better arms

8/14/2019 Better Arms

1/9

MUSCLE GROUP X

RUNDOWN START EXECUTION

98 MUSCLE& FITNESS October 2007

WHAT IT HITS BICEPS | SETS + REPS 1 LIGHT WARM-UP, THEN 3 SETS OF 8 REPS

BIS + TRISSUPERSET

WORKOUT 1

EXERCISE SETS 2 REPS 3

Tri-set 1 4Standing EZ-Bar Curl 3 8Lying EZ-Bar 3 8

Triceps ExtensionClose-Grip Bench Press 3 10 5

Superset 2 6EZ-Bar Scott Curl 3 10Seated Overhead 3 10

Dumbbell Extension

Superset 3 6Cable Concentration Curl 3 12Cable Kickback 3 121 Next time you do this workout, put a triceps move firstin each tri-set and superset. Alternate which bodypartgoes first each time you train.2 Excludes warm-up sets.3 Choose a weight that allows you to barely complete thelisted reps with good form. Adjust the weight on follow-up sets as necessary.4 Perform all three moves back to back. Rest 3060 sec-onds only after you complete a set of each of the threeexercises. Repeat for the total number of sets listed .5 Although we suggest 10 reps, do as many as you canwith good form with the same weight you use for lying triceps extensions.6 A superset is like a tri-set without the third exercise:Do both exercises back to back, resting 3060 secondsbetween supersets.

GOT A PARTNER Do buddycurls, in which you choose a weightyou can do for about 10 reps, thenimmediately hand off the bar. Yourpartner does his set and gives the barright back to you. Continue this back-and-forth process until failure.

Standing EZ-Bar Curl

BICEPS1

RUNDOWN START EXECUTIONContract your biceps to raise the barin a strong movement toward yourshoulders, squeezing for a count atthe top (B) before slowly loweringback to the start.

Stand erect with your chest out andshoulders back, feet about hip-widthapart and knees unlocked. Using anunderhand grip, grasp the EZ-bar atthe bends about shoulder-widthapart. The bar should be just aboveyour thighs with your arms extendedand elbows locked at your sides (A) .

Since this is your first move, load upthe weight to ensure you can do nomore than eight reps per set with goodform. The EZ-bar is easier on yourwrists and puts more emphasis on thelong head that helps shape the bicepspeak than the barbell does. Put theloaded bar at the end of a flat bench.

( A ) Keep your headstraight and your eyesfocused forward; avoidmoving your head fromside to side to look atyour biceps.

( B ) To fully contract yourbiceps, the bar doesnt needto go any higher than this. Ifyou bring your elbows for-ward in an effort to raise thebar higher, youll recruit thefront delts. Keep thoseelbows locked by your sides.


2/9

Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extensioninto Close-Grip Bench Press

TRICEPS2

RUNDOWN START EXECUTIONKeeping your upper arms stationary,bend your elbows (without flaringout) so the bar slowly approachesyour forehead (B) before returningto full arm extension. After yourset, lower the bar to your chest forthe close-grip press by droppingyour elbows to your sides. Withoutbouncing the bar off your chest (C) ,press back up to full arm extension,elbows tight to your sides.

With the bar resting at the end of the bench, lie faceup on the benchand reach back to grasp the bar atthe bends with an overhand, shoul-der-width grip. Bring it over yourface so your arms are straight andperpendicular to your body (A) .

The bars already at the end of thebench, so youre ready to go right intothis move without resting. Try usingthe same weight as you did with thecurl; if you need to add or subtractweight to reach the target rep, usesmaller plates to speed up the process.After you complete the lying tricepsextensions, go right into the close-gripbench press, doing as many reps asyou can.

GOT A PARTNER Have himspot you as you fatigue on lying triceps extensions so you can get anextra rep or two without worrying about losing control of the bar aboveyou. He can also assist with forcedreps on the close-grip bench.


WHAT IT HITS TRICEPS; SECOND EXERCISE ALSO HITS CHEST, FRONT DELTSSETS + REPS 1 LIGHT WARM-UP, THEN 3 SETS OF 8+10 REPS

( A ) You dont want to be thatguy in the gym who haplesslywatches the plates slide off oneside of his bar first, then theother, in an embarrassing series of clangs use collars.

( B ) Bring the bar toan inch above yourforehead in the down

position.

( C ) After your set oftriceps extensions, movethe bar to your lowerchest and do a set ofclose-grip bench presses.

G Y M : D

R .

L E R O Y P E R R Y S A T H L E T I C C L U B

,

D R L E R O Y P E R R Y . C O M


3/9

WHAT IT HITS BICEPS | SETS + REPS 3 SETS OF 10 REPSEZ-Bar Scott Curl

BICEPS3


In a smooth motion, contract yourbiceps to curl the weight up as highas you can. Keep your elbows shoul-der-width apart at all times; dontallow them to flare out. Squeeze themuscles hard at the top (B) andlower under control.

Adjust the bench height so yourunderarms fit squarely on the topcurve of the preacher bench, armshanging straight down. Keep yourtriceps firmly against the pad atall times. Grasp the bar with anunderhand grip about shoulder-width apart (A) .

