Fill - Free fillable A Training Guide (City of Oakland) PDF form

By Dan Trink

A ® Training Guide

Badass

arms

Get bigger biceps, triceps, and shoulders in 12 weeks

Men’s Health Training Guide 1

This book is intended as a reference volume only, not as a medical manual.

The information given here is designed to help you make informed decisions about your health.

It is not intended as a substitute for any treatment that may have been prescribed by your doctor.

If you suspect that you have a medical problem, we urge you to seek competent medical help.

The information in this book is meant to supplement, not replace, proper exercise training.

All forms of exercise pose some inherent risks. The editors and publisher advise readers to take full

responsibility for their safety and know their limits. Before practicing the exercises in this book,

be sure that your equipment is well-maintained, and do not take risks beyond your level of experience,

aptitude, training, and itness. The exercise and dietary programs in this book are not intended as

a substitute for any exercise routine or dietary regimen that may have been prescribed by your doctor.

As with all exercise and dietary programs, you should get your doctor’s approval before beginning.

Mention of speciic companies, organizations, or authorities in this book

does not imply endorsement by the author or publisher, nor does mention of speciic companies,

organizations, or authorities imply that they endorse this book, its author, or the publisher.

Internet addresses and telephone numbers given in this book were accurate at the time it went to press.

or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording,

or any other information storage and retrieval system, without the written permission of the publisher.

Men’s Health

is a registered trademark of Hearst Magazine, Inc.

Printed in the United States of America

Photographs by Matt Rainey

Book design by Laura White

ISBN: 9781635652543

HOW TO GET BIG ARMS

WHO IS THIS PROGRAM FOR?

THE BADASS ARMS WORKOUT PLAN

TRACK YOUR PROGRESS

THE WARMUP

PHASE 1:

Week 1 through Week 4

PHASE 2: Week 5 through Week 8

PHASE 3: Week 9 through Week 12

EXERCISE GUIDE

contents

PAGE



PAGE



PAGE



PAGE



PAGE



PAGE



PAGE



PAGE



PAGE



Men’s Health Training Guide 3

Badass Arms creator Dan Trink. Photograph by Jay Sullivan

Genetics play a role, of course,

same as almost everything

else in life. Trainers and tness

models who pretend it’s all

hard work and clean living are

either kidding themselves, or

intentionally deceiving clients

and customers.

But genetics cut both ways.

My arms are also long, which

makes them less likely to seem

big. And yet they do seem big—

so big that most people don’t

notice how long they are.

How did I do it? The short

answer: I used the same train-

ing techniques and workout

structure that you’ll see in this

12-week program. Of course,

I used these techniques for a

lot longer than 12 weeks. I’d say

it took at least a decade of lift-

ing to get to the point where

strangers on the street would

stop and point at my arms.

But there’s also a much lon-

ger answer.

If you ip through the work-

out program and exercise pho-

tos, you’ll notice a lot of isolated

arm movements. Which, I hope,

is exactly what you expected

when you purchased this train-

ing guide.

You’ll also see a ton of

compound upper-body move-

ments—rows, presses, dips,

chinups. I hope you also expected

to see those, because if you’ve

ever observed the guys who walk

into the gym and start o with

concentration curls, you’ve

surely noticed that they’re never

the guys with the biggest arms.

When the guys who’re seriously

jacked train their upper bodies,

they devote most of their

time and energy to basic, heavy,

How to Get

BiG arms

An internationally renowned strength

coach reveals the muscle-building philosophies

behind his 12-week program

I’ve got big arms. Like, seriously big arms. That’s me in the

photo on the previous page. Not freaky on-stage pro-body-

builder arms, but compared to guys walking down the street,

or even your average gym-goer, my arms are big. And for a

guy my age (45), I’m o the charts.

Men’s Health Training Guide 5

multi-joint lifts. They know

their arms aren’t going to grow

out of proportion to the bigger,

stronger muscles in their back,

chest, and shoulders.

Why? Allow me to digress

for a moment: A lot of experts

these days subscribe to the phi-

losophy that size and strength

are separate phenomena—that

strength doesn’t serve size and

size doesn’t serve strength. They

say that to optimize either—

to get really big or truly strong—

you should never train for both.

I disagree. A bigger muscle

can produce more force. A

stronger muscle allows you to

work with more weight, which,

in turn, builds a bigger muscle.

The key is to hit a balance

between training for strength

and training for size, whether

it’s in a short program like this

or in years-long training cycles.

I’m not saying that physique

athletes who focus exclusively

on size by doing high-repetition,

high-volume workouts are nec-

essarily wrong, or that power-

lifters who do most of their work

with heavy weights and low reps

should spend more time doing

dumbbell curls and cable exten-

sions. Advanced lifters know

what works for them, just as I

know what works for me.

I also know what works for

my clients who have goals like

yours—specically to build big-

ger arms, but generally to look

more like someone who lifts than

you do now. Just about every

well-developed guy I’ve ever

met has trained for both strength

and size. Many also trained for

other goals, like performance

in a sport. I think you’d be hard-

pressed to nd a successful

bodybuilder who didn’t spend

some time under the bar work-

ing toward a one-rep max in the

bench press, or a successful

strongman who hasn’t done his

share of curls, or a successful

athlete who hasn’t done some of

both, even if neither could be

linked to improved perfor-

mance in his sport.

You’ll also notice that the

program includes squats, dead-

lifts, and leg presses, with mul-

tiple variations on the rst two.

If you wonder why they’re in an

arm-building program, just

Google “skipped leg day.” The

guy whose upper body looks

like an “after” picture while his

legs look like the “before” is

even more of a cautionary

example than the one who uses

heavier weights for curls than

he does for presses or rows.

I’m joking, kind of. The real

reason is that life is a total-

body activity. Humans are built

for activities like running,

climbing, kicking, and throwing.

All involve the coordinated

transfer of force from arms to

legs or legs to arms, with your

core muscles in between. That’s

why foundational strength

movements like squats and

deadlifts contribute to bigger

arms while isolated arm exer-

cises don’t do anything to help

your lower body.

Picture two lifters who’re

physically similar—roughly the

same height, weight, and age.

One focuses on strength with-

out any direct arm work. The

other does direct arm work

without any squats or deadlifts.

Chances are the rst guy can

curl more than the second one,

despite never practicing the

exercise. But there’s no way the

second guy can deadlift as

much as the rst one.

Put simply: Strength mat-

ters. If all else is equal, the

stronger athlete will be better

than the weaker one, and the

stronger lifter will have a bet-

ter chance to get bigger than

the weaker one (if he isn’t big-

ger already).

Meet Your CoaCh

Dan Trink, cscs,

is a strength coach, personal trainer,

nutritional consultant, and founder of Fortitude Strength

Club in New York City. He holds over a dozen itness

and nutrition certiications, and has written hundreds

of training articles for magazines and websites such as

TNation, Men’s Fitness, Muscle & Fitness, LiveStrong,

Greatist, and The Huington Post. He is also the author

of “High Intensity 300” and has presented at interna-

tional itness conferences. As an athlete, Dan competes

in Masters Weightlifting in the 105 kilogram (231 pound)

weight class, representing the United States in local,

national, and international competitions.

Gender

I’ve been using the word “guys”

liberally, but there’s no reason

women can’t use this program,

or wouldn’t benet from it.

Age and Health

This is not a program for lifters

who have signicant health is-

sues or movement limitations.

Age shouldn’t be an issue,

except perhaps for the youngest

or oldest lifters. In my experi-

ence, teenage lifters do best

with programs that focus on

learning and developing a base

of strength in fundamental

exercises like squats, deadlifts,

presses, chinups, and rows,

along with conditioning work

for any sport they’re in. For lift-

ers over 50, high-volume pro-

grams like this one present a

bigger risk to the shoulders,

elbows, knees, and lower back.

Don’t get me wrong; I respect

the ambition to build muscle at

any age. I just want to emphasize

wHo is tHis

proGram for?

Before we get into the details

of the program, let’s talk

about the type of lifter who’ll get

the most out of it.

that there are better and worse

ways to do it in dierent stages

of your lifting career.

Experience

and Abilities

Now we get to the most import-

ant qualications. This is not a

beginner program. I wrote it with

the assumption that you’ve been

lifting for at least a year and

that you’ve developed a base of

strength in all the major exercis-

es that I’ve mentioned already,

especially squats and deadlifts.

I’m not going to hit you with

any specic strength standards,

like the “you must be this tall”

slide in the amusement park.

But a guy who spends time

working on fundamental low-

er-body movement patterns is

probably competent in the key

upper-body exercises as well. He

knows how to do a standard bar-

bell bench press, for example,

which means he’s ready to try

the narrow-grip variation you’ll

use throughout this program.

The same goes for the other

upper-body movements—rows,

shoulder presses, dips, and espe-

cially chinups. You’re going to do

a lot of chinups in this program.

Again, I don’t want to impose

an arbitrary standard on you,

like saying you shouldn’t do this

program unless you can do at

least 10 full-range-of-motion

chinups. That’s absurd for big-

ger guys, and unrealistic for

many others. I’ll show and

describe lots of modications

and variations. But if you’re still

working on your rst chinup,

I’m doing you a favor when I say

this isn’t the right program for

you at this moment.

It might be the perfect pro-

gram six or 12 or 18 months

from now. But if you can’t pull

your chin over that bar now,

you need to focus on building a

base of strength before you’re

ready for a specialized program

like this one.

