Office Workouts Part 2

Upper Limb Exercises

Working the upper body in this work out is very similar to the workout for the core. Most of the exercises I will describe will be feasible in the office or at home and none of them require a gym. When working out to build muscle mass you must increase the intensity and decrease the repetitions no matter what you do; lifting weights or doing push-ups. Pick a diverse set of 4 or 5 exercises and perform about 3 sets of these. This will give enough volume to make gains in muscle strength and size. As with any callisthenic style exercise modify them to gain an amount of resistance that is too great for 15 repetitions but too little resistance to fail before reaching 8 repetitions. Don’t forget the easiest way to make an exercise more effective and more difficult is to do it slow! Two seconds or more on extension and contraction of the muscle can turn a conventional exercise into a difficult feat; don’t believe it do 10 proper form pushups but spend 10 seconds on each repetition, I am sure you will feel increased resistance.

3 sets 10 reps Pushups, A standard exercise that most know performed from the prone position. Ways to make this exercise easier are to go from balancing on the toes to moving to the knees. To make this exercise more challenging move your hand position forward or a rear position. You can also do one armed pushups to increase the difficulty.

3 sets 10 reps Dips, A great exercise that nearly isolates the triceps. Dips can be made easier by choosing a higher platform to do dips from putting your body position closer to vertical. This exercise mimics a seated position while your arms support your body weight from the posterior. Flex the elbows and feel the burn. You can increase the difficulty of this exercise by elevating the feet.

3 sets 10 reps Pull Ups, A great upper limb exercise that can work the back and or the biceps by changing hand positions. Open grip facing anterior while hanging from a bar or door frame works the back while a grip facing posterior will work out the biceps. If this isn’t difficult enough try one arm.

3 sets 10 reps Muscle Ups, A very difficult exercise that pushes the whole upper body. Similar to a pull up but at the top of the exercise you maneuver like you would to climb a fence by locking your arms while your torso is above the bar.

3 sets 10 reps Sun Goddesses, A four count circle exercise then repeated backwards circles of arms at the deltoid with arms abducted from the body 90 degrees. This exercise focuses on the deltoid and works all three heads of that muscle. If you need to make the exercise easier do a two count exercise instead 4 count 10 reps is a total of 80 circles opposed to two counts at only 40 circles. The exercise can be made more difficult by adding a weight such as two water bottles or two books… still not difficult hold them straight out laterally from your finger tips the added leverage of the weight will kill your arms.

3 sets 10 reps Biceps Curls, This is an exercise where you flex your forearm to your upper arm using the biceps. This exercise is usually performed in the gym by using leverage like in the previous exercise items in your office can perform a great tool.

3 sets 10 reps Planche Press Ups, An advanced exercise where you move from a push up position to yoga like position balancing your entire body on your arms while planked laterally you press your body up and down from the ground. I am very confident I will be happy once I am able to do one successfully.

3 sets 10 reps Handstand Pushups, An intense shoulder exercise where you press your entire body weight like an inverted military press.

3 sets 10 reps Kipping, Kipping or a Kipping pull up is an exercise where you swing your body weight at the bottom of a pull up to give you momentum for the next rep of pull up. This is a skillful and rhythmic exercise that requires skill but once mastered provided a great alternative to a traditional pull up. Watch a YouTube video to find the form.

This is about all I can come up with right now for a great work out to get you moving at home or anywhere away from the gym. If you have any good exercises using body weight comment and Ill update this with any worthy additions. After I complete this short series I will review it as a whole and add more tanning tid bits as they come to mind so check back often. The next segment will cover the lower limb and exercises that build muscle in the legs.