Recovery Workout Complete!

By Darren Floro-Bryant

Photos: DFB Fitness

The Pride festivities are over, and you are tired. You want to get a good simple workout to keep you motivated and moving forward towards your fitness goals and lifestyle.  So, let’s keep it simple, efficient and effective!

Circuit 1
3 sets | First set 12 reps – Second set 15 reps – Third set 20 reps

• Push-Ups (hands on the grips of the dumbbells)
• Bent-Over Dumbbell High Rows (Scarecrows)
• Dumbbell Hammer Curls (together)
• Bent-Over Single Arm Tricep Kickbacks
• Bodyweight Squats

Start with the Push-Ups (hands on the grips of the dumbbells) by keeping your hands on the grips of the dumbbells for the push-ups; it helps mimic a dumbbell chest press on a bench. It also allows for easy transition into the Bent-Over Dumbbell High Rows (Scarecrows).  Bend over with a flat back and grip the dumbbells with your arms extended toward the floor. Drive your elbows up towards the ceiling, until your elbows are bent at 90 degrees and the back of your arms are in line with your shoulders like a scarecrow. Then stand up and get right into Dumbbell Hammer Curls (together) by keeping your palms facing in, gripping the dumbbells like you are holding a hammer.  Curl up to slightly past 90 degrees, lower and then repeat. 

Next, place one dumbbell onto the ground and bend over, tighten your core, and begin the Bent-Over Single Arm Tricep Kickbacks.  Start with a shoulder-width stance and stabilize your torso by placing your free hand onto your knee.  Starting with the arm holding the dumbbell, hold the elbow up towards the ceiling, extend the arm back to full extension from the elbow, lower, and repeat (switch arms once reps are completed). Finish the circuit with a set of Bodyweight Squats, giving the upper body some active recovery time.

Circuit 2
3 sets | This circuit is time-based – First set: 30 – Second set: 40 – Third set: 50

• Alternating Incline Dumbbell Air Punches
• Incline Bench Reverse Fly
• Seated Incline Alternating Dumbbell Bicep Curls with Tricep Flex
• Narrow Grip (hands on dumbbells) Push-Up
• Iron Chairs (or wall sits)

Alternating Incline Dumbbell Air Punches, followed by Incline Bench Reverse Fly, then Seated Incline Alternating Dumbbell Bicep Curls with Tri-cep Flex, completed with a Narrow Grip (hands on dumbbells) Push-Up. Do a set of Iron Chairs (or wall sits) for 30 seconds then repeat circuit 3 times.

The Alternating Incline Dumbbell Air Punches is a great exercise because it really engages the full body in a fast-paced, explosive style exercise by focusing on control and form, but still finding a way to generate power. Doing the Incline Bench Reverse Fly on the incline bench helps eliminate the use of momentum. Doing Seated Incline Alternating Dumbbell Bicep Curls with Tricep Flex on the incline bench gives you a greater range of motion for your curls, especially when adding the tricep flex at the bottom. After you’ve engaged the triceps during the bicep curls, doing the Narrow Grip (hands on dumbbells) Push-Up, will intensify the focus on the triceps throughout the move.  The set of 30-second Iron Chairs (or wall sits) allows some rest for the upper body but still helps keep the heart rate elevated, and the core engaged, before starting the circuit again.

Finish
To finish, focus on a little core and balance work to help keep the metabolism fired-up and help build the foundation of any and all exercises.

30-second Elbow Plank superset with a 30 second Dead Bug Hold.  Do these two exercises back to back, three times each. Then finish with a set of bird dog holds for 30 seconds and bird dog crunch and extensions for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.