Men’s Health Training Guide 7

Photograph by Jay Sullivan

In each phase, you’ll train three

or four times per week. You can

schedule your workouts in any

way that works for you, but follow

these general guidelines:

Try to avoid doing heavy work-

outs like the ones in Phase 2 on

consecutive days.

If you ever feel that you need

an extra day of rest, you should

take it. A little more recovery

time can work in your favor,

even if it takes 13 weeks to

complete the 12-week program.

Just try to avoid larger breaks in

your schedule—three or more

days with no training at all. You

won’t beneit without consistency.

For this program to work, it

has to be your major focus for

all 12 weeks. This isn’t the time

to train for a half-marathon or

try to lose fat.

In fact, it’s better to overshoot

a little on the nutrition side, and

gain a small amount of fat along

with your new muscle, than to

undershoot and not get all the

growth you deserve for the hard

work you’re about to put in.

And make no mistake: It is

hard work. You may have to train

on days when you’re still sore

from a previous workout. That’s

exactly the way it’s supposed

to work when the goal is muscle

growth. If you never feel as if

you’re pushing yourself into

uncharted territory, you probably

aren’t training hard enough to

maximize your potential.

That said, you have to be

smart about how hard you push

yourself. If you feel pain in

your shoulder or elbow joints,

or in your lower back, back o

a bit until you know for sure it

isn’t an injury.

The connective tissues in

your joints have a smaller blood

supply than your muscles, and

take longer to recover between

workouts. They also take longer

to develop the tensile strength

needed to support your mus-

cles, which is another reason

why you should have at least a

year of lifting experience before

tackling this program. By the

time you’ve built that base of

The 12-week program includes three four-week phases.

More detailed instructions are in the chapters to come, but

here’s a snapshot:

PHASE 1: You’ll focus on

volume, lifting moderate

loads at all the rep ranges

we commonly associate

with muscle-building: 8 to

10, 10 to 12, and 12 to 15.

PHASE 2: You’ll focus on

strength, lifting heavy for

low reps.

PHASE 3: This phase combines

both volume- and strength-

focused techniques into a

method called “hybrid train-

ing.” You’ll also incorporate

special techniques like drop

sets and partial reps into

your workouts.

tHe

Badass arms

workout plan

Men’s Health Training Guide 9

strength, you’ve also developed

thicker, stronger tendons and

ligaments, which reduce your

risk for injury.

One last thing: Good form

is critical to your success and

your health. Don’t sacrice

technique to add more plates

to the bar. Your arms aren’t

going to get any more diesel

if you’re sitting on the couch

nursing an injury.

MobiliTy

Mobility matters. You should be

able to do all your exercises with

an appropriate range of motion.

What do I mean by “appro-

priate”? It’s great if you can do

everything exactly as shown in

the workout photos. But if that’s

not a pain-free range of motion

for you, or if you can’t hit the

prescribed depth in your squats

without shifting the position of

your lower back, it’s okay to work

within your own limitations.

Just keep in mind that a longer

range of motion means more

work for your muscles, which is

the entire point of this program.

The optional warmup on page 11

will help you increase mobility

in key areas.

nuTriTion

Each of us has unique needs,

habits, and preferences, and

nothing I could recommend

here would apply to all of you...

except for this:

It’s absolutely crucial to be in

a caloric surplus throughout this

program.

Your body needs fuel to per-

form these workouts. It needs

nutrients to build muscle tissue

while you recover. You may

assume that means more pro-

tein, and while that’s true, for a

lot of guys the biggest challenge

is simply getting enough food,

including carbohydrates and

fat along with protein. That’s

especially true for guys who’re

younger and leaner.

How To use

THe workouT logs

To help you track your progress,

I’ve included charts below each

exercise where you can log your

workout data. Jot down the

weight you use and the number

of reps you complete for each

set. That will give you a record of

each session that you can use to

determine the weights you use

in each subsequent workout.

How To use

THe noTes

Use this area to help guide you in

your next session. For example,

if you used 40-pound dumbbells

to start last time, but that felt

too easy, you could remind

yourself to start with 45-pound

dumbbells next time.

How To use

THe exercise guiDe

There is a glossary in the back of

the book that provides detailed

instructions and form tips

for each move. The exercises

are listed in alphabetical order.

Reference throughout your

workouts, especially early in the

program, to get the most out of

each move.

What You’LL NeeD

The workouts require basic equipment you’ll find in most commercial gyms:

Full range of

dumbbells

Barbells (Olympic

and EZ curl) and

weight plates

All the usual

benches: lat,

incline, one

with supports

for barbell

bench presses

Squat rack

Chinup bar

Parallel bars

for dips

Cable machines

with high, low,

and in-between

settings for the

pulleys, along

with all the usual

attachments—stir-

rup handles, long

bar, rope, etc.

Resistance band(s)

Dipping belt with

chain to attach a

dumbbell or

weight plates for

weighted chinups

and dips and/or

weighted vest

Preacher curl

apparatus

(AKA Scott bench)

Leg press machine

You’ll also see machines for dips and triceps extensions, which not every gym will

have. I’ll oer easy substitutions for those.

As you can see from this list, it would be pretty tough to do the Badass Arms

program at home. I know some of you have well-equipped home gyms, and have

a lot of practice substituting exercises. I’ll also oer a few tips as we go along.

But I want to be clear from the beginning that I designed this program for guys

who train in commercial gyms.

How To Measure

your arMs

Finding the circumference of

your arms is an excellent way to

gauge the eectiveness of your

arm workout. For the most ac-

curate results, take all your

measurements at the same

time of day, such as before

breakfast. (Your arms may look

slightly larger after a workout

or meal, when blood and water

rush to your muscles.) Extend

your arm straight in front of

you (unexed) and wrap a

Want extra motivation? Then document your gains with

measurements and photos. Taking seles may seem vain, but

people who report their progress to others are more likely to

stay with a training plan, according to research in the Journal

of American College Health.

So if you want to look and feel your best, snap away. Share your progress photos

on Facebook, Instagram, or Twitter using the hashtag #BadassArms and mention

@menshealthmag for a chance to be featured on MensHealth.com.

track Your proGress

measuring tape around the

largest portion of your upper

arm. Record the circumference,

then measure your other arm.

How To Take THe besT

Progress PHoTos

Use the steps below to create

an accurate visual record of

your body.

1. Find Your Location Your before

and after photos should be taken

in the same place each time. If

the room has any sunlight, take

the photos at about the same

time of day. Ideally, the wall

that you stand in front of will be

neutral—white, gray, or beige—

and also free of pictures or other

background items.

2. Wear the right cLothes Tight-t-

ting workout clothes or swim-

wear works best. Don’t take a

sele in your underwear. You

might want to show your photos

to people down the road, and as

a general rule, we don’t recom-

mend publishing pictures of you

in your skivvies on Facebook.

3. get the shot Take your before

and after photos so that you’re

the same distance from the

camera each time, and in the

same poses. Go ahead and

strike some bodybuilder poses

with your arms exed. You

should also take a photo from

the side, and one from the back

(if someone else is snapping the

photo). Snap as many shots

from as many angles as you

want—zoom in, too—but just

make sure to get the basics.

Your MeaSureMeNtS

RIGHT ARM LEFT ARM

DAY 1

END OF PHASE 1

END OF PHASE 2

END OF PROGRAM

Men’s Health Training Guide 11

You can do this warmup, or anything else that works for you.

If that’s a few minutes of cardio, or some calisthenics, or an

elaborate routine with each movement owing gracefully

into the next, have at it. The only rules:

■ Be ready to lift by the end of your warmup.

■ Don’t waste any of the energy you’ll need in your workout.

Experienced lifters tailor their warmup to their own needs, and I encourage you to

experiment. For example, if you work out early in the morning, or in a chilly base-

ment or garage, you probably want to spend more time getting your body warm and

your mind focused.

Here are a few mobility exercises you may want to include in your warmups,

along with whatever movements or drills you typically do before lifting.

Kneeling Shoulder

Rotation

DO 1 SET OF 8 REPS PER SIDE

Start in the half-kneeling position, right knee down

and left foot forward. Bend forward from the hips so

your torso is parallel to the loor, and place your

right hand on the loor directly beneath your right

shoulder and in line with your left foot. Rotate your

upper torso to the left as you reach up and back with

your left hand. Follow your hand with your eyes.

Both arms are now perpendicular to the loor. Reverse

the movement, pulling your left arm down. Reach

behind your right arm and past your torso. That’s 1 rep.

Glute Bridge

DO 1 SET OF 10 TO 15 REPS

Lie face-up on the loor, with your knees bent, feet on

the loor, and arms out to your sides. Push down

through your heels to lift your hips o the loor until

your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees.

Hold for 2 seconds, feeling the contraction primarily

in your glutes and secondarily in your hamstrings;

you shouldn’t feel any discomfort in your lower back.

Lower your hips toward the loor, stopping just before

they touch. That’s 1 rep.

Hip Flexor

Mobilization

DO 1 SET OF 6 REPS PER SIDE

Start again in the half-kneeling position—right knee

down and left foot on the loor. This time, keep your

torso upright, with your hands on your hips. Squeeze

your right glute muscle, and shift your hips forward.

Feel the stretch down the right side of your pelvis and

the top of your right thigh. Relax and return to the

starting position. That’s 1 rep.

