Upper Body Strength

Hello, and welcome. My name is Chantani. We are here for your upper body strength and mobility class. All you need is a couple sets of dumbbells, whatever you have at home. Something that's lighter, I'm today gonna use £5, and that's something that's a little bit heavier just in case you're stronger than you think. Alright.

So, in this class, we'll be working and focusing on the upper body a couple opportunities to get a total body change happening. And I invite you to take them. At the end of the day, I just want you to walk out of this class, feeling stronger and accomplished for showing up and trying something new. So let's set an intention before we even get started. Bring your feet right underneath your hips. Bring your arms long.

Maybe you shut down your eyes. If you like to bring your hands to prayer, that's okay too. But just taking a moment, take a deep breath in, and a deep breath out. 2 more like this. Inhale. Filling up the chest, exhale, and one more deepest breath.

And released. And just taking a moment now to congratulate yourself for showing up, for being open, to trying something new, to meeting yourself where you are. And if you have any specific intention, her goals. Now is the time to call them in. Take a deep breath in.

Getting clear about your why, and then flutter your eyes open, and we'll begin. You're gonna reach your arms up, grab your left wrist, and just take a stretch over to your right. So really pulling on the wrist. Inhale back through your center. Take it to the other side. I'm starting off real slow. Okay.

We gotta build some trust here. Inhale center. Take it to the other side. 1 more inhale reach, exhale side bend, Good. And then inhale reach up. Bring your arms down. Lace your fingers behind you.

And then draw your knuckle tips down. Just opening up the chest. Just taking a second here before we get into that strength block. So breathing into this. Spend so much time.

I know for me, sometimes just punched over sitting on the couch, eating hummus, watching TV. So he was opening up the chest. Just divide a little balance, take a deep breath in, like, the whole tub. You know what I'm saying? Alright. Shake that out.

And now I actually just want you to swing your arms side to side. Just getting some light movement. When we think about the concept of strength and mobility, I want you to think about balance. Right? And right now, we're starting off subtle and real loose giving you room to play so that when we get into the structure, you feel ready for it. Pending your knees. This is gonna help warm up your spine, little movement through the shoulders for 3 For 2, speaking of shoulders, we'll just take some circles here.

So you're taking both arms up. My palms are facing away. And I'm pressing out good. And really, like, we'll use the term, like, radiating Okay. So really reaching out and elongating, and there's lots of, like, actual tension in my arms right now. Good. And then reverse it other way.

Same deal. This time your palms can face in. So pinkies are leading the way. Oh. And, again, we're not just taking breezy arm circles. We're really reaching with intention.

I've got energy out through my fingertips, like big jazz hands. Okay. One more deep breath in. And exhale, release that down. You're ready for weights? Me too.

Go ahead and grab your dumbbells. Whatever you've got at home, we're starting with an alternating bicep curl. We'll go in 10 seconds. Your feet are hip with the part. You'll bend your knees.

If you like to stagger your legs. Some people like that too, but I like to keep it square. Palms are up. We'll go in 3, 2, and 1. So you curl and then release, curl, and then release. So front of the arm, classic strength move.

And I want you to draw your awareness to the bicep And as you're curling up and as you're curling down, like you're opening up, you're feeling that tension. Right? A lot of times when people do strength exercises, they like to go really fast. Boom. Boom. Boom. It's a different objective. I'd rather you go slow and steady and really squeeze onto the weight.

We've got 5 seconds. Squeeze, squeeze as hard as you can. 4, 3, 2, and rest. Go ahead and set your weights down. Bring your hands to prayer, and we're just gonna make circles here. So you're gonna open up keeping the wrist connected. Back to prayer.

Okay. Why? When we start introducing a new prop, like the dumbbells, we start to meet what we call grip strength. Right? So when you're holding on to those weights, sometimes the hands can actually get tired before moving the arms do or the shoulders do. Reverse it other way. So this is something that you can do throughout class today, if we're like, man, my hands are getting really tired.

