Workout Revival: Upper body workout with Marshall Roy of RISE Gym
Is your workout in need of a revival? Sick of the same old routine or losing interest in your current one? Philly trainers experienced in a variety of fitness styles give you workouts to rejuvenate your mind and body the next time you hit the gym.
Marshall Roy has been passionate about strength training and fitness for the past decade and got his start as a personal trainer in New York City seven years ago.
Frustrated with middle management, the Mainline native decided to move back home with his fiancé in search of a place to open a gym geared toward strength training.
"Strength is the lens through which I see all fitness. Strength is what makes it possible for you to do everyday things," he said.
In October 2013, RISE gym opened and within a year Philadelphia Magazine was recognizing Marshall as Philly's Best Trainer of 2014.
Power lifting is something Marshall loves. He understands strength training is not for everyone, but whether you're training for a marathon or just looking to be able to run around the house with your kids, iron is your ally. And for women, it might be an even more important confidant.
A common myth is that women will get bulky if they pick up a dumbbell or barbell. Marshall reiterated how vital it is for weights to be incorporated into any routine. As women get older they tend to lose bone density and muscle mass, two critically important components to sustain.
"If you want to be lean, if you want six-pack abs, you need to lift weights in order to drive your metabolism up to the point where you can support that lean physique," he said.
Another misconception is that when packing on mass, the muscles become less flexible.
"The stronger a muscle is, the more safely it can be stretched before it will become injured," he explained. "A weak muscle will become injured under tension very easily where as a strong one won't."
Marshall really enjoys working out with kettlebells, as you'll see from the workout. One benefit of using this tool is it allows you to train strength and cardio simultaneously. They are also extremely efficient. You can achieve a total body workout using just one kettlebell.
If you are currently battling a plateau with your bench numbers, don't fret; Marshall even passed on a few tips for you to bust through your frustration.
"Pause all of your reps on your chest for a full second," he said.
You won't be able to lift as much, but you will be teaching your body stabilization and in time you will be able to lift more.
One more thing to remember is to do some gentle stretching after your workout. Your muscles will respond well because they're warm, pliable and pumped full of blood. Stretching acts to counterbalance the beating you just inflicted on your body, especially with a pressing focused workout like this. It will even help correct your posture.
No matter what decade of life you're in, you need to maintain muscle tissue and maintain strength. The two go hand-in-hand.
Without further ado, Marshall explains his upper body workout:
This is an advanced training session, absolutely guaranteed to add strength, muscle and power endurance to your upper body.
Warm-up/prep movements
Wall angel
Scapular pull-up
Kettlebell halo
Fire hydrant
Upper body strength, mass and power workout
Bench press: 4x3 (use 5 rep max)
One-arm dumbbell bench press: 3x10-20 (men 30% of bodyweight; women 20-25%)
Superset:
1) Kettlebell high pull: 3x10-20
2) Kettlebell Z press: 3x10
Superset:
1) Bent-over row: 3x10-20
2) Sit-up with overhead reach: 2x10 (both sides)
Cool down
Hammer curls: 3x10
Pectoral stretch: 2 minutes
The video above shows the workout in its entirety and explains how to perform each exercise properly.
If you have any questions or comments, you can always reach Marshall at marshall@risegym.com.
Read more Sports Doc for Sports Medicine and Fitness.