Try This Dumbbell and Bodyweight Workout for an Epic Upper Body Pump
Clever full-body workouts, functional training plans and hybrid sessions are our bread-and-butter. But sometimes — and by sometimes we mean ‘often’ — you just want to grab a good old fashioned upper body pump with the type of workout that guarantees muscle growth in your chest, back and arms.
This 30-minute torso swelling session is designed to do just that: score you an unabashed pec and lat building gains sesh, that alongside proper recovery and progressive overload can help to add inches to your upper body.
Using a mixture of compound dumbbell and bodyweight movements, you’re going to be working in an ‘AMRAP’ format. Standing for ‘as many reps as possible’, your goal is to perform as many high quality rounds as you can in 30 minutes of the following four-move circuit.
The reps are low, and your aim during the first half of the workout is to avoid failure, accumulating a significant amount of muscle-building volume. In the second half, fatigue should catch up with you, requiring longer rest periods. Begin taking some sets to failure and beyond, using the ‘rest/pause’ method to reach your target reps before moving to the next exercise.
The Workout
30-Minute AMRAP
Pull-Up x 3
Grasp a pull-up bar with an overhand grip, hands slightly over shoulder-width apart. Lift your feet from the ground and hang freely (A). Pull yourself up by flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Think of driving your elbows down into your pockets. When your chin passes the bar, pause (B) before lowering slowly to the starting position. Try to avoid excessive swinging.
Dumbbell Incline Bench Press x 6
Lay on an adjustable bench set between 30-45 degrees, your knees bent, pushing your feet into the floor. Press a pair of dumbbells into the air, locking out your elbows (A). Lower the bells slowly until they touch your chest (B), keeping your elbows at 45-degree angle and back pressed into the bench. Pause here before explosively pressing back up. Repeat.
Chest Supported Row x 9
Next, flip over and position yourself face down with your chest on the pad, holding your dumbbells with straight arms hanging towards the ground (A). Staying tight to the bench, row both dumbbells up towards your hips, pause (B) and slowly lower before repeating.
Push-Up On dumbbells x 12
Assume a strong plank position gripping a pair of dumbbells stacked directly below your elbows and shoulders (A). Bend your elbows to slowly lower your chest to the floor, feeling a stretch in your chest as you pass the dumbbells (B). Keep your upper arms from flaring as you push back up explosively to a straight arm position.
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