1
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
LET’S START WITH THE BICEPS!
4 WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
4 THE ELBOW FLEXORS OF THE ARM
4 BREAKING DOWN THE FACTS
OK, NOW LET’S GET ON WITH TRICEPS!
16 WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
16 THE ELBOW EXTENSOR OF THE ARM
17 BREAKING DOWN THE FACTS
24 BASE OF SUPPORT
25 GRIP WIDTH FOR TRICEPS
26 BODY WEIGHT PUSH UPS
26 HOW TO TRAIN THE TRICEPS
6-WEEK ARM TRAINING PROGRAM
32 WEEK 1
41 WEEK 2
50 WEEK 3
59 WEEK 4
68 WEEK 5
77 WEEK 6
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INTRODUCTION
Good day everyone and thank you so much
for purchasing our arm training e-book.
This is the first in our series in which we will
cover all major bodyparts!
It’s always good to have an understanding
of anatomy and how musculature works so
we are going to start this e-book with that,
and then progress into the actual 6-week
program you will be doing. You will learn
what to do, and also why you are doing it!
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Let’s start with the Biceps!
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
Anatomy of the Elbow flexor muscle group, muscle fiber make-up
for proper training tempo selection and the role of shoulder posture.
THE ELBOW FLEXORS OF THE ARM
The anterior aspect of the arm is
home to 3 elbow flexor muscles
known as the Biceps Brachii (Long
and short head), The Brachialis and
the Brachioradialis. With the primary
role of these muscles being elbow
flexion it is important understand
the anatomical origins and insertions
to explore how posture will dictate
exercise selection and yield optimal
growth and aesthetics.
BREAKING DOWN THE FACTS
Let’s start with the Brachialis “the forgotten muscle!” as John likes
to call it. The Brachialis muscle is the primary elbow flexor of the
elbow generating nearly 50% more power than the biceps during
curling activities (Saladin et al. 2015). This is understandable, as
the Brachialis only crosses the elbow joint and does not participate
with forearm motion; leaving its sole function to flex the Elbow
(Ulnohumeral) Joint.
The Brachialis acts like a foundation for the Biceps Brachii,
contributing to the anatomical floor of the elbow pit known as
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the cubital fossa. Being as the Biceps Brachii
sits atop the Brachialis, its growth directly
influences the appearance of a bigger arm by
lifting the Biceps Brachii away from the Triceps
providing a larger separation and illusion of a
monster arm. This is something you may have
heard John talk about many times.
The Brachialis being the dominant elbow flexor when
the Biceps Brachii is shortened or less aligned with
the resistance angle (i.e. Neutral wrist Hammer
curls) appears to be slower twitch in fiber make
up, emphasizing longer time under tension (TUT)
based tempo. Using a slower eccentric will
undoubtedly provide a greater stimulus for
growth and should be emphasized over a slow concentric phase.
In fact, we don’t like slow concentrics at all. As fatigue sets in, the
buildup of lactate which is being excreted by first responding fast
twitch fibers will further influence the recruitment of other fast
twitch muscle fibers that were not recruited during the initial start
of the lift. Potentially a well-planned planned drop set can yield an
optimal growth stimulus.
How to Train the Brachialis
One of the best strategies for long term lifting is to properly warm
up. In the world of body building this doesn’t mean rolling on
the ground with a foam roller but rather initiating the delivery of
nutrients while increasing joint mobility/lubrication through light
load high rep training. As discussed by John throughout various
web articles and in person lectures; the first goal of your training
session should be to stimulate a pump prior to heavy lifting or full
stretch exercises. This method has become the corner stone for
many lifters including John and is now being used by many NFL
teams for offseason hypertrophy.
5
The warm up method John talks about, takes into account direct
scientific evidence that demonstrates when a working muscle
preforms light/medium load high rep contractions, a pump like
effect known as cellular swelling occurs. This shift in fluid plasma
that infiltrates a muscle can directly aid in stimulating the muscle
building pathway known as MTORC1 as well may play a protective
role in muscle by stretching fibers making them more receptive to
load compliance.
The concept is quite straight forward. Pick a mid-range exercise that
can allow the joints and supporting ligaments time to lubricate, as
well increase in muscle cellular swelling or the pump.
For the Brachialis this means selecting one of the following
exercises below which are all mid-range joint positions that can
provide a strong mind muscle contraction through optimal muscle
fiber alignment which is seen when most muscles are placed in a
mid-range joint position.
Best Mid-Range Brachialis Exercises to stimulate a pump
Exercise
Tips
Reverse Grip Ez Bar Curls
Thumbless grip can increase grip requirements leading to
more muscle demands
Pause Hammer Curls
Use a pause at the bottom to eliminate the stretch reflex. Before curling the weight, slightly move the elbow in front of your
pelvis and take a breath in. While creating a strong abdominal
contraction curl the weight upward, again pausing at the point
of peak contraction and holding for a 2 second count.
Cross Body Hammer Curls
John states these as his “favorite” Brachialis type curl to perform. Ensure you keep the arm slightly forward to the body
throughout the entire curling motion to maintain a shorten
Bicep Brachii, thereby limiting its recruitment and increasing
Brachialis demands.
6
Rope Hammer Curls
Rope Curls can allow you to move the load demands along
various angles which can be optimal as no two people may
have the same muscle fiber length to tension ratio. This means
that some people may have a better contraction at 90 degrees
of elbow flexion and another person may have it at 95 or 80.
This is often best left for experimentation with lighter loads
where self-reported peak contraction is used to establish how
close or far from the pulley give you the best feel of control.
Biceps Brachii (Long & Short head)
Now let’s talk about the other 2 contributing
elbow flexors, the Biceps Brachii and
Brachioradialis.
The Biceps Brachii is composed of both a long
and short head and is considered to act as a triarticular muscle in that it crosses 3 joints; Shoulder
– Glenohumeral Joint, Elbow – Ulnohumeral Joint,
and Forearm -Radioulnar joint.
Both the long and short head appear to be split
40/60, slow to fast muscle fiber type. This
muscle fiber make-up implies that training the
Biceps should include training variables of
either fast controlled concentric with light
to moderate loads at times; with slow eccentric heavier loads during
other periods. This higher intensity training method mechanically
recruits a greater amount of motor units, which will lead to increased
strength and potential for muscle hypertrophy (Srinivasan et al.
2007 & Dahmane et al. 2004). My experience and countless others
tells me that always going heavy, will eventually result in tendonitis
to varying degrees. Personally, I had severe medial and lateral
epicondylitis (golfer and tennis elbow). It hurt so bad I made an
extremely low arm volume program (number 18- The Beyonder) that
fixed the issues and turned out to be a killer program.
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Of the two muscle bellies the short head appears to be the primary
elbow flexor due to its insertion covering a wider surface area along
the radius, which provides a greater mechanical advantage to elbow
flexion (Athwal et al. 2007).
The long head although contributing to elbow flexion and forearm
supination, may also contribute passively to shoulder joint control
(i.e. stabilization) due to its sling like path of the tendon acting as a
compressive tension band over the ball and socket (Elser et al. 2011).
Although unclear as to its role in shoulder control, the long head’s
origin which lays between the Supraglenoid tubercle and the
superior glenoid labrum; with 40-60% of those fiber attaching to
the bony prominence of the Supraglenoid Tubercle (Vangness et al.
1994); gives us some indication of its interaction with the shoulder
labrum, which contributes to another passive form of joint stability.
Scapular Posture (shoulder Blade)
The Shoulder blade or Scapula posture
plays a role with Bicep Brachii (BB)
recruitment which is tied into the
anatomical origin of the BB.
We can clearly see here that both tendons
of the Long head and Short head of BB have
a firm attachment to the shoulder blade.
This means that shoulder blade protraction
(Rounded Shoulders) and retraction (Shoulders pulled together)
will alter Biceps recruitment due to changing the angle of pull or
mechanical leverage of the Biceps.
Proper Shoulder posture when isolating the Biceps Brachii would
be to promote scapular retraction and depression “Back and Down”.
Being as muscle require a small stretch before recruitment, while
at rest with arms at side squeeze the Triceps to place the biceps on
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a stretch just before curling. Per John “I used to do this all the time
when I was younger, but I was doing it to make my tricep look cool in
the mirror, I didn’t know I was actually doing something productive”.
Due to the influence the Biceps Brachii can have on shoulder, elbow,
and forearm movement, physiologically it makes sense to allow the
arm to move as freely through slight shoulder flexion, elbow flexion
and wrist supination to maximize recruitment.
A good strategy for overall Biceps Brachii recruitment would be
to perform a rotating curl where the arm moves from a neutral
position to a supinated position for the peak of the movement.
Although many would reverse this position, whereby curling up into
supination and curling down back into a neutral hammer position;
doing so would reduce the benefit of having focused eccentric load
on the Biceps in relative isolation. A preferred method to optimize
the eccentric portion of the rotating supinated curl would be to
complete the supination on the way up (concentric phase) and then
maintain the supinated position on the way down (eccentric phase)
to optimize overload. In fact, this is one such way to work around
not having a partner assist; whereas you are likely to be stronger in
the hammer curl position due to the alignment of the Brachialis and
Brachioradialis during the first portion of the lift. This would permit
heavier loads during this period that the supinated grip allow would
not be able to complete with good form. Hence, you are use an assist
to overload the eccentric portion where you will gain the best benefit
to increased mechanical tension and metabolic stress as a result.