And it's also actually really good. For your focus. Yeah. That's a nice way to go. Free set. Let's get 2 more. And remember, you can use this whenever you need it.

Alright. We're complete with that. Pick up those weights up next. We have an upright row. I like to bring my feet a little wider on this one. It's just a preference.

Doesn't change anything other than just feels good for me. So bring your feet wide soft bend in the knees. You're gonna pull up with your weights. And then slow lower down. Join me here. You wanna feel the work in your shoulders. And you can let those elbows come up pretty high.

So you wanna feel it right here on the top of the shoulder. Good. Now, I know that we're all using different props, different weights. If what you have at home, you're like, I'm actually stronger than I thought. You can push the pace on this. You can go, little faster.

It's a little spicier though. Yeah. You've got about 10 seconds left, but I encourage you to try. Yeah. Let's explore our edges today and see what the body's really capable of. For 5, 4, 3, 2. Nice job. Woah, that pace.

I felt that. Shake that out. So you might have started to feel tension build, right, when these muscles get tired, it comes up into the neck. So reach your arms long radiating through those arms, right, getting lots of tension there, because this is a mobility class. And then start to make some neck rolls around here. Again, so this is a different approach.

The arms do have tension in them, Because when you have the conversation of mobility, you need the buy in of your muscles. Right? We're trying to we're trying to really expand your range of motion, reverse the circle other way. Same deal. So really reaching out Oh, it feels so good. Can we just do this for the rest of class? One more.

And release. Now, shake out that tension. If you liked this from the warm up to shake it out, that's good too. Alright. Time for shoulders. So overhead press.

You're gonna grab your dumbbells. Palms are gonna be facing me, and you press it up. And down. We set in 3, 2, and 1. Press it up. Pull it down.

Up and down. So you're gonna feel this in the shoulders. Depending on what you're using, If your weights are really heavy, you'll know because you'll be fighting and be leaning back to try to compensate. Keep everything connected and stacked right here, that you're more than halfway through, Relax your face. I know that when I'm taking classes, Moe was like, oh, just relax your face. It doesn't make it any lighter.

We don't need any extra stress in our lives. Okay? Let's get 5 more seconds. 4, 3, 2, and 1, set your weights down. Nice job. From here, I love this one. You're gonna bring your arms out, and then you're gonna flip one hand down. Okay. So you're getting the maximum range of motion that your body can do today.

You go switch and switch. Now I don't know about you, but because we just did that overhead press, my shoulders are warm, And this is actually creating a little bit of a burn. Right? So that's the difference. A mobility class doesn't always mean a restorative approach, not the whole time. We will cool down, but you do wanna be feeling this burn.

Let's get 5 more seconds. Oh, it's kinda like a cool move. For 3, 2, and 1. Nice job. Grab those weights. We go to work the back of the arm tricep kickback. So you're gonna bend your knees hinge forward Get deep into those legs, draw your elbows up.

Kick the arms straight and bend. We go straight and bend. For most people, this is where they if they were using heavier weights, they need to change them out. I definitely am feeling the burn on this. So do your best to pull your abs up to support you, keep your chest open, As people get tired, this is what we start to see.

Yeah. You start doing this. So open up your chest. Really get those arms straight. You've got it. After this, we'll come onto the ground for a moment.

Let's get 5 more seconds. 4, 3, 2. Nice job. Rest. Come on down to the ground. Release your dumbbells, hands underneath your shoulders, knees underneath your hips. We'll do a thread the needle, but it's gonna be different. Okay? So you place one hand behind your head, almost like if you were doing crunches, you place one hand behind your head with the elbow point reaching up as far as you can go. And then twisting through.