Body-weight Squat

DO 1 SET OF 10 TO 15 REPS

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointed

forward, and arms straight out in front of you. Push

your hips straight back, as if you were aiming them

toward a chair. Descend until your upper thighs are

parallel to the loor. Return to the starting position,

with your knees and hips following the exact same

path they used on the way down. That’s 1 rep.

tHe warmup

PhAsE

You’ll train four times a week, with a dierent focus in each

workout:

BICEPS TRICEPS MIXED ARM NONARMSPECIFIC

TRAINING TRAINING

Each workout begins with a compound movement done as straight sets, followed

by two supersets. In other words, you’ll do all your sets of the rst exercise (the one

labeled 1), resting 90 seconds between sets. Then you’ll alternate two exercises

(2A and 2B), resting 45 seconds in between each set of each exercise. That’s followed

by the next superset (3A and 3B).

The rep scheme changes from week to week, while the number of sets and recom-

mended rest periods stay the same. You’ll cycle through all the rep ranges we commonly

associate with muscle-building—10 to 12, 12 to 15, 8 to 10, and then 10 to 12 again.



Weeks 1–4

volume

weigHT selecTion

In each workout, you’ll do 3 or 4

sets of ve exercises. Your goal

is to get to the nal rep of each

set with 1 or 2 reps left “in the

tank.” M e aning, you’d probably

be able to do a couple more

reps, but not 6 or 7.

Because this is a volume

stage, your rst goal is to get all

the reps prescribed in the work-

out. Your second goal is to get a

little stronger in each exercise,

but you don’t want to work with

a heavier weight at the expense

of completing all the reps.

Experienced lifters know how

easily these goals and guidelines

can go awry. Since you’re chang-

ing reps every week, your rst set

of each exercise is always an edu-

cated guess. If you guess wrong

on the high side, stop, lower the

weight, rest a minute or two, and

start over. If you guess wrong on

the low side, you can use that

rst set as a warmup, raising the

weight for the next 2 or 3 sets.

Keep in mind that you’re doing

higher reps in Week 2 (12 to 15

per set, vs. 10 to 12 in Week 1),

which means you must use

lighter weights. Then you’ll go

heavier for 8 to 10 reps in Week

3, and lighter again for 10 to

12 reps in Week 4. But if the

program is working the way it’s

supposed to, you should be able

to use heavier weights in those

workouts than you used for the

same number of reps in Week 1.

Men’s Health Training Guide 13

Barbell

Back Squat

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1012 90s

Close-Grip

Lat Pulldown

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

Barbell

Bent-Over Row

Dumbbell

Incline Curl

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

notes:

Biceps

PhAsE



week 1,

daY one

RecoRd youR weight and Reps heRe!

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

track Your proGress: Don’t

forget to take your Day 1 photo and

measurements! (See page 10.)

supersets: Do exercises 2a and 2b as supersets. That

means you’ll do 10 to 12 lat pulldowns, then rest 45 seconds,

then do 10 to 12 rows, then rest 45 seconds. Repeat until

you’ve completed all your sets. (This also goes for exercises

3a and 3b, and anytime a pair of exercises are listed as “a”

and “b” throughout this program.)

Note

General traininG

PhAsE



week 1,

daY two

Deadlift

Dumbbell Goblet

Split Squat

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

Dumbbell

Single-Arm Row

Leg

Press

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1012 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

exercise glossary: Flip to the exercise glossary starting

on page 61 for form tips.

Note

Men’s Health Training Guide 15

triceps

PhAsE



week 1,

daY tHree

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Banded

Pushup

Seated Shoulder

Press

Rope Triceps

Pressdown

EZ-Bar

Skull Crusher

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1012 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

RecoRd youR weight and Reps heRe!

If you can’t get close to 10 reps on any or all of your sets,

you can substitute band-supported chinups, machine

chinups, or inverted rows. (See page 71 for variations.)

If you can get close—7 or 8 per set, say—then do those

with the goal of increasing the 4-set total each week.

Note

mixed arm traininG

PhAsE



week 1,

daY four

Chinup

Dip

Barbell

Curl

Seated Cable

Curl

EZ-Bar

French Press

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1012 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

Men’s Health Training Guide 17

Biceps

PhAsE



week 2,

daY one

Barbell

Back Squat

Close-Grip

Lat Pulldown

Barbell

Bent-Over Row

Dumbbell

Incline Curl

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1215 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

General traininG

PhAsE



week 2,

daY two

Deadlift

Dumbbell Goblet

Split Squat

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

Dumbbell

Single-Arm Row

Leg

Press

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1215 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215* 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215* 45s

Per side.

Men’s Health Training Guide 19

triceps

PhAsE



week 2,

daY tHree

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Banded

Pushup

Seated Shoulder

Press

Rope Triceps

Pressdown

EZ-Bar

Skull Crusher

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1215 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

mixed arm traininG

PhAsE



week 2,

daY four

Chinup

Dip

Barbell

Curl

Seated Cable

Curl

EZ-Bar

French Press

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1215 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1215 45s

If you can’t get close to 10 reps on any or all of your sets,

you can substitute band-supported chinups, machine

chinups, or inverted rows. (See page 71 for variations.)

If you can get close—7 or 8 per set, say—then do those

with the goal of increasing the 4-set total each week.

Note

Men’s Health Training Guide 21

Biceps

PhAsE



week 3,

daY one

Barbell

Back Squat

Close-Grip

Lat Pulldown

Barbell

Bent-Over Row

Dumbbell

Incline Curl

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

General traininG

PhAsE



week 3,

daY two

Deadlift

Dumbbell Goblet

Split Squat

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

Dumbbell

Single-Arm Row

Leg

Press

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810* 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810* 45s

Per side.

Men’s Health Training Guide 23

triceps

PhAsE



week 3,

daY tHree

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Banded

Pushup

Seated Shoulder

Press

Rope Triceps

Pressdown

EZ-Bar

Skull Crusher

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

mixed arm traininG

PhAsE



week 3,

daY four

Chinup

Dip

Barbell

Curl

Seated Cable

Curl

EZ-Bar

French Press

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

810 45s

If you can’t get close to 10 reps on any or all of your sets,

you can substitute band-supported chinups, machine

chinups, or inverted rows. (See page 71 for variations.)

If you can get close—7 or 8 per set, say—then do those

with the goal of increasing the 4-set total each week.

Note

Men’s Health Training Guide 25

Biceps

PhAsE



week 4,

daY one

Barbell

Back Squat

Close-Grip

Lat Pulldown

Barbell

Bent-Over Row

Dumbbell

Incline Curl

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1012 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

General traininG

PhAsE



week 4,

daY two

Deadlift

Dumbbell Goblet

Split Squat

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

Dumbbell

Single-Arm Row

Leg

Press

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1012 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012* 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012* 45s

Per side.

Men’s Health Training Guide 27

triceps

PhAsE



week 4,

daY tHree

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Banded

Pushup

Seated Shoulder

Press

Rope Triceps

Pressdown

EZ-Bar

Skull Crusher

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1012 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

mixed arm traininG

PhAsE



week 4,

daY four

Chinup

Dip

Barbell

Curl

Seated Cable

Curl

EZ-Bar

French Press

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

1012 90s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 45s

track Your proGress: Don’t

forget to take your progress photo

and measurements! (See page 10.)

Men’s Health Training Guide 29

PhAsE

In Weeks 5 and 6, you’ll train three times a week, with just

three exercises per workout. This is heavy, old-school training,

using a barbell for presses, rows, front squats, and deadlifts,

along with weighted chinups and dips. You’ll do more sets

for low reps with as much weight as you can handle, taking

long rest periods in between.

Weeks 7 and 8 are more of the same, but with a fourth workout, which I call Bro

Day, at the end of the week. Bro Day includes six exercises that you’ll do as a circuit

(completing one set of each exercise before you take a short break and then repeat

the circuit). The exercises hit your arms and abs. You’ll do all the exercises for 15 to

20 reps, using relatively light weights, with minimal rest in between.



Weeks 5–8

strenGtH

weigHT selecTion

Days 1 to 3

These are hard and heavy work-

outs. On each set of each exer-

cise, you want to come pretty

close to a max eort. It’s okay to

nish with one rep left in the

tank. It’s also okay to fall one

rep short of the target. What you

don’t want to do is go outside

those parameters—to leave 2 or

more reps in the tank, or to fall 2

or more reps short.

I say that knowing your max

eort on any day will be a mov-

ing target. Some days you have

more than you expect, but some

days you have less. A good way

to tell what kind of day it’s going

to be is to do at least one warmup

set for most of the exercises,

starting light to practice the

movement and make sure your

body is ready for the work sets.

Bro Day

Few of us have any idea how

much weight to use for sets of

15 to 20 reps. I recommend

that you guess on the low side,

since you’re doing ve rounds

of ve dierent arm exercises,

with just 30 seconds of rest

between exercises and 2 min-

utes between rounds. That’s

75 to 100 reps of each exercise.

Even if you’re curling your

grandma’s pastel-colored “hand

weights,” you’ll probably feel

some fatigue by the time you

get past 90 reps.

alternating sets: Do exercises 2a and 2b as alternating

sets. That means you’ll do 4 to 6 reps of the bench press,

then rest 2 minutes, then do 4 to 6 reps of the chinup, then

rest 2 minutes. Repeat until you’ve completed all your sets.

(This goes for anytime a pair of exercises are listed as “a”

and “b” throughout this program.)

weighted chinup: Add weight by using a dipping belt,

a weight vest, or a backpack.

