Your upper arms are made up of two main muscles: your biceps brachii at the front of your arm and your triceps brachii to the rear. Your biceps are responsible for bending your elbow, flexing your shoulder joint forwards and rotating your wrist so your palms are facing up--a movement called supination. Your triceps are responsible for straightening your arm and extending your arm to the rear. This workout schedule is designed to exercise your arms from a variety of angles to maximize your workout results.
Schedule Overview
You are going to work your arms twice a week with 48 to 72 hours between workouts. These workouts should be done at the end of your normal training session or on a separate day altogether. To avoid injury, make sure you warm up by performing a few light sets of each exercise before starting to exercise with higher intensity. Follow the schedule for four to six weeks.
About Supersets
You should perform all of the exercises in the schedule as supersets. To do a superset, you complete all of the prescribed repetitions for the first exercise and then immediately proceed to the second exercise without taking any rest. Once you have finished the second exercise in the pairing, rest for 90 seconds and then repeat the sequence for the prescribed number of sets. After you have finished all of the sets for the first superset, rest two to three minutes before beginning the second pairing.
Workout One: First Superset
The first superset in this workout consists of parallel bar dips and narrow underhand pull ups. Dips and underhand pull ups are exercises that will build strength and mass in your arms. Perform three sets of as many reps as possible (AMRAP for short) as a super set. If you are unable to perform more than five dips or pull ups, you can use an assisted pull up/dip machine which will make the exercise easier. If you can do more than 10, you should make the exercises more challenging by using a weighted vest or holding a dumbbell between your ankles.
Workout One: Second Superset
The last superset in this workout includes EZ bar bicep curls and lying tricep extensions. An EZ bar is a barbell with two Z-shaped curves; this design puts your wrists in a more comfortable position than a standard straight barbell and allows you to focus on your arms. Perform 3 sets with a weight that causes you to fail at around 10 to 12 repetitions. Use the same weight for both exercises and perform as a superset. When you perform the lying tricep extension, you will be lowering the weight over your face so it's a good idea to use a spotter to make sure you can't drop the weight on yourself and cause an injury.
Workout Two: First Superset
Your first superset in the second workout is alternating dumbbell curls and overhead tricep extensions. Using dumbbells will allow you to exercise one arm at a time so you can really focus on the muscles you are using. Perform both exercises in the standing position. Immediately after the bicep curls, proceed straight to the overhead tricep extensions using a single dumbbell held in both hands. Perform 3 sets with a weight that causes you to fail at around 6 to 8 repetitions.
Workout Two: Second Superset
The last superset in this workout includes incline dumbbell curls and standing tricep push downs. Set an adjustable exercise bench to 45 degrees and lean back so that your back is fully supported. This position places your arms in a stretched position, which will add to the effectiveness of the exercise. Perform the curls using both arms at the same time. On completion, immediately move to the standing triceps push downs using an adjustable pulley and a V-shaped or rope handle attachment. Concentrate on keeping your elbows tucked into your sides and keeping your torso upright and rigid. Perform 3 sets with a weight that causes you to fail at around 10 to 12 repetitions.
References
- "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding: The Complete A-Z Book on Muscle Building"; Robert Kennedy; 2008
- "Essentials of Strength Training and Conditioning"; National Strength and Conditioning Association; 2008
- "Designing Resistance Training Programs"; Steven Fleck and William Kraemer; 2003
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