Yeah. So it's just the elbow as the guide with the idea of getting as much rotation through your torso as possible. Now, you keep going. I'm gonna explain something. You keep going. So a lot of times, like in yoga, we have all this indulgent arm, which I love. Right? But actually, the trunk is only twisting this much anyway. So for today's class, I just want you to feel into your actual spinal mobility. Let's get one more, and let's switch it on other side. So placing the hand behind, oof, opening it up, and you can use the breath.

You inhale as you open, Excel as you close. Good. And I'll be honest with you. Sometimes this one is a little bit of an ego bruiser for me because I'm like, I thought I had this big open twist, what happened to it. If you're starting to feel that, it's okay. This is the truth of what what your spine that has available. Okay?

It's not a bad thing. It's not a good thing. It just is. It's like a few more like this. Your shoulders might be getting a little warm, which is the goal.

Let's get one more. Good. And rest. Okay. We're coming back up to tone and strengthen your back. So grabbing your weights.

So if you have heavier weights at home, I'm feeling bold. I think we might need to grab them. Let's pick them up. So, pick up heavier weights if you have them. If you don't, that's okay.

Feed or hip with the part. You bend your knees. You send your hips back. Palms are facing in, draw the elbows up, and then slow release. Why do we pick up heavier weights? Well, your back muscles tend to be. This is a generalization, but for most people, the back muscles are stronger than maybe the shoulders or the biceps. Right?

So we wanna give them what they need. Keeping your chest open, allowing your weight to be grounded through the legs, We've got about 10 more seconds here. Really squeezing your upper back. That's the target. Could last 5, 4, 3, 2, and coming down rest.

Crowd favorite cat cow. Remember her? Let's get into it. Handsing her shoulders, knees, and her hips. Open up deep breath in.

Exhale round spine. Inhale opening up. Exhale, press into your palms. Now let's slow it down a little bit. Really focusing Good. I'm feeling the edges of your spines range.

1 more, deep breath in. And exhale. Great job. Coming back to neutral. Take a seat. I'm gonna bring your weights with you.

If you're not sure which ones, you can bring both of them and place them on either sides of your hips. Okay? Again, I'm feeling bold. I'm going heavy, but it's up to you. Chest press. So target is the chest. You're gonna lay down.

You have your weights nearby. This is how you safely get into it. You pull the weights to your chest. My feet are grounded hip width apart like a bridge. You can press your hips up, and press your arms up. Okay? Palms are facing away from you. They bend to 90, and then they press up.

Here we go. Bend and press. Now because we're in a bridge, Your neck really can be vulnerable if you're turning your head to the side. So I'm gonna trust. I'm trusting you to keep your gaze up towards the ceiling. Press your hips up a little higher.

This is what nothing's nothing's changing for the next, like, 15 seconds. Okay? Feeling that work through the chest. If you're feeling good in your shoulders, it's probably too high. Most people have the weight's too high. So slide it down.

Let's get 5 more seconds. 4 3, 2, and 1. Nice job. Carefully set that down. You can roll yourself over to one side, come up to seated just for a moment here. Bring your arms out in front of you.

Pull the cactus, but this way, this time your palms are facing down and then reach forward. So opening up the chest, and pushing it. Now this is essentially the same move we were just doing on our backs. Right? And so now without the weight, you might still feel like the whisper of that burn. Like, you're feeling it, but can you breathe into your back, breathe into your chest, and find the end range, right, with the focus of mobility. Let's get 2 more, and then we'll talk about it. Last one.

Take a moment. Rest. Check it out. Alright. If you need water, you need towel, you need anything. Now is a good time to take it. I'll give you about 30 seconds.

So the good news is you've done everything that we're gonna do today in class. The better news is we're gonna do it again. So you've done everything. We're gonna do it one more time. No surprises.

I am gonna give you invitations to maybe spice up the move, to make it a little more challenging, to make it a little bit more accessible, So we get to approach the same thing again and see what's available for us to learn here. Are you ready for drinking that water? Cap it, and we're going in for round 2. So calming back up to sand. We started with bicep curls.

