It's not for nothing that Erik Bartell is a sought-after coach. He knows how to get his customers to do their best. The military veteran and fitness expert undertakes two mornings a week to share his expertise and efforts on the Muscle & Fitness Instagram page. But he's not one of those coaches who just tell you what to do, his videos also serve as a training partner. He uses his sweat capital for the cause.
Here's the better news. You don't have to spend a full hour or more exercising. Many of us are busy, but we can take 30 minutes to burn off a few calories and get better. Take some time to go over this HIIT upper body workout that Bartell shared recently and you will see the results for yourself.
Advice before training
Bartell says at the beginning of the workout that many movements involve dumbbell exercises, but he doesn't want you to feel like you are working out super hard. "For many of them, we just want to make sure we're moving, we're keeping the heart rate high," he explained. “Focus more on the high-intensity movements. Whether you prefer to do this as a HIIT workout without dumbbells is (then) up to you. "
He can be seen finishing his Echelon pre-workout drink, and he advocates that people who do this workout drink you when they feel it will help them wake up. "When you have a pre-workout you like, take it, but make sure you finish it a few minutes before we start."
The warm up
The following exercises were performed before starting the main training. Do as many of these steps as you think you need to to get ready. Bartell did several repetitions in the video.
- Wide Arm Circles - Make large circles with your arms to open up the body. Stretch as you pull your arms back.
- Wide Stretch in Self-Hug - Extend your arms to the side as far as possible, then wrap them around yourself.
- Individual Arm Circles - Focus on each side in turn. Do a few backwards, then forwards. Repeat with the other arm.
- Inchworm Stretch - Slowly reach down until your fingers are on the floor. Get your hands out as far as you can, then lower yourself into a locked push-up position. Do a push-up, put your bum in the air, and bring your hands back to your feet. Return to the standing position.
Erik Bartell's 30-minute HIIT upper body workout
This session alternates upper body focused exercises with high intensity aerobic activities. Perform each exercise as recommended by Bartell, as close as possible to his recommendations. He gives additional tips and tricks during the training that you can use later. When you feel like you need a quick break, pause the video, take a breath, and get back to work.
| The workout | ||
|---|---|---|
| exercise | time | Calm / transition |
| Half Jack | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| pushups | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| High plank | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Kneeling dumbbell front raises | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| High knees | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Pull the dumbbell into a plank position | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Explosive push-ups from the knees | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Chest press | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Pat on the shoulder in plank position | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Bent over dumbbell rows | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Water breakage | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Spread | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Dumbbell Reverse Flyes | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| pushups | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Single dumbbell clean and press (or squat in high pull) | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Touching opposite toes in plank position | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Dumbbell rotation and extension | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Water breakage | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Dumbbell Curl / Isometric Curl Hold | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Close-grip pushups | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| V-ups | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Jackknife | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Russian twist | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
| Flutter kicks while holding dumbbells in the chest press position | 1 minute. | 15 sec. |
