stay tuned into your body and pace yourself through the workout.
Join her and let’s get right to it!
One-off workouts are great, but having a plan to follow is even better! Take a 30-day Challenge in Rock Your Life and have workouts like this formatted into a plan to follow!
Upper Body Burn
Click to expand and see all workout move descriptionsEquipment: Weighted Objects (water bottle, dumbbells, etc)
Format: In round 1, perform moves 1-9 for 0:30 each | round 2, perform moves for 1-7 for 0:40 | round 3, moves 1-5 for 0:50 each | round 4, moves 1-3 for 1:00. Rest 15 second between each movement.
1- Squat to Press
- Begin standing with your feet about hip distance apart, your shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall) while holding weighted objects at your shoulders
- Send your hips back as you come into a squat, bracing your core and keeping your chest up, allowing your knees to track in line with your toes.
- Drive back up using the strength of your glutes and press your arms up overhead. Your weighted objects can face forward or face each other. Bring them back down to your shoulders, and repeat the squat.
- Repeat for allotted time.
- MOD: Use an elevated surface like a couch, chair, ottoman or bench to check your squat form and ensure you’re using the correct muscles. Consider practicing this move without any weighted objects to start, and instead pressing soft fists overhead.
2- Full Body Roll Up
- Begin by lying with your back on the mat, your arms and legs extended.
- Use the strength of your core to lift your arms and torso off of the mat, keeping your core braced as you fold over your legs to reach for your toes.
- With control, reverse the movement, thinking of articulating and unrolling your spine back down to the mat until you are back to the starting position.
- Repeat for allotted time.
- MOD: Slightly bend at the knees instead of having them fully extended.
3- Bent Over Row
- Stand with your core braced, chest up, shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall), and weighted objects in both hands.
- Hinge forward at the hips at a 45 degree angle with your body, and engage between your shoulders, so they’re not rounding forward. Allow your dumbbells to hang beneath your chest and keep your head and neck in a neutral position.
- Draw your elbows up and back beside your ribcage, squeezing your back muscles.
- Slowly lower the weights with control to the hanging position beneath your chest.
- Repeat for allotted time.
4- Push Ups
- Begin in a tall plank position with shoulders stacked over wrists, braced core, back flat and neutral gaze (not looking up or down).
- Bend your arms and lower yourself toward the mat for a push-up while keeping your shoulders away from your ears. Be mindful that your hips and torso are moving in one line.
- Maintaining a braced core and flat back, push yourself back up to the starting position.
- Repeat for allotted time.
- MOD: Drop your knees to the mat or perform this move in an elevated position with your hands on an elevated surface like a couch/ottoman/bench.
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5- Upright Row to Biceps Curl
- Stand with your core braced, chest up, shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall), and weighted objects in both hands with your palms facing your front body.
- Keeping the weights close to your body and leading with your elbows up and back, engage between your shoulders to draw the weights up towards your chin.
- Lower the weights back to the starting position with control.
- Rotate your arms so that your palms facing forward at your thighs.
- With a braced core and shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall), bend at the elbows to curl the weights up to shoulder height.
- With control, lower the weights to the starting position.
- Repeat sequence for allotted time.
6- Triceps Dips
- Sit on the edge of your elevated surface (like a chair, ottoman, couch, or bench) with your hands beside your hips, gripping the edge of the surface with your fingers facing forward.
- Walk your feet forward until your hips are slightly ahead of the bench – your legs can be bent or straight.
- With your shoulders over your wrists, elbows slightly rotating in towards each other (to engage your lats), and core braced, bend your elbows and lower your hips toward the floor with control until your upper arms and forearms form 90-degree angles. Pause at the bottom of the movement.
- Squeeze your triceps to straighten your elbows back to the starting position. Be mindful that you are not locking out your elbows at the top.
- Repeat for allotted time.
- MOD: Perform triceps extensions:
- Begin in a kneeling position with core braced and shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall).
- Hold one weighted object overhead with both hands (or two lighter weighted objects in both hands) so that your arms are straight overhead.
- Slowly lower the weight behind your head by bending your elbows, being mindful of not letting the elbows flare out too much.
- Once your forearms move beyond parallel to the floor, bring the weight back up to the starting position and repeat.
Your upper arms should remain in place throughout the movement so that your elbows aren’t moving too far forward or backward.
7- Bent Arm Lateral Raises
- Stand with your core braced, chest up, shoulders back and down (as if they were against a wall), and weights in hand.
- Keeping your ribcage down and core engaged, lift both arms out to the side, maintaining a slight bend in the elbows and leading with your shoulders and elbows rather than your wrists.
- Slowly bring the weights back down to your sides with control and repeat for allotted time.
8- Down Dog to Knee Drive
- Begin in a tall plank position with shoulders stacked over wrists, braced core, back flat and neutral gaze (not looking up or down).
- Send your hips up and back, keeping your head in line with your arms as you come into a down dog. Your weight should be evenly distributed between your palms, and your heels should reach toward the mat (bending at the knees is helpful for tight hamstrings).
- Shift your weight forward to come back into a tall plank position and use your core to drive your right knee towards your right elbow.
- Step your right foot back to a tall plank and shift back into downward dog.
- Repeat sequence on left side and continue alternating sides for allotted time.
- MOD: Perform this sequence with your hands placed on an elevated surface.
9- Lateral Barrier Jumps
- Place a yoga block (or any other barrier-type object) in the middle of your mat and stand on the far left side of the mat with your knees bent.
- Power through your feet to explode over the barrier to the right (use your arms to propel you).
- Land lightly with a braced core and evenly distribute your weight along each entire foot while allowing your hips and knees to bend to absorb force. Your knees should be in line with your toes as you set up to jump back to the left.
- Repeat for allotted time.
- MOD: Make this low impact by taking out the jump and step one foot at a time over the barrier, coming into a squat on the other side. Keep your core braced and your chest elevated, and drive through the heels to stand. Repeat step over and squat for allotted time.
Amazing job! Be sure to check in Coach Amanda and me below and let us know how you liked this workout and what move was your favorite.
Looking for a well-balanced workout plan with variety, accountability and support for your fitness journey? I’ve got you covered!
Check out ROCK YOUR LIFE, my online home workout studio and women’s fitness community!
We’ve got dozens of 30 day Challenge plans to choose from so you always have a plan, hundreds of workouts in our class library so you’re never bored, and so much support for you in our private support group!
Check out Voni’s amazing progress after just 1 year with me…
“1 year ago I pressed play to day 1 of Betty Rockers Make Fat Cry free 30 day program. I almost died by the way. 😂 Today I am on day 5 of my 11th challenge.
What I found was a health program that I LOVE! Thank you coaches! After the 30 day challenge, I joined you here on Rock your Life and as a result met the greatest bunch of inspirational ladies ever!
Thank you rockstars!
And of course a 1 year #rockiversary called for progress photos.
Sharing progress photos because I experienced so much inspiration from others sharing theirs. I ALWAYS used them as motivation and NEVER for comparison. Here is to motivation and inspiration!”
– Voni H, Rock Your Life member