It’s Day 1 of our week of workouts! This is a 34-minute upper body strength workout with a tabata finisher. You’ll need dumbbells for it, and I HIGHLY recommend having a light set on hand so you can drop down as needed. The biceps work in the first circuit will sneak up on you, trust me.
Check out this week’s workout schedule HERE.
Upper Body Strength Workout with Tabata Finisher
EQUIPMENT NEEDED
- Set of medium-light dumbbells – I HIGHLY recommend having a lighter set on hand in case you need to drop down. I mostly used a set of 8lb weights, but used 10lbs for the first set and 5lbs for one of the shoulder exercises.
This upper body strength workout is broken up into two circuits and a tabata finisher. The first circuit will focus on biceps and triceps; second circuit shoulders and back. In each circuit, you’ll go through a circuit of five exercises, three times total. The first two sets, you’ll do 30 seconds of the full range exercise, 15 seconds pulsing in the exercise, then 15 seconds rest. The third and final set, there’s no pulsing. Here’s a breakdown:
- Full range exercise 1 (30 sec)
- Pulses exercise 1 (15 sec)
- Rest (15 sec)
- Full range exercise 2 (30 sec)
- … and so on.
The third time through, it’s just 30 sec full range, 15 sec rest.
If the pulsing is too much, you always have the option to do full range of motion for the full 45 seconds.
For the tabata finisher, you’ll alternate between two bodyweight exercises using an interval structure of 20 seconds work, 10 seconds rest. If you’re just interested in the weight training, feel free to skip the finisher. 
As with all workouts, you want to make sure you’re properly warmed up before, and always listen to your body, modifying or stopping as needed. I have two guided warm ups:
- 5-Min Warm Up
- 7-Min Gentle Warm Up (no jumping)
Workout Breakdown
Circuit 1 – Biceps/Triceps
See 1:59 in the above video for a preview of the exercises.
- Biceps Circle Curls // Pulse Wide, palms up
- Biceps Hammer Curls // Pulse Narrow, palms in
- Front – Lateral Extension // Bend-Stretch, arms wide
- Triceps Kickbacks // Straight pulses
- Triceps Extensions // Pulse @ halfway
Circuit 2 – Shoulders / Back
See 17:59 in the above video for a preview of the exercises.
- Arnold Press // Pulse with forearms together
- Shoulder Complex: bent raise, rotate open, press // Pulse in goal post position
- Lateral Raise – slide – Front Raise // Alternate the front raise
- Row – Rev Fly Combo // Pulse row, elbows in
- Upright Row – Bent Row // Pulse row, elbows wide
Tabata Finisher
See 33:41 in the above video for a preview of the exercises and how to modify.
- Marching Plank
- Surfer Get-Ups
Similar Workouts
If you liked this upper body strength workout, check out these similar workouts:
- Strength & Endurance: Shoulders – this workout mixes heavier strength circuits with light, high rep endurance rounds.
- Strength & Endurance: Biceps & Triceps – same as above but focus is biceps and triceps
- Build-a-Combo Upper Body Workout – using a set of dumbbells, you’ll build exercise combos over 90-second stretches of work.
xo Nicole
Links to equipment are affiliate.