The right way to curl
With data suggesting that the supinated position offering the largest
increase in muscle EMG (electromyography) of the Biceps Brachii,
an isolated palm up position like the barbell curl would be preferred
for its recruitment.
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There are many methods used for this lift but one such method that
takes into account the anatomical origin of the Biceps laying in the
shoulder, is to perform the curl with slight shoulder flexion. As you
can see in this image, a standard curl angle is being used, where
the weight stops just beyond parallel with the arm being relatively
fixed to the side of the trunk. In this method, we omit any additional
recruitment of the Biceps Brachii, by not engaging its ability to assist in
shoulder flexion, leading to less recruitment and overload for growth.
We can optimize shoulder recruitment during the barbell curl by
altering its starting position and end position with the inclusion of
shoulder flexion as seen in the image below.
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Mid-Range Biceps Brachii Exercises
Exercise
Biceps alternating
supination curl
Tips
Preform seated or standing with palms facing body, supinate the grip
(palms up) at the mid-point of the movement and then reverse the
curl or maintain the palms up for greater eccentric demands
Preform standing for full ROM or Seated for Partial
Barbell Curl
KettleBell Curl
Execute the movement by slightly moving the arms forward of the
body to maximize torque on the Biceps. Execute with a slight extension
angle to the wrist and beyond the mid-point initiate slight shoulder
flexion. Do not lose the shoulder flexion angle on the eccentric return.
The offset nature of the KB can allow for a slightly longer lever or moment arm leading to more torque and challenge on the muscle
Brachioradialis
Known as the Venke’s muscle, the Brachioradialis primary role
is elbow flexion, with a secondary role of both
Forearm pronation/supination which can change
based on forearm position.
• Wrist in Supination (palm up), the Brachioradialis will cross
the forearm anteriorly leading it to work with the Pronator.
• Wrist in Hammer curl position (thumb up), the Brachioradialis
will lose its ability to pronate and will contribute directly to
elbow flexion.
• Wrist in Pronation (palm down), the Brachioradialis will cross
the forearm posteriorly leading it function with the Supinator.
The Brachioradialis is predominantly fast twitch
muscle (approx. 60% type 2) which like the Biceps
Brachii, should be trained with fast movements and moderate
loads. Seeing as this muscle acts along all 3 wrist positions, it will
receive training regardless of angle but has a preference to increase
in recruitment when in the Hammer curl position; most likely
because the Biceps Brachii is less dominant in this position.
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End-range exercises promote growth/strength potential
via mechanical damage
Now that your skin feels like it’s going to
burst, we tag on an end-range loaded
exercise to drive more growth/strength
potential via stimulating mechanical
damage and subsequent repair. Endrange or fully stretched positions are
dangerous for a muscle as it is weaker at
force production and movement control.
With evidence to demonstrate that fully lengthened eccentric
training creating the greatest in growth potential via mechanical
damage, we must ensure proper warm up to reduce injury risk and
reap the growth/strength benefits.
Best End-Range exercises for the Brachialis/Brachioradialis and
Biceps Brachii
Brachialis Brachioradialis
Tips
Hammer Preacher Curl
Preform on Standard Preacher Curl Bench to ensure the dumbbell can
clear into open space allowing for full elbow extension.
Seated Hammer Incline Curl
Use a 20 to 30-degree incline on a bench. Use a hold at the peak of
contraction and slow return
Scott Preacher Curl
This movement can allow for overload of the Brachialis by using the
Bicep Brachii. Preform the movement with a fully extended elbow and
palm up. Now when you reach contraction rotate the wrist to a palm
down position, aligning the Brachialis to the load and slowly, eccentrically lower the weight.
Seated Scott Incline Curl
Use a 20 to 30-degree incline on a bench
Ez Bar Pronated Preacher Curl
Experiment with both the mid grip and wide grip angles for different
loading angles along the Brachialis and Brachioradialis
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Biceps Brachii
Tips
Supinated Preacher curl
Maintain tension the Biceps by avoiding complete lock out which will
also save the joint from the bony/firm end range. Use a slight wrist
extension angle to place more emphasis on the Biceps by removing
assistance from the wrist flexors
Supinated Incline Curl
Use a 20 to 30-degree incline bench. Use a hold at the top and include
slight shoulder forward flexion at you cross the 90-degree angle
Concentration Curls
Perform either seated or standing (with arm support). Attempt to use
slight wrist extension throughout the movement and slight shoulder
flexion at the peak point of contraction
Cable based Curls
The strength curve and resistance
curve of a biceps curl is quite different
and as such, the Biceps will always
demonstrate increased recruitment
with the elbow at a 90-degree
position. This holds truth when
observing literature from Olivara et al
in 2009 demonstrated peak activation
of the Biceps occurring only through
1/3 of the entire curl which occurred
at a 90-degree position relative to
gravity irrespective of the starting
position of the arm. What this means
is that a combination of different
starting arm positions is beneficial for
the overall recruitment of the biceps.
More specifically, the data showed that incline curls with a starting
position of the arm in shoulder extension had peak recruitment
closer to the top of the motion when the arm crossed 90-degrees,
with the opposite being true of the preacher curl with the peak
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recruitment occurring closer to the bottom position as the arm is
now in shoulder flexion.
A potential way to circumvent the biomechanical limitations of
free-weight training, is to implement a cable machine. Cable curls
allow you to overcome this limitations by placing increased load
throughout the range of motion.
Variable cable heights and body position can alter the recruitment
patterns but ultimately one must still curl the elbow for
development to occur.
Cable curls are a great way
to actually train around
elbow pain that may be
mechanically related to
loading angles, as such
implementing them also
as a preventative loading
strategy may also prove
useful throughout one’s
training program.
Closing remarks
Be as it may, many minimalists believe that compound lifting alone
is enough to recruit the biceps, as noted with studies showing a rise
in Biceps Brachii EMG with pulling (vertical, and horizontal) motions;
the level of EMG is quite low (40% of maximal voluntary contraction).
The truth is that for optimal arm growth curling must occur at the
elbow was periods of overload intensity and alternatively periods of
increased weekly volume with moderate intensity.
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References
1.
Oliveira, L. F., Matta, T. T., Alves, D. S., Garcia, M. A. C., & Vieira, T. M. M. (2009). Effect of the shoulder position on the biceps
brachii emg in different dumbbell curls. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, 8(1), 24–29.
2.
Schoenfeld, B. (2017). The Use of Specialized Training Techniques to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy. [online] Available at:
http://www.lookgreatnaked.com/articles/use_of_specialized_training_techniques.pdf [Accessed 24 Oct. 2017].
3.
Youdas, J., Amundson, C., Cicero, K., Hahn, J., Harezlak, D. and Hollman, J. (2010). Surface Electromyographic Activation Patterns and Elbow Joint Motion During a Pull-Up, Chin-Up, or Perfect-Pullup™ Rotational Exercise. Journal of Strength and
Conditioning Research, 24(12), pp.3404-3414.
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Ok, now let’s get on with Triceps!
WHAT YOU WILL LEARN:
Anatomy of the Elbow extensors, their primary function, fiber make up,
best training methods for growth, injury prevention and programming.
THE ELBOW EXTENSOR OF THE ARM
The posterior aspect of the arm
is home to 3 elbow dominant
muscles known as the Triceps.
The Triceps, is composed of 3
muscle heads defined as the
Medial, Lateral and Long. These
3 muscles can all respectively
extend the Elbow via a common
tendon insertion onto the Ulna, a
bone of the forearm. It is because
of this anatomical insertion, that the Triceps is such a powerful group
at producing Elbow extension in all positions of the arm. Although
futile to think one can isolate one head from the other, there is
evidence to support how posture and time under tension can play a
role at optimizing triceps growth.
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BREAKING DOWN THE FACTS
Triceps Brachii
Contrary to popular belief,
the triceps does not work as
a single unit during elbow
extension. This fact was given
light following research done
by Ali, M.A. et. AL, in 2015 where
they demonstrated variable
rates of fatigue during resistance elbow extension along the three
heads; where the long head was the first to fatigue followed by
the medial and lastly the lateral head respectively. This new data
reflects over previous triceps muscle
Triceps Muscle Fiber Type
fiber type studies that demonstrated
a 65/35 percent, fast to slow twitch
muscle split (Gjøvaag & Dahl, 2008).
Type I
This means that training throughout
a spectrum or range of 6-20 reps,
35%
Type II
where intensity, tempo, rest, and
65%
frequency are accounted for; can
directly improve muscle recovery
and growth while preventing upper
extremity joint and tendon injury.
This point is critical to make as the
triceps has shown to have a large
extensor moment arm (moment=torque) that stays relatively high
at peak stretch, and actually increases at full elbow extension;
indicating that exercises that take the elbow into full lockout are
likely to be beneficial for complete recruitment but should also be
respected when progressing to heavier weights for an extended
period of time.
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Ultimately, the science is quite clear that targeting only low reps
or high reps all year around will clearly miss the advantages that
can be seen throughout a combination of load and volume ranges
(Landin & Tompson, 2011) which can optimize development.
As with any training review here on Mountain Dog Diet, we need to
clear the air on some major training points to have a direct pathway
of moving into application and programming volume for the best
growth potential possible.
Triceps Brachii (Long head)
The long head of the triceps is a
biarticular, that means 2-joint acting
muscle. This means that due to its
origin on the shoulder blade, crossing
the shoulder joint and its insertion
on the forearm, crossing the elbow
joint; it’s actions permit a combination
of shoulder extension, shoulder
adduction and elbow extension.
