Name: Playbook - Rob Riches - Biceps & Triceps (Ep 12.2 - Conditioning)
Uploaded: 2021-06-07T18:32:11.805Z
Duration: 45 min
Description: Biceps & Triceps (Ep 12.2 - Conditioning)

Welcome to workout #19 of the Conditioning part of my Lean Muscle Growth Program. Throughout this 4th weeks section, you'll be performing a lot of circuits, often with a higher rep range to help improve muscular endurance and conditioning.

Keep rest times short, and select a weight that will challenge you towards the total reps shown per set, aiming to increase the weight (or add a few reps) for following sets.

Each exercise is performed once within a circuit with minimal rest between each one. Then repeat the circuit again, this time, trying to challenge yourself with a heavier weight.

You'll also see there is an abdominal circuit included at the end of the program. This can either be performed at the start or end of this program, or performed separately, usually first thing in the morning before eating when your gut is empty.

Stand upright holding a barbell with an underhand shoulder-width grip. Shoulders back and chest lifted up.

Keeping the upper arms at the side of your body, curl up the bar stopping when it reaches the height of your upper chest (or just before the elbow starts to pull forwards). Flex the biceps hard, and lower the bar back to the start position, lengthening the arms but not straightening them out completely (as this relieves tension from the biceps).

Keep the movement smooth without any jerking. If you're unable to increase the weight for the next set, slow the negative portion of the rep as you lower the dumbbells.

Barbell curls are considered by many to be the king of bicep exercises, as they allow you to lift the heaviest weight, so challenge yourself to lift as much as you can without breaking away from good form and proper technique.

Barbell Curl

Grip a Pull Up bar with an underhand grip a little narrower than shoulder width, and pull yourself up by driving the elbows down as you engage and contract the muscles in the back to lift you. 

Keep your shoulders pulled back, and chest lifted up so as to ensure the emphasis is on the back, not the arms to pull yourself up. Lower yourself back down until your arms are fully stretched and you feel a stretch in your back and shoulders. Start the rep to raise yourself back up by retracting your shoulders and keeping them pulled back while you focus on the back doing all the work.

Try varying your hand placement to a wider grip on the 2nd and 3rd working set, and use dip belt, or dumbbell between your knees for added resistance if needed.

This exercise targets the latissimus dorsi muscle, the broadest muscle in your back, which promotes good postures and spinal stability, and with this variation, focuses a little more on the inner region of the back.

Close Grip Chin Ups

Set a bench to an incline of around 45-60 degrees and sit on it with your shoulder blades and hips pushed into the back pad, with your arms hanging down either side of you with a dumbbell in each hand (Hammer grip - palms both facing each other).

Keeping your upper arms fixed at the side of your body, curl the dumbbells up and rotate your grip 90 degrees outwards so that at the top, your palms are facing upwards. Your elbows should be  bent about 90 degrees at the top of the rep (or higher, but don't let the elbows pull forward). Flex the biceps hard, then lower the arms back down at a smooth and controlled tempo.

The benefit of this set up is that with the incline of the bench, it makes the exercise much stricter, eliminating momentum, and keeps all the effort on the biceps without employing the front shoulders.

Incline Bench Dumbbell Curls

Set a cable pulley with a handle attachment to shoulder height. Holding the handle with your right hand (underhand grip), step away from the machine (with your right side facing the machine), so that with your arm stretched out horizontally to the floor, there is tension in the cable.

Keeping your upper arm parallel to the floor, and your elbow facing downwards, flex the bicep and raise the handle up towards head, stopping just before your elbow starts to lift up. Pause momentarily at the top of the rep, flexing your bicep hard, then return back to the starting position.

Perform all reps with a smooth and controlled tempo. Once all reps are performed on the right arm, turn around and perform them with the left arm.

This exercise is great for isolating the upper front of the arm, and allowing you to focus on the peak of the biceps.

High Cable Bicep Curl

Use an overhand grip approximately shoulder-width apart on a short bar (a rope attachment also works), and step back with your upper arms held at the side of your body.

Start with the bar pressed down and your elbows at full lock out. Squeeze the triceps hard, then control the bar to raise up towards your chest, stopping just before the elbows pull away from the body.  (You may need to take a step back to ensure there is still tension in the cable).

When you press the bar down, you shouldn't be hunched over the bar. Shoulders should be back, chest up, and your uppers arms shouldn't be pulling forwards as you raise the bar back up during the negatives.

Keep your elbows from flaring out, and limit any momentum from being built up during your reps.

Overhead Rope Extension

Place your hands on the floor in a diamond shape directly under your chest. With your body kept straight (imagine a straight line from your heels through your legs, hips, back and shoulders),  flex the elbow to lower yourself to the floor (keeping the elbows pointing back behind you, and close to the body as you lower down).

Stop just before your chest touches the floor, the explosively push back up, stopping short of locking the arms out. (Imaging you're pushing through the floor as opposed to lifting your body back up to the sky).

If these are too challenging for you at first, perform them with your knees on the floor but still keep your hips raised up.

All reps should be performed smoothly and under control. No fast or jerky movements.

Diamond Push Ups

With the bench lengthways behind you, place your palms (fingers forwards) on the edge of the bench at shoulder-width distance, and keep the elbows pointing back behind you. Keep your legs together in front of you, knees bent, and feet flat on the floor, and your hips just in front of the edge of the bench with your arms supporting your weight.

