If you have no time for long training sessions but have to burn calories and tone the upper body, this upper body cardio workout is for you. The routine aims to help you gain a stronger, leaner, and toner upper body by targeting the chest, back, shoulders, and arm. The training can be done in approximately 30 minutes whether you are in the gym or at home.
Furthermore, any cardio workout for fat loss requires whole body movements, such short cycles of exercise allow you to reduce more fat and calories. The training moves rapidly so that in less time you are finished.
Strongly advise:
If you have any injuries, illnesses, or other conditions, consult your doctor before trying this workout.
Equipment needed for this workout:
- Dumbbells of various weights
- Barbell
- Resistance band
- Weighted medicine ball
- And a platform or step.
- Timer, Clock, or stopwatch (such as mobile phone timer or exercise watch).
Tips:
- Warm-up in light to moderate aerobic exercises for 5 to 10 minutes.
- Try to do all the exercises in each activity without rest.
- Complete a full circuit for your training if you are a beginner. Whether you are an intermediate to advanced exerciser, if you have more time, perform and complete up to three complete training circuits.
- Try to use sufficient weight or strength to complete only the recommended number of reps. If you feel that exercise is too easy, add more weight.
- Finish the exercise, do some jog or a stroll, and some stretching, with a few minutes of basic activities.
- Commit yourself to this upper body cardio workout if you really want to see good results.
Activities:
Mountain Climbers
Mountain Climber
Start with doing a push-up position on the floor. Alternate bringing the knees in a running motion towards your chest. Repeat 60 seconds on the movement.
Medicine Ball Push Ups
Launch in a push-up position. Beginners can lower their knees down to the floor. The intermediate to advanced exercisers should be lifted to the toes from the hands. Under one hand, place a medicine ball.
Shift your body down into a pushup now. Roll the ball across the floor as you push back up, and place it under the other hand. Complete another pushup, and keep alternating sides. Do as many reps in 60 seconds as you can.
If you don’t have a medicine ball, it doesn’t mean that you can just skip this step. Just do pushups without a medicine ball.
Front Lunge with Chest Press
Start by standing with a resistance band secured from behind at the level of the chest. Step forward into the lunge as you press one of your arms forward in your chest. Return to starting position. Repeat twenty times, and switch sides.
Simply do lunges to keep the heart rate elevated if you have no bands.
Jumping Jacks with Lat Pulls
Place a resistance band overhead with both hands and get ready to do jumping jacks. As you jump your legs out, bring your arms down and out to your sides. You ‘re going to feel the muscles called latissumus dorsi in your back, squeezing to perform this exercise. Jump your legs back together, and return your arms overhead. Repeat the sequence for about 60 seconds.
Barbell Bent-Over Row
Start by standing with your hip legs apart and your knees slightly bent. Carry a barbell with your arms apart and relaxed underneath your shoulders. Lean forward to the hips, until the upper body is parallel to the ground. Maintain the abs contracted and aim to hold your back flat and long.
Pull the barbell towards the chest, keeping the upper back strong. Place the barbell down and repeat. Keep the abdominal straight, and bent the knees (as necessary) to support the lower back. Repeat about 15 times. Do this exercise in which each hand holds a dumbbell if you don’t have a barbell.
Side Lunge With Arm Row
Start by standing with your hip legs apart. Put a dumbbell into each hand. Pull the weights up in a rowing motion stopping at chest level as you take a large step to the right into a side lunge stance. Step back the right foot to meet the left as you take your arms back to the initial position. Repeat switching sides 20 times.
Side Squat with a Shoulder Press
Start by standing with your hip legs apart. Place a dumbbell in each hand and raise the arms to shoulder level so that the elbows are in line with the shoulder and the hands face forward, similar to the form of a goal post.
Take a wide upright move into a squat holding your goal post stance. As you step back to the center of your right foot, press your arms overhead. Lower the weights as you move left and then raise the overhead weights again as you bring the legs back to the middle. Complete 20 reps, switching sides.
Squat with Iron Cross
Start standing with your hip legs apart. Carry a dumbbell in each hand, arms outstretched in front of the chest, palms facing one another. Now stretch out the arms to the sides, trying to keep the elbows soft but extended. You should have your body in a T-like position.
Hanging on your hips, lower your body to a squat position. As you bring down your hips, revert your arms to the front of your chest, with palms facing each other. Now take your body back to its feet and return your arms to T stance. Repeat the exercise, with each squat close and open the arms. Repeat again 15 times.
Over-the-Step Biceps Curl
Stand next to the platform or step. Put your right foot up. Position one of the dumbbells in each hand, arms stretched to your sides, palms facing forward.
Move over the platform and move to the right as you finish a biceps curl. You ‘re supposed to be on the other side of the bench with your left foot ready to step over the platform. Keep going over the top and complete biceps curl with every repeat. Repeat it for 60 seconds.
Hammer Curl with Power Squat
Start by standing with your hip legs apart. Hold in each hand a heavy weight, palms facing in front of your body.
Push the weights forward into a hammer curl as you lower your body into a squat, holding the palms facing in and the elbows close to your torso. Stand up before lowering the weights and repeat it for 12 reps.
Triceps Dips with Leg Extensions
Sit down on a leg or chair, keeping your hands close to your hips. Slide your hips off the ground to keep your weight steady with your arms.
Stretch the right leg (take your foot off the floor). Then bend your elbows to lower your body a few inches. Press it up. Switch the legs and repeat when you reach the starting position. Alternate sides lasting 30 to 60 seconds.
Note: Cool down 5 to 10 minutes after each session. Extend your calf, quadriceps, hamstrings, lower back and chest. This after training stretch enables your heart rates and muscles to become normal again.
These are some of the many benefits of cardio workout:
- Build your heart and muscles
- For calories to burn
- Improve your mood by releasing endorphins that are fine chemicals that your brain releases
- Enables you to sleep better at night
- Reduces arthritis pain and rigidity by moving joint
- Help to avoid or monitor hypertension, heart disease, and diabetes
You shouldn’t have to stay at the gym for hours to see results. You can get a full upper body workout which works better than an hour of elevation using this 30-minute routine. This upper body cardio workout routine incorporates exercises targeting the biceps and shoulders with heart-pumping cardiovascular movements that torch calories.