The gyms will be open soon, and you better believe that first day is going to be national chest day. But that’s okay. You’ll be prepared. This chest and arm workout will mark your glorious return to the gym, and you’ll walk out with a massive pump. Let the hypertrophy begin.
Note: This training is taken from my Swole Town program, available through TrainHeroic; the world’s best training app. If you like this workout, come train with the team and get swole af.
Chest and Arms Go Together Like…
Peas and carrots, coffee and cream, alcohol and bad decisions.. You get the idea.
Chest and arms are a natural combination. All pressing movements, like the bench press, dumbell bench press and push ups already work the triceps pretty hard. So, it’s both efficient and productive to work the triceps alongside your chest exercises.
We’re going to work the biceps as well for this workout. And no, it won’t screw up tomorrow’s back day. I’ll show you how, just stay with me.
Chest and Tricep Anatomy
A little anatomy never hurt anyone. If your goal is to build muscle, then your chest and arm workout (and all your workouts) would benefit from having a deeper understanding of how to target specific muscles to get the most out of your training.
Chest Muscles
The Chest is actually made up of 4 separate muscles. The Pectoralis Major and Pectoralis Minor make up the vast majority of your chest muscle.
To work the Pectoralis minor, we can use dips and decline presses. Any movement where the body is leaning forward with the arms pressing at a downward angle.
Incline bench presses work the Pectoralis major, focusing on the Clavicular head of the muscle (the upper chest).
The pectoralis major is by far the largest and most dominant muscle in the chest. It spans across your chest from your shoulder to your sternum. It is responsible for moving the humerus (arm), and is worked during just about every chest exercise you’ll do.
With just a little variety we can easily hit all the muscles of the chest.
The Triceps
The triceps muscle is a little more interesting. It’s made up of 3 separate muscles. The lateral head, medial head and the long head.
To get the “horseshoe,” we need to specifically focus on the long head of the triceps. The long head can be isolated using movements like skull crushers, lying dumbell extensions, overhead triceps extensions and my favorite.. dips.
Well hit them all in our chest and arm workout, so don’t worry.
BFR Bands and Resistance Bands for Explosive Hypertrophy
For this workout, we’re going to use Blood Flow Restriction Bands (BFR) and Resistance Bands. These tools can take your workouts to the next level. You can take it from me, or read the research for yourself.
Blood flow restriction training, also known as “occlusion training” has been around for a long time. Bodybuilders have used it for years.
BFR bands are kind of like a tourniquet placed on your arms. Blood flow is restricted, limiting oxygen and blood to the working muscle.
They are meant to be used for high reps (15-30) with lighter loads (50% of your max or less). Normally, the slow twitch muscle fibers would be handling that type of work.
However, with restricted blood and oxygen, the slow twitch fibers cannot keep up. As a result, the fast twitch muscle fibers have to take over.
Finishing your workout with 10 minutes of fast paced BFR lifting will give you the biggest pump you’ve ever had in your arms. That pump is caused by cellular swelling, and is a precursor to increased testosterone and growth hormone release, and increased hypertrophy.
You can get a set of BFR Bands for around $30 on Amazon. I use these, and they’ve lasted me almost two years already. You’ll thank me later.
I like to use them primarily because I can get a ton of volume in with them without the joint stress I’d get from using dumbells, barbells or cables.
Resistance bands offer ascending resistance, meaning the resistance increases as the band stretches, towards the end of the movement.
Since people tend to be weak at the end range of motion, this can be very beneficial. (Think about that last few inches of the bench press when you can’t lock out your arms.)
With bands, we can safely throw in a ton of volume for arm training that we otherwise probably wouldn’t have been able to get in.
School’s over, and it’s time to get down to business. This chest and arm workout is probably different from what you’ve done before.
I don’t like copy and paste workouts or workout programs. There have been a lot of advancements in our understanding of how to build muscle and get stronger. This workout uses concepts that might be new to you, but if you want to grow, you’ve got to…. grow!
