WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps
Back/Lats

WORKOUT

Complete 3-5 rounds of each circuit. Rest no more than a minute between rounds and up to 2 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
5-10 reps Push Up to Dip
30 seconds -1 minute Power Wheel Push Up Hold

CIRCUIT #2:
30 seconds -1 minute Inverted Row Hold
8-15 reps Inverted Rows

CONDITIONING:
Complete 5-8 rounds of 30 seconds of work followed by 30 seconds of rest.

Towel Taz

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps
Back/Lats

NOTES:

Do not rest between exercises each round. The whole point is that the first one will fatigue you for the second one and make the second move harder. Rest between rounds and even roll out. You want the same work output each round.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Push Up to Dip –  Set up two kettlebells. The kbs should be narrow enough that you can only really slide your feet through. They should be about hip-width apart. Perform two push ups with your hands on the kettlebell handles. The handles should be right outside your chest. You can do these from your knees or your toes. Then swing your legs through and perform two dips. The more you “swing” through and the less you walk back and forth through the kettlebells, the more challenging the move will become. Make sure that when you do the dip, your butt is back by the kettlebell. Also, the straighter your legs are, the harder the move will be. Bend your knees and walk your feet back toward your butt to make the move easier. This move can also be regressed by doing it on an incline. You can use a bench and do two push ups followed by two dips off the bench. One rep is 2 push ups followed by 2 dips. So you will end up doing a minimum of 6 push ups and 6 dips.

Power Wheel Push Up Hold – Hold a handle of the power wheel in each hand. Place the power wheel under your shoulders and set up on either your knees (beginners) or your toes (advanced). Push up into a high plank position on the wheel. Your arms should be straight and the power wheel should be right under your shoulders. Your body should be in a nice straight line from your head to your heels. Draw your belly button in toward your spine and squeeze your hips. Place your feet closer together to make the moves harder. Hold in that nice straight plank position. Advanced exercisers may want to do small rolls forward with the power wheel as they hold. Slightly roll the power wheel above your shoulders and then bring it back under your shoulders. Your body should stay in a nice straight line as you slightly extend overhead and then pull the wheel back.

Inverted Row Hold – Hold a suspension trainer strap in each hand. Walk your feet out so you are leaning back. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Squeeze your core and glutes and press your chest out so there is tension between your shoulder blades. Then row up, keeping your body in a nice straight line. Row until your chest comes up to the handles and hold there. Do not let your hips sag or your body arch as you hold.

Inverted Rows – Hold a suspension trainer strap in each hand. Walk your feet out so you are leaning back. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Squeeze your core and glutes and press your chest out so there is tension between your shoulder blades. Then row up, keeping your body in a nice straight line. Row until your chest comes up to the handles and then lower yourself back down. Don’t let your hips sink as you lower back down. Also, keep your chest pressed out the entire time (do not let your low back arch though).If there is no bar or XT/TRX on which to do rows, do scapular push ups or corner rows.

Towel Taz – Grab a bath towel,moving blanket, fleece blanket or whatever you have on hand. The bigger and heavier the towel, the harder the move will be. Grab a corner of the towel in each and and start shaking the towel as powerfully and as quickly as you can up and down while moving quickly around from side to side, in a circle, forwards, backwards and every which way. Move quickly, taking only a few steps in each direction as you shake the towel. Keep your chest up and do not round your back. You can shake the towel up and down and in and out. The quicker you move, the harder the move will be.

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps

WORKOUT

Complete 1-2 rounds of the Isometric circuit. Rest up to 30 seconds between holds if needed. Then complete 3-5 rounds of the second circuit. Rest 1-2 minutes between the circuits and each round.

CIRCUIT #1:
30 seconds – 1 minute Handstand Hold
30 seconds – 1 minute High Plank Hold
30 seconds – 1 minute Dip Hold

CIRCUIT #2:
5-10 reps Push Up With Holds
10-20 reps Dips off Bench
20-50ft walks each side Single Arm Overhead Carry

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps

NOTES:

Do the hardest variation of each isometric hold that you can. Hold for at least 30 seconds. Take time between the exercises if needed so that you can do your best on each exercise.

For the second circuit, take time between each exercise if needed so that you can get the most out of each move. Don’t slack on any exercise just so you can move more quickly through the circuit. It is better to rest and go to failure on each exercise than to complete the workout quickly.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:

Handstand Hold – Beginners will want to do a modified handstand, almost like a downward dog. Set up on your hands and knees. Then push your butt up in the air and drive your chest back toward your knees. Try to get your back as flat as possible, driving your butt up. Do not worry if your legs stay straight. The most important part is pressing your chest toward your knees so your back stays flat.  To advance, you can put your feet up on a table or chair. However, the hardest variation is walking your feet up the wall and walking your hands back toward the wall. The closer and more parallel to the wall you are the harder the hold. Make sure that on each variation, you draw your shoulder blades down and back and draw your belly button in toward your spine. Squeeze your glutes also to keep your low back safe.