Bend at the elbow to lower your body down, stopping when your elbows are at shoulder height. Then raise yourself back up by engaging the triceps until your arms are at full lock out, and flex the triceps hard (don't push down on your feet to raise you up). 

Perform all reps with a smooth and controlled tempo.

Although this bodyweight exercise mainly targets the triceps, it also hits your chest and anterior deltoid, or the front part of your shoulder.

Bench Dips

Sit at the end of a bench, keeping your feet on the floor and shoulders pulled back, with chest lifted up throughout the entire exercise. Hold a dumbbell up with one arm directly overhead When extended directly up over your head (the other arm can be used to help support the upper arm and keep it in place).

Flex at the elbow to lower the dumbbell behind your head (ensuring your upper arm doesn't move), lowering the dumbbell down until it's the same height as your elbow.  Raise the dumbbell back up over your head as you engage and flex the triceps. Once at the top, and the arm is at full lock out, squeeze the triceps as hard as you can before repeating the repetition.

All reps should be performed under control and without momentum. Perform all reps on one arm, then switch arms and repeat.

The Overhead Triceps Extension focuses primarily on the Triceps Brachii muscle.

Set 3 perform a rest-pause for 15 seconds after failure, and achieve a few more reps till failure.

Seated Single Arm Overhead Triceps Extension

This Abdominal circuit will focus on the upper and lower region of the abs, as well as the obliques (the side muscles), using a Swiss Exercise Ball.

Perform a set of the first exercise, then immediately perform one of the second and third exercise without rest. You can rest for up to 60 seconds after completing all exercises (that's one round) before starting the next round.

Remember to actively engage your abdominals during each exercise, and  focus on your breathing pattern so that you really feel your abs working and contracting on each and every rep.

Sit on top of the Swiss Ball, and walk your legs forwards until you're about 2/3rds on the ball, with your lower back making the most contact.
Ensure your feet are flat on the floor and knees bent. (Your thighs should be parallel with the floor). 

Place your hands either side of your temples (or cross them across your chest), and lean back to your upper back is on top of the ball. Keeping your upper abs engaged, crunch forwards as you exhale, raising your shoulders off the ball. Your hips shouldn't move from their position on the ball.

Pause momentarily at the top of the rep and squeeze the abs hard. Inhale as you lower back to the start position under control. There should be no bounce at the top of bottom of the rep.

This variation of the crunch focuses on the upper region of the abs, but with greater stability since you're using the Swiss Ball instead of the floor or a decline bench.

Swiss Ball Crunch

Position your feet on top of a Swiss Ball (laces down), and extend your body as though performing a push up with your arms stretched out under your shoulders. You can grip a dumbbell in each hand (if they're hexagonal) to reduce stress on the wrists, or use push up bars.

Keeping your core engaged, draw your knees inwards under your chest, allowing the ball to roll forwards under your feet. Aim to keep your back straight, and don't allow the hips to raise up during the movement.

As your knees near your chest, pause momentarily at the end of each rep to flex the abs hard, especially in the lower religion of the abdominals  which is where this exercise specifically targets, along with increase in stabilizer muscles to assist you while using the ball.

Swiss Ball Knee Tuck

Position yourself sideways on a Swiss Ball so that your hips are stacked, your legs are scissored (bottom leg is back behind the front leg), and place your top arm at the side of your temple, with the lower arm bent so you can touch the side of your abs thats facing upwards.

Exhale and crunch upwards so that your top elbow is traveling towards your to hip (just think of a side crunch). The hand touching your obliques helps with 'touch training', allowing you to better feel which muscles are working within this exercise, improve the mind-muscle connection.

Perform all reps on one side, then reposition yourself on the opposite side and repeat.

The oblique muscles are involved when the upper body (trunk) rotates left and right, and it is also these that give the lower 'V' shape of the abdomen.

Swiss Ball Side Crunch

Abs Circuit - Stage 5

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 12.2 - Conditioning)

It was very clear instructions and the video was very helpful

MilosLuffy

Donald Lozon

Back & Forearms (Ep 1.1 - Strength)

I felt like it had some repeating shoulder exercise, but overall good

Liked the Ab workout in the end 

Especially the hanging Ab- great for chest stretch

Thomas Anthony 

Richard

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 1.3 - Strength)

I enjoyed this workout I did not have access to dumbbells for my level so I swapped out the calf dumbbell lifts for the hip abduction. Did not have access to standing calf raises machine so swapped for seated calf raises machine. Over all good directions.

Sunil Deep

Adam

Quads & Calves (Ep 1.2 - Strength)

Very challenging and clear directions. The videos were helpful.

Andrés Giordano

Traps & Hamstrings (Ep 1.4 - Strength)

Matt

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 1.5 - Strength)

Francisco

Bünyamin

Cardio (Rest Day - Week 1)

Victor

Amadou Sow

Back & Forearms (Ep 2.1 Strength)

I could not get a smith machine so I opted for walking lunges instead if you run into the same problem I recommend walking lunges or in place lunges using dumbbells or weighted straight bar

Quads & Calves (Ep 2.2 - Strength)

The video was incorrect for the chest press first exercise

It was great. The workout video for the smith machine shoulder press is the wrong one though. It’s a leg press video. Other than that I love it

Ryan Baker

Shoulders & Chest (Ep 2.3 - Strength)

I felt like it did not include enough trap exercises.

Biceps & Triceps (Ep 12.2 - Conditioning)

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