Flip the preacher bench around if itsadjustable, or use the steep side of afixed preacher bench. Former Mr.Olympia Larry Scott popularized thisversion in which you cant use the topof the move as a resting spot; it alsominimizes the contribution of theshoulders.

GOT A PARTNER Have himhand you the bar after youre inposition, assist you past the sticking point for a couple of reps, and takethe bar from you when youre donewith the set. He can also help you donegative reps by lifting the weight onthe positive (concentric) portion ofthe lift while you fight the negative.


( B ) Avoid the tendency tolook up; keep your headstraight and eyes focusedon the floor in front of you.

( A ) As opposedto the standardpreacher curl,where you keepa slight bend in

your elbows atthe start, allowyour arms to fullyextend towardthe floor.


4/9

WHAT IT HITS TRICEPS | SETS + REPS 3 SETS OF 10 REPS

Seated OverheadDumbbell Extension

TRICEPS4


Bend your elbows to about 90degrees so the dumbbell movesbehind your head in an arc, keepingyour elbows in tight as best you can(B) . Contract your triceps tostraighten your arms until theyrefully extended, and squeeze yourtris hard at the top.

Sit upright with your feet flat onthe floor for balance and your backpressed against the pad. Cup yourhands around the dumbbell, raisingyour upper arms by the sides of your head and locking them there(A) . The weight should be directlyabove you, arms fully extended.

Here youll sit backward on apreacher bench, pressing your backinto the pad to help support you inan upright position. This arms-over-head move allows for maximal con-traction of the triceps long head.

GOT A PARTNER Have himhelp you get the weight into the startposition and with extra reps byproviding just enough assistance tokeep the weight moving when youcant do any more on your own.


( A ) To ensure maximaltriceps contraction, fullyextend your arms at the top dont stop short of thepeak-contracted position.

( B ) Your elbows shouldpoint straight up and for-ward as you lower thedumbbell behind your head.


5/9

WHAT IT HITS BICEPS | SETS + REPS 3 SETS OF 12 REPSCable Concentration Curl


Curl the handle straight up as highas you can, squeezing your bicepshard at the top; avoid rolling yourtriceps up and off your thigh (B) .Lower under control to full armextension, switching sides after youcomplete all reps for one arm.

Sit at the end of a flat bench placedperpendicular to the low-pulleycable and attach a D-handle. Usean underhand grip and bend over toposition the triceps of your workingarm on your inner thigh so your armhangs down and the cable runs underyour leg. Keep your back flat (A) .

This is similar to the dumbbell con-centration curl, but the angle of pullisnt directly downward (via gravity).Do this isolation move to close outyour biceps work since you cant useheavy weights; here youll go lighterso youre at the higher end of themuscle-building rep zone.

GOT A PARTNER Tell him to geta drink you can self-spot with yourfree hand, but use only enoughassistance to keep the motion going.

( A ) Be careful not tohyperextend your elbowat the start of every rep.

( B ) Dont let your elbowcome off your inner thighat the top of each rep.

BICEPS5



6/9

WHAT IT HITS TRICEPS | SETS + REPS 3 SETS OF 12 REPSCable Kickback

TRICEPS6


With your upper arm locked byyour side, kick your forearm straightback until your arm is completelyextended, squeezing your tris hardat the point of peak contraction (B) .Lower under control but dont dropyour elbow. Do all reps for one sidebefore switching. M&F

Grasp the rubber stopper tightlybetween your thumb and index fin-ger. Position your working-sideshoulder directly in line with thecable. Bend over using a split stance,and keep the upper arm of yourworking side close to your torso(about parallel to the floor)throughout the move (A) .

Heres another arm move you can dofrom a low-pulley cable. If it has a bigrubber stopper as most do, remove thehandle. Because you cant use muchweight for this isolation exercise, itmakes a good finish to your routine.Unlike the dumbbell version, tensionstays on the muscle throughout therange of motion.

GOT A PARTNER Ask him towatch your form; this moves trickyif you havent done it before.Although he can help with a forcedrep or two, try a drop set on yourlast set to really fry your tris.

( B ) Use your nonwork-ing hand to stabilize yourtorso by placing it on thesame-side leg or a sta-tionary object.

( A ) Your elbowshould form aroughly 90-degreeangle at the start .



7/9

Lying EZ-Bar Triceps Extensioninto Close-Grip Bench Press

TRICEPS2

RUNDOWN START EXECUTIONKeeping your upper arms stationary,bend your elbows (without flaringout) so the bar slowly approachesyour forehead (B) before returningto full arm extension. After yourset, lower the bar to your chest forthe close-grip press by droppingyour elbows to your sides. Withoutbouncing the bar off your chest (C) ,press back up to full arm extension,elbows tight to your sides.

With the bar resting at the end of the bench, lie faceup on the benchand reach back to grasp the bar atthe bends with an overhand, shoul-der-width grip. Bring it over yourface so your arms are straight andperpendicular to your body (A) .