High Plank Hold – Set up on your hands and toes (advanced) or hands and knees (beginner). Feet are together and hands are underneath your shoulders. Draw your belly button into your spine and squeeze your quads, glutes and adductors. Your shoulder blades should be down and back and your shoulders shouldn’t be up by your ears. Do not let your upper back round. Keep your head in line with your spine. If you really draw your belly button in and tilt your pelvic forward, your abs should almost instantly start shaking.

Dip Hold – Beginners can do this from a bench while more advanced exercisers can do this off of dip bars or parallel bars. Press up to the top of the dip with arms straight and shoulder blades drawn down and back. Do not tuck your chin or shrug your shoulders. Really press your chest out and maintain a nice tall posture. Your body should hang straight down if on the parallel bars or you should sit like at the top of the dip off the bench. Hold that position.

Push Up With Holds – Set up on an incline or on your hands and knees (beginner) or hands and toes (advanced). You want your feet together and your hands just outside your chest. Your body should be in a nice straight line. Hold for 5 seconds at the top of the push up with your arms locked out and your belly button pulled in toward your spine. Then lower down to the mid-point of the push up. Your arms should be bent to just about 90 degrees. Hold there 5 seconds. Then lower down so you are just hovering above the ground and hold there 5 seconds before quickly pressing back to the top of the push up. Your body should move as one unit as you lower and it should be in a nice straight line as you hold. Do not let your hips sag or your butt go up in the air. Do not tuck your head toward the ground or shrug your shoulders. Then quickly press back up from the bottom and repeat with a 5 second hold at the top.

Dips off Bench – Place both hands on the bench behind you. Your finger tips should hang over the bench and face you. Stretch your legs out then in front of you. The straighter your legs are and the further your heels are from your butt, the harder the move will be. Bend your elbows and drop your butt toward the ground. Drop so your upper arms are parallel to the ground then press back up. Keep your butt and back right up agains the bench. Do not let your body drift forward. Advanced exercisers may want to place their feet up on a bench as well and even put a weight on their lap.

Single Arm Overhead Carry – Take one kettlebell and place your hand through the handle. Rest the kettlebell on the back of your forearm. Press your hand up toward the ceiling, straightening your arm up by your ear. Do not arch your low back. Keep your core tight and your arm up straight toward the ceiling. Do not lean to either side. Walk 20-50ft holding the kettlebell still overhead and then switch the bell to the other hand. If you don’t have much space, hold it overhead and walk around for at least 15-20 seconds.

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps
Back
Lats

WORKOUT

Complete 1-2 rounds of the Isometric circuit. Rest up to 30 seconds between holds if needed. Then complete 3-5 rounds of the second circuit. Rest 1-2 minutes between rounds and 2-3 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
30 seconds – 1 minute Dead Hang
30 seconds – 1 minute Scapular Hold
30 seconds – 1 minute Pull Up Hold

CIRCUIT #2:
5-15 reps Eccentric Pull Ups
10-15 reps Scapular Band Flyes
10-20 reps Knees to Elbows

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Traps
Back
Lats

NOTES:
Beginners may need to start with assisted holds. For the pull up hold and dead hang, beginners may lightly touch their toes on the ground. Only use the ground as much as needed. Make sure to really stretch out and roll your back. If needed, roll and stretch while you rest between rounds.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Dead Hang – Hold on to a pull up bar or suspension trainer and hang from the bar. Your hands can be facing toward you or away from you. As you hang, do not let your shoulders shrug up. Keep your chest pressed out and your core tight. Your legs should hang down toward the ground. Do not tuck your knees up toward your chest.

Scapular Hold – Stand with your back to the wall. Step a couple of inches away and bend your arms to 90 degrees. Keep your elbows in by your sides and drive them back toward the wall. Lean onto your elbows on the wall. Do not let your upper arms or back touch the wall. Relax your head back. Pinch your shoulder blades down and back while keeping your core tight as you lean into the wall. You should feel this move low between your shoulder blades. To advance the move, move your feet a bit further from the wall.

Pull Up Hold – You can do this as a chin up or pull up. You can do it off a bar, off a peg board and/or off of XT/TRX straps. Whichever you use pull to the top of a pull up or chin up and HOLD. The less stable the appliance, the harder this move will be. Keep your legs straight down toward the ground and your chin above the bar. Keep your chest should be pressed out and your shoulder blades should be down and back. Squeeze your belly button in toward your spine and keep your glutes tight. Hold there until time is up.

Eccentric Pull Ups – Beginners will jump to the top of the pull up/chin up and then lower down as slowly as possible (try for 3-5 seconds). More advanced exercisers will perform a regular pull up/chin up to the top and then again slowly lower down, going as slow as possible. Try not to swing and keep your core tight and legs straight down toward the ceiling. Keep your chest pressed out as you pull up and lower back down.