It is due to the long head’s anatomical
crossing of the shoulder joint that
while it exhibits a shoulder extensor
moment arm; it is most likely acting
as shoulder stabilizer when in its midrange position or below 90 degrees of shoulder flexion. This can be
seen as long head muscle recruitment appears to be greatest with
shoulder flexion moving from 0 to 90 degrees of shoulder flexion
which is seen during the mid to lockout position of a bench press,
skull crusher and overhead triceps DB raise or cable extension.
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Note: As the shoulder reaches 120 degrees of
flexion the long head recruitment begins to taper
off; most likely due to reaching the limitations of
true shoulder (glenohumeral) flexion. This means
that although your arm moves on average to 180
degrees of shoulder flexion, the movement is actually split into a 2:1 ratio known as the scapulohumeral rhythm. This means in the most basic
of terms, that for every 2 degrees your humerus
moves along the shoulder blade socket, your shoulder blade will move 1 degree along and over the ribs.
Hence, the arm or shoulder joint locks out at 120 and
the remaining 60 degrees is coming from the shoulder blade itself. This point should provide guidelines
for how much overhead shoulder flexion you really need for optimal long head of triceps growth to
avoid shoulder impingement (a biomechanical cause
related pinching of a rotator cuff tendon, which can
fray and tear with overuse).
The emphasis for long head development should be
on understanding it’s role with locking out positions
from 0 to 120 degrees of shoulder flexion (the sweet
spot being 80 to 90), as well it’s role with combined
elbow/shoulder extension as seen during a triceps
DB kickback with chest supported on a 60-degree
incline for optimizing recruitment. Equally, these
movements should take into consideration movement tempo to avoid joint injury while taking full
advantage of the individual long head’s fiber makeup being 56/44 or 50/50 fast to slow twitch (Srinivasan et al. 2007)
Long Head Muscle Recruitment
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
60° incline
bench
DB kick back
with slight
shoulder
extension
Seated
Overhead
cambered
bar
extension
Behind Neck
Barbell
Press
Horizontal
bench DB
Kick Back
BW Dips
with Bar
Cable PushDowns
Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies, 2000
Lateral and Medial Head
Understanding how to optimize medial and lateral head
development can often be chocked up as nonsense due to both
of these muscle originating from the humerus and inserting into a
solid boney projection from the elbow joint; essential making them a
single joint acting muscle with little ability to augment recruitment.
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Although there are no specific
triceps recruitment studies to
my knowledge that have looked
at how shoulder internal and
external rotation through the
humerus can influence muscle
recruitment, there does exist
agreement on quadriceps
recruitment with hip rotation through the femur which can loosely
be used to make an argument for further research of the triceps.
In short, Stoutenberg
et al (2005) and
Signorile et al.
(2014), respectively
compared knee
extensions performed
with 70% of 8RM
and the influence
of feet position,
either inwards (internal rotation), outwards (external rotation) or
in neutral on quadriceps activity. What both groups found was the
same; vastus lateralis muscle activity was greatest with the feet
positioned inwards (hip internal rotation), and rectus femoris muscle
activity was greatest during the feet position outwards (hip external
rotation). The explanation had much to do with fiber orientation
playing the dominant role. It was equally interesting to note that
both studies found that vastus medialis muscle activity showed no
different between foot positions. Now this information was taken
from an open kinetic chain (isolation) exercise which contrasts
squat studies performed by Ninos et al. (1997), Boyden et al. (2000),
and Escamilla et al. (2001); which all demonstrated no detectable
difference amount quad muscle recruitments regardless of hip
rotation, foot rotation, and or stance width.
20
Again, we can loosely assume for now, that there may be a similar
effect for observing tricep muscle recruitment only in regard to
shoulder rotation during movements. I mention this because we
have had studies such as from Marshall (2008) who demonstrated
that lying dumbbell triceps extension and shoulder width push-ups
had similar levels of muscle activity while demonstrating the lying
tricep extension had superior fatigue resistance which provides
greater exercise volume.
Triceps Lateral Head
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Dips from
bench
DB OH
Skull
Push
Cable Press
single arm
Crusher on
up with
Down,
shoulder behind head
Straight or flat bench
width elbow
bent bar
tucked in
palms down
stop at 90°
60° incline
bench DB
kick back
Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies, 2000
Example: Consider that the lateral
triceps head has been reported to
insert beyond the Elbow (Olecranon)
and run further down the level of
the forearm (proximal Ulna) which
blends into the anconeus muscle
fascia (a little-known elbow extensor)
(Keener et al, 2010). This insertion
would mean that the Lateral head
can see the greatest recruitment
where the demand is greatest at full
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elbow extension lockout with the arm placing the long head at a
disadvantage such as during a dip from bench and with a slight
internal rotation of the shoulder during cable press downs.
Much like the brachialis, the triceps medial head plays a prominent
role in creating the appearance of a wider arm as it lays below both
the Lateral and Long head of the triceps (Madsen et al. 2006). This
“girth” adding muscle directly influences the front double biceps/rear
double biceps, rear lat spread (image above left), and abdominal/
thigh pose (image above right).
The Medial Head plays a dominant role in the action of elbow
extension that is related to its, with a mid-point level of fatigue
between the Long head (quickest to fatigue) and the lateral head
(last to fatigue) potentially due to its large physiological crosssectional area (Ali, M. A. et. Al 2015). This intermediate muscle
fatigability allows the Medial head to be the jack of all trades;
assisting with elbow extension in the shortened range (Tricep
pushdowns) and within the lengthened range (Overhead Triceps
Extension).
With the medial head having
the least pennation angle (fiber
orientation that is curved from
origin to insertion), as when
compared to the long head and
the lateral (largest pennation
angle) (Kawakami et al, 2006)
(Langenderfer et al, 2004) it may
make sense to focus on keeping
the arms as tight to the body;
such as with dips and cable
press downs to aid the lateral
head, and during OH long head
emphasized positions
Triceps Medial Head
140
120
100
80
60
40
20
0
Dips from
bench
Cable Press
Down,
Emphasize
Rope
Lying
DB Skull
Crusher
arms in
neutral
Push
up with
shoulder
width elbow
tucked in
stop at 90°
Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies, 2000
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Exercise selection
Compound Lifts
Plain and simple, compound lifts such as the bench press, push up
and yes shoulder press can in fact improve triceps development, but
what is ideal and how can we take advantage of the science while
respecting individual orthopedic history of shoulder health for optimal
results? Let’s dive in and finally get back in the gym! Believe me
guys and gals, I write this out of love to ensure you can elevate your
training, but it requires some knowledge to truly be a Jedi in the gym.
ONWARD!
Studies done by McCaw et al. (1994)
and Saeterbakken et al. (2011) both
demonstrate a near similar effect for
triceps recruitment when performing
the barbell and smith machine
flat bench press with the elbows
stopping at the side of the body or
90 degrees of elbow flexion. This
is important to distinguish, as both
lifts can utilize safety pins for establishing learning the proper stopping
point for a safe progression to overload but with the use of a smith for
individuals suffering from shoulder related pain, the inclusion of the smith
machine can provide decreased demands and can in many cases provide a
return to pressing as a rehab tool; that can be performed with both arms or
as a single arm eccentric which would be impossible with a barbell.
Now when considering the decline bench press (18 degrees below
horizontal), flat (horizontal), incline (40 degrees above horizontal),
and the vertical shoulder press; Barnett et al. (1994) reported
that both the decline and the flat bench had the greatest triceps
recruitment which has followed previous work by Landin and
Thompson (2010) which noted a peak recruitment with bench
pressing where the elbow lockout is essential.
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BASE OF SUPPORT
Triceps development appears to take on more of an emphasis from
solid pressing platforms such as a bench when considering their
function. The following breakdown can get confusing between the
following studies, so I will bullet point the facts.
• Anderson et al. (2004) DB bench press while on a stable vs swiss ball at
100% relative load performed no difference but showed a drastic drop in
force output.
• Kohler et al. (2010) Seated barbell vs DB shoulder press on a stable bench
produced the best results for triceps muscle recruitment when compared
to sitting on a swiss ball.
• Saeterbakken at al. (2013) Solid flat bench produced the greatest levels of
triceps muscle recruitment when compared to a swiss ball.
• Saeterbakken and Fimland (2013) Greatest triceps muscle recruitment
seen during standing barbell shoulder press as compared to the standing
DB press. Sitting conditions produced similar results.
It appears that during the barbell shoulder press, as loads increase
so too does the triceps involvement which maybe a product how the
weight is balanced over the arms with the greatest loads existing
just outside of the grip; this is evident as during DB shoulder press
the triceps demonstrates to have more of a shoulder stabilizing
effect. This point should hit home for overhead athletes to
emphasize proper bicep and tricep strengthening should take place
as these muscle act much like the rotator cuff; by emphasizing a
proper seated position of the ball in the socket.
Regardless, the flat barbell bench press still produces superior
triceps activity when compared to the shoulder press due to the
greater loads that can be safely pressed during the bench press,
despite similar elbow flexion ranges (Barnett et al. 1995); which
again is a plus during rehab as strength gains directed to the long
head of the triceps can carry over to shoulder stability.
24
GRIP WIDTH FOR TRICEPS
In keeping with simplifying this section, roll out the bullet points!
• Barnett et al. (1995) Triceps recruitment was superior with a narrow hand
spacing during 80% 1 RM flat bench press when compared to wide grip.