Grab the weights that you were using the first time. You'll bring your feet hip width apart. Palms are facing you. We'll start in 3. 2, and 1.

Alternating sides. You choose your pace. Now this is option 1. If you'd like, I need something spicier. Me too, we're gonna go both arms at the same time.

So now we're kind of doing like double the work, like, going into double time, because we're not giving that one arm a chance to rest. You're halfway through. You can start to play with pace. If you're using lighter weights, going faster, might actually be more challenging as long as you're squeezing onto those weights. If you're using really heavy weights, play with going slow.

Last five. 4, 3, 2, and rest. Set your weights down. Here we go. Hands come to prayer. We just roll it out. Roll it out.

Really exploring the wrists. Remember that grip strength. I heard it said that your grip strength is actually connected to your mental resiliency. Did you know that? I know. So if you're finding like whoo, my hands are really burning, you're getting smarter.

Switch it out other side, reverse it. This is another great move. If you're someone who spends a lot of time at your computer, at your laptop, Right? This can be really good to break up the day. Let's take 2 more.

Last one. Amazing. Alright. Pick up those weights. Here we go. Up right row. This time, I definitely want you bring want you to bring your feet really wide.

I'm gonna give you another option. Okay? So you lift it up and down. So this is what we did before. If you're looking for a little more challenge, do have the option feeling spicy. I told you. To take a little lunch, just a little baby one, just a little baby lunch, over to the side and back center. Now this is an upper body class, but I can feel somebody out there is getting a little stir crazy.

I get it. I get it. Upper body days, if I can be honest with you, It's the toughest one for me to say yes to. It's the toughest one for me. So sometimes I'm like, just give me a lunch. Just give me something.

You got 2 more. Last one. Great job. Rest. Set it down. Bring your feet back underneath your hips, radiating through the arms. Let's take those neck rolls again.

So if you haven't noticed already, the structure of the class is to allow for, like, the strength And then to find that moment to unwind, reverse it other way, take it in the other direction, So keeping a little bit of tension in those arms, right? It's activating the muscles helps increase that range of motion. Take one more, let it feel good for 3, 2, and 1. Okay. Overhead press. Pick up your weights. If you can go hip width, or they can go staggered if you prefer. If you've never tried it before, try staggering the legs.

We take it up 90 degrees, press it up, and down. Up and down. Okay. So here's our option 1. Right?

You have another option. If you're like, my shoulders are really getting cashed, here's an option one arm at a time. Yeah. So you have this. If you're looking for a little more heat, okay? Just pick up the pace.

If you put more effort in, you'll get more out. Let's get 10 more seconds. You're doing great. For 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1. Nice job. Set it down. Here we go. Arms go up.

Flip one arm down and switch it out and switch it out and vogue. And, yes, feeling that rotation through the shoulders, and you choose the pace. Like, honestly, if going slower feels better today, please honor that. If going faster and letting it feel a little bit lighter feels good today, go for that too. Let's go 5 for 4, 3, 2, and rest. Nice job.

I feel that one in my shoulders. That's good. Alright. Pick up your dumbbells. We're going into the triceps. So you bend your knees.

You hinge forward. My feet are right underneath my hips. Arms go long to start. Pull them up, and now kick the arms straight, pull them to bend. This one, I do want you to go slow.

A lot of times when people go quickly, they're swinging with momentum. Yeah. This really puts your back and your shoulders in a liability position that nobody asked for. Okay. So chest open, slow it down. And that's a huge part of this.

It's like getting your arms as straight as possible and then working with gravity. Really good. We were so close. Can you sink down a little bit deeper into those legs? See what happens when your weight switches back into your heels starting to play with that.

Lower abs are pulling up for 5, 4, 3, 2, one nice job. Coming down onto all fours, you can set those weights to the side for a moment. Right hand comes behind your head, you open up, and this modified thread the needle opening up pulling it through, starting to feel that burn for sure in the shoulders. Good. Let's get 2 more. One more and then switch it out other side. Right hand goes down.