Here’s the workout. Scroll down for videos and explanations for each exercise and for specifics.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Rest
A1 – Floor Flyes
3
10-12
A2 – Single Arm Bench Press
3
10
90 sec
B1 – Depth Push ups
4-5
3
B2 – Close Grip Bench Press
4-5
5
2 mins
C – Dips
4
10-12
90 sec
D – Incline Dmbl Bench Press
3
8-10
90 sec
E – BFR CIRCUIT
10 mins
30-15
minimal
E1 – Dmbl Hex Press
/
/
/
E2 – Plate Curls
/
/
/
E3 – Banded Triceps Ext
/
/
/
E4 – Reverse Curls
/
/
/
A and B performed as Supersets
1. Warm Up: Floor Flyes/Single Arm Press
Get a good warm up in by doing 3 sets of 10 reps for each. Perform these as a superset, resting 90 seconds between sets. Go light, it’s a warm up.
2. Depth Push ups to Close Grip Bench Press
Research shows that barbell work hits the triceps much harder than dumbells or cables. So I want to make the most of that.
Studies also show that performing explosive push-ups before a heavy bench press can improve your performance. I want to fully activate and stimulate the explosive fast twitch muscle fibers.
Perform 3 explosive depth push ups, then go immediately to the bench and hit 5 reps of close grip bench presses. Work up to the heaviest set of 5 you can get. Try to get there within 5 sets.
3. Dips
Dips are one of my favorite upper body exercises. I’d argue you can build more muscle with dips than with the bench press.
You’re looking for 10-12 reps. If you can get more than that, add weight with a Dip Belt or a dumbell between your legs. . Hit 3-4 sets of 10-12 reps.
To protect your shoulders, you can come down until your arms form a 90 degree angle, then push back up.
4. Incline Dumbell Bench Press
Nothing fancy here. We want to hit the upper portion of the chest. 3-4 sets of 8 reps. Be explosive when you press the weight up.
Peform the circuit for 10 minutes. Rest as little as possible. Get in as many reps as you can. Go from one exercise to the next.
On the first set, aim for 20-30 reps. Each set after that, your goal is 15 reps. Remember, with BFR Bands, you want to use lighter weight and get in a ton of reps.
All that volume will lead to big gains, and a massive pump. Crush it.
1. Hex Press:
Squeeze the dumbells together the whole set.
2. Plate Curls:
Grab a plate and curl it until your arms feel like they’re going to fall off. Get a good squeeze at the top.
3. Banded Triceps Extensions:
Keep tension on the triceps by trying not to pause or allow the band to come up too high. Constant movement. If you don’t have them, Invest in some Strength bands!
4. Reverse Curls
Grab an empty barbell, palms facing down and bang out some reverse curls. These really make for an insane forearm pump.
Remove the BFR Bands and marvel at the pump.
Maximize Your Gains
If you’re going to be putting in this kind of work, you might as well reap as much benefit from it as possible. Here’s a few things you should definitely be doing to make sure you maximize hypertrophy and recovery.
You don’t need to go crazy on the supplements. There are a few that can give you an edge that I’d recommend.
Creatine – increased power output, strength, recovery
L-Citrulline – Found in many pre-workouts, it is converted to nitric oxide in the body and improves blood flow. i.e, gives you a massive pump. Which of course, leads to more hypertrophy
Protein – If you aren’t getting at least 0.7 grams of protein per pound of body weight from food, then use a supplement.
L-Carnitine – Improved fat burning and increased androgen receptors (better use of testosterone = more muscle).
I recommend getting supplements from Bulk Supplements. It’s cheaper, you get way more, and it’s high quality, pure ingredients vs. the mixtures you get in pre-made supplement formulas. Your results will be better when you know exactly what you’re taking and how much.
Eating before your workout has been shown by research to have just as much impact on muscle building and protein synthesis as eating after.
During a workout like this chest and arm workout, you want to make sure you’ve got plenty of amino acids and carbohydrate in your body. This tells your body not to burn up muscle, and sends a stronger signal for muscle growth.
It also leads to better recovery after your workout. So, try to get in 20-30 grams of protein and some complex carbs 1-2 hours before your workout.
3. Take Rest Days Seriously
More is not always better. 4-5 workouts a week like this chest and arm workout is more than enough to stimulate massive hypertrophy. If you’re new to working out, 3 days might even be enough.