• Clemons and Aaron (1997) Demonstrated bench press at various grip widths
exceeded 100% maximal muscle contraction when stopping at 90 degrees
and completing the full lockout.
• Cogley et al. (2005) Demonstrated a linear increase with triceps muscle recruitment as grip width narrows from shoulder width (20 cm outside of
shoulder width) to hands touching. This extreme should be avoided in most
cases to limit wrist injury.
• Lehman et al. (2005) Found the following: Optimal grip width during the
bench is 1 hands spacing between grip. Equally, they found that shoulder
width (100% biacromial width) had far greater triceps recruitment when compared to wide grip (200% biacromial width). This should provide insight into
how to optimize chest recruitment which we will cover on a follow up article.
Grip Widths Effects on Triceps Recruitment
200
150
100
50
0
Narrow Grip (Single Hand
Width Between Grip)
Medium Grip
(Shoulder Width)
Wide Grip (Outside of
Shoulder Width)
Lehman, 2005
25
BODY WEIGHT PUSH UPS
• Lehman et al. (2006) Swiss ball push-ups produced the superior triceps
muscle recruitment when compared to on a bench at same height; with no
difference noted if feet are on the ball.
• Marshall (2008) found that lying DB tricep extensions were just as effective as shoulder width push-ups. The differences they noted were in rate
of fatigue where the isolated triceps extension had less fatigue leading to
a greater volume resistance.
• Snarr & Esco (2013) Found that triceps muscle recruitment was greater
during suspension (Olympic ring) push-ups vs traditional ground push-ups.
The data summarizes that push-ups performed on an unstable
surface such as a swiss ball or suspension straps is far greater for
triceps recruitment than when performed off the ground or with feet
elevated on a solid or unsteady surface.
HOW TO TRAIN THE TRICEPS
As with anything John Meadows blesses, how we warm up the
Tricep for domination is critical. You will hear John mention of how
he “tore up & shred” his elbows for years, following the band wagon
of gym rats, who would jump right into skull crushers or direct
overhead Tricep work. There is much that can be learned from those
who have walked before us, if we are willing to remove the ego and
listen. John’s physique and those who he works with have all seen
direct benefits to properly warming up and not just in gains, but in
longevity of training with no pain, and faster recovery.
As we have discussed in the past article, the first goal of your
training session should be to stimulate a pump prior to heavy lifting
or full stretch exercises. This warm up approach method in my
practice has help hundreds of people attain better muscle growth
and strength gains as a result of improved joint lubrication and pain
free range of motion; which allows for continued training session,
where frequency counts.
26
The best way to approach what I am now calling the “JM Method” is
to select a warm up exercise that places the joint in a mid-range
position that can allow the joints and supporting ligaments time to
lubricate, as well increase in muscle cellular swelling or the pump.
By far the best JM Method to warm up the Triceps is to perform a
variation of the Triceps pushdown; which can be down with a rope,
straight bar, individual handles, or elastic bands.
JM METHOD – TRICEPS WARM UP/Exercise 1
Exercise
Tips
POSTURE: Position the cable anchor above your head. Using a rope,
handle, or straight bar; wedge your arms to the side of your body with
elbow bent and now slightly bend at the waist.
EXECUTION: To perform the pushdown, imagine your arms bolted to
your ribs, as you press down. Once you reach the end of Elbow extension, slightly emphasize the arm to move into shoulder extension, to
engage all 3 heads and the Anconeus (smaller elbow extensor)
Cable Triceps Pushdown
27
Complete Triceps Targeted Exercise
Exercise
Bench Tricep Dip/Machine Dip
Close Grip Barbell Press
or Ez Curl Bar Press
Tips
Ensure you warm up the shoulder with general active range of motion
shoulder extension. Emphasize the shoulder blade to be pinned back
and down as you start and end the dip.
Use a shoulder width generally for this exercise. You may prefer using
an EZ curl bar or a Smith machine for this. Going to close is very hard
on your wrists.
60 ° Incline Bench Chest
Supported Kickback And
Extension
Keep the shoulder blades pinched together and depressed to avoid
unnecessary movement of the shoulder blade that can lead to a
shoulder impingement. As you press up, it will be critical that you extend at the Elbow first and then at the shoulder. Using this sequence
with a neutral grip will allow you to get the best contraction without
over stressing the shoulder.
Skull Crusher
Use a dumbbell for this movement often, as it will allow you to clear
the skull as your arms move overhead.
28
References
1.
Ali, M., Sundaraj, K., Ahmad, R. B., Ahamed, N. U., Islam, M., & Sundaraj, S. (2015). Muscle Fatigue in the Three Heads of
the Triceps Brachii During a Controlled Forceful Hand Grip Task with Full Elbow Extension Using Surface Electromyography. Journal of human kinetics, 46(1), 69-76.[Citation]
2.
Anderson, K. G., & Behm, D. G. (2004). Maintenance of EMG activity and loss of force output with instability. The Journal of
Strength & Conditioning Research, 18(3), 637-640.[PubMed]
3.
Barnett, C., Kippers, V., & Turner, P. (1995). Effects of Variations of the Bench Press Exercise on the EMG Activity of Five
Shoulder Muscles. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 9(4), 222-227.[Citation]
4.
Boehler, B. (2011). Electromyographic Analysis of the Triceps Brachii Muscle During a Variety of Triceps Exercises (Doctoral
dissertation, University of Wisconsin–La Crosse).
5.
Boyden, G., Scurr, J., & Dyson, R. (2000). A comparison of quadriceps electromyographic activity with the position of the
foot during the parallel squat. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 14(4), 379-382.[Citation]
6.
Clemons, J. M., & Aaron, C. (1997). Effect of Grip Width on the Myoelectric Activity of the Prime Movers in the Bench
Press. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 11(2), 82-87. [Citation]
7.
Escamilla, R. F., Fleisig, G. S., Lowry, T. M., Barrentine, S. W., & Andrews, J. R. (2001a). A three-dimensional biomechanical
analysis of the squat during varying stance widths. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 33(6), 984.[PubMed]
8.
Gjøvaag, T. F., & Dahl, H. A. (2008). Effect of training with different intensities and volumes on muscle fibre enzyme activity
and cross sectional area in the m. triceps brachii.European journal of applied physiology, 103(4), 399-409.[PubMed]
9.
Kawakami, Y., Abe, T., Kanehisa, H., & Fukunaga, T. (2006). Short Report Human Skeletal Muscle Size and Architecture:
Variability and Interdependence. American Journal of Human Biology, 18, 845-848.[PubMed]
10. Keener, J. D., Chafik, D., Kim, H. M., Galatz, L. M., & Yamaguchi, K. (2010). Insertional anatomy of the triceps brachii tendon. Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery, 19(3), 399-405.[PubMed]
11.
Kohler, J. M., Flanagan, S. P., & Whiting, W. C. (2010). Muscle activation patterns while lifting stable and unstable loads on
stable and unstable surfaces. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 24(2), 313-321.[PubMed]
12. Landin D, Thompson M. The shoulder extension function of the triceps brachii. J Electromyogr Kinesiol, 2011; 21: 161-5
13. Langenderfer, J., Jerabek, S. A., Thangamani, V. B., Kuhn, J. E., & Hughes, R. E. (2004). Musculoskeletal parameters of muscles crossing the shoulder and elbow and the effect of sarcomere length sample size on estimation of optimal muscle
length. Clinical Biomechanics, 19(7), 664-670.[PubMed]
14. Madsen, M., Marx, R. G., Millett, P. J., Rodeo, S. A., Sperling, J. W., & Warren, R. F. (2006). Surgical Anatomy of the Triceps
Brachii Tendon Anatomical Study and Clinical Correlation. The American journal of sports medicine, 34(11), 1839-1843.
[PubMed]
15. Marshall, P. (2008). Triceps activation and fatigue during different exercise modes.[Citation]
16. McCaw, S. T., & Friday, J. J. (1994). A Comparison of Muscle Activity Between a Free Weight and Machine Bench Press. The
Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 8(4), 259-264. [Citation]
17.
Ninos, J. C., Irrgang, J. J., Burdett, R., & Weiss, J. R. (1997). Electromyographic analysis of the squat performed in self-selected lower extremity neutral rotation and 30 degrees of lower extremity turn-out from the self-selected neutral position. The Journal of orthopaedic and sports physical therapy, 25(5), 307.[PubMed]
18. Saeterbakken, A. H., van den Tillaar, R., & Fimland, M. S. (2011). A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three
chest-press exercises with different stability requirements. Journal of sports sciences, 29(5), 533-538. [PubMed]
19. Saeterbakken, A. H., & Fimland, M. S. (2013). Electromyographic activity and 6RM strength in bench press on stable and
unstable surfaces. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(4), 1101-1107. [PubMed]
20. Signorile, J. F., Lew, K. M., Stoutenberg, M., Pluchino, A., Lewis, J. E., & Gao, J. (2014). Range of motion and leg rotation affect
electromyography activation levels of the superficial quadriceps muscles during leg extension. The Journal of Strength &
Conditioning Research, 28(9), 2536-2545. [PubMed]
29
21. Snarr, R. L., & Esco, M. R. (2013). Electromyographic comparison of traditional and suspension push-ups. Journal of human kinetics, 39(1), 75-83. [PubMed]
22. Srinivasan, R. C., Lungren, M. P., Langenderfer, J. E., & Hughes, R. E. (2007). Fiber type composition and maximum shortening velocity of muscles crossing the human shoulder.Clinical Anatomy, 20(2), 144-149.[PubMed]
23. Stoutenberg, M., Pluchino, A. P., Ma, F., Hoctor, J. E., & Signorile, J. F. (2005). The impact of foot position on electromyographical activity of the superficial quadriceps muscles during leg extension. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning
Research, 19(4), 931-938. [PubMed]
24. Wend-Uwe Boeckh-Behrens, Wolfgang Buskies: Fitness-Krafttraining. Die besten Übungen und Methoden für Sport und
Gesundheit, Rororo.
