The end of your workout. You’ve got only 1 exercise to go. You’ve got only 10 minutes left. By now you’re drained, eager to head home to eat a feast (whey protein and fast digesting carbs, of course). But that last exercise – the one that has you feeling ripped, as if you couldn’t do one more rep – is the reward and perfect ending to any workout. I find them fun because though they’re all low resistance / low weight exercises. They get that heart rate up and always burn you out before heading home. Here are my top 5 end-of-workout exercises spanning the major upper body muscle groups. 

100’s – Arm Blast 

Primary muscles worked: Biceps or Triceps

Secondary muscles worked: Forearms

How it works: Grab a straight bar or rope on the cable machine. You’re gonna do cable curls or tri pushdowns (100’s works for both), but here’s the catch: you’re only going to need like 20-30 pounds of plates on the stack. Start performing controlled curls (or pushdowns), and do as many reps as you can in a row until failure – your target should be between 50 – 70 reps. When you can’t do another, rest the difference between your completed reps and 100. For example, if you completed 50 reps, rest 50 seconds and continue your quest to 100. If you completed 70 reps, rest 30 seconds and then move on. If you do 90 reps, rest 10 seconds, then push forward. Pretty straight forward, but you’re sure to be burned out by the time you hit 100. 

Medicine Ball Overhead Toss

Primary muscles worked: Shoulders

Secondary muscles worked: Back

How it works: This works sitting or standing…I prefer to be seated, usually because of low ceilings. Grab a relatively light medicine ball – let’s say 10 lbs – and hold it close to your chest. With palms facing out, thrust your arms straight up, tossing the ball high in the air straight above your head, watching it as it comes back down into your hands. Bring the ball back to the top of your chest and repeat this overhead toss for 12 – 15 reps. Repeat this for 3 sets. In the end, you’ll feel the action primarily in your front delts. 

Back Extensions Reverse Flyes 

Primary muscles worked: Back

Secondary muscles worked: Shoulders

How it works: Before you begin, place two 5 – 10 pound dumbbells on the floor closely in front of the machine.. Lock your ankles into the machine, with the front of your legs and waist pressed up against the pads. Lean forward at the waist, bending your head and body towards the floor. Use your lower back muscles to pull your torso back up towards the starting position, ending in a 45 degree angle to the floor. Perform 10 reps. After completing your 10th rep, bend down and grab the dumbbells. With your body in the 45 degree angle (legs still locked in), spread your arms out to the sides. Your arms should be perpendicular to your torso as you lift the weights back & to the side. You should look like a T shape now, if viewing from behind. Bring your arms slowly back down in front of your chest…repeat the T shape side raises until you’ve hit 8-10 reps. By this time, your back and shoulders should be fried. 

Pushup 3’s 

Primary muscles worked: Chest

Secondary muscles worked: Triceps

How it works: This is a simple one. We’re just talking pushups here, though with three variations to hit all parts of your pec muscles. Make sure you have a bench near you before you begin. First, drop down and perform 10 regular pushups, with your hands slightly wide of the shoulders. Immediately switch to position 2 – put your hands on the bench (feet still on floor) and complete 10 reps, pushing your body towards the bench. Immediately move to position 3, where your feet should now be on the bench and your hands on the floor. Push your body up and down, with your head moving towards the ground. After another 10 reps, you’ll have completed 30 total. Your chest and triceps will  be feeling it. 

The Ab Wheel

Primary muscles worked: Abs (and obliques)

Secondary muscles worked: Triceps

How it works: First, you need one of those wheels with the handles poking out of the sides. Some offer spring action (easier), others do not. Place your knees on the ground, bending over & grabbing the handles of the wheel on the ground in front of you – should be about even with your shoulders on the floor. Keeping your arms completely straight throughout, roll the wheel forward to the point where your chest and legs are just about parallel with the floor. Using your abs, pull your body back to the starting position. My recommendation is 3 sets of 30, but it’s challenging. A variation includes rolling the wheel to either side as you move forward, working the obliques. When you’re done, the abs are gonna feel it all over. Your triceps too, as they’ve been stabilizing the movements through the entire exercise. 

Ok now go home.