Prioritize rest and recovery. That’s when you actually build muscle, when you’re resting. Watch a movie, take a nap. Relax. You’ll come back feeling stronger and will build muscle faster.
4. Eat Enough to Build Muscle
You have to eat a surplus of calories to build muscle. There’s no way around it, unless you’re pumping yourself full of anabolic steroids.
Eat more. Get enough protein. Studies show 0.7 grams per pound of body weight of protein is adequate for most people.
Don’t lift like a beast then eat like a squirrel. Your body won’t build muscle that way, and you’ll be wasting a lot of effort.
Conclusion
I hope you actually put this workout to the test. I’d be excited to hear how it went. Let me know in the comments, or by email at Contact@supastrong.net
Here are a couple other articles you might find helpful:
As always, I hope this article helped you get a little closer to that best version of YOU!
Mike (Supastrong)
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
While we’re all stuck inside for the time being, many are trying to find ways to stay in shape, maintain muscle and strength or maybe even improve overall fitness.
So we have 2 choices… Wait it out and do nothing, or make the most out of it and come out even better.
Every problem carries with it an opportunity. Yes, the gyms are closed.. But sometimes taking a step back can be a good thing. You can discover new ways of training, work on some weaknesses. It’s a chance to grow.
1.) Follow Along With Great Trainers
Xplicit Fitness Quarantine Workout Series
It helps to know some people in the fitness industry, and I’m lucky to know these guys. Having spent some time as a trainer at Xplicit Fitness in San Diego, CA, I can tell you that these workouts are among the best you’ll find to do from home.
Here’s a full at-home, 30 minute full body workout they posted to keep their members in shape during the quarantine. Chad (the owner) makes every workout fun and he’s a great motivator.
There are other good sites out there with plenty of home workout ideas. These are a few that people like and that I’ve checked out and deem worthy of your time and energy.
Fitness Blender: Lets you filter workouts by difficulty, Gender and body part focus.
Turbulence Training: Youtube channel with free, easy to follow and effective body-weight workouts.
Body Rock TV: A huge collection of at home workouts with limited equipment.
2.) Work Out Like an Inmate
I spent over 10 years working in a prison. Being a trainer, I spent a LOT of time watching how inmates in my units work out.
Use what you’ve got
With no equipment other than a pull up bar, they stay in extremely good shape. Some fill up trash bags with water to use as resistance. Others filled pillowcases with books or soda bottles.
The point is, where there’s a will, there’s a way. Here’s one example I saw a lot:
Perform one set (4 push ups) of the push up variation below, get up to your feet and jog in place. Jog in place only as long as you need to perform another set. Repeat this for a set period of time. For example, 20 minutes (inmates would do it for 1-2 hours)
Keep it Simple
With no equipment, inmates are forced to keep it simple. You can add pull ups and/or some body weight squats and lunges into the mix and get a great full body workout.
Looking for help with push ups or pull ups? Check these two articles out:
Resistance bands offer Ascending Resistance, meaning the further you stretch the band, the more difficult it becomes. This is especially beneficial for 3 reasons:
Most people are weaker at the end range of motion of a movement. Bands can help improve strength all the way through.
Injuries often occur at the end range of motion. Resistance bands can serve as a “prehab” tool by building strength at the end of the movement.
Bands can allow you to perform a ton of reps without the joint stress you’d get using weights.
Tabata workouts are 2 things: Really short, and really hard.
They’re also really simple. To perform a Tabata workout, just follow these guidelines:
Choose an exercise, preferable a compound movement like a squat, squat jump, push up, or even jump rope.
Do as many reps as you can in 20 seconds, then rest 10 seconds
Repeat 8 times, for 4 total minutes = 1 Tabata
Perform one, or several Tabatas to make up your workout
Studies Show Tabata Workouts Work
A Study by ACE showed that a 20 minute tabata workout could burn 240-360 calories, and met the criteria to improve cardiovascular fitness and improve body composition.
Since Tabata workouts are high intensity, It is recommended to perform them 1-2 times per week, allowing your body 2-3 days of rest in between sessions.
