Welcome to Day #1 of my newest 10 Day Challenge, Strong and Sculpted! This workout is an upper body push, focusing on our chest, shoulders and triceps and can also serve as a stand-alone upper body workout. 

Workout Overview
This upper-body strength workout is a straight forward approach, designed to build endurance and power through controlled, compound movements and targeted isolation exercises. Using light to moderate dumbbells, this session focuses on improving muscular strength, endurance, and definition while emphasizing proper form and joint safety.

Focus and Benefits
This workout targets the chest, shoulders, and triceps, utilizing steady tempos and focused reps to maximize muscle engagement. The combination of strength circuits ensures consistent effort, helping to build upper-body strength and stability.

Equipment

• Light to moderate dumbbells (I'm using 10-20 lbs, but always listen to your body and choose a weight that challenges you with control)
• Optional mat or bench for support during floor exercises

Tips & Helpful Information

• Focus on Form: Maintain control and avoid momentum.
• Rest Strategically: Use breaks to reset form and prepare for the next set. I intentionally carved out 30 seconds in case you need to increase/decrease your weight selection.
• Choose the Right Weight: Choose a weight that is challenging for you, but manageable to maintain good form throughout the 45 second intervals. 
• Pushups: This workout DOES include pushups, but don't worry, I will provide a couple of modifications. Pushups are usually not a fan favorite (I get it, I struggle with them!), which is why I included them in this workout. We must work on things that challenge us/we don't love in order to make progress (if you love pushups, I'm envious of you!).

Difficulty & Modifications
Rated Level 3 out of 5, this workout is designed for intermediate fitness levels. Beginners can reduce weight or reps, while advanced users can increase dumbbell weight or reduce rest time for a greater challenge.

Workout Overview:

Warm-Up: 30 seconds each 

• Arm Circle R
• Arm Circle L
• Shoulder Rolls
• Chest Openers Hugs
• Torso Twist
• Overhead Reach to Side Bend
• Inchworm Walkout to Plank
• Push-up/Plank to Downward Dog

Workout: 45 Seconds On/30 Seconds Rest, 3 Rounds of Each Circuit

Block #1

• Chest Press (Alternate Wide & Neutral Grip) 

• Shoulder Press (Alternate Wide & Neutral Grip)

• Dumbbell Lateral Raise/ Front Raise

Water Break

Block #2

• Tricep Kickbacks 

• Chest Fly

• Push-ups (Modify as needed) 

Cooldown: 1 minute each

• Overhead Triceps Stretch

• Cross-Body Shoulder Stretch

• Down Dog

• Cat-Cow Stretch

• Child’s Pose