Notes

PhAsE



week 5,

daY one

Deadlift

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Weighted

Chinup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

46 23m

notes:

Men’s Health Training Guide 31

PhAsE



week 5,

daY two

Barbell Incline

Bench Press

Barbell

Bent-Over Row

Weighted

Dip

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

46 23m

notes:

PhAsE



week 5,

daY tHree

Barbell

Front Squat

Barbell

Strict Press

Rack

Pull

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

46 23m

notes:

Men’s Health Training Guide 33

weighted chinup: Add weight by using a dipping belt,

a weight vest, or a backpack.

Notes

PhAsE



week 6,

daY one

Deadlift

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Weighted

Chinup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

68 23m

notes:

Barbell Incline

Bench Press

PhAsE



week 6,

daY two

Barbell

Bent-Over Row

Weighted

Dip

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

68 23m

notes:

Men’s Health Training Guide 35

PhAsE



week 6,

daY tHree

Barbell

Front Squat

Barbell

Strict Press

Rack

Pull

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

68 23m

notes:

weighted chinup: Add weight by using a dipping belt,

a weight vest, or a backpack.

Notes

PhAsE



week 7,

daY one

Deadlift

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Weighted

Chinup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

35 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

35 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

35 23m

notes:

Men’s Health Training Guide 37

PhAsE



week 7,

daY two

Barbell Incline

Bench Press

Barbell

Bent-Over Row

Weighted

Dip

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

35 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

35 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

35 23m

notes:

Barbell

Front Squat

PhAsE



week 7,

daY tHree

Barbell

Strict Press

Rack

Pull

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

35 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

35 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

35 23m

notes:

Men’s Health Training Guide 39

PhAsE



week 7,

daY four

Bro daY

Dumbbell

Incline Curl

Ab Exercise

(Your Choice)

EZ-Bar Decline

Skull Crusher

1c 1d

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520 120s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520

30s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520 30s

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520 30s

Single-Arm

Pressdown

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520*

30s

notes:

do a circuit.

Per side.

weighted chinup: Add weight by using a dipping belt,

a weight vest, or a backpack.

Notes

PhAsE



week 8,

daY one

Deadlift

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Weighted

Chinup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

46 23m

notes:

Men’s Health Training Guide 41

PhAsE



week 8,

daY two

Barbell Incline

Bench Press

Barbell

Bent-Over Row

Weighted

Dip

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

46 23m

notes:

Barbell

Front Squat

Barbell

Strict Press

PhAsE



week 8,

daY tHree

Rack

Pull

notes:

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

46 2m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

46 23m

Men’s Health Training Guide 43

PhAsE



week 8,

daY four

Bro daY

notes:

Dumbbell

Incline Curl

EZ-Bar Decline

Skull Crusher

1c 1d

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520 30s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520 30s

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520 30s

Single-Arm

Pressdown

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520*

30s

Per side.

Ab Exercise

(Your Choice)

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

1520 120s

track Your proGress: Don’t

forget to take your progress photo

and measurements! (See page 10.)

do a circuit.

PhAsE

Each of your four weekly workouts includes at least one special

technique like drop sets, rest-pause, or partial reps. On some

exercises you’ll change your hand position from set to set.

On others you’ll run the rack, using lighter dumbbells until

you can’t complete 8 reps with the weights in your hands. Or

you’ll do 7-1 supersets, meaning you’ll alternate two exercises

for descending reps, starting with 7 reps and nishing with 1.

That’s the “special techniques” part of Phase 3.

The “hybrid training” combines what you did in Phase 1 and Phase 2. You’ll start

each workout with a compound lift—squat, bench press, deadlift, chinup—using

heavy weights and relatively low reps. That’s followed with a pair of exercises per-

formed in the muscle-building range, with moderate loads and reps (8 to 10, 10 to

12, 12 to 15).



Weeks 9–12

HYBrid traininG and

special tecHniques

weigHT selecTion

By now you should be pretty

good at estimating your start-

ing weights for the rep ranges

you’ve used in the rst 8 weeks

of the program. But the special

techniques in Phase 3 are all

wild cards. I doubt if any lifter

could guess how much weight

to use for high-intensity, highly

fatiguing methods he’s never

used before. At rst the actual

number of reps you complete

will be all over the place. You

may fall way short of the targets

you see in the workout charts.

Don’t stress over it. Just keep

careful track of the weights you

used and the reps completed,

and adjust accordingly in

subsequent workouts. As long

as you reach deep levels of

fatigue, with arms so pumped

full of blood they feel like

constipated re hoses, you’re

on the right track.

Men’s Health Training Guide 45

Barbell

Back Squat

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 23m

Barbell

Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Triceps Pushdown

(Straight Bar)

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

10 10s

Hammer

Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

10 10s

Dip

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

PhAsE



week 9,

daY one

special technique: run the rack

For exercise 3, grab dumbbells that you can lift 12 to 13 times

in a single set. Do 10 reps. Rest 10 seconds. Grab a pair that is

5 to 10 pounds lighter. Do 10 reps, then rest 10 seconds. Con-

tinue with progressively lighter dumbbells until you do 5 sets,

or you can’t do at least 8 reps with the weights you selected.

Rest 2 minutes.

special technique: drop sets

For exercise 4, do the same as run the rack, except you’ll be

using a machine or cable apparatus and moving a pin instead

of selecting dumbbells.

Notes

PhAsE



week 9,

daY two

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 23m

Close-Grip

Lat Pulldown

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 15s

Banded

Pushup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Dip*

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 15s

special technique: triple rest-pause

For exercise 3, start with a weight that you can lift 12 to 13 times

in a single set. Do 10 reps. Rest 15 seconds. Do another set

with the same weight, getting as many reps as possible. Rest

15 seconds. Do as many reps as possible. Rest 2 minutes.

special technique: triple rest-pause

For exercise 4, repeat the same technique.

USE A MACHINE IF POSSIBLE. IF NOT, YOU HAVE THREE OPTIONS: 1. Do traditional dips,

if the most you can do in an all-out set is 12 to 13 reps. 2. Do weighted or band-resisted

dips, again choosing a resistance that you could handle for 12 to 13 reps. 3. If traditional

dips are too challenging, do bench dips.

Notes

Men’s Health Training Guide 47

PhAsE



week 9,

daY tHree

Seated

Cable Row

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Standing

Cable Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 15s

Barbell

Romanian Deadlift

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 23m

Dumbbell

Floor Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Triceps Pushdown

(Straight Bar)

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 15s

special technique: 3 positions

For exercise 3, set the cable pulley to the lowest slot and

attach a straight bar. Grab the bar with a wide grip (wrists

outside elbows). Do 10 to 12 curls. Rest 15 seconds. Narrow

your grip so your wrists are inside your elbows. Do 10 to

12 reps, then rest 15 seconds. For the inal set, use an in-

between grip with your wrists and elbows aligned, and do

another 10 to 12 reps. Rest 2 minutes.

special technique: 3 positions

For exercise 4, repeat the 3-position sequence for extensions,

using an overhand grip.

Notes

Chinup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

68 23m

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

EZ-Bar

Skull Crusher

REPS REST SET 1

21 2m

PhAsE



week 9,

daY four

Leg

Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

EZ-Bar

Curl

REPS REST SET 1

21 2m

special technique: 21 s

For exercise 3, do 7 partial reps in the top half of the range of

motion, starting with your forearms parallel to the loor.

Without pausing, do 7 more in the bottom half, stopping with

your forearms parallel to the loor. Immediately do 7 through

the full range of motion. Rest 2 minutes.

special technique: 21 s

For exercise 4, repeat the technique described above with skull

crushers: 7 top-half partials, 7 bottom-half partials, 7 full range.

Notes

Men’s Health Training Guide 49

Barbell

Back Squat

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

56 23m

PhAsE



week 10,

daY one

Repeat Exercises 3 and 4 for a second round.

Barbell

Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Hammer

Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

Round 1 10 10s

Round 2 10 10s

Dip

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Triceps Pushdown

(Straight Bar)

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

Round 1 10 10s

Round 2 10 10s

special technique: run the rack

For exercise 3, grab dumbbells that you can lift 12 to 13 times

in a single set. Do 10 reps. Rest 10 seconds. Grab a pair that is

5 to 10 pounds lighter. Do 10 reps, and again rest 10 seconds.

Continue until you do 5 sets, or you can’t do at least 8 reps

with the weights you selected. Rest 2 minutes.

special technique: drop sets

For exercise 4: Same as run the rack, except that you’re using

a machine or cable apparatus, and moving a pin instead of

selecting dumbbells.

Notes

Dip*

Reps Rest set 1 set 2 set 3

Round 1 10 15s

Round 2 10 15s

PHASE



Week 10,

day tWo

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

Reps Rest set 1 set 2 set 3 set4

5-6 2-3m

Repeat Exercises 3 and 4 for a second round.

Close-Grip

Lat Pulldown

Reps Rest set 1 set 2 set 3 set4

10-12 1m

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

Reps Rest set 1 set 2 set 3

Round 1 10 15s

Round 2 10 15s

Banded

Pushup

Reps Rest set 1 set 2 set 3 set4

10-12 1m

Special Technique: Triple reST-pauSe

For exercise 3, start with a weight that you can lift 12 to 13 times

in a single set. Do 10 reps. Rest 15 seconds. Do another set

with the same weight, getting as many reps as possible. Rest

15 seconds. Do as many reps as possible. Rest 2 minutes.

Special Technique: Triple reST-pauSe

For exercise 4: Same as in the previous exercise.