30
6-week Arm Training Program
Ok now that we have laid down the basic foundational knowledge
you need, let’s get you on your way to building bigger arms!
Next up – The program.
We lay out the split for you and give you an idea of volume and frequency
of other bodyparts, but the emphasis is of course on your direct arm work.
In order to understand how close to failure you should take each set,
there is an RPE chart below, that will tell you exactly how hard to go.
Rate of Perceived Exertion Flow Chart
Fairly easy like a warm-up weight
@ 6.0
You can do 4-6 more reps
@ 7.0
You can do 2-3 more reps
@ 8.0
You have 2 more reps left in the tank
@ 8.5
You have 1 more rep left in the tank
@ 9.0
Went to failure at perfect form
@ 10
Went to failure with loose form after perfect reps completed
@ 11
Used a high intensity technique to push beyond failure
@ 12
Used multiple high intensity techniques/go apeshit set!
@ 13
Click on any one of the tags for an example
31
Week 1
Monday
Friday
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercise
8 sets
7 exercises
25 sets
Tuesday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
4 exercises
12 sets
Saturday
Triceps
3 exercises
9 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
9 sets
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
8 exercises
26 sets
7 exercises
24 sets
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Triceps
3 exercises
9 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
9 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
7 exercises
22 sets
32
WEEK 1 - MONDAY
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercises
8 sets
1/ Triceps | Rope pressdown
Coming off chest and shoulders you should only need 1
feeder set to get into the groove of shoving blood in your
tris. After your feeder set the goal is to get a huge pump
and in a hurry. I want 4 sets of 12 with 60 second rest
breaks. This will reduce the overall load you can use, but
will burn like crazy. With this first exercise its about contraction, drive down and squeeze as hard as you can for
a second then right up to 90 degrees between upper and
lower arm. 4 total work sets
Pro Tip
Use a slightly bent over stance, glue your
elbows to your ribs, retract your shoulder blades and the only movement you
should have here is the hinge of your
elbow. Ensure you are extending the elbow completely.
These sets are all RPE of 9.
2/ Triceps | Overhead rope extension
Now that we really worked the contraction, it’s time to stretch
the triceps out. Drag an upright, short back bench over to
the cable station and let’s get some more extensions in. For
this exercise come down as far as you can and hold the fully
stretched position for a 2 count, then drive up to ¾’s lockout. I
want 4 sets of 12 with that exact form. As the burn sets in the
instinct is to use the stretch reflex or bounce out of the bottom
position but stay true to the 2-count and fight that pain. Just
like exercise 1 keep the rest breaks to no longer than 60 seconds. 4 total work sets
Pro Tip
Imagine there is a board in-front
of your elbows, stopping you from
swaying your shoulders forward
and down as you again fully extend
through the elbow.
Seated overhead rope extensions
These sets are all RPE of 9.
33
WEEK 1 - TUESDAY
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | Cable ez bar curls
Just like on Monday with triceps, after a full back workout
you should only need 1 feeder set to get the biceps activated.
Using the narrow grip, give me 4 sets of 12 with 60 second
rest breaks. Come all the way up and fully contract your biceps for 2 seconds before lowering. 4 total work sets
Pro Tip
Using the narrow grip on the ez bar will
hammer the short head of the bicep, adding that extra dimension to your biceps.
These sets are all RPE of 9-10.
2/ Biceps | Incline dumbbell curl
Your biceps should be pretty freaking pumped, so we are going to stretch them out. Lay back on an incline bench and do
alternate dumbbell curls with your palms up the entire time.
Give me 4 sets of 10 reps each arm. No need for the quick rest
breaks as I want you to really stretch your arms out here and
not cheating the reps up. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9.
Pro Tip
Be Sure to fully extend the elbow at the
bottom of the movement to influence
as much fluid as you can into the biceps
muscle, further pumping it up. If you need,
you can also use a slight amount of shoulder external rotation (rotate the arms
outward) to better align your Bicep to the
load and ramp up a stronger contraction.
34
WEDNESDAY
OFF DAY
35
WEEK 1 - THURSDAY
Triceps
3 exercises
9 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
9 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Triceps | Dual Rope pushdowns
We used 1 rope to do our pushdowns to kick the week off so let’s add another rope and
really drive the rope ends down hard. Watch me in the video and pay attention to my
upper body angle and how far down and back I am driving the ends of the rope. After a
few warm up sets, do 3 sets of 10 once you find your working weight. 3 total work sets
Dual rope tricep extensions
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
2/ Triceps | Dumbell kickbacks
Using a pronated grip, really focus on getting a maximum contraction in the flexed position. You will be shocked at how these
really push your pump to the next level. 3 working set of 8 reps
here before we move on. 3 total work sets
Tricep Kickbacks with Pronated Grip
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
Pro Tip
Use a bench to support your forehead,
which can allow for greater arm drive. For
those with low back pain, this is a must.
3/ Triceps | Incline skullcrushers
This exercise is really geared to stretching the long head of
your triceps hard. Watch this old school video of me doing
these. I actually raise my head so I can get an even deeper stretch. 3 sets of 10 once your find your working weight,
then it’s on to biceps. 3 total work sets
Incline Skull Crushers
These sets are all RPE of 9.
Pro Tip
The long head of the triceps (inner head)
is most active when your humerus is
pointing up. In other words, overhead. This
allows for maximal stretch too.
4/ Biceps | Kettlebell curls
The back of your arm should look like a giant slab of meat hanging off your bone, so now
let’s transfer some blood to the biceps. Give me a few warm up sets before getting to
36
your 3 working sets of 8. Keep your palms up the entire time, lower the weight in a 3 second negative, then up to hold the contraction before lowering the weight again. Do not
get sloppy on these and start jerking around. If you have to start cheating a lot, simply
lower the weight and restart the set. 3 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
5/ Biceps | EZ bar preacher curl
Do 3 sets of 10 here but take 60 seconds in between sets. As
you all know this is the ultimate bicep exercise in my opinion.
So be sure to really work here. 3 total work sets
Preacher Curls
These sets are all RPE of 9.
6/ Biceps | Hammer curls
It wouldn’t be a Mountain Dog arm session without some
form of hammer curls. Do all your reps on your right arm,
then switch and do all your reps on your left arm. I want 3
working sets of 10 reps here. Make sure you squeeze hard
at the top of every single rep. 3 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
Pro Tip
Seat position is huge for this exercise. If
you notice in the video, I am really driving my elbows into the pad once I adjust
where I am sitting so that my arm pits are
flush against the top of the pad. This will
result in much less weight than when you
sit tall on the seat.
Pro Tip
Doing hammer curls really increase
brachialis and brachioradialis involvement, which adds an extra dimension
to your overall arm size. Just as with
the preacher curl, play with the rotation of the arm when setting up the
hammer curl until you can achieve
what feels like a peak contraction.
37
FRIDAY
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
38
WEEK 1 - SATURDAY
Triceps
3 exercises
9 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
9 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
*We have trisets for arms today. The name of the game is maximum pump. Give me 2 rounds to warm up,
then right into your working rounds. Move fast between exercises (take 20 second breaks), but then take a
full 3-minute rest break between rounds. Fight this burn, as this is what is going to stimulate growth.
1/ Triceps | Single handle pronated pressdowns
Watch the video here to see the exact form. I want you to drive the weight straight down
and come just short of lockout to create massive tension on your tris. Do sets of 10 here,
then right into more pushdowns.
Tricep pushdowns with single handles
Superset with
2/ Triceps | Single handle supinated pressdowns
Simply flip the handles and do these with a semi-supinated grip. Again, watch the video and see how I’m
pushing the handles down and almost away from me. Give me sets of 10 here as well, then right into the
overhead extensions.
Reverse grip pushdowns for triceps using single handles
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
Superset with
3/ Triceps | Single handle bent over extensions
So back to using a semi pronated grip, but this time facing away from the cable stack.
Nail sets of 10 here too to really blast your tris. The pump in your triceps after just one
round of this is going to be nuts. 3 rounds for a total of 9 working sets
Bent over extensions with single handles
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
4/ Biceps | Pinwheel curls
Grab some dumbbells and head over to the preacher curl station. We are doing 10 reps
39
here each arm. Then right into preacher curls
Pinwheel Curls
Superset with
5/ Biceps | Preacher curls
Sit right down on the preacher bench and knock out 10 reps. Remember here to NOT go
all the way down, I don’t want you tearing your bicep. Sit the weight down and walk
around to the front of the preacher curl to hit some reverse curls with the same weight.
Preacher Curls
Superset with
6/ Biceps | Ez bar reverse curls
Grab the bar with a pronated grip and only come up half
way. I want 10 reps here as well. Come up to half way and
flex for a 2 count, then go all the way down. 3 rounds for a
total of 9 working sets.
These sets are all RPE of 9-10.
Pro Tip
With the reverse curls come all the
way down until your arms are fully straight. Once in this position, flex
your triceps hard!! This will really
stretch your bicep and coming off the
preacher curls where we didn’t go all
the way down, this is a great addition
to the exercise sequence.
