Push & Pull

Forty-five minutes of honest upper-body pairs — every push answered by a pull, so shoulders leave balanced, not baked.

Strength & conditioning
All levels
45 min
Works for 6–20
1 instructor
Effort 3/5
Gym floor
strength
upper-body
gym
dumbbells
push-pull

The ClassPlans programming teamLevel 3 group-fitness qualified · 10+ yrs teaching

Kit: Two dumbbells per member, 4–12.5kg range (press wants lighter, row wants heavier — a mixed rack beats matched pairs), one mat each, resistance bands for the warm-up if you have them.

Warm-up8 min

Shoulders Awake

Working tempo 2-1-1RPE 3

Setup: Mats in two facing rows with a wide aisle — the same formation the whole session uses. Bells parked, bands out if you have them.

How it works: Two minutes raising: march, arm swings, torso rotations. Then shoulder prep: band pull-aparts ×15 (or reach-backs with squeezed shoulder blades), scap push-ups ×10 in a tall plank or against the wall, wall slides ×10, cat-cow ×6. Finish rehearsing tonight's two shapes empty-handed: eight floor-press arm patterns lying on the mat, eight hinge-and-row patterns, at the working tempo — two seconds down, squeeze, up.

What to say

“Pull-aparts: squeeze the shoulder blades like cracking a walnut between them.”
“Scap push-ups: arms stay straight, only the shoulder blades move — small and strange is correct.”
“Rehearse the row hinge now: soft knees, flat back — the row is only as good as the hinge under it.”

Easier

Everything against the wall instead of the floor; halve the reps.

Harder

Scap push-ups from the floor plank; add five slow wall angels.

Workout11 min

Push Block — Floor Press & Friends

4 × 8 @ 2-1-1 · last 2 sets + 8 push-upsRPE 7 by set four

Setup: Facing rows, everyone lying head-out so you patrol the middle aisle and see every wrist. Heavier bells to the press if grip strength allows; neighbours share.

How it works: Four sets of eight dumbbell floor presses at 2-1-1: elbows touch down softly, press to full lockout, no bouncing. Ninety seconds between sets, staggered with your neighbour. Superset the last two sets with eight push-ups at each member's level — floor, knees, or hands on the bench — immediately after the press, then rest.

Common mistakes

Pressing with flared elbows — cue the forty-five degrees before set one, not after the ache.
Letting bells crash to the floor after the set — park them on the belly, then to the side.

Rounds: 4 sets

What to say

“Wrists stacked over elbows, knuckles to the ceiling.”
“Elbows at forty-five degrees from the ribs, never flared to a T.”
“Touch the floor like it is made of eggs — quiet arms, controlled lower.”
“Push-up depth: chest leads, hips follow, one straight line at your chosen angle.”

Easier

One bell pressed with both hands; push-ups against the wall.

Harder

Feet lifted, knees at ninety during the press; push-ups with a two-second lower.

Workout11 min

Pull Block — Rows

4 × 8/side @ 2-1-1 · 90s staggerRPE 7 by set four

Setup: Same spots, standing now, side-on to the aisle so every hinge is visible. Heavier bell of each pair to the row.

How it works: Single-arm bent-over rows, four sets of eight per side at 2-1-1, free hand braced on the knee or the bench: hinge to forty-five degrees, pull the elbow to the hip pocket, one-second squeeze at the top, lower long. Ninety seconds staggered rest. Between sets, the resting neighbour watches one thing only — is the back flat — and says so.

Common mistakes

Yanking with the biceps and shrugging the shoulder to the ear — smaller bell, slower pull, problem gone.

Rounds: 4 sets

What to say

“Pull the elbow to the pocket, not the hand to the shoulder.”
“One-second squeeze — hold the pencil between the shoulder blades.”
“Hinge stays set in stone; if the torso pumps up and down, the bell is too proud.”
“Long neck, eyes on the floor a metre ahead.”

Easier

Kneel on the mat with one hand on a bench for a stabler base; lighter bell.

Harder

Two-second top squeeze; or both-bells bent-over row for the last set, strict.

The rest of this class plan is free — along with 3 more this week.

ClassPlans programming team

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