- Introduction – Yes you have what it takes!
- A Little on Anatomy – Oh thats how that works!
- Shoulder Trainings – Getting right down to it
- Bicep Trainings – Did you get your tickets to the gun show?
- Triceps Trainings – Meet my tricepasorus rex
- Forearm Trainings – Four score and seven curls ago
- The Principle of Priority – Oh I have priorities, like dancing!
Introduction – Yes you have what it takes!
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For the boys: who wouldn’t envy the mighty Thor with his bulging biceps and shapely shoulders? Indeed, it takes such a magnificent set of arms and shoulders to wield the powerful Mjölnir (Thor’s hammer), but believe that you certainly do not need to have one mystical hammer in order to shape your arms and shoulders to godly perfection; dumbbells and barbells are enough to effectively carry out arm and shoulder workouts.
For the girls: a sleeveless confidence is maybe on your wish list but the flabby arms are getting in the way. Truly, it is hard to feel sexy and confident in sleeveless dresses or swimsuits with a set of flapping wings under your arms. A set of toned arms and shoulders is what you need.
A Little on Anatomy – Oh thats how that works!
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Before shaping your way to god-hood, it is best to get oriented first with the anatomy of the shoulders and arms. Knowing these terms will help you identify which of the muscle groups are in need of extra attention from you. You really need to identify which is which for you to be able to effectively carry out the arm and shoulder workouts designed to target specific muscle groups.
The muscles that form your shoulders are called the DELTOID. It is composed of the anterior (front), posterior (back) and lateral (side) fibers and each fiber set can be targeted independently. The BICEP (you may know this already) is the large muscle group on your arms that is responsible for bending the elbow. It is located on the forward portion of the upper arm. The TRICEP is the muscle group at the underside of your upper arms and is responsible for straightening the elbows. Lastly, the FOREARM, which is the collective name for the muscle groups in the lower arm, is responsible for extending and bending the wrists. From the preceding descriptions, you might already have some idea on what forms of motions target which group of muscles. So let’s start.
Shoulder Trainings – Getting right down to it
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1. Sir, Yes Sir! Military Press
Target: Anterior deltoid
Equipment: Barbell
Procedure:
Firstly, you need to know the proper technique of mounting and unmounting the barbell from the rack and “cleaning” the barbell off the floor before doing this workout. Check the links below
Rack and unrack:
www.exrx.net/AnimatedEx/DeltoidAnterior/BBSoulderPressMountDismount.gif
Cleaning:
www.exrx.net/WeightExercises/OlympicLifts/Clean.html
With feet slightly wider than shoulder width, support the barbell in front of your neck with your palms facing the ceiling and with fingers gripping handle firmly. Push the barbell up until your arms are fully extended and the barbell is overhead. Lower it again to the neck and repeat.
Work-out: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
2. Dumbbell Arnold (not Schwarzenegger) Press
Target: Anterior Deltoid
Equipment: Dumbbell
Procedure:
While standing with feet shoulder width apart, place the dumbbells in front of the shoulders with the palms facing the body and elbows directly below the wrists. Bring out your elbow to the sides and press the dumbbells upward as you continually raise the dumbbell with a rotary motion of the wrist, all the while still keeping the elbows under the wrists. The arms should be straight up into the air and the palms facing forward in the final position. Return to the starting position in the reverse manner.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
3. Barbell/Dumbbell Upright Row
Target: Lateral Deltoid
Equipment: Barbell or Dumbbell
Procedure:
While standing upright with feet shoulder-width apart, hold the barbell or dumbbell in front of you with your arms fully extending downward and with palms facing the body. Lift the barbell handle bar or the dumbbells towards your neck without moving your hands apart (in case of the dumbbell) and allow the wrists to bend as you raise the weights. Bring down the barbell or dumbbell back to the starting position.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
4. Dumbbell Lateral Raise
Target: Lateral Deltoid
Equipment: Dumbbell
Procedure:
Slightly bend forward with your hips and knees also bent slightly. Grasp the dumbbells in front of the thighs and also bend your elbows to about 10° to 30° (maintain this angle throughout the motion). Raise the dumbbells to the side until the elbows are on the same height as the shoulders. The elbows must always be above or equal to the height of the wrists at all times. Return to the starting position.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
5. Rear Delt Raise
Target: Posterior Deltoid
Equipment: Barbell
Procedure:
While standing, position the barbell behind the hips or the thighs with your arms extending straight down to the sides. Pull the barbell up as far as possible and make sure that the elbows follow an upward and not an outward motion. Lower the barbell until the arms are fully extended and the wrists straightened up.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
6. Dumbbell Rear Delt Row
Target: Posterior Deltoid
Equipment: Dumbbell
Procedure:
Using a bench, kneel over its side and support your body with an arm and a leg. Grasp the dumbbell with the other hand and extend the whole arm downward. Pull the dumbbell upward (not outward) while keeping the forearm pointing downward. The upper arm must slightly be above the horizontal in the final position. Return to the starting position.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
Bicep Trainings – Did you get your tickets to the gun show?
