Erik Bartell’s High-Intensity Workout Will Blast Your Upper-Body and Core

EG News · Apr 22, 2021

The day can always be more productive if you can take care of two things at once. When it comes to working out, challenging your muscles and burning calories in one shot can make the training even better. You don’t have to train as long, either.

Trainer Erik Bartell offers two opportunities a week for you to get the workout done early. You can join him every Tuesday and Thursday morning at 7 a.m. EST on the Muscle & Fitness Instagram page. While you should push yourself to keep up with Bartell, he makes it clear that your goal is always to give it your best.

“Give yourself grace. You’re not always going to come to the workout in the best shape of your life,” he says. “You can do the things that help…You can do the things to help you prepare to come in the best shape, but even if you do everything right, it doesn’t always fall like that and hey, life happens. Give yourself grace.”

Once you complete the warmup below, you’ll alternate aerobic-type movements with upper-body resistance-training exercises. These weighted exercises will focus on the chest, back, shoulders, biceps, and triceps.

The workout concludes with his signature “core complex” — a segment of moves that last for a minute each with a 10-second “rest” transition to the next movement. Even if you need a few extra seconds to prepare, or if you need to stop early, that’s OK. The goal is max effort, remember.

The Warmup

Alternating High Kicks – About 1 minute
Jog in Place – About 1 minute
Arm Swings to Self-Hugs – About 10 reps
Arm Circles – About 10 reps backward, 10 reps forward.
Reverse Lunge – 1 minute
Bird Dog Stretch – About 5 reps (each side)

Take one extra minute to warm up a part of the body that needs extra attention.

Bartell’s High-Intensity Upper-Body and Core Blast Program

The Workout
Exercise	Duration	Rest
Hopping Heel Taps	60 sec.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Floor Press (3-second negatives)	60 sec.	10 sec.
Mountain Climbers	60 sec.	10 sec.
Bentover Dumbbell Row (3-second negatives)	60 sec.	10 sec.
Fast Knees (Running in Place)	60 sec.	10 sec.
Weighted Reverse Lunge	60 sec.	10 sec.
Pushup	60 sec.	10 sec.
Alternating Dumbbell Floor Press (21 total reps)	60 sec.	10 sec.
Shoulder Tap (in Plank Position)	60 sec.	10 sec.
Alternating Dumbbell Row	60 sec.	10 sec.
Curtsy Lunge	60 sec.	10 sec.
WATER BREAK	60 sec.
Jump Rope (Rope optional)	60 sec.	10 sec.
Fast Knees into Sprawl	60 sec.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Woodchopper (Switch sides)	60 sec.	10 sec.
Alternating Reverse and Forward Lunge	60 sec.	10 sec.
Seated Single-Dumbbell Shoulder Press	60 sec.	10 sec.
Pushup	60 sec.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Flye	60 sec.	10 sec.
Lying Leg Hold	60 sec.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Thrusters (Single or Both Dumbbells)	60 sec.	10 sec.
Russian Twist	60 sec.	10 sec.
Pushup into Single-arm Row	60 sec.	10 sec.
WATER BREAK

Core Complex

Erik Bartell Core Complex Workout
Exercise	Duration	Rest
Reverse Crunch	60 sec.	10 sec.
Reaching Situp	60 sec.	10 sec.
Dumbbell Side Bend	60 sec.	10 sec.
Bicycles	60 sec.	10 sec.

Cooldown

Make sure your heart rate comes back down below 100 before you go on with your day. While doing these exercises, slowly focus on your breathing, working back to a normal nasal breathing pattern.