[UPWOD Nº19] The Boulder Shoulder Workout — Shoulders/Abs

*UPWODs are Lean It UP’s Workout of the Day. For more info on UPWODs, how to do them effectively, and what they’re all about, read the introductory guide before starting.

**You can find all of our previous UPWODs here.

SHOULDER TIME.

We’re going ROUND. This Monday it’s all about blasting your shoulders, inflating them into round, three-dimensional boulders, and finishing strong with an abdominal six-pack tsunami.

UPWOD Nº19 is an intense shoulder and ab workout that hammers all three heads of the deltoids for a well-rounded, shoulder-popping workout. It attacks the lateral deltoids to add width; pounds the rear deltoids, which helps increase muscle definition and size across the back of the shoulders; and pounds the front deltoids to round out the trifecta.

Altogether it blends hard-hitting mass-building movements, intense supersets, incendiary compound exercises, and micro isolation exercises to carve out a pair of defined, striated, cannonball shoulders.

On top of that, you’ll churn through fat and obliterate your core in the process.

Throw a little kerosine on your shoulders and watch ’em pop. Get after it.

[UPWOD Nº19] The Boulder Shoulder Workout —

Shoulders/Abs

Bonus info for each exercise:

• 1. [SUPERSET] Dumbbell Shoulder Press + Bicycle Crunches — do both exercises back to back.
• 2. Kettlebell Swings — use a relatively light weight. You’re doing 4 sets, each of which will increase in reps and amplify the burn as you progress. Do 25-30-35-40 reps per arm for sets 1-2-3-4.
• 3. Barbell Clean & Press — you can also do these with dumbbells. Pull the barbell up, flip your grip, and hold it up by your collarbone. Once it’s there, dip down slightly and explosively press it up overhead. Start with a lightweight and move the motion as fluidly as possible.
• 4. FLRs — FLRs stand for Front Raises/Lateral Raises/Reverse Flies. Effectively they’re one giant superset. Do 12 front raises, then 12 lateral raises, and finish with 12 reverse flies, all without resting.
• 5. [TRIPLE DROP SET] Lateral Raises — do 10 lateral raises, drop the weight by 50%, and then do 10 additional reps. Drop the weight by 50% and do 10 reps a third time, all without rest. That’s ONE drop set. For instance, you could do 20 lbs (x10), 10 lbs (x10), and then 5 lbs (x10) all in one set.
• 6. [CIRCUIT SET] Ab Planks + Ab V-Ups + Russian Twists + Side Planks + Obliques Crunches — do all 5 exercises back to back without rest. For V-Ups, tough your toes at the top of each rep. For Russian Twists, balance on your butt and touch the floor on either side. Hold a light medicine ball to up the difficulty. For Oblique Crunches, touch your elbow and knee at the top of each rep.
• 7. [BURNOUT] Eccentric Arnold Press — choose a light weight that lets you do 12-15 reps. Rotate your arms in the middle of the movement on the way up and down. You should be holding the dumbbells with an underhand grip at the bottom and an overhand grip at the top of each rep. Because it’s an eccentric movement, lower slowly for 5 seconds—let your shoulders burn—and then press back up.
• 8. [BURNOUT] Front Plate Raise Holds — raise a weight plate up and hold it out in front of your face. Hold it for as long as possible until your arms give out. Choose a weight that lets you hold it for at least 30 seconds.