Upper Body Hold Gauntlet

Run through this no-nonsense gauntlet whenever you want serious upper-body tension without picking up a single weight.

Hand Plank

Duration: 00:30

Hold a high plank to build full-body tension and sharpen your core control.

Difficulty: Beginner

Benefits: Triceps Upper Back Obliques Shoulders Chest Lower Back Glutes Abdomen

Instructions

• Start on hands and knees, then step both feet back to form a straight line from head to heels.
• Brace your core and press the floor away through your palms.
• Hold the strong plank position with steady breathing.

Tips

• Gaze slightly ahead of your hands to keep the neck neutral.

Adjustments

• Drop to your knees while maintaining a long line from knees to head for a lighter version.

Push Up Hold

Duration: 00:30

Pause halfway through a push-up to build relentless tension in your chest, shoulders, and triceps.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Benefits: Triceps Shoulders Chest

Instructions

• Begin in a high push-up with hands slightly wider than shoulders.
• Lower your chest halfway toward the floor, keeping elbows at a natural angle.
• Hold the position while spreading weight evenly between hands and feet.

Tips

• Keep your body in a straight line without letting hips sag or pike.
• Aim for roughly a forty-five degree angle between your elbows and torso.

Adjustments

• Drop to your knees to reduce the load if needed.

Reverse Plank

Duration: 00:30

Hold a reverse plank to strengthen your backside and open your chest at the same time.

Difficulty: Beginner

Benefits: Shoulders Hamstrings Lower Back Glutes Abdomen

Instructions

• Sit with legs extended and hands on the floor behind your hips, fingers pointing toward your feet.
• Press through palms and heels to lift your hips toward the ceiling.
• Straighten arms and legs to create a long line from head to heels and hold with steady breathing.

Tips

• Lift your chest and keep your head in a neutral position.
• Lock in strong arms without hyperextending the elbows.

Adjustments

• Bend your knees and keep feet flat if you want a lighter variation.
• Turn fingertips outward slightly if wrists feel strained.

Single Arm Plank

Duration: 00:30

Hover one hand in a plank to challenge your core, shoulders, and balance all at once.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Benefits: Triceps Upper Back Obliques Shoulders Chest Lower Back Glutes Abdomen

Instructions

• Start in a strong high plank with hands under shoulders.
• Engage your core and lift one hand off the floor, extending it out to the side or forward.
• Hold the position while keeping your body in a straight line, then switch sides.

Tips

• Keep your hips level and avoid letting them twist.

Adjustments

• Drop to your knees while keeping a long line from knees to head if needed.

Pike

Duration: 00:30

Lift into a high pike to build shoulder strength and core control while stretching the posterior chain.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Benefits: Triceps Shoulders Chest Abdomen

Instructions

• Start in a high plank with hands under shoulders and legs extended.
• Engage your core and lift hips toward the ceiling to form an inverted V.
• Hold the position with weight distributed between hands and feet while breathing steadily.

Tips

• Keep legs active and heels reaching toward the floor even if they do not touch.
• Let your head stay between your arms so your neck relaxes.

Adjustments

• Soften the knees and lower the hips slightly if the full pike feels intense.

Bent Arm Pike

Duration: 00:30

Set up in an inverted V and bend the elbows to load the shoulders, triceps, and core with delicious tension.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Benefits: Triceps Shoulders Chest Abdomen

Instructions

• Start in a high plank, hands under shoulders and legs long.
• Lift your hips to form an upside-down V, pressing firmly through hands and toes.
• Bend your elbows out to the sides and lower your head toward the floor while keeping hips high.
• Hold the powerful position and breathe into the shoulders before easing out.

Tips

• Keep legs active and heels reaching toward the floor even if they do not touch.
• Let the head stay between the biceps so the neck can relax.

Adjustments

• Soften the knees and lower the hips slightly if the full bend is too intense today.

Dip Hold

Duration: 00:30

Hover your hips in a reverse tabletop to light up triceps and shoulders while your core keeps everything steady.

Difficulty: Beginner

Benefits: Triceps Shoulders Chest Abdomen

Instructions

• Sit with knees bent, feet flat, and hands planted behind you with fingers pointing toward your heels.
• Press through your palms to lift your hips off the floor, keeping elbows slightly bent.
• Engage your core and hold the hover while focusing on long, easy breaths.

Tips

• Keep wrists stacked under shoulders and elbows hugging in toward your sides.
• Squeeze shoulder blades together to keep the chest open.

Adjustments

• Lower closer to the floor if you need less intensity.
• Turn your fingers slightly outward to ease pressure on the wrists.

Narrow Push Up Hold

Duration: 00:30

Pause midway through a narrow push-up to torch your triceps and chest with isometric strength.

Difficulty: Intermediate

Benefits: Triceps Shoulders Chest

Instructions

• Set up in a high plank with hands shoulder-width apart or slightly closer.
• Lower your body halfway down, keeping elbows tucked near your ribs.
• Hold the position, distributing weight evenly between hands and feet while maintaining a solid plank line.

Tips

• Keep your core engaged so your hips do not sag or pike.

Adjustments

• Drop to your knees to reduce the load while keeping elbows narrow.

Shake out your arms, log which hold tested you most, and come back ready to shave a second off your rest next time.