This is a unique workout that you can make as easy or as difficult as you like. In looking at the exercises in this routine, you might initially scoff, but the only way that you will do them and not feel your muscles burning is if you aren’t working hard enough – against yourself. All of the exercises require you to be flexing your muscles the entire time, allowing you to set your own level of challenge.

It’s an upper body workout without weights; you supply the resistance in this routine by working against yourself with every motion. We have “Beginner” in the title, but this workout can actually be very effective and challenging. I was very sore for several days after this routine because I tried to push myself to focus on really working against myself, and because of the rarely used ranges of motion compared to more traditional weight training routines.

Be constantly checking yourself throughout this routine, and pay attention to the verbal cues in this video in order to find out how to get the most out of this workout. Focus on contracting all of your muscles, no matter where the exercise is specifically targeting; abs, glutes, thighs, lower back, ect, can all benefit from this routine.


Workout Structure
9 Minutes
1 Round
7 Exercises
1 Minute Intervals each


Printable Workout + Exercise Descriptions
Sliding Forearm Presses – Press your forearms together in front of your face as hard as you can, and slowly move them both up and down about 4 inches.

Tricep Kickbacks – Just like a regular tricep kickback but without any weight. Lean forward and bend knees slightly, keep your arms close to your sides and slowly extend arms (while “trying” to keep them straight) and then bring then back in to flex the biceps once they are back at your sides. Work against yourself; if you don’t feel it, you are doing it wrong!

Chest Presses – Make a 90 degree angle with the elbow, and take your arms from this position out to the sides of your body, to this position in front of your body.

Arm Circles – 30 Seconds in each direction; extend your arms and draw small, controlled circles.

Rhomboid Pulls – Pull your shoulder blades back in towards one another and squeeze. This is a great exercise for good posture.

Prone Tricep Push Ups – Lie on your stomach and do a limited range of motion tricep push up (like a regular push up but with elbows tucked in next to sides throughout the entire movement). If you are strong enough to do a very, very slow full tricep push up, you can always opt for that harder version. This is a great exercise for toning the arms.

Wall Push Ups – 30 Seconds wall push ups; 30 seconds of pulses. Again, the wall is a beginner push up option, so if you can do both the slow reps and the pulses in a traditional push up form, you are welcome to push yourself with that harder version.

Calories Burned Estimates
The calorie expenditure for this one varies a great deal, depending on how hard you work. If you are to the point where you are shaking by the end of each of these intervals, you can be burning up to 10 calories per minute. If you just move through the motions and don’t really focus on contracting your muscles or working against yourself, you will likely only burn roughly 3 calories per minute. Make sure that you focus on proper form and giving everything you’ve got to each of those minute long intervals and you will be able to maximize your benefits from this upper body workout.