We’re going to do about five different exercises for arms.
For biceps we’ll be doing seated double armed dumbbell curls, easy-curl bar curls, and 21’s (ooohhh the pain). To hit those triceps we’ll be doing tricep extensions and standing tricep press-downs. Well, let’s grab the gloves, towel and water bottle and get busy.
Biceps
We’re going to start off with biceps. The first exercise we’re going to do is seated double arm dumbbell curls. What you are going to do is get a steep incline bench. If you can’t get a steep incline bench, a bench with a back will do. The set/rep scheme will be one warm-up set, two heavy sets. Your warm-up set will be done with dumbbell weights that you can do ten (10) reps with fairly easy. Your two heavy sets will be with a weight that you can only do 5-8 reps with. Remember when you do your heavy sets, go to total muscle failure.
To begin this exercise, sit on the bench with your weight. As with most curling exercises, keep your elbows locked into your sides while you’re completing your reps. Also, make sure you don’t swing your arms, using to momentum of the swing to help you lift the weight. If you do it right the first time, you’ll make better and faster gains. With your palms facing towards your front and elbows locked in place, curl the weight up. Ensure that you squeeze the biceps tight at the top. It should take you 1 1/2 - 2 full seconds to lower the weight. Next, we’ll do easy-curl bar curls. Grab an easy curl bar. As with the majority of our exercises, we’ll be using a set/rep scheme of 1 warm-up, 2 heavy sets. Stand with your feet about shoulder width apart and about a shoulder width grip on the bar. Keep your back straight and curl the weight to about chin level. Then lower it back to the start position. When you get to your heavy sets, don’t cheat by swinging the weight or arching your back too far.
The last bicep exercise we’ll do is 21’s. What a wonderful exercise. You can use a straight bar or an easy-curl bar. That depends on how you feel. I like to alternate between workouts. Grab the bar and take a shoulder width stance as well as a shoulder width grip. With your palms facing forward you are going to curl the weight halfway up (forearms parallel to floor) 7 times. On the seventh rep, you’ll go all the way up to chin level. Then you’ll lower the weight halfway down 7 times(again forearm parallel to floor). On the seventh rep, you’ll go all the way down to the original start position. Finally, you’re going to do 7 full curls, all the way up, all the way down. This completes one set and let’s you understand why they’ re called 21s. On your 2nd and 3rd set, you are going to increase the weight and go to total failure. If you can get the full 21 reps without a spotter, you need to move up in weight. By now you should have an extraordinary pump in your biceps. Let’s go on to triceps.
Triceps
Now it’s time to pump up the triceps. The first exercise we’re going to do is lying tricep extensions. You may have heard of this exercise by its more common names (or should I say comical names) like skull crushers or nose breakers. You’ll be doing one warm-up set and two heavy sets. You’ll need an easy-curl bar and a bench. First, lie down facing up with your head close to the edge of the bench. Have the weight positioned at the head of the bench on the floor. Have your spotter hand you the weight. Grab the bar with a grip a little closer than shoulder width and your palms facing towards your feet. Keeping your triceps straight up or perpendicular to the bench, bend at the elbows until the bar almost touches the top of your skull (please have a spotter). Straighten your arms back out. that’s one rep. After doing ten reps, press the weight ten times as if you are doing a close grip bench press.
This will definitely get some blood into those arms. When you start your heavy sets, you will be doing both parts of your exercise (extensions/presses) to total failure (6-10 reps). The final exercise we’ll be doing is tricep press-downs. You’ll need the cable machine and either the angled bar (v-bar) or the rope. You are going to stand about 2-3 feet away from the weights with your knees slightly bent. Grabbing the weight with both hands, you’re going to pull the weight down. Keeping your elbows locked into your sides and starting with the weight at pec (chest) level, straighten your arms out, pressing the bar down. Make sure that you go nice and slow, and as you lock out your arms, squeeze your triceps as tight as possible. With this exercise, we’re only going to do two sets. That’s right, only two. We’re going to do them a little different than the rest of our exercises.
This time start off with as much weight as you can handle for 8-10 reps. After you do 8-10 reps with that weight, immediately lower the weight about 10-20lbs and do five more reps, slower and tighter. Once again lower the weight 10-20 lbs and do five more reps, slower and tighter than the previous five. Finally, lower the weight to about 10-30 lbs (notice I didn’t say lower the weight 10-30 lbs, I said, lower the weight to about 10-30 lbs that you’ll be lifting). Do five final reps as slow and as tight as possible. This completes one set. Rest about 3-5 minutes and do one more set. Well, we are finished with arms. By now, you should have an extremely awesome pump. Next issue we’ll be working on shoulders and hamstrings.
Well until next time, stay motivated, stay pumped Semper Fidelis and OO-RAH!
