The Functional Upper-Body Workout for Killer Arms

This article originally appeared on Oxygen

Functional workouts tend to allow for some creativity -- which is perfect when you find yourself trying to figure out how to train around a freak injury.

That's the position certified health coach, personal trainer and IT health-care consultant Kelly Von Schleis found herself in following an Alaskan adventure this spring. "I was on a heli-skiing trip and ended up breaking my foot in four places," she says. Relentlessly active, she set out to figure out the best way to stay in shape while recovering from her surgery in April.

"I became very focused on identifying the types of workouts I could still perform, since I was restricted from putting weight on my foot post-surgery -- so I decided to add extra emphasis on my arm workouts and core-strengthening exercises," she says. "Since my injury, I've been raking in the compliments on my arms, so I think I've come across something special here."

The following functional workout crushes boredom and delivers pulse-pounding action with three circuits made up of combination-style exercises. You'll do multiple related movements within each repetition -- for instance, incline push-ups with an explosive "up" phase or bench dips that add in a one-leg-at-a-time knee crunch.

"Women often worry about building 'too much muscle' in their arms -- and I'll admit, I'm one of them -- but if you keep your reps high, around 12 to 15 per set, you focus more on muscle tightening and giving them shape," she says. "However, I know some women need to build some lean muscle in their arms as a foundation, so I've included a second training option where you lower the reps to eight to 10 per set and work closer to the maximum weight you can handle for those reps."

Equipment Required: Bench (also can be a chair or couch), dumbbells (Von Schleis recommends adjustable dumbbells to maximize results -- her favorite are by Core Home Fitness) and an optional sandbag for the triceps dips.

Kelly Von Schleis’ Functional Arm Workout Warm-Up

Suggested Warm-Up: Do the following circuit of bodyweight moves.

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