USE A MACHINE IF POSSIBLE. IF NOT, YOU HAVE THREE OPTIONS: 1. Do traditional dips,

if the most you can do in an all-out set is 12 to 13 reps. 2. Do weighted or band-resisted

dips, again choosing a resistance that you could handle for 12 to 13 reps. 3. If traditional

dips are too challenging, do bench dips.

Notes

Men’s Health Training Guide 51

Barbell

Romanian Deadlift

PhAsE



week 10,

daY tHree

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

56 23m

Seated

Cable Row

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Repeat Exercises 3 and 4 for a second round.

Standing

Cable Curl

Dumbbell

Floor Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Triceps Pushdown

(Straight Bar)

special technique: 3 positions

For exercise 3, set the cable pulley to the lowest slot and attach a

straight bar. Grab the bar with a wide grip (wrists outside elbows).

Do 10 to 12 curls. Rest 15 seconds. Narrow your grip so your

wrists are inside your elbows. Do 10 to 12 reps, then rest 15

seconds. Use an in-between grip with your wrists and elbows

aligned, and do another 10 to 12 reps. Rest 2 minutes.

special technique: 3 positions

For exercise 4: Repeat the 3-position sequence for extensions,

using an overhand grip.

Notes

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

Round 1 1012 15s

Round 2 1012 15s

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

Round 1 1012 15s

Round 2 1012 15s

PhAsE



week 10,

daY four

Chinup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

56 23m

Leg

Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

REPS REST SET 1

Round 1 21 2m

Round 2 21 2m

EZ-Bar

Curl

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

1012 1m

Repeat Exercises 3 and 4 for a second round.

REPS REST SET 1

Round 1 21 2m

Round 2 21 2m

EZ-Bar

Skull Crusher

special technique: 21 s

For exercise 3, do 7 partial reps in the top half of the range of

motion, starting with your forearms parallel to the loor.

Without pausing, do 7 more in the bottom half, stopping with

your forearms parallel to the loor. Immediately do 7 through

the full range of motion. Rest 2 minutes.

special technique: 21 s

For exercise 4: Repeat the technique described above with skull

crushers: 7 top-half partials, 7 bottom-half partials, 7 full range.

Notes

Men’s Health Training Guide 53

PhAsE



week 11,

daY one

REST 7 REPS 6 REPS 5 REPS 4 REPS 3 REPS 2 REPS 1 REPS

CHINUP ALAP*

HAMMER

CURL

ALAP*

Dip

Barbell

Back Squat

Barbell

Curl

2a 2b

Chinup

Hammer

Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 1m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 1m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

45 23m

special technique: 7-1 reps

For exercises 3a and 3b, do 7 chinups, followed immediately

by 7 hammer curls. Then do 6 of each, 5 of each, etc., until

you inish with 1 of each. Rest as little as possible until you

complete all 28 reps of both exercises.

As little as possible.

Notes

PhAsE



week 11,

daY two

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

REPS REST SET 1

100 ALAP*

Banded

Pushup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 1m

Close-Grip

Lat Pulldown

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 1m

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

45 23m

special technique: 100 reps

Nope, not a typo. For exercise 3, you’re going to do 100 reps,

with as few pauses and as little rest as possible.

As little as possible.

Notes

Men’s Health Training Guide 55

PhAsE



week 11,

daY tHree

Barbell

Romanian Deadlift

Dip Pushup

Seated

Cable Row

Dumbbell

Floor Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

45 23m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 1m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 1m

3a 3b

REST 7 REPS 6 REPS 5 REPS 4 REPS 3 REPS 2 REPS 1 REPS

DIP ALAP*

PUSHUP ALAP*

special technique: 7-1 reps

For exercises 3a and 3b, do 7 dips, followed immediately by

7 pushups. Then do 6 of each, 5 of each, etc., until you inish

with 1 of each. Rest as little as possible until you complete

all 28 reps of both exercises.

As little as possible.

Notes

PhAsE



week 11,

daY four

Chinup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET 4 SET 5

45 23m

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 1m

Leg

Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3 SET4

810 1m

EZ-Bar

Skull Crusher

REPS REST SET 1

100 ALAP*

special technique: 100 reps

For exercise 3: Do all 100 reps with as few pauses and as little

rest as possible.

As little as possible.

Notes

Dip

PhAsE



week 12,

daY one

Barbell

Back Squat

Barbell

Curl

2a 2b

Chinup

Hammer

Curl

REST 9 REPS 8 REPS 7 REPS 6 REPS 5 REPS 4 REPS 3 REPS 2 REPS 1 REPS

CHINUP ALAP*

HAMMER

CURL

ALAP*

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

68 23m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

special technique: 9-1 reps

For exercises 3a and 3b, do 9 chinups, followed immediately

by 9 hammer curls. Then do 6 of each, 5 of each, etc., until

you inish with 1 of each. Rest as little as possible until you

complete all 45 reps of both exercises.

As little as possible.

Notes

Men’s Health Training Guide 57

PhAsE



week 12,

daY two

REPS REST SET 1

50 ALAP*

EZ-Bar

Preacher Curl

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

Banded

Pushup

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

Close-Grip

Lat Pulldown

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

68 23m

Barbell Narrow-Grip

Bench Press

special technique: 50 reps

For exercise 3: Same drill as before, only with 50 reps instead

of 100, using a heavier weight.

As little as possible.

Notes

Men’s Health Training Guide 59

PhAsE



week 12,

daY tHree

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

68 23m

Barbell

Romanian Deadlift

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

Seated

Cable Row

Dumbbell

Floor Press

REST 9 REPS 8 REPS 7 REPS 6 REPS 5 REPS 4 REPS 3 REPS 2 REPS 1 REPS

DIP ALAP*

PUSHUP ALAP*

Dip Pushup

3a 3b

special technique: 9-1 reps

For exercises 3a and 3b: Do 9 dips, followed immediately by

9 pushups. Then do 8 of each, 7 of each, etc., until you inish

with 1 of each. Rest as little as possible until you complete all

45 reps of both exercises.

As little as possible.

Notes

PhAsE



week 12,

daY four

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

REPS REST SET 1

50 ALAP*

EZ-Bar

Skull Crusher

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2

1215 1m

Leg

Press

REPS REST SET 1 SET 2 SET 3

68 23m

Chinup

special technique: 50 reps

For exercise 3: Same drill as before, only with 50 reps instead

of 100, using a heavier weight.

As little as possible.

Notes

conGratulations! You’ve inished the Badass Arms workout program.

I can’t wait to see your results, so take your inal progress photo and mea-

surements and share them on Instagram using the hashtag #BadassArms!

Tag @menshealthmag for a chance to be featured on MensHealth.com.

Men’s Health Training Guide 61

the

exerCiSe

guiDe

exercise Guide

Banded Pushup

Same as the pushup: a great exercise for your chest, shoulders, triceps, and core. But the goal

here is to increase the tension in the top half of the pushup, which is when the triceps are

most active. Just remember that it’s still a pushup, which means you need to keep your body

aligned throughout the range of motion.

hoW to Do it: Wrap a resistance band behind your back and hold it with one hand in each loop. Get down on the

loor in the classic pushup position. The tricky part is positioning the band just below your lats so it stays in place

throughout the movement. Lower yourself slowly, keeping tension in your torso muscles, which in turn will keep the

band from sliding up your back and onto your neck. Hold at the top and squeeze your triceps hard. Slowly lower

yourself and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 63

Barbell Back Squat

Bodybuilding magazines used to call the barbell back squat “the king of all exercises,” and it’s

probably true in terms of total muscle activation. The prime movers are the quads, hamstrings,

and glutes, which are your body’s biggest and strongest muscles. But pretty much every muscle

in your torso and lower body works to keep you balanced and stabilized.

hoW to Do it: Load a barbell in the squat rack just below shoulder height. Grab the bar with your hands outside

your shoulders and duck under it. Squeeze your shoulder blades together and position the bar on the platform

created by your upper traps. Lift it o the supports, step back, and set your feet about shoulder-width apart, with

your feet pointed forward or angled out slightly. (Feel free to go wider with your stance if it works better for you.)

Push your hips back and lower your body as far as you can while keeping your lower back in its natural arch. Push

back up to the starting position and repeat.

exercise Guide

Barbell

Bent-over Row

It works the hell out of your entire back—upper, middle, lower—along with your biceps and

forearms. But with higher reward comes higher risk, and you must be extremely careful with

this exercise if you have any history of lower-back pain. Maintain strict form and increase

weights conservatively.

hoW to Do it: Load a barbell and set it on boxes or the supports of a squat rack. If you

don’t have either, you’ll have to lift it o the loor to begin each set, with all the appropriate

precautions. Grab the bar overhand, with your hands just beyond shoulder width. Lift it

o the supports, step back, and stand holding the bar against your thighs with your arms

straight and feet somewhere between hip- and shoulder-width apart. Now for the important

part: Bend forward at the hips, with a slight bend in your knees and your lower back in

its naturally arched position, and hold the bar in front of your knees, directly below your

chest. Pull the bar to your upper abdomen without rocking your torso. Slowly lower the

bar and repeat.

optioN

Underhand-

grip row

It’s the exact same

exercise, only with an

underhand grip to

give more work to your

biceps, with less for your

rear delts and middle

and upper traps. You’ll

probably pull the bar

to a point a bit lower on

your abdomen, which

could be a little easier

on your lower back.

safetY tip: With either variation, you should feel tension in your hamstrings in the starting

position. If you don’t, there’s a good chance you’re using your lower back to support the

weight, which is exactly what you don’t want.

