28 T3 MARCH 2021In association with
Your muscle-building workout planDUMBBELL:
overhead/military press
Overhead presses are the ultimate
shoulder and triceps exercise to help you get
big arms. They mainly work your delts
(shoulder muscles) and triceps (the muscles
at the back of the upper arm) but they’re also
great for building up your pecs (chest
muscles) and core (for stabilisation).
Start out by holding the dumbbells at
shoulder height with your legs a shoulder
width apart, your core engaged and your
spine neutral. Then, press the dumbbells up
until your arms are fully extended. Finally,
lower the arms back to the starting position.
BARBELL:
bench press
If you want to build monster pecs,
bench presses with a barbell are the way to
go. They act on your pecs and the triceps but
also the delts and the smaller muscles
around the neck.
First off, if you’re doing bench presses
with a barbell, you’ll need a weights bench
with a rack. Lay down on the bench so the
bar is roughly at eye level. It’s important to
really dig your feet into the ground and
have your core engaged before the bar even
leaves the rack. You quite literally hover very
heavy weights over your head and chest, so
all your muscles need to be ready for the lift
before it commences.YOUR MUSCLE-BUILDING
WORKOUT PLAN
Grab the bar a little bit over a shoulder
width apart and push it off the rack. Position
it so the arms are pointing straight up. Lower
the bar to the chest and make sure the bar
touches the chest before it’s being pushed up
again. Don’t let the elbows flare out but
there’s also no need to keep the elbows
completely tucked in either. Push the bar
back up to the starting position.BARBELL:
deadlift
Deadlifts are perhaps the most
powerful tool in your arsenal because
they’re a full-body workout. They use pretty
much all the muscles in your body but
particularly those in the lower body,
including the quads (front of the thighs), the
glutes, back, core, shoulders, forearms and
traps (muscles around the neck).
However, deadlifts are brutal. The correct
form is essential, as most deadlifts are
performed using seriously heavy weights.
Even seasoned lifters can injure themselves
if they don’t pay attention.
Stand in front of the barbell with your
legs firmly dug into the ground roughly
shoulder width apart. Bend the knees and
grab the barbell with the over/under hand
position (one hand is facing up and the other
one down). Keep your back straight, spine in
a neutral position and shoulders open with
the bar touching your shins.
Lift the bar up, keeping it close to the legs
all the way through the movement. Lift
through the glutes, not your back: you want
to mainly drive the lift with the legs but as
you approach the apex point, you also wantDUMBBELL:
bent over row
Bent over rows are, without a
doubt, the next best thing if you can’t do
pull ups. That’s because they work your lats
(upper back muscles) and biceps, but also a
range of smaller muscles on the back and
the rear delt too.
Bend over as far as it feels comfortable
without arching the back or pulling the
hamstrings too much. Your feet should be
a shoulder width apart, while your core
should be engaged and your shoulders open.
Then, pull the dumbbells up towards your
belly (not the chest), then lower them back
down to the starting position.IMAGE^SOURCE:^ GETTY