If you’re looking for home workout ideas, try this out:
5.). Run Sprints
It always amazes me that more people aren’t out there running sprints. The benefits of sprinting are tremendous:
Build Lean Muscle (look at any Olympic sprinter, male or female)
Improve cardiovascular fitness
Get faster
Improve body composition (burn fat)
Can be done quickly, and from almost anywhere
Studies show that just 6 sprint sessions can improve performance in athletes. This is because maximum effort sprinting is a very high intensity effort. It pushes your heart rate up to the upper zones, and forces your fast twitch muscle fibers to their limit.
Sprinting can raise your resting metabolic rate, causing your body to burn more calories for several hours or even days after your workout.
How to Work out with Sprints:
Interval Sprints
To get the most out of a sprinting workout, use interval sprints. This means you’ll sprint as hard as you can for a set distance (or time), then walk slowly the same distance (or time) to recover. Then repeat.
My favorite Sprint workouts are 400 meter (1/4 mile) sprints, but 200 meter sprints can also work really well.
30/60’s and 60/120’s
Another Sprinting workout that works really well are 30/60’s and 60/120’s. We used these in the military a lot. You simply sprint for 30 seconds, then walk for 60 seconds, and repeat. If that’s too easy, then up the time to 60 seconds sprinting and 120 seconds walking.
Since sprinting is very demanding on the body, it is recommended to only do 1-2 sprint sessions per week, so your body can recover properly and you can get the most benefit from your hard work.
Conclusion
Relying on the gym can cause you to miss out on a lot of activities that can improve your overall fitness. It’s always good to take a step back and find new ways of pushing your body.
I hope you found some of these ideas helpful, and as always, I hope something here will help you get a little closer to that best version of you!
Just because you’re without the gym doesn’t mean you can’t get a solid workout in. And I’m not talking Pilates. I’m talking the same exercises you use in the gym. We’re just swapping out iron for some latex rubber resistance bands. These 16 resistance band exercises can help keep you big and strong while you’re out of the gym.
Studies have shown that adding resistance band exercises to your regular weight training routine can increase your strength more than weight lifting alone. So, incorporating some of these movements now can help you add them later when you return to the gym. You’ll have a new weapon in your arsenal for strength and size.
The Big Lifts… With Resistance Bands
We’ll start with the big lifts, which of course are:
Deadlift
Bench Press
Overhead Press
Squat
I’m certainly not suggesting that you abandon these lifts in exchange for using resistance bands. But, you are activating the same muscles with both forms of resistance. You have the same range of motion and ability to use variable speed in the movement. That said, there’s no doubt these can be effective at getting you bigger and stronger.
Disclaimer: 1. Check with your doctor before performing any exercise routine. 2. This article may contain affiliate links.
Deadlift
Banded Deadlifts mimic a trap bar deadlift, with hands at your side
The Deadlift is rightfully known as the king of all lifts. It uses the entire body in unison, forcing the legs, lower back, lats and traps to work hard to pull the body into an upright position against resistance.
Remember to keep a flat back. Flex your abs and push through the floor, just like you would picking up a barbell.
While you probably could rig a resistance band to press similar to a bench press, it’s easier and just as effective to utilize a push up movement instead.
Wrapping the band behind your back, you’ll be pushing up against the resistance of the band. Control your descent and push up explosively, activating the most motor units (muscle fibers). Keep your body in a straight line. This version places more emphasis on the core than a traditional bench press.
Overhead Press
The overhead press is the best exercise to build your shoulders.
Using resistance bands, you can overhead press two ways. You can do it standing, with the band under your feet. Or you can perform it kneeling.
With either version, keep your abs tight and flex your glutes. This keeps your core tight and protects your back. Press up explosively, or do slower tempo style reps without any pauses.
Standard Press
Behind the Neck Press
Squat
If there’s a contender for the “king” of all lifts, it is definitely the squat.
Arguably the best overall muscle building exercise, the squat is one movement you definitely want to include in your training.
Place the band under your feet, in the middle of the foot. Then bend down and wrap the band around the back of your neck. Stand up, then sit back into the squat position. Keep a flat back, abs tight (as with all big lifts).
Traditional Squat
Overhead Squat
The overhead squat is a little more challenging. It’s easier with bands than with a barbell, so it could be a good way to practice the movement with some resistance.