Men’s Health Training Guide 65

Barbell Curl

In the early days of powerlifting, the barbell curl was sometimes part of the competition, along

with the squat, bench press, and deadlift. Generations of lifters considered it a fundamental

test of strength. It’s not nearly as popular or respected now, in part because you rarely see a

lifter do barbell curls with heavy weights and strict form. It can also be very tough on the wrists.

If your wrists hurt, don’t hesitate to switch to standing EZ-bar curls (page 81).

hoW to Do it: Before you pick up a weight, stand with your arms at your sides and palms facing out. Your hands

will be wider than shoulder width. That should be the strongest and most joint-friendly grip for you. Now load a

barbell, either on the loor or, if you’re training at home or in a mostly empty gym, the supports of a squat rack.

(Don’t be That Guy who does curls in the rack when someone wants to use it for squats.) Grab it with the grip I just

described. If you’re lifting from the loor, treat it like a deadlift, with your body tight and the muscles in your

hips and thighs doing all the work. Set your feet shoulder-width apart, pull your shoulder blades down, and curl the

weight as high as you can without using your back or hips or coming up on your toes. Lower the bar and repeat.

Barbell Front Squat

Moving the bar to the front of your shoulders, rather than

the back, means you have to keep your torso more upright through-

out the movement. You should be able to descend farther, creating

a greater range of motion and thus more work for your quads.

hoW to Do it: Load the bar in the squat rack, grab it with your hands shoulder-

width apart, and rotate your arms under the bar so your upper arms are parallel

to the loor and the bar rests on the platform created by your front delts. Lift it

o the rack, step back, and set your feet shoulder-width apart. Push your hips

back and lower your body as far as you can while keeping your torso upright. Push

back up to the starting position and repeat.

VariatioNS

There are multiple ways to

support the bar. Some prefer to

cross their forearms in front of

their chest. Others use weight-

lifting straps. Or you can skip

the barbell and do goblet squats

(hold a heavy dumbbell or ket-

tlebell with both hands against

your chest) or double-kettlebell

front squats (hold two kettle-

bells in the rack position).

exercise Guide

Men’s Health Training Guide 67

Barbell Incline

Bench Press

It works your upper chest, like the dumbbell incline press (page 77). It also hits your front

shoulders and triceps, and probably hits them a lot harder than the dumbbell version.

hoW to Do it: Set an incline bench to the angle that feels best to your muscles and joints. Load a barbell on the

supports, position yourself on the bench, and grab the bar with your hands up to one and a half times shoulder-width

apart. (A narrower grip should work your shoulders and triceps harder, while a wider grip will put more emphasis

on your upper pecs.) Lift the bar o the supports and straighten your arms. Lower the bar to the top of your chest,

then push back up to the starting position and repeat.

exercise Guide

Barbell Narrow-grip

Bench Press

First things rst: This is not a “close-grip” bench press, which is absolutely brutal to your wrists.

Your hands will be roughly shoulder width, or a bit wider, which means your thumbs will be

about 18 to 20 inches apart. The key to this variation is your elbow position, as described below.

Second thing: The goal is to force your triceps to do more of the work, not to build your “inner

pecs,” as old-school bodybuilders believed. Third thing: If the strict position described here

causes any elbow discomfort, widen your grip and move your elbows out from your torso until

you can do the movement pain-free.

hoW to Do it: Load a barbell and lie on the bench with your back arched slightly and your feet on the loor. Grab

the bar with your thumbs over your front delts. (Wrap your thumbs around the bar, both for safety and to save

your wrists.) Lift the bar o the supports and hold it over your chest with your arms straight. Slowly lower it to your

chest with your elbows close to your ribs—don’t lare them out, in other words. Push the bar back to the starting

position and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 69

Barbell Romanian

Deadlift

It’s dierent from the traditional deadlift in two ways: First, you start with your body straight

and lower the weight toward the oor, rather than lifting it o the oor from a dead stop.

Second, you limit the range of motion, with minimal knee bend. You’ll probably feel it most in

your hamstrings, but the key to the movement is the hip hinge, which is driven primarily by

your glutes.

hoW to Do it:Load a barbell and set it on the supports of a squat rack at about knee height. Grab the bar over-

hand, your hands just outside your legs. Lift it o the rack, step back, and set your feet about shoulder-width apart,

toes forward. Push your hips back and lower the weights toward the loor, keeping your back straight and your

shoulders and torso tight. Stop when the weights pass your knees, or sooner if you feel your lower back start to

shift out of its natural arch. Push your hips forward and return to the starting position.

exercise Guide

Barbell Strict Press

A long, long time ago, there was an exercise called the military press. You performed it with

military precision by keeping your heels together, toes pointed out, knees locked, and torso

completely upright. This is not that. What I mean by a strict press is that the entire lift is

generated by your arms and shoulders, with no help from your lower body. It trains your

deltoids and triceps primarily, with help from your upper traps and other stabilizing muscles

in your shoulder girdle. Everything else—all the muscles from your neck to your feet—helps

to keep your body in a stable, upright position.

hoW to Do it: The strict press may be the most technically complex upper-body exercise in my program. (Although

the barbell bent-over row comes close.) Start with the bar on the supports of a squat rack at shoulder level. Grab

the bar overhand, with your hands about shoulder-width apart and your thumbs wrapped around the bar. Pull your

body beneath the bar so it’s below your chin and resting on your shoulders. Tighten your upper back to push your

chest out and create a strong platform to lift from. Lift it o the supports and step back. Set your feet shoulder-width

apart. Push the bar straight overhead, moving your chin out of the way. Finish with your arms straight and the bar

directly over the shoulders and the back half of your skull. Lower it along the same path, pause to make sure your body

is properly set, and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 71

VariatioN 1

Weighted chinup

When you can get all the reps with just your body

weight, add weight by using a dipping belt, a weight

vest, or a backpack.

VariatioN 2

Hollow-body chinup

Want a great challenge? Perform a chinup in a hollow-

body position. Instead of crossing your ankles behind

you, hang with your legs straight and angled slightly

out in front of you so that your body resembles a wide

“C” shape.

VariatioN 3

Machine chinup

If you can’t get close to the required reps with your

body weight, you can use a machine, if you have

access to one. Just try to wean yourself o as soon

as possible.

VariatioN 4

Band-assisted chinup

There are a couple of ways to do it: You can loop a r

esistance band around the top of the bar, and then

around one or both of your feet or knees. Or you can

attach the band to the supports of a squat rack and

stand or kneel on the band. Either way, the band

helps you bounce out of the bottom position and get

a couple more reps than you would without it.

Problem is, most of us don’t need help in the bottom

part of the movement, when the lats are doing most

of the work. If we’re going to get stuck somewhere,

it’s usually closer to the top. That’s why, if you’re going to

use assistance, the best choice is a spotter who can help

you finish reps by pushing up from your feet or knees,

rather than a band that helps you start reps.

VariatioN 5

Inverted row

You can do this with a barbell in a squat rack, a Smith

machine, or a TRX-type suspension system. It’s basically

a pushup in reverse, and you’re probably lifting about

the same percentage of your body weight on each

rep—somewhere between 60 and 70 percent. You can

raise or lower the bar or straps to make your sets

harder or easier—the lower the starting point, the harder

it should be—and also adjust your feet on the ground

during a set to get a couple more reps at the end.

Chinup

The best way to work any muscle is to push or pull

in the same direction as the muscle bers. The

chinup does exactly that for both your biceps and

lats. It also hits the lower part of your trapezius,

and brings in your core muscles to stabilize your

torso and hips while you hang from the bar.

hoW to Do it: Grab the chinup bar with an underhand,

shoulder-width grip. Hang from the bar with your body

straight from knuckles to knees, with your knees bent and

feet crossed behind you. Pull up as high as you can, feel

the squeeze in your biceps, lower yourself to a dead hang,

and repeat.

exercise Guide

Close-grip Lat Pulldown

If you don’t know that a lat pulldown works your lats, you probably shouldn’t be doing this

program. What’s interesting about the close grip is all the other muscles that come into play.

As with hammer curls, the palms-in position activates the brachialis and brachioradialis,

along with the biceps. You’ll even do a little work for your chest, thanks to the fact your upper-

arm bones are rotated inward. In exchange, your rear delts and various upper-back muscles

get less work than they would with a wider, overhand grip.

hoW to Do it: Attach a triangle handle to the high pulley of a lat-pulldown station. Grab the handles with your

palms facing each other. Start with your arms straight out and your body forming a straight line from your shoulders

to your feet. Pull the handle to your chest, while pushing your chest out to meet it. Pause, feel the squeeze in your

arms and back, slowly return to the starting position, and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 73

Deadlift

You’ve probably heard the term “base of strength.” It’s usually used when explaining to a new

lifter why he or she needs to develop total-body strength before focusing on smaller muscles like

the arms. The deadlift, more than any other single exercise, both accomplishes and displays the

results of that goal. A strong person can lift a heavy weight o the oor. A weak person can’t.

The prime movers are the muscles in the posterior chain—lats, traps, glutes, hamstrings—

with a tremendous stabilizing challenge for all the muscles in your upper, middle, and lower

back. Holding the bar calls all the gripping muscles in your hands and forearms into action.

