Welcome to Week 3 Day 17 of our 4 Week Workout Program.

This is the seventeenth day of our training program, and we’re going to do 3 chest exercises, 3 triceps exercises, 3 rounds of my abs circuit and a quick 4 minute Tabata training session.

Make sure you warm up before this (and every) workout, as warming up helps prevent muscle and ligament injuries, and provides that boost of energy we all need to rock a workout. Warmups are a crucial part of any training program and should be done prior to heavy lifting, however, many overlook and even skip this step.

Warming up has many benefits; some of the most important physical benefits include injury prevention and flexibility, but I bet you didn’t know warming up also has mental benefits. After a quick warmup session, our focus and strength increase, getting us into that perfect mindset for a successful workout.

Your warmup session doesn’t have to be long. A short but effective one will do! You can start with a quick 5 minute cardio activity to get your heart rate up (this can be anything from jumping rope, to walking on a steep incline, to stair steppers, jacob’s ladder, etc.) and then, follow that with 3 quick minutes of stretching. Once’s this is done, you’ll have piece of mind and a safer workout.

Today we’re going to be doing:

• Incline Dumbbell Flyes
• Dumbbell Flyes
• Cable Crossover
• Cable Triceps Pushdown
• Standing Triceps Extensions
• Cable Lying Triceps Extensions
• Abs Circuit
• Optional: Tabata (aka HIIT cardio)

Below you can find the number of sets and each exercise’s description.

INCLINE DUMBBELL FLYES

2 warm-up sets, 3 sets of 15 reps
30 seconds of active rest in between sets

1. Hold a dumbbell on each hand and lie on an incline bench that is set to an incline angle of no more than 30 degrees.
2. Extend your arms above you with a slight bend at the elbows.
3. Now rotate the wrists so that the palms of your hands are facing you. This will be your starting position.
4. As you breathe in, start to slowly lower the arms to the side while keeping the arms extended and while rotating the wrists until the palms of the hand are facing each other. Tip: At the end of the movement the arms will be by your side with the palms facing the ceiling.
5. As you exhale start to bring the dumbbells back up to the starting position by reversing the motion and rotating the hands so that the pinky fingers are next to each other again.
6. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

DUMBBELL FLYES

3 sets of 15 reps
30 seconds of active rest in between sets

1. Lie down on a flat bench with a dumbbell on each hand resting on top of your thighs. The palms of your hand will be facing each other.
2. Then using your thighs to help raise the dumbbells, lift the dumbbells one at a time so you can hold them in front of you at shoulder width with the palms of your hands facing each other. Raise the dumbbells up like you’re pressing them, but stop and hold just before you lock out. This will be your starting position.
3. With a slight bend on your elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, lower your arms out at both sides in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Keep in mind that throughout the movement, the arms should remain stationary; the movement should only occur at the shoulder joint.
4. Return your arms back to the starting position as you squeeze your chest muscles and breathe out. Tip: Make sure to use the same arc of motion used to lower the weights.
5. Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

CABLE CROSSOVER

3 sets of 15 reps
30 seconds of active rest in between sets

1. To get yourself into the starting position, place the pulleys on a high position (above your head), select the resistance to be used and hold the pulleys in each hand.
2. Step forward in front of an imaginary straight line between both pulleys while pulling your arms together in front of you. Your torso should have a small forward bend from the waist. This will be your starting position.
3. With a slight bend on your elbows in order to prevent stress at the biceps tendon, extend your arms to the side (straight out at both sides) in a wide arc until you feel a stretch on your chest. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement. Tip: Keep in mind that throughout the movement, the arms and torso should remain stationary; the movement should only occur at the shoulder joint.
4. Return your arms back to the starting position as you breathe out. Make sure to use the same arc of motion used to lower the weights.
5. Hold for a second at the starting position and repeat the movement for the prescribed amount of repetitions.

CABLE TRICPES PUSHDOWN

3 sets of 15 reps
30 seconds of active rest in between sets

1. Attach a straight or angled bar to a high pulley and grab with an overhand grip (palms facing down) at shoulder width.
2. Standing upright with the torso straight and a very small inclination forward, bring the upper arms close to your body and perpendicular to the floor. The forearms should be pointing up towards the pulley as they hold the bar. This is your starting position.
3. Using the triceps, bring the bar down until it touches the front of your thighs and the arms are fully extended perpendicular to the floor. The upper arms should always remain stationary next to your torso and only the forearms should move. Exhale as you perform this movement.
4. After a second hold at the contracted position, bring the bar slowly up to the starting point. Breathe in as you perform this step.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

STANDING TRICEPS EXTENSIONS

3 sets of 15 reps
30 seconds of active rest in between sets

1. To begin, stand up with a dumbbell held by both hands. Your feet should be about shoulder width apart from each other. Slowly use both hands to grab the dumbbell and lift it over your head until both arms are fully extended.
2. The resistance should be resting in the palms of your hands with your thumbs around it. The palm of the hands should be facing up towards the ceiling. This will be your starting position.
3. Keeping your upper arms close to your head with elbows in and perpendicular to the floor, lower the resistance in a semicircular motion behind your head until your forearms touch your biceps. Tip: The upper arms should remain stationary and only the forearms should move. Breathe in as you perform this step.
4. Go back to the starting position by using the triceps to raise the dumbbell. Breathe out as you perform this step.
5. Repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

CABLE LYING TRICPES EXTENSION

3 sets of 15 reps
30 seconds of active rest in between sets

1. Lie on a flat bench and grasp the straight bar attachment of a low pulley with a narrow overhand grip. Tip: The easiest way to do this is to have someone hand you the bar as you lay down.
2. With your arms extended, position the bar over your torso. Your arms and your torso should create a 90-degree angle. This will be your starting position.
3. Lower the bar by bending at the elbow while keeping the upper arms stationary and elbows in. Go down until the bar lightly touches your forehead. Breathe in as you perform this portion of the movement.
4. Flex the triceps as you lift the bar back to its starting position. Exhale as you perform this portion of the movement.
5. Hold for a second at the contracted position and repeat for the recommended amount of repetitions.

ABS CIRCUIT

3-4 rounds of my 7 Exercises to Get Killer Abs That Will Make You Proud ab routine.

OPTIONAL

4 minutes of Tabata to finish it off strong.

IMPORTANT: You’ll notice that I recommend doing a quick 30 second active rest in between each of the sets. This is to keep your heart rate up at all times. I recommend switch up your active rest movements with every exercise you do, just to keep it from getting monotonous and to allow for different muscles to be worked. Some of my favorite active rest movements include: kettle bell swings, air squats, lunges, jumps and running in place. Get creative, but try to not use the muscle groups you are actually using on your lifting exercises, so that those are ready to go when the 30 seconds are up.

 

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Other Workouts You’ll Love:

• 4 Week Workout Program
• Tabata Training

Disclaimer: I am a certified personal trainer, however, since I won’t be there with you physically to check on proper form and weight selection, do these workouts at your own risk. You should consult your physician or other health care professional before starting this or any other fitness program to determine if it is right for your needs.