Okay, so I know I’m overly thin. I can’t control my genetics. But I have been successful in the muscle-building arena, which only takes about 30 minutes of focused effort a day. Today I will focus on just the arms, shoulders, and back. Legs and ‘posterior’ will be covered in a later post. I like to do super-sets, which allows you to work multiple muscle groups at once and to bring your muscles to a point of fatigue or depletion much faster as well. Such has been my experience, anyway. Here is the basic arms routine I follow at home, using just two sets of dumbbells, or you may need three when you’re first getting started.
1) TRICEPS
a) The Dumbbell Kick-back
· Use 4-5 kg/ 8-12 lb. dumbbells, or whatever weight you feel comfortable with using while maintaining proper form
· Feet positioned slightly less than shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, leaning forward at about a 30 degree angle from upright position, hold dumbbells vertically in each hand, elbows bent upward to start. Thrust the dumbbells back, fully extending elbows and pushing back, using the triceps as you press upward and backward, and then return to the starting position. This is one repetition.
· Do 3 sets of 8-10 repetitions, resting only 30 seconds between each set.
b) The Overhead Triceps Extension
· Use a single 7-10 kg/15-22 lb dumbbell OR TWO 5 kg/10-12 lb. weights, held overhead with both hands, with elbows bent to about 90 degrees, chest open with elbows pointed out at an angle, dumbbells positioned vertically.
· Focus on using the triceps muscles as you push the dumbbell(s) upward, extending both arms, straightening them, and then lowering the dumbbells back down to the starting position (behind your head) in a controlled manner. This is one rep.
· Do 2-3 sets of 12-15 reps.
2) BICEPS a) BICEP CURLS (supersets) Using 5 kg/10-12 lb. weights, do:
· 10-12 regular bicep curls (slow and controlled), immediately followed by
· 10-12 HALF-curls (starting from the lowered position and lifting to a 90 degree bend and then lowering back down OR starting from a 90 degree bend in the elbow and lifting and curling to the top position and then lowering back down to 90 degrees), immediately followed by
· 15-30 alternating curls, curling one arm as the other extends and vice versa. This constitutes ONE SUPERSET. Repeat the above for a total of 3 sets each.
3) SHOULDERS and BACK
a) Overhead Press Using 7-8 kg/15-20 lb. dumbbells
· Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells held at chest level, parallel to the ground, palms facing forward, press up and overhead, almost fully extending the elbows, inhale, and lower back down to the starting position. Do 10-12 reps. Then, without resting,…
· With the dumbbells held at shoulder-height, palms facing inward, press upward, turning your palms to be forward-facing at the top of the extension, and then turn them again inward as you lower to the starting position. Do 10-12 repetitions.
b) LATERAL and FORWARD RAISES (SUPERSET)
Using 4-6 kg/ 8-12 lb. weights, stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, do:
· 10-12 Bent-arm Lateral Raises (with arms bent at about a 90 degree angle, raising them laterally, keeping the same angle throughout, raising the elbows until parallel with the floor, then lowering back down. Repeat for 10-12 reps. Then, immediately follow up with
· 10-12 Forward Raises: Hold the dumbbells with palms facing toward your body at the front thigh, arms straight, and keep your arms straight as you lift the dumbbells upward and in front of you, until parallel with the ground, then lower back down. This is one rep. Repeat 10-12 times. Then, immediately follow up with
· 12-25 alternating forward raises, raising the dumbbells in the same manner as in the above exercise, alternating right and then left, one arm at a time for 12-25 counts. This is ONE SUPERSET. Repeat the above sequence for a total of THREE SETS each.
c) FINALLY, finish up with 50 push-ups.
This works the triceps, biceps, core, and back muscles. It’s important to maintain proper form throughout. Keep your back and neck straight, in alignment, don’t bend your neck downward and don’t push your butt up in the air. Keep it flat. Focus on using all of your muscles as you go down, trying to keep your elbows pulled in toward the body, not winged outward as you lower down. After 30 reps, raise the left leg and do 10 more, then switch over and raise the right leg 4-8 inches off the ground and pump out the final 10.
YOU’RE FINISHED!!! You did it! GREAT JOB! Be sure and do a good stretch for all your muscle groups, and rest up before tackling the legs and back-end tomorrow.