Bent Over Rows
Rows essentially work your entire back. When you perform the row, try to hold and squeeze for a quick second, then lower the bands.
Sit back slightly until you feel like you’re activating your hamstrings. This establishes a strong athletic position so you can lean forward without putting too much stress on your lower back.
When you perform the row, try to turn your hands in so your palms are facing up (like a reverse grip row). This will allow more activation of the back muscles and the biceps.
Shoulders – Banded Front, Lateral and Rear Delt Raises
Along with the overhead press, you can also use resistance bands to target the shoulders with front and lateral raises. Both are great options to build strength and size in the shoulders.
Lateral Raises
Lateral raises primarily work the lateral deltoid, along with the traps. They are great for building wider, broader shoulders.
Front Raises
Front raises focus on the anterior deltoids. The anterior delts are responsible for raising the arm forward. This part of the shoulder usually takes a beating with all the pressing movements people do, but isolating it can help strengthen and build the muscle.
Rear Delt Flyes
Most people overwork the front (anterior) delts with all the pressing they do in the gym. This can result in imbalances in the shoulder, and can lead to injury.
Strengthening to rear delts is essential for shoulder health, and for getting stronger. They also make your back look good when you build them up. Hold a one second squeeze on each rep.
These can be an excellent movement to incorporate into a warm up for your pressing days in the gym, or as a finisher to any upper body workout.
Chest Flyes
Chest flyes get a good “squeeze” of the pectoral muscles. They are a great way to isolate the chest. Using bands, we can perform a low chest fly. As in previous exercises, hold the top position for a one second squeeze on every rep.
Good Mornings
Banded good mornings are a really amazing way to hit the low back and hamstrings. These are an excellent option as a warm up for squatting or deadlifting, or for getting some lower impact volume in for the back and hamstrings. Do these for 15-20 reps and you won’t be disappointed!
Keep a flat back with a slight bend in the knees and lean forward until you feel a good stretch in the hamstrings before returning to the upright position.
Arms
You can definitely build your arms up with resistance bands. They allow you to get a really good squeeze of the muscle, and you can really perform a good amount of volume (reps) without the same stress you’d incur using weights.
Hitting these for high reps will give you a huge pump, and you know that’s never a bad thing.
Curls
You can perform these as regular curls, turning your hand in at the top, or as hammer curls with a neutral grip. Both are great and I recommend mixing it up.
Triceps Extensions
These are performed as overhead extensions. If you have something to hand the resistance band from, you can also do regular extensions similar to the cable pulldowns at the gym. Both are great.
Try to keep your elbows high (pointed at the ceiling), and try not to swing your arms.
Split Squat
The split squat does a great job of isolating the quad muscles. Try to perform these in a rhythm, with no pause at the top or bottom, for 15-20 reps per leg.
Shrugs
Last but not least, shrugs. Traps are one muscle that all strong people seem to have.
While I prefer to hit the traps with high pulls, farmer carries and deadlifts, the shrug is always a good option to build them up, and we can still get it done without weights.
Hold the top of the shrug for a one second squeeze, and don’t rest at the bottom. Keep the muscle under constant tension.
Some tips on using resistance bands
If you’re going to use resistance bands to work out, there are a few things you can do to make your workouts more effective.
Try to focus on each rep and get a good squeeze.
Shoot for higher rep ranges (15-30). You can build up a lot of volume this way and stimulate some muscle growth.
Shoot for short rest periods (30sec – 1min).
Perform the workouts in a circuit. Choose 3-5 exercises and follow the above rep and rest period guidelines.
If it feels too easy, use a heavier band. If it feels hard, use a lighter one. Seems obvious, but worth mentioning. Lose the ego.
Conclusion
A lot of people view resistance bands as inferior, but most of those people have never worked out with them. You can build muscle and strength with bands. Research has proven that, and incorporating them along with traditional resistance training can improve your gains.
Try some of these exercises out. Make the most of your time away from the gym.
I hope you liked this article. Leave a comment, or shoot me an email and I’ll respond as soon as I can. Thanks for reading, and as always, I hope this helped you in some way to get a little bit closer to that best version of you!
