Workout of the week: 15-min core and shoulders workout

ANGELICA CAVAZOS

Personal trainer from Vienna, Austria

Angelica specializes in strength and mobility training and trains people to become physically skillful and mentally intuitive. She creates efficient training programs that allow her clients to build strength and muscles and gain an athletic body.

Follow her on Instagram: @angieinmotion

15-MIN CORE AND SHOULDERS WORKOUT

ALL LEVELS / core and shoulders workout / 15 minutes

Equipment: Plyo box

Plyo boxes are a versatile and fun way to create differentiated and challenging workouts. We’ve seen how they work last month, with a glutes and legs workout provided precisely by our friend Angelica Cavazos, a personal trainer based in Vienna. This month, we will prove that it can also be a valuable asset if you’re building upper body strength.

In a quick but intense session with just 2 exercises that you will perform for 5 rounds, you’ll get the chance to work on those upper body muscles. Especially, because you’ll repeat 10 times on each side. These are supersets, meaning that only when you finish one exercise you can move to the next one. And this is actually the most effective way to build muscle and strength: with a lot of repetitions of the same exercises — even in functional workouts or, as we like to call it, the EVO way.

Box pike walk to plank
Box pike shoulder taps

Time to find a box and get the workout done!

WORKOUT SETUP

2 exercises
10 reps each side
5 rounds
15 minutes
Equipment: Plyo box

WORKING OUT FROM HOME? NO PROBLEM.

If you don’t have the equipment originally needed for this workout, you can substitute it with these everyday items or use these alternative exercises.

Alternative equipment

Plyo box = a couch or a stable chair with a pillow for support

WORKOUT EXERCISE LIST

5 rounds

1 – BOX PIKE WALK TO PLANK

10 reps on each side

Start by putting your feet on the Plyo box, hands at shoulder-width in the floor, at a 90º degree angle.
Keep your legs and arms straight. That’s your starting position.
Walk with your hands forward until your body is in a straight line. Then, come back to the starting position.
Use the right hand first to help you move forward. That’s one rep.
Perform 10 reps with your right hand before changing to your left.

2 – BOX PIKE SHOULDER TAPS

10 reps on each side

Again, start by putting your feet on the Plyo box, hands at shoulder-width on the floor, at a 90º degree angle.
Keep your legs and arms straight. That’s your starting position.
Slowly raise your right hand and touch your left shoulder.
Perform 10 reps with each hand, 5 rounds before finishing the workout.