How to: Arms/Back

suns out guns outSeptember “How to” Arms & Back Videos:  

Burpees: YAY!! I know how much you all love burpees! 😉 Seriously though…burpees are one of THE BEST full body exercises we can do. Yes they work our arms and back…but they also work our core and legs too. Do yourself a favor…DO THEM!

Burpees will get your heart pumping for sure but most people do them wrong. This is a great video showing how to do burpees correctly…keeping pressure off the back and ensuring they work the correct areas.

Bicep Curls 21s:  To allow our biceps to reach their full potential we are adding 21’s to our routine. The number “21” refers to the number of total reps you do in one set. However, this particular “21” is divided into three 7-rep segments that ultimately target the entire bicep.

Screen Shot 2016-08-30 at 2.37.41 PM1st 7 Reps: For the first seven reps, go from the bottom of the movement up to the halfway point (with your arms at a 90 degree angle and hands at elbow level).

2nd 7 Reps: Go from the halfway point up to the top of the bicep curl (hands up near shoulder level).

3rd 7 Reps: Start at the bottom of the movement and complete a full range of movement all the way up.

Wide Rows: Dumbbell Wide Rows are great for our back muscles. They will also give us details and strength in our upper lats and mid back. Here’s how to do it:

Push Ups: There are lots of ways to do push ups. Ideally we want to work up to being able to do full body push ups from the floor, but if you’re not there yet not stress…here are 4 different variations to build strength in your arms and get you closer to being able to do those full body floor push ups.

Hammer Curls: The Dumbbell Hammer Curl is an auxilary arm exercise that primarily develops the bicep brachii (bicep) and forearm (Brachioradialis). The main difference between the hammer curl and a standard dumbell curl is that you keep your thumbs facing towards you with your wrist in locked position throughout the movement. With the hammer curl, you get more forearm involvement and deemphasize the biceps.

We’ve done these before so if you want to step it up check out American Sprinter, Tyson Gray, doing Swinging Hammer Curls. What a great way to build up arm strength and promote arm swing during tough runs!

Monkey Arms: Monkey arms build muscle and strength in our shoulders, triceps, and biceps without adding bulk.