Killer Upper Body Workout: Suspension Workout

Welcome back to the Flex2Fit workout video series! I’m Trevor Theismann of Kbands Training, and Flex2Fit is a free video blog series delivered to our subscribers every week. In the videos, we demonstrate resistance training techniques and floor exercises that can help you reach your training goals, whatever they happen to be. Use these videos to improve your athletic performance, strengthen specific muscle groups, build mass, gain definition, lose weight, or all of the above. Today, I’ll be taking you through an upper body workout that relies on Suspension Workout to target the core and build strength in the torso, chest, and arms.

To prepare for this Suspension Workout upper body workout, attach the KB Duo to a secure overhead anchor point, like our squat rack. Suspend the bands so they hang just a few inches off the floor. Then rest your weight on your knees (use a towel or a pad to protect your knees if you like) and tuck your feet into the loops.

Ready? Let’s get started.

Suspension Workout: Knee-Up Push Ups

Place your palms flat on the floor and straighten your body line so your weight is distributed between your hands and your suspended feet in the band straps. Drop down into a push up. As you rise from the push up, pull your feet toward your hands and bend at the waist, pushing your rear end toward the ceiling. We call this a pike position (think of diving). Now bring your rear down, straighten at the waist, and draw your knees toward your chest. So the entire Suspension Workout move works as follows: push up, pike position, knee up, repeat.

This upper body workout move should generate a powerful burn in your arms, torso and abs. Use the Suspension Workout element to keep the pressure focused on the muscle groups you’re trying to target. Repeat this part of the upper body workout three times in sets of fifteen.

Suspension Workout and the Upper Body Workout: Notes

This upper body workout, like many Suspension Workout moves, will bring better results if you focus strong attention on body position. Don’t be lazy with this move. Most important, keep your back straight during the push up portion and your legs straight as you move into and out of the pike position. Your feet should always stay together—Don’t let them drift. If you need guidance, have a friend or spotter watch you and let you know when you’re starting to bend or sag.

Since this Suspension Workout upper body workout involves balance and body control, it relies heavily on “the rails”, those minuscule muscle movements that play a role in coordination. If you power through Suspension Workouts like this one on a regular basis, you’ll see improvements in your overall agility, balance, and motion control on the athletic field. If you’re trying to throw a baseball farther, tackle with more precision, or build explosive speed during running or swimming sprints, this upper body workout is for you.

Keep breathing deeply as you complete this upper body workout, and don’t let your technique slide as you feel the burn. Rest for a complete minute or so between each of your three sets.