Favorite plateau busting arm sets

[kristinam]

Hi Cathe. I've noticed since your early tapes you have really defined and cut your arms to true buff status (you always look great, tho)! I have all your weight tapes, but also enjoy free weight sessions at the gym. Everyone has different ideas of variations and I have found doing the same old thing with a different hand grip or rotation order can make a huge difference and am always looking for input. I have recently hit a plateau on my upper body, particularly front and back shoulder. If you have a second, I would appreciate your sharing your favorite and most effective shoulder set with free weights that might be a little different perspective from the same old upright rows and lateral raises....thanks! (Luv luv luv your tapes!)

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Kristin!

Thank you

.

Have you tried using cables or Hammer Strength equipment. Here are a few of my favorites:

1)Cable Lateral Raise (works medial delt)Use cable instead of dumbell for side lateral raise


2)High Rope Pull Down (works rear delt)--Put the rope attachment on the high cable and have your arms reach up to shoulder level and pull the rope down to the side of your thighs(looks similar to a tricep press except your elbows do not stay glued at your sides).

3) Incline Chest Press Hammer Machine(set it at about a 30 to 45 degree angle). This really challenges the front delt as well as the chest. The hammer strength machine gives you the option of using one arm independently on this machine too.

Happy Lifting!

 

[Steplover]

? about position on Cable Lateral Raise

Can you explain this a bit? I have high and low cables at home. Would this be done on the low cables?? I am trying to find some ways to use those cables!!

Thanks!!

Tammy Churchman

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Tammy!

You would use the low cable for this. Attach your hand grip to the low cable. Now place your feet shoulder width apart with the outside of your left foot closest to the equipment base. Grasp the handle with your right hand, brace your center core, and pull your right arm up and out to the side(in a controlled manner)until your right hand reaches your right shoulder height. But never lock out your joint. It is best to have a little bit of softness in the elbow joint during the entire phase of the movement. Now slowly return to starting position without letting the weight stack clang together(stop about an inch before the weights touch). After about 12 reps, repeat on the other side. If you find that you are straining to keep your balance, you can place your left hand on the side of the cable unit for support. Good Luck!

 

[Steplover]

Ah ha!

Thanks Cathe! Actually, I have been doing something similar to this except I have been holding on to the machine and leaning away from it. Thing is, this HURTS my wrists! I am glad to see that I do not have to do it that way.

This was pretty humbling too!! I had to really drop my weight for this exercise!

Tammy

 

[kristina]

Thanks Cathe...ouch

The rope pull down was a new one...working great, feeling it the next day!
I had gotten away from Hammer Strenght when I lost my lifting partner...but I went back to it after your message and remembered how tough that machine is when you do it correctly. Yikes, ouch-in-a-good-way! (Plus I am the only girl in the gym who uses those, makes me feel studly)
Thanks for taking the time to answer me! :-cool

 

[Reina]

RE: Thanks Cathe...ouch

I to supplement the tapes with regular free weight sessions at the gym. I have really seen progress with this extra work.

Kristin or anyone else, can you share some of your gym routines (exercise - weight used). I would like hear some different programs to compare with mine.

Thank you.

 

[lori henry]

RE: Thanks Cathe...ouch

Regarding Arms. I have your strength series Legs, Chest Shoulders & Triceps and Back & Biceps, as well as Max. Intensity Strength. I alternate using the Strength series one week and the Max Int. the other. My arms are strong, but they look extremely blooby. It seems the more I lift the Bloobier they get. Do you have any suggestions? I only work out at home with dumbells and barbell. Help!

 

[kristina]

Routines

Reina, just saw your post.

I try to do three exercises per body part-working the muscles from different angles. I usu do shoulders biceps one sessions and chest back tris the other. In addition to the new ones Cathe gave me herein, here are some of my favorites:

Shoulders:
Cable pull: side laterals. instead of pulling cable from front, start position is with the cable behind your back up to horizontal. (plus regular side laterals)
upright rows
shrugs
Hammer strength, 25 lbs each side, alternate them together

biceps:
Preacher curls
Hammer strenght curls
Dumb bells: 15-25 lbs. Stand in a lunge, glue elbow to side from a half-extension, curl up, bringing pinky in a slight rotation towards shoulder. Really tight, controlled movement, using heavy weight, should be able to do 3 sets of 10-15. Challenge with weight

chests
Hammer stregth
Chest bench press (with free weights alternate position: keep bell flat and even and then rotate bell on the way up)
cable pull (standard)


Back
Lat pull down
T Bar
Dorsi lat pull
Reverse flies from a seated bench

Tris
Seated push down machine
Tri extension machine
press with a bar bel (like a bench press only you start with your bar at your bra line and keep your elbows in)
also
lay flat on bench,underhand grip, bring bar straight up at shoulder level. bring down slow and controlled, moving only the forearm, to bring the bar down above the forhead (your arm is and L shape) Important to keep elbows in and controlled.
Dips: either machine, or put a weight in your lap. The discs work well, 25 to 45 to really make a difference

Suggest you consider one session with a personal trainer. Tell him/her your goals and ask to set up an upper body routine for you. That will give you about 6 months of material to play with. Expensive, but I usually do one session a year to get new ideas and right everything down in a training notebook.

Good luck, have fun!