Left hand goes behind your head. You open up. You close it off. And again, you might feel with that hand behind the head that you kinda get stuck. Yeah?

That is a part of the point. I want you to feel that edge and then twist a little deeper and then close it off. Let's get 2 more Last one. Nice job. Alright. Approaching the finish line.

We're not there yet. Stand up. If you grabbed heavier weights for your back exercises, now's the time. To have that good heart to heart with these weights and get into it. Feet, go hip with a part. Bend your knees. You hinge forward.

Draw the elbows up and down. Pull it up and down. Sometimes when we're doing hard work in class and outside of class, We sometimes think that the hard work and the challenge means that we're not doing it right. Right? We might start to feel like, oh, this is breaking me down and the doubt starts to creep in, but I want you to remember That's called a workout for a reason, right? It's not called a rest out, not a nap out, Not a brunch out.

Okay? So work is a part of the conversation. Bender needs a little bit more. You're gonna be okay. You can do hard stuff.

You've got 2 more. One more. And rest. Nice job. Come down to all fours. Oh, cat cow. Oh, in the hale.

Open up. Exhale around spine. Inhale, expand, exhale, release, 2 more inhale, open exhale, release, inhale, opening up, getting as far open as you can, exhale, press into the palms, round spine, and rest. Nice work. Alright. We're coming down to the ground.

You can bring your heavier weight and your lightweights. If you're not sure which ones you're gonna need, I'm gonna stick with my heavy ones because this is the last big move. Alright. So I lay down carefully onto your back. Your feet are hip width apart. Think bridge pose because that's where we're going.

Your hips are gonna press up by pressing down through the feet, and then your arms go straight. Palms are facing away from you. Get a firm grip on your dumbbell so you're not breaking your wrists. Okay? So you want a straight line. And then from here, bend to 90 press it up. Bend to 90, press it up.

Now remember, keep your gaze up get a firm grip on those weights. Remember that grip strength working smarter and harder. Few more. You've got it. Let's see if your hips can go a little bit higher.

Good. Notice if your knees wanna splay out to the side, just imagine them pulling towards the center, like if you had a block in between your thighs, Let's get 10 more seconds of this big work. Breathe as you open Exale as you close for 5, 4, 3, 2, and rest. Woah. Carefully lower that down. Did you fill that in your seat?

Oh, she was working. Felt that. Carefully roll over to one side. Come on up. Thank those weights for their hard work and for helping you with yours.

Just set them to the side. As you come seated, we'll just finish out here. You can sit on the backs of your heels or if you need a block or a pillow that's totally understandable, you're gonna take your arms out in front of you, palms face down, draw the elbows back. Inhale forward, exhale, draw it back. So we're working with a little bit of tension here. Good.

Feeling what this move feels like in a different orientation, to gravity, and without the weights. Good. Let's get 2 more. Last one like this. Good. And then release the arms. So shake it out for a second.

We've gotten to the finish line. Now we've just gotta ground ourselves before we head out. To place one hand to the top of your thigh, the other one on the top of the other thigh. You can close your eyes. Take a deep breath in.

Exhale. On the next one, inhale roll the shoulders up towards your ears. Feel that little bit of tension. And then as you exhale soften them down, that feels nice. Let's do 2 more. Inhale.

Feeling the arms and then softening with them one more inhale. Feeling that tension, maybe that's the last time you create tension for the day and you exhale, release it all down. Bring your thumb tips towards your heart, hands and prayer if that feels good for you. I just wanna take a moment to honor and celebrate you. Doing this challenge today, It's not for the faint of heart.

So thank you. Thank you. Thank you for showing up for yourself. Your body will thank you later. Have a beautiful rest of your day. My name is Chantini.

That was your upper body strength and mobility. We'll see you back here next time.