Upper Body Workout

Working out the body two to three times a week is the suggested normal; this should include strength and stamina training to get the heart rate going. The minimum time for aerobic activity is twenty minutes per session, working toward forty five minutes for an intense good workout session. This can include anything from running or moving the body in the form of jumping around, like skipping or dancing vigorously. If you are going to do some weight training strength exercises, it is important you do not do them two days in a row, as you need to allow forty eight hours for the muscles to break down and repair themselves. It is also good to do at least a minimum of twenty minutes aerobic exercise before weight training as a good warm up in order to avoid injury.

Last week we concentrated on legs and the lower body, this week we will concentrate on the upper body. Once again I will show you how to achieve maximum results with an intense boxing workout session you can do at home.

You will need loose, comfortable clothing and gym training shoes. If you have some numbers great, if not, use some empty plastic containers with twist on lids. You can fill with sand or pebbles and use as makeshift dumbbells.

Boxing workout routine

Exercise 1 – Warm up: standing in an upright position with one foot slightly in front of the other, gently jump back and forward, breathing in through your nose and out through your mouth to improve your stamina session. After one minute, switch onto a side to side jumping movement, do this for another minute and then switch back to forward and back movement. Continue to do this until you have done both types of movement three times, this should equal to six minutes.

Exercise 2 – Standing with feet hip-width apart and keeping upper body straight and facing the front, bend the knees and lower the body into a squat position to the point where thighs are parallel to the floor. Continue for a minute, then hold for thirty seconds at lower level when thighs are parallel to floor. Do this three times, a total of three minutes of squats with thirty second holding at the lower level.

Exercise 3 – In the same squat position, doing the same movement as you come up, make a fist and punch up with one hand. Imagine you are punching with the one hand, hitting under someone’s chin, whilst making a fist with the other hand and holding by the side of your chin. Do this for one minute, then switch hands and repeat the same movement.

Exercise 4 –  As Exercise 3, but instead of doing one hand at a time, use both hands. Do this for one minute.

Exercise 5 –  Find a piece of furniture you can hook your feet under, or if you can, ask someone to hold your feet down. From a laying down position, lift and raise your upper body as you are aiming to do a sit up – when you get to the raised position, throw a fist punch from each hand, come back to laying position and repeat this punching sit up. Count as you do each sit up with the left and right punch. Work till you cannot do anymore, then rest for one minute. Repeat movements and improve on how many you did previously by at least five if possible. Continue to do this for three times minimum and improving for five or above on the last set.

Exercise 6 –  To improve the back of arms, tricep dips are required. Find a sturdy chair, ottoman, or piece of stable furniture with feet on the floor, or another chair for the intermediate or advanced. Clasping the ottoman or another sturdy chair with the palms of your hands, carefully lower the body with controlled movement by bending your elbows and then raising and returning to the starting position. Continue to do this with control. Repeat movement till you cannot do anymore, counting how many tricep dips you do. Repeat this exercise three times and improve the amount, each time by five extra if possible.

Exercise 7 –  Using the dumbbells or equivalent substitute, stand in an upright position with feet hip-width apart. Holding one hand with dumbbell or equivalent on thigh, use the other hand with dumbbell or equivalent to do some dumbbell curls. Tuck in the elbow to the side of the body and bend the lower arm from dropped position upwards, as though you are going to look at your fingernails. Continue to do this and count till you can no longer do any more. Switch to the other hand and do the same. Repeat this three times and improve by at least five more curls each time.

Super strong you!

Love and Sparkles

Samsara x