101st Airborne Division veteran Dan Eslinger risked his neck for the United States of America. Literally. Attached as a security specialist to the 3rd Infantry Division in Iraq, the force of a roadside bomb ejected Eslinger from his Humvee, landing him on his head, destroying his left shoulder and fracturing his neck in three places.

Eslinger, now a national-level NPC bodybuilder with his own training business, brings a “wartime mentality” with him every time he walks into the gym—and his arm-training days are no exception. With arms measuring more than 20 inches in diameter, he might just be on to something. “Why train with a 9mm pistol when you can roll with a .50-caliber machine gun?”

Dan Eslinger’s Arm Routine

Exercise Sets Reps
Narrow Grip Pushup 3 20
Pushup 3 20
Standing EZ-bar Curl 4 10-12
Rope Pushdown 4 20
Dumbbell Alternating Biceps Curl* 4 10
Dip 4 20
Seated Concentration Curl* 4 10
Close-Grip Bench Press 3 Failure

* Increase weight by five pounds each set.

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