Mike (Supastrong)
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
Get a bigger butt, wider hips, tone up your legs.. without needing the gym? Is that possible? Yes! There’s always more than one path that can lead to success. If the above sounds like something you’d like to accomplish, then maybe I can help.
I’m going to include a full workout using Arena Strength Bands. These are high quality, excellent bands…but feel free to use what you have. If you just want to see the workout, then feel free (see below). If you want to learn more about how to build up your booty and tone up your lower body, then I recommend reading on.
Resistance Bands
You can accomplish a LOT working out from home with just your body weight and a set of Bands. Bands add resistance to your movements and challenge the muscles.
Why Use Bands?
Resistance bands offer Ascending Resistance.. meaning that the resistance is strongest at the end of the movement. This stronger resistance at the end range of motion is beneficial in a lot of ways. In particular, this is where many injuries are suffered. Using bands can help prevent injuries.
Most people are weakest at the end range of motion of a movement. Using bands can build strength throughout the full range of a movement.
Bands are much easier on the body vs. lifting weights. Less stress is placed on the joints, and you can keep your muscles under constant tension. There are also different bands offering different levels of resistance.
How to Build a Bigger, Firmer Butt.
Like I said before, there’s always more than one way to reach a goal. But, there are definitely some things you should be doing when trying to hit your glutes. The workout in this article isn’t a random collection of exercises. It’s a series of movements targeted at hitting the glutes from specific angles.
Here are some exercises and key points to remember when working on firming up your butt muscles and toning up your lower body.
Use Hip Abduction For Wider Hips and Firmer Glutes.
Hip abduction refers to movements where you move your leg away from the midline of the body. Movements focusing on hip abduction target the outer glute muscles and hips, and can be used to get a bigger, firmer butt and wider looking hips.
The exercises below use hip abduction and are great additions to any butt workout:
Side Leg Raises
Lie on one side, band just above the knee
Raise the top leg laterally and return to starting position
Repeat for desired reps
Slow, controlled movements
Quadruped Hip Abduction: AKA, Fire Hydrants
Start in a quadruped position (on all fours).
Lift one leg out to the side, keeping a 90 degree angle.
Don’t twist your body. Keep your belly button facing the floor
Slow and Controlled Movements
“Squeeze” the Glutes:
Hip Bridges with a “Squeeze.”
Bridges are a unique way to target the glute and quad muscles. At the top of each repetition, actively squeeze the glutes for a quick second and feel the deep burn.
Start by laying on your back, knees bent and feet flat on the floor
Push through the middle of the foot, raising your hips.
Actively squeeze the glutes briefly at the top of the movement
Squat, Squat, Squat
There really is no substitute for the squat. It is one of the most basic, and productive movements you can do. Squats work the entire lower body, and I’d include them in any workout program targeting the legs or glutes.
The lower portion of the squat really forces the glutes to work hard. It’s the best way to hit the entire lower body in one movement.
Squat by sitting back, moving from the hips. (picture sitting into a chair)
Squat down as low as you’re comfortable, and return to standing
When squatting, visualize squatting your torso between your legs
Keep a slight resistance in the bands by actively pulling your legs apart.
If you’re interested in the Arena Strength Bands, check them out. This is an affiliate link, but I’d never recommend something I didn’t believe in, and these really are awesome.
Key Points
The purpose of this article was to show you that you can get a highly effective workout targeting your butt and legs right from home using resistance bands and your own body.
We discussed using hip abduction to target the outer glute muscles and hips to get wider looking hips and a bigger, firmer butt. We also went over resistance bands and ascending resistance.
Then we talked about bridges and squats, two excellent ways to target the glutes. Remember to make sure you focus on actively squeezing the glutes at the top of the bridge. Little things really do make a big difference.
Conclusion
I hope you enjoyed this article and I hope you checked out the video. If you try it out, make sure to let me know how it went.
You really can accomplish a lot right from home with just your body and some resistance bands.
As always, I hope this article was helpful, and I hope you got enough out of it to get you just a little bit closer to that best version of you!
Mike (Supastrong)
Bioforce Certified Conditioning Coach and personal trainer. I’ve run boot camps and served as the wellness coordinator for a fortune 500 company. Currently a Federal Agent in San Diego, CA, and an Infantryman in the Army Reserve.
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