The heavier the weight, the harder your quads and lower-leg muscles have to work, even though

there’s a relatively small range of motion in your knees and ankles.

hoW to Do it: Load a barbell on the loor, using bumper plates

(the ones with rubber coating) if you have them. Stand with

your shins against the bar, your feet about shoulder-width apart,

toes pointed forward or angled out slightly. Push your hips back

and grab the bar overhand, your hands just outside your legs.

Tighten everything from your hands through your feet, with your

arms straight and your shoulders, spine, and hips locked into a

single unit. Push your hips forward as you pull the weight o the

loor, keeping it as close to your legs as possible. Finish with

your body straight and the bar against your thighs. Push your hips

back as you lower it to the loor. Reset your grip and repeat.

exercise Guide

Dip

You won’t nd an exercise that works the triceps harder, espe-

cially when you add weight. You’re also working your chest and

shoulders, and that’s the tricky part. Go too low in the bottom

position, or drop down too fast from the top, and you can wreck

your shoulders. You might also strain your chest, especially at

the muscle attachments along your sternum. My advice: Start

carefully, with strict movements and a conservative range of

motion. No one gives you a prize for bending your elbows more

than 90 degrees.

hoW to Do it: Grab the bars and lift your body so your arms are straight,

your body is angled forward slightly, and your feet are crossed behind you.

(The more upright you are, the harder you’ll work your triceps, while a forward

lean shifts more of the load to your chest.) Your neck should be aligned

with your torso and eyes focused straight ahead throughout the movement.

Lower yourself until your elbows are bent about 90 degrees and your upper

arms are parallel to the loor. When in doubt, use a shorter range of motion.

Push back up to the starting position and repeat.

VariatioN 1

Weighted Dip

When you can get all the reps in

every set, you need to add weight.

Most gyms will have a dipping

belt—a weight belt with a chain that

allows you to attach a dumbbell or

plates. You can also use a weighted

vest or a backpack. Whichever

you choose, build up slowly, and

never sacriice good form or ignore

pain in your chest or shoulders.

VariatioN 2

Machine Dip

If your gym has a dip machine, you

can use it for the triple rest-pause

technique in Phase 3.

VariatioN 3

Band-assisted Dip

Another option for the triple rest-

pause is to use a resistance band.

Loop the ends over the dip bars,

kneel on the middle of the band,

and use it to help you bounce out of

the bottom position.

VariatioN 4

Bench Dip

If you can’t do parallel-bar dips

for the required reps, bench dips

are an option. They work the same

muscles with less risk, as long

as you’re careful not to strain your

shoulders by exaggerating the

range of motion.

Place your hands palms-down

on the edge of a bench and stretch

your legs out in front of you. Start

with your arms and torso straight

and perpendicular to the loor, hips

raised, and your body as close to

the bench as possible. Bend your

arms behind you and lower yourself

until your elbows are bent about

90 degrees. Push back up and repeat.

Keep your body so close to the

bench that you can feel it scraping

your shirt as you go up and down.

Men’s Health Training Guide 75

Dumbbell Floor Press

The goal here is to take all the momentum out of the lift by resting your upper arms on the oor.

It’ll be hardest for your front delts, since they have to initiate the movement from a dead start.

But you’ll also work your triceps harder, both because of the dead start and because you’ve

reduced the exercise to the part in which they’re most active.

hoW to Do it: Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie on your back on the loor, with your knees bent and feet lat. Start

with your arms straight and the weights over your chest. Lower the weights slowly until your upper arms rest on the

loor. (Don’t slam your arms to the loor, in other words.) Pause, press them back to the starting position, and repeat.

exercise Guide

Dumbbell Goblet

Split Squat

A split squat, sometimes called a stationary lunge, works all your lower-body muscles. The split

stance calls more stabilizing muscles into action—if you have any imbalances or weak links,

they’ll be exposed—while doubling the total amount of work they do, since you’re performing

all the reps with each leg forward.

hoW to Do it: Stand holding a dumbbell with both hands against your chest beneath your chin. Take a long step

back, with your weight balanced between your front foot, which is lat on the loor, and the toes of your rear foot.

Lower your body until both knees are bent about 90 degrees and the rear knee is close to the loor. Push back up and

repeat. Do all your reps, then switch sides and repeat the set.

Men’s Health Training Guide 77

Dumbbell Incline

Bench Press

This is a basic chest-building exercise that also hits your triceps and

the front part of your deltoids. The angle of incline is up to you. A lower

incline (15 to 30 degrees) will work more of the pectoralis muscle,

while a higher incline (45 to 60 degrees) will put more emphasis on the

upper pecs and the front delts.

hoW to Do it: Set a bench to an incline that feels best to you, both in terms of shoulder

comfort and muscle activation. Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie back on the bench with

your arms straight and perpendicular to the loor. Lower the weights to the sides of your

shoulders, push them back up to the starting position, and repeat.

VariatioN

I like to do this exercise

with my palms facing

in throughout the

movement, which opens

up the shoulder capsule

and also oers more

contrast to the barbell

bench press. Feel free

to use either grip; your

chest muscles won’t

know the dierence.

exercise Guide

Dumbbell Incline Curl

If you look at an anatomy chart, you’ll see that your biceps have two parts:

The long head, which is targeted in this exercise, is on the outside of your

upper arm. When you do curls with your arms behind your torso, you’ll start

each rep with your long head in a pre-stretched position, which forces your

biceps to work harder. But with harder reps comes more risk: The tendon

at the top of the muscle crosses the middle of your shoulder joint, a small

space it shares with lots of other connective tissues. It’s the anatomical

equivalent of that one-bedroom apartment you shared with four roommates,

two dogs, and a steady stream of friends who needed a place to crash. The

farther you lean back, the greater the risk of injuring the ligament.

If you’ve never done the exercise before, start with a slight incline

(75 degrees, say), and if that feels okay try lowering it to 60 and then

45 degrees. But if any of those angles make your shoulders angry, bring

the bench back up.

hoW to Do it: Set a bench to a 45-degree angle, or whatever works best for your shoulders.

Grab a pair of dumbbells and set up with your feet on the loor, back on the bench, and

arms perpendicular to the loor. You’ll probably be most comfortable if you keep your

head upright, rather than leaning back on the bench, so your neck is aligned with your

arms. Starting with your arms straight, bend your elbows and curl the weights as high as

you can while keeping your elbows pointing down to the loor. Slowly lower the weights

and repeat.

VariatioN

Dumbbell

alternating

incline curl

Lift one weight at a

time. Which arm you

start with is up to you.

If your nondominant

arm (your left if

you’re right-handed)

is weaker than the

dominant side, you

probably want to

start with that one

until they’re equally

strong. If they’re pretty

close now, you may

prefer to start with

the dominant side.

You’ll force your

nondominant arm to

work a bit harder,

since your body will

be slightly more

fatigued on each rep.

Men’s Health Training Guide 79

Dumbbell Seated

Shoulder Press

No mystery here: A shoulder press works your shoulders, along with your triceps and upper

trapezius. The seated position takes some of the stress o your lower back. You can do this on

a bench designed for seated presses, or raise an incline bench to 90 degrees. My favorite way

to do them: Sit on a at bench, which doesn’t restrict the movement of your shoulder blades.

hoW to Do it: Grab a pair of dumbbells, sit on a bench, and lift them to your shoulders. You can hold them with your

palms out or turned in. You can also press with your upper arms more or less aligned with your torso, or with them

angled forward slightly. Whatever feels best to you—least discomfort, most muscle activation—is ine. Press the weights

straight up over your shoulders, feeling the tension in your muscles at the top. Slowly lower them and repeat.

exercise Guide

Dumbbell

Single-arm Row

Rowing exercises are pretty simple: Your lats do most of the work, with help from your traps,

rear delts, biceps, and forearms. This variation, called a three-point row, creates more work for

the stabilizing muscles in your upper back and core, since you’re doing all the reps with each

arm. At the same time, with both feet on the oor and one hand on the bench, you’re lifting

from a strong, stable position, allowing you to work up to challenging weights.

hoW to Do it: Set a dumbbell on the loor next to a bench. Bend forward at the hips, keeping your back straight,

and rest one hand on the bench. Pick up the dumbbell with the other hand. Start with your arm hanging straight

down from your shoulder. Pull the dumbbell up to the side of your torso without rotating your shoulders. Lower the

weight and repeat. Do all your reps, switch sides, and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 81

EZ-bar Curl

Like a barbell curl (page 65), this curl targets your biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis.

