Simple Upper Body & Ab Circuit For When You Don't Have A Gym

If you’re on holiday and without access to gym equipment, this simple circuit from Marino Katsouris is a great way to get your muscles working. Marino needed a simple circuit to get in a quick workout while on holiday in Italy recently, and this one definitely did the job.

Made up of five exercises and five rounds, the workout targets upper body and abs, focusing on high reps and using predominantly body weight. You’ll definitely be feeling the burn after this one.

Dip kicks 10 reps

Grab two chairs and place them just wider than shoulder-width apart, facing each other.
Lower yourself down into a dip, tucking your legs.
Then press yourself back up, extending your arms fully, and kick your legs out in front of you.
Repeat for 10 reps.

Press-ups 25 reps

Get into a plank position.
Lower your chest down towards the floor.
Push yourself back up, extending your arms back to the starting position.
Repeat for 25 reps.

Reverse snow angels 12 reps

Lie on your front with your chest and feet extended slightly above the floor.
Extend your arms out in front of you and grab two dumbbells.
Pull the dumbbells back towards your hips, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
Repeat for 12 reps.

Sit-ups 15 reps

Lie on your back with your knees bent.
Extend your arms out in front of you, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
Complete a sit-up, holding your arms above your head.
Lower back down to the starting position and repeat for 15 reps.

Reverse crunches 20 reps

Lie on your back with your arms out to the side.
Pull your knees in towards your chest to perform a crunch.
Return to the starting position and repeat for 20 reps.

Rest for 60 seconds and repeat for four more rounds.

Take home message

If you fancy getting a sweat on but are lacking equipment or space, this workout does the job. Put your upper body strength to the test and get that core burning, you might feel a little sore the day after, but it’s worth it…