40
Week 2
Monday
Friday
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercise
8 sets
7 exercises
25 sets
Tuesday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
4 exercises
12 sets
Saturday
Triceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
8 exercises
32 sets
7 exercises
24 sets
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Triceps
3 exercises
10 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
10 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
7 exercises
24 sets
41
WEEK 2 - MONDAY
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercises
8 sets
1/ Triceps | Assisted pullup pressdowns
You are going to love these. Sit on the assisted pullup machine and use the foot plate for
pressdowns. If the machine has a pad, you can also place your hands close together and
do a sort of close grip press down into the pad, another one of my favorites. Do 4 working sets of 15 reps here. 4 total work sets
Pushdowns on chin/dip assist machine
These sets are all RPE of 9.
2/ Triceps | Reverse grip pressdowns
Lean forward to where your torso is almost parallel to the ground. Let the bar ride up
high to really stretch out your triceps. I want 10 full reps and then 10 partials out of the
stretched position. 4 total work sets
Reverse grip pressdowns
These sets are all RPE of 9.
42
WEEK 2 - TUESDAY
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | One-arm machine curls
This can be a Hammer Strength plate loaded machine or
really any cable machine where your triceps are locked into
place. If you do not have either of those options, a dumbbell
curl on a preacher bench would work well here too. Do 10
reps on each arm and remember really flex hard at the top
and do NOT go to full extension. 4 total work sets
Pro Tip
Complete the curl with slight shoulder
flexion at the peak of the contraction. As
your Biceps acts to also flex the shoulder,
this tip will have you engage the Biceps to
its fullest.
Single Arm Machine Curls
These sets are all RPE of 9-10.
2/ Biceps | Incline concentration curl
Ram these dumbbells together as hard as you can and then squeeze at the top. On this
exercise use a full range of motion and finish these biceps off for the day. Do sets of 12
here. 4 total work sets
Incline Concentration Curls
These sets are all RPE of 9.
43
WEDNESDAY
OFF DAY
44
WEEK 2 - THURSDAY
Triceps
3 exercises
10 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
10 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Triceps | Single handle pressdowns
I hope you are loving these as much as I do by now. After a
few warm up sets, do 4 sets of 12 once you find your working
weight. Keep the rest breaks tight at 60 seconds and get a
pump in there. 4 total work sets
Tricep pushdowns with single handles
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
Pro Tip
Don’t sway the arms back and forth. Keep
them fixed where you feel the most Triceps contraction. Ensure complete elbow
extension on each rep.
2/ Triceps | Dip Machine
I want 5 second negatives here today to create tons of tension. Once in the fully
stretched position, ram that bad boy down as hard as you can. Think about trying to
drive your hands through the floor. Give me 3 sets of 8 reps. 3 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
3/ Triceps | Decline skullcrushers
We hit incline last week, so time for a change in angle. Give
me a pyramid in weight so your reps look like 12, 10, and 8
for your 3 working sets. 3 total work sets
Decline lying triceps extensions
These sets are all RPE of 9.
Pro Tip
Allow the arms to extend slightly overhead like seen in the video. This will place
the long head of Triceps under more of a
stretch. Be sure to move fast and hard out
of the bottom stretch position.
4/ Biceps | Ez bar curls
After doing a few sets of 15 to warm your biceps up, let’s do 4 sets of 10. Check out the
video of Amit and I doing curls. You can see our form slightly differs, yet we both are hitting the target muscle for our structure. 4 total work sets
IFBB Pro Amit Sapir doing curls
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
45
5/ Biceps | Spider curl
Do 3 sets of 10 here with a hard flex. I was taught these back in
the 80s at Parillos’ Gym and boy do they stand the test of time.
3 total work sets
Spider Curls
These sets are all RPE of 9.
Pro Tip
They won’t teach you this in a text book
but coming all the way up behind your
head takes this exercise to the next level. The contraction you get in the belly of
your biceps is next level stuff. Try to move
through the positive, lifting portion of the
lift with good drive and enough power to
have the elbows come slightly off the pad
at the top.
6/ Biceps | Hammer curls
This week we are going to do these seated and both arms at the same time. 3 sets of 10
reps where you flex your brachialis and brachioradialis at the top. 3 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
46
FRIDAY
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
47
WEEK 2 - SATURDAY
Triceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
*Trisets for arms again on your Saturday session. Just like last time maximum pump is the goal and to keep
your elbows healthy. Give me 2 rounds to warm up, then right into your working rounds. Move fast between
exercises, but then take a full 3-minute rest break between rounds. Fight this burn, as this is what is going
to stimulate growth.
1/ Triceps | V-bar pressdowns
Starting with the classic v-bar pressdowns for sets of 10, right into close grip pushups.
Pushdown and close grip pushup superset
Superset with
2/ Triceps | Close grip pushups
Watch the video above on how I want your form to look.
Slightly elevated feet and hands at shoulder width distance.
Feel that tension build up in your arms as you go down, then
power up to extension. If you can easily do more than 10
reps, add a chain or 2 to your back for these.
Pro Tip
Imagine trying to pull the ground apart
during both phases of the pushup with a
good strong elbow extension at the top.
Superset with
3/ Triceps | Seated overhead rope extension
Now back to the cables for a stretch exercise. Like always, let them sink deep and press
up to ¾ lockout to keep all the tension on the tris. 4 rounds for a total of 12 working sets
Seated overhead rope extensions
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
48
4/ Biceps | Barbell curls
You can either use a straight bar or ez bar here. Chose
whichever you like the most. Give me sets of 10 here.
Bicep Curls with 3 Second Negative
Superset with
Pro Tip
Wrist prep for the Barbell Curl.
Execution: Keep the Bar slightly in front of
the body to start. Before you start, fully
contract the triceps to stretch the biceps
into action. Now curl up the barbell with
slight shoulder flexion at the top.
5/ Biceps | Grip4orce or Fat Gripz dumbell supinated curls
Put the weight down, attach the grip4orce to dumbells and do 6 additional reps, squeezing the handles as hard as possible. If you do not have grip4orce or fat gripz, simply use
the dumbell.
Superset with
6/ Biceps | Dumbbell hammer curls
Give me 10 reps of hammer curls at the same time.
4 rounds for a total of 12 working sets.
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
Pro Tip
If you really want to be hardcore, use the
Grip4orce or FatGripz on the hammer
curls as well. This will just enhance your
bicep and forearm pump.
49
Week 3
Monday
Friday
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercise
8 sets
7 exercises
25 sets
Tuesday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
4 exercises
12 sets
Saturday
Triceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Biceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
10 exercises
40 sets
7 exercises
24 sets
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Triceps
3 exercises
10 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
10 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
7 exercises
24 sets
50
WEEK 3 - MONDAY
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercises
8 sets
1/ Triceps | Single arm cable pressdown and overhead extension superset
Take the attachment off the single cable and wrap your
hand around the ball right above the carabiner. We are
going to 10 reps on the pressdown where you flex as hard
as possible, then flip around and do single arm overhead
extensions for 10 reps. This combo is great for isolating
each arm and really getting a massive pump. 4 rounds for
8 total work sets.
Single arm cable pushdown and extension superset
These sets are all RPE of 9.
Pro Tip
For those of you that have a hard time
getting that deep mind-muscle connection, nothing beats isolating each arm
independently. Focus on locking your
shoulder and lat in stone, then only using
the triceps to move the weight.
51
WEEK 3 - TUESDAY
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | One-arm cable curls
Set the cable to the lowest setting (hole closest to the floor)
with a d-handle attachment. I want higher reps and a pyramid looking like this: 20, 18, 15, 12. Curl with your right arm,
then go right into curling with the left arm. Rest 60 seconds
and repeat. 4 total work sets
Pro Tip
Facing the cable, take a small step
back to increase peak torque demands and contraction.
These sets are all RPE of 9-10.
2/ Biceps | Preacher bench hammer curls
Push your arm into the pad and squeeze hard at the top. On this exercise use a full range
of motion and finish these biceps off for the day. Do sets of 12 here. 4 total work sets
Hammer Curl Variation
These sets are all RPE of 9.
52
WEDNESDAY
OFF DAY
53
WEEK 3 - THURSDAY
Triceps
3 exercises
10 sets
Biceps
3 exercises
10 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Triceps | Single handle pressdowns
Use the short straight bar attachment to the cable. After a few warm up sets of 20, I
want 4 sets of 10 reps where you take a really controlled negative then flex your triceps
as hard as possible at the contraction. Let these come up high to stretch the tris as well.
4 total work sets
Tricep pushdowns with single handles
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
2/ Triceps | Close grip bench
Give me 3 work sets, going heavier each set. The work sets are at 8 reps per set.
3 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
3/ Triceps | Kettlebell skullcrushers
Hopefully you have some sets of matching kettlebells at your gym because these just
feel amazing. If not, just simply use dumbbells. Do these on a flat bench for sets of 10
here. Make sure to keep your elbows up and drive the kettlebells straight up. 3 total
work sets
Kettlebell Lying Extensions
These sets are all RPE of 9.
4/ Biceps | Hammer curls
We have been finishing with this exercise, so let’s kick todays bicep session off with
them when you are fresh. Do these alternate arms for sets of 8 till you can’t get 8 with
perfect form. Do not make huge jumps as I want you to get some sets in. 4 total work
sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9
54
5/ Biceps | Preacher curl
Do 3 sets of 8 here with a HARD flex. Today I want you to take a 3 second negative on all reps
and remember to not fully straighten your arms when approaching the bottom position.