Unlike a barbell curl, this variation is easy on your wrists.

hoW to Do it: Grab an EZ-curl bar with an underhand, shoulder-width grip. Your palms should angle inward. Let

the bar hang at arm’s length in front of your waist. Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the

bar as close to your shoulders as you can. Pause, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position. Each

time you return to the starting position, completely straighten your arms.

exercise Guide

EZ-bar Decline

Skull Crusher

Your upper arms will be diagonal to your torso, rather than perpendicular to it as they would

be in a regular skull crusher. That puts the long triceps head into more of a stretched position

at the bottom, making it work even harder to extend your elbows.

hoW to Do it: Load an EZ bar and grab it with your hands turned in toward each other. Lie back on a decline

bench with your arms straight up. (If you’re training at home, or work out in a gym that doesn’t have a decline bench,

you can elevate one end of the bench by resting it on a couple of weight plates.) Set your feet on the loor. Bend

your elbows and slowly lower the bar toward your forehead, stopping just short of catastrophe. Straighten your

arms and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 83

EZ-bar Drag Curl

It’s a stricter movement than the barbell curl (page 65), with a double emphasis on the peak

contraction: You end up with your arms slightly behind your torso, working the long head

of the biceps (the part that adds height to your exed biceps), and the constricted movement

forces you to squeeze hard right at the top of the range of motion.

hoW to Do it: Load an EZ-curl bar, grab it with your palms angled toward each other, and stand with your arms

straight and feet shoulder-width apart. Pull the bar straight up your torso. The bar will stop around mid-torso,

when your forearms are parallel to the loor. Pause and feel the squeeze at that point; don’t try to extend the range

of motion because you’ll release tension on the biceps, defeating the purpose. Lower the bar and repeat.

exercise Guide

EZ-bar French Press

In this move, the long head of your triceps is fully stretched in the bottom position, which

means you’re working that part of the muscle very hard.

hoW to Do it: Load an EZ bar and grab it with your hands turned in toward each other. Stand and raise the bar

overhead. Bend your elbows and slowly lower the bar behind your head. Push it back up and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 85

EZ-bar Preacher Curl

If an incline curl (page 78) emphasizes the long head of the biceps, you would guess that a

preacher curl hits the short head on the inside of your arm. Does it work that way? Probably,

but I doubt if you’d notice. The EZ-bar preacher curl has several advantages over other curls:

With your arms braced against the pad, it’s a very strict range of motion (unless you use too

much weight and undermine your own form).

The cambered EZ bar is slightly easier on your wrists than a barbell because your hands are

angled toward each other. So you should be able to do more work with fewer aches and pains.

It’s a good way to work the brachialis—a thick, strong muscle between the biceps and your

upper-arm bone—along with both heads of the biceps.

hoW to Do it: Load an EZ bar and set it on the supports at the

bottom of the preacher bench. Adjust the bench height so you

can sit on the seat with your upper arms on the pad and your

shoulders directly over your biceps. Grab the bar so your wrists

are turned toward each other. Sit and tighten up your arms,

shoulders, and torso. Starting with your arms straight, curl the

bar as high as you can with without moving anything but your

elbows. Lower the bar and repeat.

no preacHer BencH? You have a few options:

Use an incline bench and a dumbbell, and work with

one arm at a time.

If you work out in a gym with a curl machine, try that.

If you train at home, you can lie on your chest on an

incline bench with your arms hanging over the edge,

and do the curls with dumbbells or an EZ bar.

exercise Guide

EZ-bar Skull Crusher

Skull crushers put your arms perpendicular to your torso, which stretches the long head of the

triceps in the bottom position and makes it work harder to extend your elbows. Because the

exercise is more challenging—not to mention more dangerous, since you’re literally lowering

the bar toward your skull—you’ll force the muscles in your wrists and forearms to work harder

than they do in cable triceps exercises.

hoW to Do it: Load an EZ bar and grab it with your hands turned in toward each other. Lie back on a bench with

your arms straight and perpendicular to your torso. (You can also start with your upper arms angled back slightly

toward your head, which stretches the triceps even more.) Set your feet on the loor. Bend your elbows and slowly

lower the bar toward your forehead, stopping just short of catastrophe. Straighten your arms and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 87

Hammer Curl

The brachialis works in tandem with the brachioradialis, the big muscle on the top of your

forearm. The hammer curl targets those two muscles while putting your arms in the strongest

position to lift something heavy.

hoW to Do it: Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand with arms straight, feet shoulder-width apart, and palms turned in

toward each other. Bend your elbows and curl the weights without rotating your wrists. Lower the weights and repeat.

exercise Guide

Leg Press

The leg press works the major lower-body muscles—quads, glutes, hamstrings—while taking away

the stabilizing challenges of squats and split squats. But mostly it’s used to develop the quadriceps.

hoW to Do it: Load the machine, set the back support to an appropriate angle for your body—if you aren’t sure

what adjustments to make, don’t hesitate to ask a gym employee. Position yourself in the machine with your feet

between hip- and shoulder-width apart and your back lat against the pad. Push the platform just enough to release

the supports, and set your body so your hips, knees, and ankles are all bent about 90 degrees in the starting position.

(The angles will be a little more extreme before you start the exercise.) Push against the platform until your legs are

straight, slowly return to the starting position, and repeat, keeping your lower back in its natural arch throughout

the movement.

Men’s Health Training Guide 89

Pushup

You’ve probably been doing pushups most of your life. You know the pushup works your chest,

shoulders, and triceps. You may or may not know that it’s also a pretty good core exercise, as

long as you keep your form strict and don’t allow your lower back to collapse so you can knock

out a few more crappy reps.

hoW to Do it: Get into position with your hands directly below your shoulders, feet hip-width apart, and your body

in a straight line from neck to ankles. Bend your elbows and lower your body as a unit toward the loor. Stop when

your chest is an inch from the loor, or your upper arms are parallel to the loor, whichever comes irst. (The latter

stopping point is important for lifters who’re tall, thin, and/or long-armed. Going too deep can be very tough on

your shoulder joints.) Push yourself back up to the starting position. Be sure to complete each repetition with your

arms straight and upper back lat.

exercise Guide

Rack Pull

Same as the deadlift, only with a shorter range of motion because the bar is raised o the oor

in the starting position.

hoW to Do it: Set a barbell on supports or boxes so it’s just below knee height. Load the bar and set up as you would

for a deadlift, with your hands just outside your legs. Push your hips forward as you pull the bar o the supports.

Finish in an upright position, then push your hips back, lower the bar to the supports, reset your grip, and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 91

Rope Triceps Pressdown

The triceps, as its name implies, has three sections. Its horseshoe shape comes from the long

head, on the inside of your upper arm, and the lateral head, on the outside. There’s also a

medial head, which is closer to your elbow on the inside of your arm. Any elbow extension

exercise—including presses and dips—engage all three heads. But by changing your grip,

you can put more emphasis on one over the others. Which brings us to the rope pressdown:

It allows you to hit the lateral head a little harder.

hoW to Do it: Attach a rope to the cable pulley and move it to the highest setting. Stand facing the machine and

grab the ends of the rope with both hands, palms toward each other. Start with your elbows bent and hands in

front of your chest. Pull it straight down, with all the movement at your elbow joints. Pull your hands apart at the

bottom, feel the squeeze in your triceps, then return to the starting position and repeat.

exercise Guide

Seated Cable Curl

The idea is the same as the dumbbell incline curl, with your arms slightly behind your torso.

By doing it with cables, you’ll keep more tension on your muscles throughout the range of

motion—when you’re lowering the weights as well as when you’re lifting them.

hoW to Do it: Set up a bench in between two cable pulleys. Set the pulleys to the lowest position and attach

stirrup handles. Grab the handles and position yourself on the bench with your arms straight and tension on the

cables. Curl the handles as high as you can without moving your arms forward. Slowly lower them and repeat.

Men’s Health Training Guide 93

Seated Cable Row

There’s a reason why this exercise is popular with everyone from beginners to advanced body-

builders: It works all the muscles in your middle and upper back—lats, traps, rear delts—

along with your biceps, all without excessively fatiguing your stabilizing muscles. So it’s a good

tool for beginners who are just learning their way around the gym while also useful for experi-

enced lifters who use it to target specic areas of their back.

hoW to Do it: Attach any handle you feel like using at this point in the program, position yourself on the machine

with your feet braced and your torso either upright or leaning back slightly, and pull the handle to your lower

chest or upper abdomen. Be sure to complete each rep with a full contraction of your upper-back muscles, return

to the starting position, and repeat.

exercise Guide

Single-arm Pressdown

It’s described and shown with a stirrup handle and an overhand grip. But you

can change it up by using an underhand grip, which will work the medial

head a little harder, or by using a single-hand rope attachment (if your gym

has one), which puts more focus on the lateral head.

hoW to Do it: Attach a stirrup handle to the high cable pulley. Grab it with one hand,

using an overhand grip. Starting with your elbow bent and the handle in front of your chest,

straighten your arm while keeping the rest of your body stationary. Feel the squeeze, return

to the starting position, and repeat.

VariatioN

If you choose the

underhand or rope

variations, rotate

your hand inward

at the very end of

the movement.

You’ll feel a uniquely

intense contraction

in your triceps.

Men’s Health Training Guide 95

Standing Cable Curl

Three positions

It’s just a lot of work for your biceps, working the muscles from three dierent angles.

hoW to Do it: Attach a straight bar (wider than the one shown) to the cable pulley and move it to the lowest

setting. Grab the bar with your hands wider than your elbows. Do 10 to 12 reps. Narrow your grip so your hands

are inside your elbows. Do 10 to 12 more. Now grab the bar with your elbows and wrists aligned, and inish the

set with 10 to 12 more reps.

Triceps Pressdown

(Straight Bar)

It works all three heads of your triceps.

hoW to Do it: Attach a straight bar to the high pulley of a cable station. Bend your arms and grab the bar with

an overhand grip, your hands shoulder-width apart. Tuck your upper arms next to your sides. Without moving your

upper arms, push the bar down until your elbows are locked. Slowly return to the starting position.

exercise Guide

Download
Save PDF to desktop

Email
Email completed PDF

Send for Signing
Email for others to sign

Print
Print document

NAME

A Training Guide (City of Oakland)

View Audit Log
Print With Audit Log
Duplicate Document

Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank A Training Guide (City of Oakland) Form

Related forms

Fillable A Training Guide (City of Oakland)

Fill Online, Printable, Fillable, Blank A Training Guide (City of Oakland) Form

Related forms

First 20 documents completely FREE!