Build Strength With Erik Bartell’s Upper-Body HIIT Hybrid Workout

EG News · Apr 14, 2021

Everyone who focuses on fitness, whether it be the upper body or lower body, has one common goal: self-improvement. The intention of your next workout session should always be bettering your previous workout. With that simple strategy you’ll be stronger than you were the last workout.

This is how progress is made, and Erik Bartell helps M&F followers get in better shape every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7 a.m. EST on the @muscleandfitness Instagram page with workouts such as this upper-body session that the celebrity trainer recently led.

“What we do is we work for one minute at a time on different goals, and we continue to rotate them. The first minute is going to be high intensity. That’s going to be without the dumbbells, and it will be focused on movement, getting that heart rate up. The next minute is going to be strength focused. There is about 15 seconds in between (each).”

The dumbbells that are used in the strength phase of these workouts shouldn’t be heavy. The goal is to perform reps with good form and focus on the eccentric phase. This is where the weight is going away from the body.

Erik Bartell’s HIIT Hybrid Warmup

Don’t go straight into this workout. The warmup phase is designed to prepare the body for the workout to come. Taking advantage of this can actually help you perform this session to the best of your ability. Bartell wants you to connect with your body during this time.

“Are your shoulders tight? Are there any imbalances right now with what you’re doing? Where are you landing on your feet? Start fixing those little intricacies.”

Jog in Place – Three minutes. Gradually increase the pace.
High Kicks – Try to touch your toes with your fingers when you kick.
Arm Circles – 10 reps backward and 10 reps forward (each arm, one at a time).

Upper-Body HIIT Hybrid Workout

The Workout
Exercise	Duration	Transition
Toe Touch and Jump	1 min.	10 sec.
Alternating Pushup and Dip on Dumbbells	1 min.	10 sec.
Fast Knees	1 min.	10 sec.
Alternating One Arm Row	1 min.	10 sec.
Mountain Climbers	1 min.	10 sec.
Reverse Lunge with Dumbbells	1 min.	10 sec.
Switch Side Pushup	1 min.	10 sec.
Alternating Dumbbell Floor Presses (7 per side at a time)	1 min.	10 sec.
Shoulder Taps in Plank Position	1 min.	10 sec.
Kneeling Single Dumbbell Shoulder Press	1 min.	10 sec.
Curtsy Lunges	1 min.	10 sec.
Wide Stance Single Dumbbell Cossack Squat	1 min.	10 sec.
Pushups	1 min.	10 sec.
Single Dumbbell Clean and Press	1 min.	10 sec.
Water Break	1 min.	10 sec.
Jump Rope	1 min.	10 sec.
Fast Feet and Sprawl Drill	1 min.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Wood Chopper	1 min.	10 sec.
Slide Reverse into Forward Lunge	1 min.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Thruster	1 min.	10 sec.
Pushups	1 min.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Flye	1 min.	10 sec.
Hollow Body Hold	1 min.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Front Raise	1 min.	10 sec.
High Knee	1 min.	10 sec.
Kneeling Alternating Bentover Dumbbell Row	1 min.	10 sec.
Water Break	1 min.	10 sec.
Alternating Dumbbell Curl (7 at a time per side)	21 total reps	10 sec.
Single Dumbbell Hammer Curl	21 reps	30 sec.

Bartell’s Core Complex

The Workout
Exercise	Duration	Transition
Core Twists with Legs Elevated (25 reps per side)	50 reps total	30 sec.
Alternating Toe Tap Crunches (25 reps per side)	50 reps total	30 sec.
Dumbbell Side Bend (5 reps per side)	20 reps total	30 sec.