Scapular Band Flyes – Hold the resistance band with your hands about shoulder-width apart. Arms should be straight out in front of you at about shoulder height or right below. Keeping your arms straight, open your arms out to the side. Pinch your shoulder blades together as you open. Do not let your shoulders shrug up. Then once you open the band to your chest with your arms straight, bring your arms back together so your arms are about shoulder-width apart again and there is no slack in the band. Repeat. (This is the first set of two shown although you can sub in the other two variations.)

Knees to Elbows – Grab the bar as if to do a pull up. With your feet together, hang from the bar. Retract the shoulder blades and pull slightly on the bar. As you pull, tuck your knees in toward your elbows. You will need to pull a little on the bar and can’t just passively hang. Curl your knees up as high as you can. Beginners may not be able to completely reach their elbows. Then lower back down and repeat. You can tap your feet on the ground between each one to still the swinging if you feel it in your low back.

WARM UP
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Back
Lats

WORKOUT
Complete 3-5 rounds of each of the following circuits. Rest no more than a minute between rounds and 1-2 minutes between circuits.

CIRCUIT #1:
8-15 reps Inverted Row
8-15 reps Back Fly
8-15 reps Curl

CIRCUIT #2:
8-15 reps Push Up
8-15 reps Chest Flyes
8-15 reps Tricep Extension

COOL DOWN
Stretch and Roll Out:
Wrists/Forearms
Chest
Shoulders
Back
Lats

NOTES:
Exercisers of all levels should be able to do these moves with the suspension trainer. No weights should be needed. You can also turn these two circuits into 15 minute density sets. If you do, make sure you really focus on getting as much volume, as many reps and rounds as possible, done in the 15 minutes.

EXERCISE DESCRIPTIONS:
Inverted Row –  Hold a suspension trainer strap in each hand. Walk your feet out so you are leaning back. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Squeeze your core and glutes and press your chest out so there is tension between your shoulder blades. Then row up, keeping your body in a nice straight line. Row until your chest comes up to the handles and then lower yourself back down. Don’t let your hips sink as you lower back down. Also, keep your chest pressed out the entire time (do not let your low back arch though).If there is no bar or XT/TRX on which to do rows, do scapular push ups or corner rows.

Back Fly – Hold a suspension trainer strap in each hand. Walk your feet out so you are leaning back. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. To start, do not walk out as much as you would for the inverted row. Lean back with your arms out straight in front of you and your body in a nice straight line. Do not let your hips sink toward the ground or your back arch. Then, keeping your arms straight, pull the straps open. Open your arms out to the side at shoulder height. Do not shrug your shoulders as you pull your arms open. Make sure your body stays in a nice straight line as you pull yourself up by opening your arms. Then slowly bring your arms back together and lower yourself down. Then pull your arms open again and repeat the fly.

Curl – Hold a suspension trainer strap in each hand with your palms facing you. Walk your feet out so you are leaning back. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. To start, do not walk out as much as you would for the inverted row. Lean back with your arms out straight in front of you and your body in a nice straight line. Do not let your hips sink toward the ground or your back arch. Then, keeping your elbows at shoulder height, curl your hands in toward your forehead. As you curl your arms make sure your body stays in a nice straight line. Then slowly uncurl your arms, keeping your upper arms in the same place. Once your arms are straight, curl your hands back in. Do not let your hips sag or your back arch as you curl.

Push Up – Stand facing away from the suspension trainer anchor point with a hand in each strap. Walk your feet back so your body is at an incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Set up with your arms out straight in front of you in line with your shoulders and your feet together. Then, keeping your body in a nice straight line, lower your chest down between your hands. Keep your elbows from flaring up by your shoulders. You want your arms to create an arrow shape with your body. Then press back up. Keep your core tight as you lower down and press back up. Make sure your hands stay right outside your chest and don’t spread out wider than your shoulders.

Chest Flyes – Stand facing away from the suspension trainer anchor point with a hand in each strap. Walk your feet back so your body is at an incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Set up with your arms out straight in front of you in line with your shoulders and your feet together. Then, keeping your body in a nice straight line, let your arms open up. Your arms should be only slightly bent so that your elbows aren’t locked out. Open your arms out to the sides without letting them bend more. Do not let your arms flare up above your shoulders as you open them. Drop your chest in between your open arms and then pull your arms back together and move back to the top of the fly.

Tricep Extension – Stand facing away from the suspension trainer anchor point with a hand in each strap and your palms facing away from you. Walk your feet back so your body is at an incline. The closer to parallel to the ground you get, the harder the move will be. Set up with your arms out straight in front of you in line with your shoulders and your feet together. Then, keeping your body in a nice straight line and your upper arms in line with your shoulders, curl the backs of your hands back toward your forehead. Do not let your hips sag down toward the ground as you curl your hands back. Then press your hands back out until your arms are fully extended again at shoulder height. As you press your hands back out, you will press your body away. Curl and press away in a slow and control manner. You should not feel this move in your low back. Just make sure you keep your core engaged.