ARMS, Part 2 - Advanced

ARMS, Part 2: Beginner/Intermediate | Advanced

Do the five advanced exercises shown here for 4 weeks.
  • WEEKS 1 & 2: 2 sets of 6–8, after a thorough warmup with lighter weights
  • WEEKS 3 & 4: 2 or 3 sets of 4–6, after warmup

Swiss-Ball Close-Grip Pushup


  1. Place your hands about 6 to 8 inches apart on a Swiss ball and rest your feet on a bench, so you’re in pushup position. Your body should form a straight line from your shoulders to your ankles.
  2. Lower your body by bending your elbows until your upper arms are parallel to the floor.
  3. Pause, then push yourself back up to the starting position. Superset with reverse curls, below.

45-Degree Prone Reverse Curl

  1. Set an incline bench to a 45-degree angle. Grab a pair of dumbbells with an overhand grip and sit with your chest against the pad, letting your arms hang straight down from your shoulders.
  2. Curl both dumbbells as high as you can without moving your upper arms.
  3. Pause, then slowly return to the starting position.

Swiss-Ball Alternating Dumbbell Extension

  1. Grab a pair of dumbbells and position yourself on your back on a Swiss ball, your feet on the floor and knees bent, so that your body forms a straight line from your chest to your knees.
  2. Hold the dumbbells over your forehead with straight arms, your palms facing each other. Then lower the weights without moving your upper arms, until your forearms are just below parallel to the floor. Hold the right dumbbell in that position as you raise the left dumbbell back to the starting position.
  3. Lower the left dumbbell, keep it in that position, and raise the right dumbbell. Continue to alternate dumbbells until you’ve performed the full number of repetitions with each arm. Superset with preacher curls, below.

Swiss-Ball Preacher Curl

  1. Grab an EZ-curl bar with an underhand grip. Kneel behind a Swiss ball and rest your upper arms on the ball, your body weight back toward your heels. Hold the bar at arm’s length in front of you, your elbows bent about 5 degrees.
  2. Curl the weight up as high as you can without moving your upper arms off the Swiss ball, or until the bar is about 6 inches away from your biceps.
  3. Pause, then slowly lower the bar to the starting position.

Scapjack

  1. Attach a single-arm handle to the high pulley of a cable station and pull it down with your right hand in an overhand grip until your elbow is bent 90 degrees. Then grab a dumbbell with your left hand and hold it at arm’s length next to your hip, with your palm facing forward.
  2. Pull the cable handle down to your side with your right hand while you curl the dumbbell toward your chest with your left hand.
  3. Pause, then return to the starting position and repeat. Do all of your repetitions before switching hands to finish the set.