The bars already at the end of thebench, so youre ready to go right intothis move without resting. Try usingthe same weight as you did with thecurl; if you need to add or subtractweight to reach the target rep, usesmaller plates to speed up the process.After you complete the lying tricepsextensions, go right into the close-gripbench press, doing as many reps asyou can.

GOT A PARTNER Have himspot you as you fatigue on lying triceps extensions so you can get anextra rep or two without worrying about losing control of the bar aboveyou. He can also assist with forcedreps on the close-grip bench.


WHAT IT HITS TRICEPS; SECOND EXERCISE ALSO HITS CHEST, FRONT DELTSSETS + REPS 1 LIGHT WARM-UP, THEN 3 SETS OF 8+10 REPS

( A ) You dont want to be thatguy in the gym who haplesslywatches the plates slide off oneside of his bar first, then theother, in an embarrassing series of clangs use collars.

( B ) Bring the bar toan inch above yourforehead in the down

position.

( C ) After your set oftriceps extensions, movethe bar to your lowerchest and do a set ofclose-grip bench presses.

G Y M : D

R .

L E R O Y P E R R Y S A T H L E T I C C L U B

,

D R L E R O Y P E R R Y . C O M


8/9

MUSCLE GROUP X



WHAT IT HITS BICEPS | SETS + REPS 1 LIGHT WARM-UP, THEN 3 SETS OF 8 REPS

BIS + TRISSUPERSET

WORKOUT 1

EXERCISE SETS 2 REPS 3

Tri-set 1 4Standing EZ-Bar Curl 3 8Lying EZ-Bar 3 8

Triceps ExtensionClose-Grip Bench Press 3 10 5

Superset 2 6EZ-Bar Scott Curl 3 10Seated Overhead 3 10

Dumbbell Extension

Superset 3 6Cable Concentration Curl 3 12Cable Kickback 3 121 Next time you do this workout, put a triceps move firstin each tri-set and superset. Alternate which bodypartgoes first each time you train.2 Excludes warm-up sets.3 Choose a weight that allows you to barely complete thelisted reps with good form. Adjust the weight on follow-up sets as necessary.4 Perform all three moves back to back. Rest 3060 sec-onds only after you complete a set of each of the threeexercises. Repeat for the total number of sets listed .5 Although we suggest 10 reps, do as many as you canwith good form with the same weight you use for lying triceps extensions.6 A superset is like a tri-set without the third exercise:Do both exercises back to back, resting 3060 secondsbetween supersets.

GOT A PARTNER Do buddycurls, in which you choose a weightyou can do for about 10 reps, thenimmediately hand off the bar. Yourpartner does his set and gives the barright back to you. Continue this back-and-forth process until failure.

Standing EZ-Bar Curl

BICEPS1

RUNDOWN START EXECUTIONContract your biceps to raise the barin a strong movement toward yourshoulders, squeezing for a count atthe top (B) before slowly loweringback to the start.

Stand erect with your chest out andshoulders back, feet about hip-widthapart and knees unlocked. Using anunderhand grip, grasp the EZ-bar atthe bends about shoulder-widthapart. The bar should be just aboveyour thighs with your arms extendedand elbows locked at your sides (A) .

Since this is your first move, load upthe weight to ensure you can do nomore than eight reps per set with goodform. The EZ-bar is easier on yourwrists and puts more emphasis on thelong head that helps shape the bicepspeak than the barbell does. Put theloaded bar at the end of a flat bench.

( A ) Keep your headstraight and your eyesfocused forward; avoidmoving your head fromside to side to look atyour biceps.

( B ) To fully contract yourbiceps, the bar doesnt needto go any higher than this. Ifyou bring your elbows for-ward in an effort to raise thebar higher, youll recruit thefront delts. Keep thoseelbows locked by your sides.


9/9

WHAT IT HITS BICEPS | SETS + REPS 3 SETS OF 10 REPSEZ-Bar Scott Curl

BICEPS3


In a smooth motion, contract yourbiceps to curl the weight up as highas you can. Keep your elbows shoul-der-width apart at all times; dontallow them to flare out. Squeeze themuscles hard at the top (B) andlower under control.

Adjust the bench height so yourunderarms fit squarely on the topcurve of the preacher bench, armshanging straight down. Keep yourtriceps firmly against the pad atall times. Grasp the bar with anunderhand grip about shoulder-width apart (A) .

Flip the preacher bench around if itsadjustable, or use the steep side of afixed preacher bench. Former Mr.Olympia Larry Scott popularized thisversion in which you cant use the topof the move as a resting spot; it alsominimizes the contribution of theshoulders.

GOT A PARTNER Have himhand you the bar after youre inposition, assist you past the sticking point for a couple of reps, and takethe bar from you when youre donewith the set. He can also help you donegative reps by lifting the weight onthe positive (concentric) portion ofthe lift while you fight the negative.


( B ) Avoid the tendency tolook up; keep your headstraight and eyes focusedon the floor in front of you.

( A ) As opposedto the standardpreacher curl,where you keepa slight bend in

your elbows atthe start, allowyour arms to fullyextend towardthe floor.

better arms

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