It’s refreshing to see a simple workout. These days most trainers go the trendy route, with routines that are more “YouTube blooper reel” than “proven muscle builder.” Kevin Hart’s trainer, Ron “Boss” Everline (just-train.com), on the other hand, is defiantly old-school. His routine has no Bosu ball squats, no Olympic lifts, no fancy machines—it’s nothing dangerous and nothing you can’t do at home. But it’ll build you an incredible upper body, as Hart’s physique in Central Intelligence proves. And it takes just 30 minutes per workout.SEE ALSO:Kevin Hart: The Comic Who Became a Colossus
How It Works
Hart’s routine focuses on the most basic upper-body builders known to man: the bench press, pushup, row, curl, and dip. Group them and perform them as circuits, and you’ll work the muscles as well as the heart, promoting both size gains and fat loss in a short workout.
Directions
Perform the exercises marked with a letter (“A,” “B,” and “C”) as a circuit. So you’ll do one set of each in sequence before resting as prescribed. Repeat for three circuits each (three sets of each move). Complete all the circuits for the first group of exercises before going on to the next one.SEE ALSO:30-Minute Full-Body Workout
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Bench Press
1A: BENCH PRESS Sets: 3 – Reps: 10, 8, 6 – Rest: 0 sec Lie back on a bench and grasp the bar with hands just outside shoulder width. Arch your back and tighten your glutes and abs. Plant your feet firmly. Pull the bar out of the rack and lower it to your sternum. Push your feet into the floor as you press the bar back up.SEE ALSO:The 20-30-40 Minute Workout
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Pushup
1B: PUSHUP Sets: 3 – Reps: As many as possible – Rest: 0 sec Place your hands on the floor at shoulder width and extend your legs behind you. Brace your abs. Lower your body until your chest is about an inch above the floor. Press back up. Do as many reps as you can with perfect form, but stop two reps shy of failure.SEE ALSO:9 Ways to Spice Up the Pushup
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Sled Row/Dumbbell Row
1C: SLED ROW/DUMBBELL ROW Sets: 3 – Reps: Pull the sled 20 yards, or perform 10-12 dumbbell rows – Rest: 90 sec Attach a suspension trainer or other straps with handles to a sled loaded with moderate weight. Grasp the straps with palms facing each other; step back so the straps are fully extended. Explosively row the handles to your sternum, pulling the sled. That’s one rep. Back up and repeat for 20 yards. If you don’t have a sled and straps, do one-arm dumbbell rows: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand and stand with feet staggered. Bend your hips back to lower your torso until it’s parallel to the floor. Keeping your shoulders level to the floor, row the weight to your hip, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top. Complete your reps and repeat on the other side immediately.SEE ALSO:John Cena’s Upper Body Workout
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Incline Dumbbell Bench Press
2A: INCLINE DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS Sets: 3 – Reps: 10 – Rest: 0 sec Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back against it with a dumbbell in each hand. Press the dumbbells from chest level to straight overhead.SEE ALSO:The Complete 4-Week Beginner’s Workout Routine
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Dumbbell Curl
2B: DUMBBELL CURL Sets: 3 – Reps: 10 – Rest: 0 secStand holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your sides. Without letting your upper arms drift forward, curl the weights, rotating your wrists outward so that your palms face you in the top position. Hold for a moment and squeeze your biceps.SEE ALSO:At-Home Barbell Blast
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Bench Dip
2C: BENCH DIP Sets: 3 – Reps: As many as possible – Rest: 90 secPlace your hands on a bench behind you at shoulder width. Rest your feet on another bench or box in front of you. Slowly lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, and then extend your elbows.
It’s refreshing to see a simple workout. These days most trainers go the trendy route, with routines that are more “YouTube blooper reel” than “proven muscle builder.” Kevin Hart’s trainer, Ron “Boss” Everline (just-train.com), on the other hand, is defiantly old-school. His routine has no Bosu ball squats, no Olympic lifts, no fancy machines—it’s nothing dangerous and nothing you can’t do at home. But it’ll build you an incredible upper body, as Hart’s physique in Central Intelligence proves. And it takes just 30 minutes per workout.
Hart’s routine focuses on the most basic upper-body builders known to man: the bench press, pushup, row, curl, and dip. Group them and perform them as circuits, and you’ll work the muscles as well as the heart, promoting both size gains and fat loss in a short workout.
Directions
Perform the exercises marked with a letter (“A,” “B,” and “C”) as a circuit. So you’ll do one set of each in sequence before resting as prescribed. Repeat for three circuits each (three sets of each move). Complete all the circuits for the first group of exercises before going on to the next one.
Lie back on a bench and grasp the bar with hands just outside shoulder width. Arch your back and tighten your glutes and abs. Plant your feet firmly. Pull the bar out of the rack and lower it to your sternum. Push your feet into the floor as you press the bar back up.
Place your hands on the floor at shoulder width and extend your legs behind you. Brace your abs. Lower your body until your chest is about an inch above the floor. Press back up. Do as many reps as you can with perfect form, but stop two reps shy of failure.
Sets: 3 – Reps: Pull the sled 20 yards, or perform 10-12 dumbbell rows – Rest: 90 sec
Attach a suspension trainer or other straps with handles to a sled loaded with moderate weight. Grasp the straps with palms facing each other; step back so the straps are fully extended. Explosively row the handles to your sternum, pulling the sled. That’s one rep. Back up and repeat for 20 yards.
If you don’t have a sled and straps, do one-arm dumbbell rows: Hold a dumbbell or kettlebell in one hand and stand with feet staggered. Bend your hips back to lower your torso until it’s parallel to the floor. Keeping your shoulders level to the floor, row the weight to your hip, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.
Complete your reps and repeat on the other side immediately.
Set an adjustable bench to a 30- to 45-degree angle and lie back against it with a dumbbell in each hand. Press the dumbbells from chest level to straight overhead.
Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand with palms facing your sides. Without letting your upper arms drift forward, curl the weights, rotating your wrists outward so that your palms face you in the top position. Hold for a moment and squeeze your biceps.
Sets: 3 – Reps: As many as possible – Rest: 90 sec
Place your hands on a bench behind you at shoulder width. Rest your feet on another bench or box in front of you. Slowly lower your body until your upper arms are parallel to the floor, and then extend your elbows.
