Workout 16: Triceps & Biceps
Triceps Exercises
- Lie back on a flat or slightly inclined bench. Using an overhand grip, grasp the innermost grips on the EZ bar. Hold it with your elbows tucked in and your arms perpendicular to the ground.
- Keeping your upper arms stationary, lower the bar by unlocking your elbows to a flexed position. Pause once the bar is directly above your forehead.
- Reverse the bar back to the starting position by extending your elbows while flexing your tricep.
- Begin by setting the pulley to the highest height setting on the cable machine, then grab the handle with an overhand grip.
- Take a step backward to move the weight off of the weight stack.
- Stand tall with your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart and a slight bend in your knees. Your shoulders should be directly over your hips.
- While maintaining your alignment and keeping your elbows locked in place, begin pushing the bar towards the floor. Finish the movement by squeezing your triceps and by maintaining a slight bend in your elbows, which should remain by your side throughout the movement.
- Slowly bend your elbows to return to the starting position.
- Hold your body above the bars with your arms fully extended and nearly locked into the starting position.
- Inhale and slowly lower yourself downward. Your torso should remain upright and your elbows should stay close to your body to help to better work your triceps. Lower yourself until a 90° angle is created between your upper arms and forearms.
- Exhale and push your torso back up using your triceps (feeling a slight stretch in your shoulders) to bring your body back to the starting position.
- Attach a rope attachment to the high pulley at its highest position. Stand in front of the pulley, hinge at your hips, and grab the rope with your palms facing each other.
- Keep your elbows close to your torso, while using your triceps to pull the rope downwards toward the outside of your thighs. At the most contracted point of the motion your arms should be fully extended and perpendicular to the ground. Your forearms should be the only part moving.
- After reaching the contracted position, slowly bring the rope up to the starting point.
Biceps Exercises
- Sit at the end of a bench and place one dumbbell in front of you between your legs. Keep your legs spread apart, your knees bent, your back straight, and your feet on the ground.
- Use your right arm to pick up the dumbbell. Place the back of your arm against the inside of your same-sided thigh.
- Begin with the palm of your hand facing away from your thigh. Keep your arm extended and the dumbbell slightly above the ground.
- Make sure that your upper arm remains stationary as you contract your biceps and curl the dumbbell toward your opposite-sided pec. Continue the movement until the dumbbell is at shoulder level. Remember, only the forearms should move.
- Slowly begin to lower the dumbbell back to its starting position. Avoid swinging motions at all times.
- Perform all reps using the same arm, then repeat this movement with your other arm.
- Hook a rope attachment to the low pulley and stand facing the machine about one foot away from it.
- Grasp the rope with your palms facing inward. Make sure you stand up straight, maintain the natural arch of your back, and keep your torso stationary.
- Start with your elbows tucked in by your side. Using your biceps, pull your arms up until your forearms touch your biceps. Only your forearms should move, not your upper arms. Remember to keep your elbows tucked in by your sides and your upper arms stationary.
- Slowly lower the rope back to the starting position.
- To begin, set a weight that is comfortable on each side of the pulley machine. Make sure the weight selected is equal on each side.
- Adjust the height of the pulleys on each side so that they’re positioned higher than shoulder height.
- Stand in the middle of both sides and use an underhand grip to grab each handle. Your arms should be fully extended to each side and parallel to the ground. Your palms should be facing upward and your feet positioned shoulder width apart.
- Keep your elbows in a fixed position as you slowly squeeze your biceps and curl your hands toward your shoulders. You should be squeezing in your biceps until your forearms and biceps touch.
- Lower your forearms back to the starting position while keeping your entire body stationary.
- Attach a wide bar to a cable tower.
- Lay a mat on the floor next to the tower and lay on it.
- Grasp the bar with a wide underhand grip. With your arms straight, your core tight and a neutral spine, bend at the hips and knees to pick the bar up from the tower and bring it towards you.
- Keeping the elbows at your sides and your eyes forward, curl the bar up to your chest.
- Lower the bar under control. Do not let your upper back round over - consciously pull your shoulder blades together to provide a stable base for your arms to pull from.
- Do not swing - keep your core tight and a neutral spine.