Iron Man USA — August 2017

50 AUGUST 2017 | ironmanmagazine.com

Set up like you would for a traditional bench press, but take
a different grip. The ideal grip would be shoulder-width apart,
but it depends on the individual, so vary it based on how
it feels to you. From there, perform the rep as you would a
traditional bench press. Unrack the bar, take three seconds
to lower the bar to touch your chest (it may touch closer to
your ribcage because of your grip), pause briefly and push it
as fast as you can back to the top.

Chin-Up
Sometimes referred to as the original biceps curls, chin-ups
are another multi-joint move that involves the back mus-
culature. Like the close grip bench press, this exercise is the
epitome of a starting move for an arms workout. If you read
EMG (electromyography which involves attaching electrodes
to muscles to measure muscle activity) studies, many sug-
gest that the chin-up is actually better at activating your
biceps than any variation of the biceps curl (supinated bent-
over rows do the trick, too).

Grab a pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands slightly
wider than shoulder blades apart. Draw your shoulder blades
down and back and pull yourself up to the bar, aiming to
touch your collarbone to the bar. Pause for a second and
take three seconds to lower yourself back down.

Jam Press
Uniquely, this move trains the anconeus muscle, which is
a powerful elbow extensor. When it grows, it makes your
forearms look huge.

Set up as you would for a close grip bench press. But, as you
lower the bar, instead of letting your elbows move straight
down, keep them in line with your stomach by pushing your
elbows forward (but not outward) as the bar comes down
towards your collarbone. Push the bar up by extending your

elbows without letting them drop. Tip: You won’t be able to go

as heavy on this exercise, so start with just the bar and work

up from there.

Supinated Bent-Over Row

This is a supreme biceps activator. It’s often purported to be

better than any variant of the biceps curl for biceps strength

and growth.

Grasp a barbell with an underhand (supinated) grip and

push your hips back to bring your chest closer to the ground,

arms hanging loose. Drive your elbows up towards the ceil-

ing to bring the bar up towards your belly button, pause and

return to the start position.

CLOSE GRIP

BENCH

PRESS

INCLINE

SKULLCRUSHER