Day 3: Shoulders and arms

It is Day 3 and my upper and lower back are sore. Not so sore that I can't move, but I definitely feel it! I really enjoyed today's workout though. It was a slower pace after two days of hitting it hard. We worked on biceps, triceps, and shoulders. Here is what we did.

10 minute warm-up on the treadmill
     - I know by now you are probably wondering when we do cardio. Trust me....it is coming.
     - Set the incline to 5.0 and the pace to 3.0  This will always be my go to warm-up

Dumbbell shoulder press
     - 2 warm-up sets followed by 3 sets of 8-10 reps
     - My advice on this exercise is to keep the weight manageable. Don't try to lift too much since the dumbbells end up over your head. Nothing is more embarrassing than a gaping head wound in the gym. Girls, I suggest starting out with a 5-8lb weight then working your way up if it feels too light. Here is what your starting and ending position should look like:

     - Your arms should make an "L" shape. When you raise up make sure you raise up and in almost in a triangle shape. When you come back down you should be making the "L" shape again with your arms.

Lateral raises
     - 3 sets of 12-15 reps
     - You know how I always have one exercise I hate each day? This was it today. Lat raises are painful while your are doing them, but they show great results. Here is what your starting and ending position should look like:

     - Your arms should start down by your side with your elbow slightly bent. Raise your arms with your elbow still slightly bent. If it doesn't feel comfortable then you are doing it right!

Back lateral raises

     - 3 sets of 12-15 reps

     - This exercise is similar to lateral raises except that it works slightly different muscles. I almost hate these as much as I hate the regular lateral raises! But like Cory says, "Stop whining and just do it." Here is what your starting and ending position should look like:

     - Your feet should be shoulder width apart and your knees bent. Lean forward slightly. This is awkward, I know! Bend your elbows slightly again and do the same movement as you did before.

Bicep dumbbell curl

     - 3 sets of 8-10 reps

     - I love bicep curls. They make me feel so strong! It is one of the exercises that you can really see your muscle at work. There are two ways to do this exercise. Cory prefers that I do it the way shown in the picture below so that I don't get manly arms. I tend to agree with his choice:

     - Keep your arms straight down by your side. Pull the weight straight up towards your chest while keeping your elbows tucked. The inside of your wrist should be facing you. Guys (or girls) if you want those bulging arm muscles, you can do a hammer curl instead. Instead of keeping your wrists up, turn them in towards each other and make the movement of swinging a hammer.

Tricep extension

     - 3 sets of 8-10 reps

     - This is one of my favorite exercises! If you are a woman reading this I know that one of your most hated traits on your body is that weird swinging arm flab. Well this exercise blasts right through that! What you do is find a bench and lay flat on your back with the dumbbells extended straight over your head. You then move the weight towards the back of the bench. It's hard to explain so here is a picture:

     - See how your elbows should be pointed? You then raise the weight back up into your starting position. You really feel the burn after 8 reps! I only do 8lbs and I'm always sore the next morning.

Bicep cable curl

     - 1 set of 15-20 reps

     - This cable machine is the same machine you would use for the rope crunches. Lower the bar to the bottom of the machine. Make sure your palms are facing up. Just like with the dumbbell curl bring your arms straight up to your chest. The difference between this and the bicep curl with the dumbbell is that the cable keeps constant tension on the bicep. Here is what the exercise should look like:

Tricep push down

     - 1 set of 15-20 reps

     - Move the bar all the way to the top. Pull it down to your waist and place your hands palms down on the bar. Bring the bar up to your chest and push it back down to the starting position. If it is difficult to even pull the bar down drop the weight some. Here is what your starting and ending position should look like:

Notes from Courtney: That is it for Day 3. It is a lot of exercises, but they are all fairly quick. I like arm days because you can always see those muscles at work while doing the exercises. Form is important with these because you don't want to pull a muscle or injure your shoulder. Like always never try to use more weight than you are comfortable with. Keep up the good work! Sunday is a rest day for us. We will pick back up on Monday. Happy New Year!

Notes from Cory: Today was a quick one, but don't mistake its speed for a non-important training session. The shoulder complex is VERY important. A lot of American's bad posture can be attributed to lack of shoulder and back development. Balance, proportion and overall development should be paramount with the shoulders.There are actually three heads to the deltoid, which is why multiple movements are required to completely train them. They are, however a smaller muscle group..which means a huge amount of volume or intensity wont be required, just a solid effort will go a long way.

Every girl I've ever met wants to be toned but not muscled up. I "think" the set & rep scheme with the movements I've picked out will deliver that. With the exception of Danielle Black, I've NEVER seen a girl who could build up her arms to a degree in which people noticed without EXTREME training and supplementation (legal and illegal) Let's hope I'm right :)