This one is short, sweet, and to the point. I see so many trainers work their shoulders and arms into oblivion with countless sets and marathon sessions. They seem to devote a terrible amount of time to arm training especially when leg training pales in comparison.
My mindset towards arm training has always been one of focusing on compound work and keeping it super simple. What I mean is by focusing on all of the pressing you do (bench presses, shoulder presses, etc.) it cultivates a ton of indirect work for your triceps. All you need to do is finish them off with a couple of movements (simplicity).
The same holds true for biceps. By rowing and chinning repeatedly you build up your biceps indirectly with very heavy loads. All you need are a couple of biceps moves to call it a day. And finally, your shoulders get pummeled so much with any upper body move that they won’t need an entire training session full of endless presses and lateral raises to stimulate growth.
I’m also a big believer in going on the lighter side for shoulders. With 30 plus years of wear and tear on my body, something will eventually succumb to the repeated pounding of heavy weights. The great by product is that I can now focus more on feeling the targeted area versus lifting heavier just to lift heavier.
My Current Shoulders and Arms Routine
A
Seated dumbbell side lateral raise 3 x 10-20
Cable cross rear lateral raise 3 x 10-20
Reverse-facing Hammer Strength machine press 3 x 10-20
Dumbbell shrug 3 x 8-12
Lying barbell extension (“nosebreaker”) 3 x 10-15
Overhead rope extension 3 x 10-15
Barbell curl 3 x 8-12
Incline bench dumbbell curl 3 x 10-15
B
Standing dumbbell side lateral raise 3 x 10-20
Bent-over dumbbell lateral raise 3 x 10-20
Standing front plate raise 3 x 10-20
Dumbbell shrug 3 x 8-12
Lying dumbbell extension 3 x 10-15
Standing overhead plate extension 3 x 10-15
Seated dumbbell curl 3 x 8-12
Preacher bench straight bar curl 3 x 10-15
Brad Borland 