Upper Body Toning // No Repeats Workout

I love Heather Robertson‘s no repeat workouts. I do think repetition needs to happen when building strength but Heather’s no repeat workouts are fun and refreshing while still working you well. They are a great way to mix up your training to keep things interesting. In her Upper Body Toning // No Repeats Workout she hits every muscle group in your upper body multiple times using 28 different exercises. No boredom here! Just an excellent and thorough workout.

This workout is done interval style. Each exercise is done for 40 seconds followed by 20 seconds of rest. There is a timer in the lower right hand corner of the screen counting down your intervals and recoveries. During the recovery Heather previews the next exercise. She also has this workout broken up into thirds. 1/3 of the way through the workout you get a 30 second recovery then 2/3 of the way through the workout you get another 30 second recovery.

Upper Body Toning // No Repeats Workout is 39:26 minutes; 3:30 minute warm up and 4:30 minute stretch. Equipment: dumbbells and a fitness mat. Heather is using 5, 10 and 15 pound dumbbells. The dumbbells listed below are what I used.

1. Alternating straight arm front raises (8# DBs)
2. Bicep rotation (hammer curl the up part of the move then rotate DBs out to sides of body and lower in a wide bicep curl with palms facing ceiling, reverse this) (12# DBs)
3. Push ups
4. Underhand row (hinge forward, do a back row w/ palms facing forward) (20# DBs)
5. Tricep kickbacks, alternate arms (12# DBs)
6. Lateral combo (straight arm side raise + hold DBs in front of thighs w/ palms facing forward, raise straight arms out to sides and overhead until ends of DBs touch then return to start, drawing a circle with DBs) (5# DBs)
7. Single arm bent over row (one 25# DB)
8. Repeat #7 on other arm
9. Lying chest press (20# DBs)
10. Inchworm jack (start standing, hinge forward and walk hands out to plank, do one push up, walk hands back to feet and do one jumping jack)
11. 30 second rest
12. High pull (upright row into goal post arms) (8# DBs)
13. Curl, press & twist (hammer curl into overhead press, while doing overhead press twist torso to one side, alternate sides with each rep) (12# DBs)
14. Walking plank (straight arm plank to elbow/forearm plank)
15. Scapular squeeze (hold a DBs with palms facing ceiling, extend arms out to sides in a T then pull elbows behind ribs) (5# DBs)
16. Overhead tricep press (French press) (one 25# DBs)
17. L raises (straight arm front raise with one arm while also doing straight arm side raise with other arm, alternate arms) (5# DBs)
18. T, Y, I’s (superman but each rep you change arm position–T arms are extended straight out to sides, Y arms are raised overhead but in a Y formation, I arms are extended straight in front of you in traditional superman)
19. Side tricep press (side lying single arm tricep push up)
20. Repeat #19 on other side of body
21. Full burpee (push up when in plank, jump when standing)
22. 30 second rest
23. One arm press (single arm overhead press, working arm w/ DB lifts from goal post and non-working arm is extended straight out to side) (one 15# DB)
24. Repeat #23 on other side of body
25. Push back push up (do one push up then push glutes back to heels, keeping knees raised off floor)
26. Chest flys (lying back on mat) (18# DBs)
27. Skull crushers (legs are raised w/ knees bent during this move) (10# DBs)
28. Arnold combo (alternate Arnold press with an overhead press where arms are in front of you with palms facing you) (12# DBs)
29. Alternating single arm rear delt flys (10# DBs)
30. 1.5 bicep curls (do one full bicep curl + one bicep curl where you only lower halfway before raising DBs back to shoulders) (12# DBs)
31. Swing & press (hold one DB in both hands, press DB overhead then swing DB down, hinging forward as if doing a deadlift, swing it back overhead then lower DB to chest level) (one 15# DB)
32. Ninja hop combo (start in straight arm plank with a DB in each hand, do one renegade row each arm then jump feet into hands, remain in deep squat while raising torso and and doing a double arm hammer curl, place hands/DBs on ground and jump feet back out to plank) (15# DBs)

For more info on Heather Robertson’s workouts and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.