30-Minute Back and Bicep Workout (Overload 30 Day 9)

How to Do a Pull Up

1. Start standing underneath your pull-up bar, feet hip-width apart, neck and shoulders relaxed.
2. Reach up and grip the pull-up bar with your palms facing away from your body (overhand grip), hands slightly wider than shoulder-width distance apart.
3. Allow your body to hang freely with your arms fully extended.
4. Initiate the pull up by squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling your chest towards the bar. Keep your elbows pointed downward throughout the movement.
5. Continue to pull your body, pulling your chest up until your chin is above the bar, or as high as you can comfortably go. Keep your core engaged and your body straight throughout the movement.
6. Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position, extending your arms fully.

Modification: Option to perform assisted pull-ups with a long loop resistance band. Or perform dumbbell pullovers or single arm dumbbell pullovers.

How to Do an Incline Plank and Row

1. Start in front of a bench, box or couch. Place one dumbbell on the ground below your right arm. Brace your left forearm horizontally on the bench, shoulder stacked over elbow. Then step both feet back, finding an elevated high plank position.
2. Gripping the dumbbell in your right hand, pull your right elbow to your right hip (performing a renegade row, or plank back row).
3. Extend your arm, lowering your dumbbell towards the ground and returning to the starting position.

Modification: Perform standing single arm bent-over rows.

How to Do a Supine Bicep Curl

1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supinated grip).
2. Exhale, squeezing the biceps muscle to curl the weights up to shoulder-height. Think about keeping your elbows tucked into your sides and your shoulder blades pulled down.
3. With control, slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides. Return to the starting position and repeat.

How to Do a Hammer Curl

1. Start standing, feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl grip, or neutral grip).
2. Squeeze your bicep muscle to curl the weights up to your shoulders. Keep the upper arms stationary as you curl.
3. Hold for a moment before lowering the dumbbells down with control, returning to the starting position.

How to Do Bird Dog Wide Back Row

1. Find a quadruped position on a stable bench. Place your knees hip-width apart and your hands firmly on the bench, about shoulder-width apart. Engage your core. Place one dumbbell horizontally on the bench in front of you.
2. Find a bird dog position by sending your right leg back, floating it off the bench.
3. Perform a single arm wide row by grabbing the dumbbell with your left hand and pulling the dumbbell up and out to the side. Elbow goes wide, stopping when it’s parallel to your shoulder. The dumbbell in your left hand should now be parallel to the floor.
4. Reverse the movement by straightening your arm to lower the dumbbell down towards the box with control.

Modification: Omit the bird dog position and perform a wide back row from the ground. Find a quadruped position, keeping both knees planted on the ground. Place a dumbbell horizontally in front of your right leg. Grab the dumbbell with your left hand and perform wide single arm rows, keeping both knees on the ground throughout the movement.

How to Do a Wide Bicep Curl

1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supine curl). Keep the elbows tucked in close to the hips.
2. Perform a wide bicep curl by extending the arms out wide as you curl the weights up to shoulder-height.
3. With control, slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides.

How to Do a Face Pull

1. Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged. Hold each end of a resistance band, pulling the band to generate tension across the band.
2. Hold the band directly overhead, keeping a soft bend in the elbows. Palms are facing out.
3. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and slowly pull the band toward your chest.
4. Pause for a moment and return to the starting position, sending the arms back overhead. Focus on your form, squeezing the shoulder blades together as you pull the band towards your face.