3 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9.
6/ Biceps | Ez bar 21’s
I like to do these against the grain in terms of order. So,
knock out 7 top half partials, then right into 7 full range of
motion reps, then finish with 7 bottom half partials. Give me
3 total sets like that. 3 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
Pro Tip
The typical 21’s are done bottom half,
to top half, to full ROM reps. This makes
zero sense in terms of choosing a weight
that is challenging for ALL 21 reps. With
the above technique you will do the
hardest portion first, then full range,
then finish with bottom half once you
can no longer curl full reps.
55
FRIDAY
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
56
WEEK 3 - SATURDAY
Triceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Biceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
*Trisets to kick off your Saturday session. Just like the previous 2 weeks, maximum pump is the goal and
to keep your elbows healthy. Give me 2 rounds to warm up, then right into your working rounds. Move fast
between exercises, but then take a full 3-minute rest break between rounds. Fight this burn, as this is what
is going to stimulate growth.
1/ Triceps | Dual rope pressdowns
Start with the dual rope pressdowns and really give me quality reps here. No jerking or
getting momentum. Use only your triceps and fill them with blood from the start. Sets
of 12 here is what I need.
Dual rope tricep extensions
Superset with
2/ Triceps | Tate Press
Watch the video below on how I want your form to look. These are great for hitting the lateral head of your
tricep and won’t take a ton of weight. Do sets of 10, then right into tricep extensions with the same weight.
Kettlebell Tate Press
Superset with
3/ Triceps | Kettlebell or dumbbell extension
So right into skull crushers with the kettlebells or dumbbells after the Tate press. Go to
failure for reps here. I like to do these laying on the floor with dumbells a lot to fyi.
4 rounds for a total of 12 working sets
Kettlebell Lying Extensions
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
57
4/ Triceps | Occluded rope pushdowns
Ok back to pushdowns but let’s wrap the top of your arm. You have to get the wrap real high
up on the elbow to keep your bicep from popping below the wrap on these. This will take
some practice so don’t get frustrated if it doesn’t work right the first week. We’ll perfect this
over the coming weeks. Do 4 sets to failure with 30 second breaks. 4 total work sets
Wrapping arms for occlusion training
5/ Biceps | Seated kettlebell curls
Keep your palms up the entire time and do sets of 10 here.
Superset with
6/ Biceps | Hammer curls
Stand up with the weight you just used for seated curls and give me sets of 10 on hammer curls. Do both arms at the same time.
Superset with
7/ Biceps | Ez bar preacher curls
DO sets of 8 here. 4 rounds for a total of 12 working sets.
Preacher Curls
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
8/ Biceps | Occluded ez bar/barbell curls
Place wraps as high as you can on your arm up by your shoulder. You want the wraps to
stay on top of your bicep through the entire set. Use a light weight and do 4 sets to failure with 30 second breaks. You can take the wraps off after the last set. You should be
wrapping with a perceived tightness of 7 out of 10. 4 total work sets
58
Week 4
Monday
Friday
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercise
8 sets
7 exercises
25 sets
Tuesday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
4 exercises
12 sets
Saturday
Triceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Biceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
10 exercises
40 sets
7 exercises
24 sets
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Biceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Triceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
7 exercises
28 sets
59
WEEK 4 - MONDAY
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercises
8 sets
1/ Triceps | Assisted pull up machine pressdown
There is just something magical about using this machine for tris at the end of a chest/
shoulder day. We are going to push reps high on your finishers here. Give me sets of 15 and
feel your triceps swell up like a swarm of hornets stung them. 4 total work sets.
Pushdowns on chin/dip assist machine
These sets are all RPE of 9.
2/ Triceps | Single handle pronated pushdowns
We have been kicking off with these, but we will end with them today. Staying with the higher
rep range, give me 15 reps on the pushdowns, only going to ¾ lockout. 4 total work sets.
Tricep pushdowns with single handles
These sets are all RPE of 9.
60
WEEK 4 - TUESDAY
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | Rope hammer curls
Set the cable to the lowest setting (hole closest to the floor) with a rope attachment.
And let’s do 4 sets of 12 here. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9-10.
2/ Biceps | Spider curls
You can use an ez bar or straight bar, whichever feels best on your wrists and gives you
the best bicep contraction. 4 sets of 10 reps will be a perfect way to finish the day. 4 total
work sets
Spider curls
These sets are all RPE of 9.
61
WEDNESDAY
OFF DAY
62
WEEK 4 - THURSDAY
Biceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Triceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | Hammer curls
We are changing the order of your Thursday arm day so that we can train biceps fresh
out of the gate. These felt so great last week, let’s do them again. Do these alternate
arms for sets of 8 till you can’t get 8 with perfect form. Do not make huge jumps as I
want you to get some sets in. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
2/ Biceps | Dumbbell preacher curl
Lets do this 1 arm at a time this week and really focus on perfect contractions. Give me 4
sets of 10 reps each arm. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9.
3/ Biceps | Ez bar curls
Use the wider grip on the bar and let’s do 8 full range of motion reps and then 8 bottom
half partials on all 4 sets. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
4/ Triceps | Rope pressdowns
Stand tall on these and drive the rope straight down. You should really feel this in your
tris if done correctly. Shoot for 10 full range of motion reps (where you are able to separate the rope at the bottom) then tack on 10 additional partials out of the stretched position. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9
63
5/ Triceps | Single handle reverse grip pressdowns
After the rope, these should just continue that deep burn. Do 4 sets of 12 reps here before
moving onto a stretch exercise. 4 total work sets
Reverse grip pushdowns for triceps using single handles
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
6/ Triceps | Close grip bench press
Do 4 sets of 6 here. Use a slow and controlled eccentric. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9.
64
FRIDAY
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
65
WEEK 4 - SATURDAY
Triceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Biceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
*Trisets to kick off your Saturday session. Just like the previous 2 weeks, maximum pump is the goal and
to keep your elbows healthy. Give me 2 rounds to warm up, then right into your working rounds. Move fast
between exercises, but then take a full 3-minute rest break between rounds. Fight this burn, as this is what
is going to stimulate growth.
1/ Triceps | Dual rope pressdowns
Start with the dual rope pressdowns again but we are gonna go nuts with the reps.
Sets of 20 here is what I need.
Superset with
2/ Triceps | Dips
Good ole fashion dips. Feel free to use an assist machine if you need, or if you are a badass you can add chains or a dip belt with weight. The target number of reps is 8 here
Superset with
3/ Triceps | Rope overhead extension
These are going to feel great coming off those dips. Make sure you are really nailing the
stretch here. Do sets of 6. 4 rounds for a total of 12 working sets
Seated overhead rope extensions
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
4/ Triceps | Occluded rope pushdowns
Ok back to pushdowns but let’s wrap the top of your arm. You have to get the wrap real high
up on the elbow to keep your bicep from popping below the wrap on these. Do 4 sets to
failure with 30 second breaks. Try to beat your overall total number of reps you did on Week
3. 4 total work sets
Wrapping arms for occlusion training
66
5/ Biceps | Wide grip ez bar curls
Use the wider handles and do 8 reps here. Nail every single contraction for all 8 reps.
Superset with
6/ Biceps | Narrow grip ez bar curls
Sit the weight down, regrip to the inside handle and do 4 more. This should light up your
biceps in a great way.
Superset with
7/ Biceps | Dumbbell hammer curls
Grab a set of dumbbells and give me 8 reps of hammer curls at the same time. 4 rounds
for a total of 12 working sets.
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
8/ Biceps | Occluded ez bar/barbell curls
Place wraps as high as you can on your arm up by your shoulder. You want the wraps to
stay on top of your bicep through the entire set. Use a light weight and do 4 sets to failure with 30 second breaks. You can take the wraps off after the last set. You should be
wrapping with a perceived tightness of 7 out of 10. Just like with triceps, try to beat the
total number of reps you got on Week 3. 4 total work sets
67
Week 5
Monday
Friday
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercise
8 sets
7 exercises
25 sets
Tuesday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
4 exercises
12 sets
Saturday
Triceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Biceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
10 exercises
40 sets
7 exercises
24 sets
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Biceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Triceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
7 exercises
28 sets
68
WEEK 5 - MONDAY
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
2 exercises
8 sets
1/ Triceps | Assisted pull up machine pressdown
I want to keep these in here one more week but change the execution of the movement.
I want 5 second negatives on all reps, then drive down explosively and contract. Do 4
sets of 8 reps here. 4 total work sets.
Pushdowns on chin/dip assist machine
These sets are all RPE of 9.
2/ Triceps | Tricep cable extensions
These are done one arm at a time. Take notice of where the cable is set and my body position. Your elbow should line up perfectly with the cable. I want 10 reps then tack on 15
partials out of the stretched position for all 4 sets. 4 total work sets.
Tricep cable extensions
These sets are all RPE of 9.
69
WEEK 5 - TUESDAY
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Biceps
2 exercises
8 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | Incline concentration curls
Lay face down on an incline bench, ram the dumbbells together and squeeze harder
than you ever have. Give me 4 sets of 12 reps here. 4 total work sets
Incline Concentration Curls
These sets are all RPE of 9-10.
2/ Biceps | Incline dumbbell curls
Stay on the same bench but flip around as I want you to really stretch out the biceps.
