30-Minute Upper Body Strength Workout (Trisets)

How To Do A Dumbbell Chest Press

1. Lay flat on your back (on the ground, on a flat bench, incline bench, or on a stability ball) with knees bent and feet flat on the floor. Hold one dumbbell in each hand (palms facing knees), elbows bent at a 90-degree angle.
2. Exhale as you push both dumbbells overhead at the same time; dumbbells stacked over shoulders at the top of the press. Make sure your wrists are strong and in line with your shoulders.
3. Lower the dumbbells back towards your chest with control.

Modification: Option to substitute standing dumbbell chest flys if laying on your back isn’t comfortable for you.

How To Do A Kneeling Single Arm Shoulder Press

1. Start in a half kneeling position — left knee bent at 90 degrees, left foot on the mat in front of you (left knee in line with left hip). And right knee bent at 90 degrees on the mat (right knee stacked underneath right hip).
2. Hold one dumbbell in the right hand at shoulder height with a neutral grip (palm facing your neck).
3. Perform a single arm overhead press. Rotate the dumbbell in your right hand so that your palm faces out and raise the dumbbell overhead, arm straight as you lock out the right elbow by the right ear.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbell back down towards the right shoulder. As you do so, rotate the dumbbell so your palm faces in again towards your neck.

Modification: Option to perform a single arm shoulder press from a standing position.

How To Do A Quadruped Single Arm Tricep Kickback

1. Start in a table top position, quadruped on all fours, shoulders stacked over wrists and hips stacked over knees.
2. Place the left hand flat on the mat in front of you, in line with the left knee. Send the right leg long behind you, flexing the right foot to drive the toes into the ground for stability.
3. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand at your side (palm facing your body). Pull the right elbow up to meet your right rib cage and hold it there. Think shoulders down and back away from your ears.
4. Then ‘kickback,’ extending the right elbow so your right arm forms a straight line as you push the dumbbell back past your hips. At the top of the movement, elbow is fully extended.
5. With control, slowly return the dumbbell to the starting position.

Modification: Option to perform single arm tricep kickbacks from a standing position.

How To Do A Single Arm Back Row

1. Start with feet hip-width distance apart. Option to find a staggered stance, left foot in front of you, right foot slightly behind you. Hold one dumbbell in your right hand, palm facing out.
2. Hinge at the hips until your torso is parallel to the floor (neck in line with your spine, flat back, belly pulled in, core tight).
3. Hold this bent over position while performing a single arm row on the right side. Pull the dumbbell in your right hand back towards your right hip; squeezing your back muscles.
4. Control the dumbbell back down to the starting position and repeat.

How To Do Flip Grip Biceps Curls

1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width distance apart and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supinated grip).
2. Keeping your elbows locked by your sides, squeeze your bicep muscle to curl the weights up to shoulder-height.
3. At the top of the movement, rotate your hands so palms face in towards each other (hammer curl). With control, slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides.
4. At the bottom of your movement, flip your grip so palms face out again. Return to the starting position and repeat this movement; alternating a standard bicep curl on the way up and a hammer curl on the way down.

How To Do Stack On Narrow Rows And Hammer Curls

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, slight bend in the knees. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl).
2. Hinge forward at the hips maintaining a flat back.
3. Pull the dumbbells back towards your hips (think of pulling from your elbow versus your wrist). Stop once your elbows are in line with your rib cage, making a straight line from shoulder to elbow.
4. Hold at the top for a moment, squeezing your shoulder blades together. With control, lower the dumbbells back to the starting position. This is a narrow back row.
5. Then, return to standing and curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Maintain a hammer curl grip (palms facing in towards each other) for the bicep curl.
6. Repeat this pattern, adding on a row and a curl each time you do the movement. So start with 1 row, 1 curl, then 2 rows, 2 curls, and so on.