This month’s cover star, Vin Diesel, may not be a kid anymore, but he’s still got arms the size of armored tank cannons—to shame guys half his age. Hell, to shame guys of any age. So how does he keep them perpetually loaded for battle? He attacks the biceps and triceps from all sides and often holds moves for teeth-grittingly long periods of time to really tease out the size and feel the burn. And pray that when you put a few years on, you’ll still be packing even a fraction of the heat he is.
How it works:
The longer muscles spend working while tensed, the better they adapt to the load by getting bigger and stronger. This routine trains the bi’s and tri’s from every angle and keeps them under tension for extended periods. Some sets will last as long as a minute—prepare to feel the burn.
Directions:
Perform the workout once per week. On exercises that call for 60-second sets, choose a load that allows you about 30 reps, but don’t go for a specific number. Set a timer for 60 seconds and perform as many reps as you can with perfect form and a normal cadence. Don’t rush.
Recommendations for exercises:
For the hammer curls: Switch things up by curling both weights at the same time or alternating from side to side. Pull each one across your body for even more variation.
For the reverse curls: Use an EZ bar. Don’t allow your elbows to drift forward as you curl the bar.
For the triceps pushdown: Use a cable pulley and attach a rope handle to the top pulley of the cable station. Hold an end in each hand with elbows flexed. Allow your elbows to drift forward a bit as you extend them, then let them drift backward as you lower the weight.
For the dips: Lean slightly forward to bring some of the pump into your chest. Alternatively, keep your legs straight and your toes pointed forward to focus on your triceps.
Note: You can turn this into a total-body beast workout by adding a few sets of barbell squats, deadlifts, and bench presses.
