Workout 7: Biceps & Triceps
Biceps Exercises
- To perform this movement you will need a preacher bench and an EZ bar. Load your desired weight onto the bar and adjust the seat on the preacher bench so that your upper arms sit comfortably on the padding when you’re seated.
- Grab the EZ bar using an underhand grip with your palms facing upward. Lift the EZ bar to shoulder height.
- As you inhale, slowly lower the bar until your upper arms are extended and your biceps are fully stretched.
- As you exhale, curl the bar up until your biceps are fully contracted and the bar is at your shoulder height. Try to squeeze your biceps tightly and hold this position for a second if you can.
- 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.
- Stand upright with a dumbbell in each of your hands at arm's length. Your elbows should be tucked in close to your torso. Make sure your palms are facing your body before beginning the movement.
- Contract your biceps as you curl the dumbbells upward; only your forearms should be moving. As you curl up, rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing upward, like in an underhand grip. Continue this movement until the dumbbells are at your shoulder level.
- Try to hold the contracted position for a second while sweeping your biceps. Then, in the contracted position, rotate your wrists again until you your palms are facing down, like in an overhand grip.
- With this overhand grip slowly lower the dumbbells back down.
- As the dumbbells approach your thighs, rotate your wrists to return to your original grip with your palms facing inward towards your body.
- 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.
Tricep 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
Caution: In order to protect yourself, it is advised to have a spotter help you.
- Start by lying on a flat bench. Retract your shoulder blades as far back as possible so they are touching the back of the pad and make sure to keep them there during the movement.
- Using a close overhand grip, more narrow than shoulder width apart, lift the bar from the rack. Hold the bar directly above your sternum with your arms locked.
- As you inhale, slowly lower the bar until you feel it on or close to your chest. Your forearm should create a 45° angle to your body. To optimize the workout for your tricep, keep your elbows tucked in close to your torso at all times.
- Bring the bar back to the starting position as you exhale. If you can, try to take at least twice as long to go down than you did when coming up.
- 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.
- Hold your body above the bars with your arms fully extended and nearly locked into the starting position.
- Next, in the middle of the movement, raise the dumbbells as you rotate your palms until they are facing forward.
- 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.