Keep your palms up the entire time and do your right arm for 10, then do your left arm for
10. 4 sets just like that. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9.
70
WEDNESDAY
OFF DAY
71
WEEK 5 - THURSDAY
Biceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Triceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | Hammer curls
Keeping biceps first in rotation and starting with hammers again. Today we are adding
intensity techniques so get your mind right. Work your way up doing sets of 10. Once
you reach your top end weight we are going to do a massive drop set. Here is an example: I worked up to 50s for a HARD 10 (barley got the 10th rep with good form), then
dropped to 35s for 8, dropped to 25s for 8. This pain is unreal. 4 total work sets
These sets are 8-9 leading up to set 4 which is 13.
2/ Biceps | Preacher curl
Just like with hammer curls, we are building up to a drop set. I like to load 10-pound
plates on the ez bar. So, set 1 has 1 on each side, set 2 has 2 on each side, 3 has 3 on
each side and my forth set has 4, 10s on each side of the bar. From here I start my drop
set. My goal for is to get 10 reps on all drops but that doesn’t always happen. 4 total
work sets
These sets are 8-9 leading up to set 4 which is 13.
3/ Biceps | Kettlebell curls
Lets knock down 4 sets of 10 reps with a 3 second decent as your biceps should be crazy
pumped by now. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
4/ Triceps | Rope pressdowns
Today is all about drop sets and pain tolerance. So, work your way down the stack getting 10 reps per set. Once you reach your top end weight do a triple drop set trying to get
10 reps on each mini-set. 4 total work sets
These sets are 8-9 leading up to set 4 with is 13.
72
5/ Triceps | Machine dips
Coming off those pushdowns get into a machine dip and we are going to spend some
time in the stretch position. I want 8 full range of motion reps but when you reach maximum stretch, HOLD that stretch for a 2 count before driving the handles down. After you
hit your 8 like that, pump 6 partials out of the stretch position. All 4 sets should be just
like that. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 10.
6/ Triceps | Decline skullcrushers
Really stretch your triceps out here. Then drive up to ¾ lockout. Do 4 sets of 12 reps and
really control the negative, as opposed to just letting the weight drop. You can use dumbells on these too. 4 total work sets
Decline lying triceps extensions
These sets are all RPE of 9.
73
FRIDAY
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
74
WEEK 5 - SATURDAY
Triceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Biceps
4 exercises
16 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
*If you have ever done my “Crazy 8’s workout on YouTube, you know what you are in store for today. This is
going to be one massive giant set of arms and then we will finish with a superset of BFR to wrap up your
arm day. Just like with the trisets, do a couple warm up rounds, then get into the 4 working rounds. Rest 3
minutes between rounds before starting the next set.
1/ Triceps & Biceps | Single handle pronated pressdowns
Can you tell these are some of my favorites?? Give me sets of 10 here.
Tricep pushdowns with single handles
Superset with
2/ Triceps & Biceps | Single handle overhead extension
Not only do these feel great, but its super convenient. I want sets of 15 on these to
stretch the triceps out.
Bent over extensions with single handles
Superset with
3/ Triceps & Biceps | Seated overhead dumbbell extension
Have a seat on a short back, upright bench. Grab a moderate heavy dumbbell and we
are doing overhead extension with both arms, use the 1 dumbbell. I want sets of 10 here,
only coming up to ¾ lockout.
Superset with
4/ Triceps & Biceps | Hammer curls
Carry some dumbbells over to the preacher bench and we are going to swell those biceps up. Do 10 reps on hammer curls, both arms at the same time.
Superset with
75
5/ Triceps & Biceps | Spider curls
Right into sets of 10 on the spider curls.
Spider curls
Superset with
6/ Triceps & Biceps | Preacher curls
Then walk around to the other side of the bench and give me 10 preacher curls. Simple
yet effective for making your biceps grow. 4 rounds for a total of 24 working sets
Preacher curls
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
7/ Triceps & Biceps | Occluded rope pushdowns
Third week of occlusion and I hope you are really enjoying the pump and how much more
vascular you are getting. Do 4 sets to failure but we are supersetting these with ez bar occluded curls. So, you will do your pushdowns, then go right into the curls, then rest 30 seconds before starting your next set.
Superset with
8/ Triceps & Biceps | Occluded ez bar reverse curls
Go right into your curls and bounce back and forth between pushdowns and curls till all 4
rounds are done. This level of pump is going to blow your mind. 4 rounds for a total 8 work sets
76
Week 6
Monday
Friday
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
1 exercise
6 sets
6 exercises
23 sets
Tuesday
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
4 exercises
12 sets
Saturday
Triceps
4 exercises
17 sets
Biceps
4 exercises
17 sets
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Biceps
1 exercise
6 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
10 exercises
42 sets
6 exercises
22 sets
Wednesday - Off
Thursday
Biceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Triceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
7 exercises
28 sets
77
WEEK 6 - MONDAY
Chest
3 exercises
9 sets
Shoulders
2 exercises
8 sets
Triceps
1 exercises
6 sets
1/ Triceps | Single handle pronated pressdowns
We are going to do some Fortitude training here by my buddy Dr. Scott Stevenson. The goal
is to pick a weight that is roughly your 15RM and do 6 sets of 4 with 10 second rest breaks,
with your 6th set being to total failure. All reps should be continuous and controlled. If you
fast forward on the video to 13:02 you will see me doing this! 6 total work sets.
Fortitude Training | Shoulder workout With Dr. Scott Stevenson
These sets are all RPE of 9-10
78
WEEK 5 - TUESDAY
Back
4 exercises
12 sets
Biceps
1 exercises
6 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | Machine preacher curls
Just like on Monday we are doing more of my friend Scott’s Fortitude training but this
time using a machine curl. Remember to pick a weight that is roughly your 15RM and do
6 sets of 4 with 10 second rest breaks, with your 6th set being to total failure. All reps
should be continuous and controlled. 6 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9-10.
79
WEDNESDAY
OFF DAY
80
WEEK 6 - THURSDAY
Biceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Triceps
3 exercises
12 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
1/ Biceps | Seated curls into standing with ISO tension
This must be Scott Stevenson week, as he is making his second appearance in your
workouts. After some warm ups I want you to give me 3 sets of 8 on seated db curls.
On your 4th set I want exactly what we do in the video. So, hit 8 strict seated reps, then
stand up and hit 8 more reps, then a 10 second ISO hold on each arm. This should be
brutal. 4 total work sets
Dumbell curls with isotension
These sets are 8-9 leading up to set 4 with is 13.
2/ Biceps | Hammer curls
Get to your working weight with 1-2 feeder sets then give me 4 sets of 10 reps followed
by 10 bottom half partials on the last set, MORE PAIN!! 4 total work sets
These sets are 8-9 leading up to set 4 with is 13.
3/ Biceps | Preacher curls
Give me 4 sets of 10 reps with a 2 second flex at the top of every rep. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 8-9.
4/ Triceps | Rope pressdowns
Just like with the seated curls we are pushing this last set to the brink of tricep death. I
want you to work your way up to a hard 10 reps. After your last set of 10 immediately cut
the weight by 30% and go to failure, once there, come to the midway point in the range
of motion and hold that while your training partner pushes down on the weight stack for
a 10 count. FIRE! 4 total work sets
These sets are 8-9 leading up to set 4 with is 13.
81
5/ Triceps | Close grip bench press
I want you to do 4 sets of 10 here, and use a 3 second eccentric on each rep. 4 total work sets
These sets are 8-9 leading up to set 4 with is 13.
6/ Triceps | Ez bar skullcrushers
Finish with 4 sets of 10 here. 4 total work sets
These sets are all RPE of 9.
82
FRIDAY
Legs
4 exercises
12 sets
83
WEEK 6 - SATURDAY
Triceps
4 exercises
17 sets
Biceps
4 exercises
17 sets
Abs
1 exercise
4 sets
Calves
1 exercise
4 sets
*Let’s finish this 6-week Arm Blast off STRONG!! Just like week 5 we are doing one massive giant set of arms
and then we will finish with a superset of BFR to wrap up your arm day. Just like with the trisets, do a couple warm up rounds, then get into the 4 working rounds. Rest 2-3 minutes between rounds before starting
the next set.
Crazy 8s arm destruction
1/ Triceps & Biceps | Rope Pressdowns pressdowns
Give me sets of 12 here with the focus on contraction.
Superset with
2/ Triceps & Biceps | Rope overhead extension
Flip around and give me 12 overhead extensions with the focus on stretching your triceps.
Superset with
3/ Triceps & Biceps | Cross bench dips
Put a plate or 2 on your lap and go to failure on here today.
Superset with
4/ Triceps & Biceps | Ez bar reverse curls
Do sets of 8 here using a 3 second negative on all reps.
Superset with
5/ Triceps & Biceps | Ez bar curls
Right into sets of 10 with the same bar.
Superset with
84
6/ Triceps & Biceps | Hammer curls
Then finish off with sets of 10 here. 4 rounds for a total of 24 working sets
These sets are all RPE of 10-12.
7/ Triceps & Biceps | Occluded rope pushdowns
This felt so good last week, let’s do it one more time but add 1 round. So, you will do your
pushdowns, then go right into the curls, then rest 30 seconds before starting your next set.
Superset with
8/ Triceps & Biceps | Occluded ez bar reverse curls
So go right into your curls and bounce back and forth between pushdowns and curls till all 5
rounds are done. This level of pump is going to blow your mind. 5 rounds for a total 10 work sets.
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