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1. Barbell Curl
Target: Biceps
Equipment: Barbell
Procedure:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the handle bar with your palms facing outward. The arms must be fully extended on the sides. Keeping the elbows to the side, raise the bar upward towards the neck until the forearms are pointing straight up. Lower the barbell to the starting position and repeat.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
2. Dumbbell Curl
Target: Biceps
Equipment: Barbell
Procedure:
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and grasp the dumbbells to the side. Extend the arms fully downward and the palms must face inward (towards the body). With one arm, and still keeping the elbows to the side, lift a dumbbell towards the neck until the forearm is vertical. Return to the starting position and repeat with the other arm. This constitutes a single rep.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
3. Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Target: Biceps
Equipment: Dumbbell
Procedure:
Sit on a bench with your feet and legs far apart, but not too wide. With one arm, grasp a dumbbell in between your legs. Rest the back of your upper arm on your inner thigh (just above the knee) and extend the whole arm fully downward. Your other hand must rest on the knee of the other side for support. Raise the dumbbell towards the front of your shoulder until the forearm is vertical. Lower back the dumbbell to the starting position. Repeat the same procedure with the other arm.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets per arm
Triceps Trainings – Meet my triceposaurus rex
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1. Barbell Close Grip Bench Press
Target: Triceps
Equipment: Barbell
Procedure:
Lie on the bench with your feet firmly planted to the floor. You can spread your legs slightly to ensure more stability. Grasp the barbell from the rack with a shoulder-width grip. Bring the barbell towards the chest and clip the elbows on the side of the body. Push the barbell upward until the arms are fully extended straight up. Lower the barbell back towards the chest. Repeat.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
2. Dumbbell One Arm Triceps Extension
Target: Triceps
Equipment: Dumbbells
Procedure:
Choose a seat with back support that extends just below the height of the shoulders. With one hand, position the dumbbell on top of the head with your arms pointing straight up or slightly angled towards the back. Lower the dumbbell towards the back of the neck or shoulder. Throughout the motion, make sure to maintain the upper arm in the vertical position. To add more stretch, you can allow the dumbbell to fall further towards the back of the body. Extend the arms back to the original position. Repeat.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets per arm
3. Dumbbell Triceps Extension (both arms)
Target: Triceps
Equipment: Dumbbells
Procedure:
The procedure is similar to the one-arm technique except that both triceps are engaged with each rep. With both hands, cup the inner side of the plate of the dumbbell behind your back; this is called heart-shaped grip. Keep the elbows close to the head as you raise the dumbbell overhead until the arms are straight up. Lower the dumbbell and repeat.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
Forearm Trainings – Four score and seven curls ago
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1. Reverse Curl
Target: Forearm
Equipment: Barbell
Procedure:
This exercise is similar to the Barbell Curl for the biceps. The only difference is that in the starting position, you must grip the handle bar of the barbell with the palms facing towards the body so that the tension is transferred to the forearm instead of the biceps while the rest remains the same.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
2. Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Target: Forearm
Equipment: Dumbbell
Procedure:
Stand straight with feet shoulder-width apart. Hold the dumbbells to the side with palms facing toward the body. While keeping the elbows to the sides, raise the dumbbell with one arm until the forearm is pointing up and the thumb is facing the shoulder. Lower the arm to starting position and do the same with the other arm to complete one rep.
Workout: 3 sets of 15 reps with 1-2 minutes in between sets
As you may have observed, the preceding list of exercises are only those which employ barbells and dumbbells. Please know, however, that there are other arm and shoulder exercises that use cables and levers but these are not the kinds of equipment we usually find in our homes. You can check other sites for the use of these machines for arm and shoulder training.
The Principle of Priority – Oh I have priorities, like dancing!
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Unlike the other body parts, the arms and shoulders have quite a number of different muscle groups and each can have a different level of muscle condition. For example, the biceps may be well-formed but not the triceps and the shoulders. The principle of priority states that you must prioritize the training of the “lagging” group to achieve a balanced physique. You can then insert brief exercises for the “leading” muscle groups in between the training for the weaker groups. However, if you find that no group is lagging, it is advisable to always begin with the shoulders and then alternately train the biceps, triceps and the forearm.
With well sculpted arms and shoulders you can go out sporting the newest club shirt with pride! Not only do these defined new body parts look good in cloths they also will help you with some break moves. Ok I’ll say it “HAND STAND!”
