Fitness Thursday: Shoulder and Tricep Toner

Hey guys, I’m back with another awesome workout with Rachel from Shape Fitness Durham. Needing to lose a few lbs to look your best this holiday season, yea me too. Well, make sure you check out Rachel’s blog- she even does virtual training!


The upper back, shoulders and triceps are often overlooked
muscles in women when it comes to everyday life, and even working out
sometimes. Rachel created this workout specific to
those muscles to give you some strength, tone, and definition in those arms and
back! This workout is done with just your body weight. Let’s get started!


**Complete 10-15 reps of each exercise, and 2-4 rounds total.
Add 30-60 seconds of jumping jacks, high knees, or your cardio of choice
between each exercise to make this a high intensity interval workout.


1. Pike
Press
Position your body in a downward dog. Legs straight, butt high in the air, and
shoulders pressing back to form a straight line down your spine from your
tailbone to your head. Your head should be hanging neutral between your biceps.
Turn your fingers in toward each other slightly. Now, keep your core tight as
you bend your elbows and lower your head as far down toward your hands as you
can. Elbows should be aimed out, away from your body. Then press through your
entire hand to lift back up to start. You will feel this in your arms and
shoulders! Repeat foir 10-15 total reps. 

2. Side
Lying Tricep Pushup 
Lay down on your side with legs stacked and knees bent. Take the hand of
your bottom arm and place it on the top shoulder. Take the hand of your top arm
and place it on the floor next to that elbow (fingers parallel to your body).
Now, squeeze the tricep as you press through the hand on the floor to lift your
upper body up until your working arm is straight. Slowly lower back down and
repeat for 10-15 reps on each side.

3. Thumbs Up
Back Fly
Place your feet about shoulder width apart and hinge forward at the hips
until you are almost facing the floor. Your hands should be straight down from
your shoulders, with a slight bend in your elbows and your palms facing forward
and thumbs pointed out to the sides. From here, fly your arms out, squeezing
your shoulder blades together, and as if you are trying to touch the wall
behind you with your thumbs. Return to start and repeat for 10-15 reps.

4. Single
Leg Tricep Dips
Begin in a “crab” position. Chest facing up, feet flat on the floor with
knees just above your ankles. Palms flat with wrists directly below your
shoulders and fingertips pointing towards your feet. Lift your hips off the floor,
and lift one leg straight in the air, so you are holding yourself up on your
hands and one foot. From here, aim your elbows straight back as you bend them
and lower your body down (although not putting any weight on the floor). Push
through your hands, activating the triceps as you press back up to straight
arms. Repeat 8-12 reps per leg.

5. Up/Down
Plank

Begin in a high plank position (on your hands).
You should have a straight line from head to knees (so don’t let your hips drop
too low, or lift up too high). Engage your core to protect your lower back.
Now, lower to your forearms one at a time. Hold the low plank for a moment and
then push back to high plank, one arm at a time. Repeat for 10-15 reps,
alternating which arm is lowering first and which arm is lifting first. 

What are you waiting for? Go tone those shoulders and tris!