Buzz
Ready to create a powerful arm and shoulder workout? I’ve already shared insights on the top bicep exercises, top tricep exercises, and top shoulder exercises. Now, I’ll provide a flexible formula to blend these, allowing you to substitute your preferred moves if mine aren’t your favorites.
The framework
We’ll begin with a moderately heavy compound movement targeting both arms and shoulders. Next, we’ll transition to moderately weighted exercises, prioritizing areas less engaged during the compound movement. To maximize efficiency, we’ll incorporate supersets where possible. Here’s a glimpse of how it will unfold:
Choose your preferred shoulder press - 5 sets, heavy, aiming for 3-8 reps, with 2 minutes of rest between sets.
(optional) Rear delt exercises - 3 sets of 8-12 reps
Bicep/tricep superset - 3 sets of 8-12 reps each
Shoulder superset - 3 sets of 10+ reps each
(optional) Light bicep/tricep superset - 3 sets of 12-15 reps each
For a 30-minute session, omit the optional parts and focus on a shoulder press, bicep/tricep superset, and a shoulder superset. Dedicate the first 15 minutes to the shoulder press and rest periods; the remaining exercises can be completed quickly with minimal rest.
To increase intensity, allocate extra time for the optional sections. If you recover well, feel free to add more bi/tri supersets or repeat any workout components you’d like to emphasize.
Weekly integration: Performing this workout once a week is acceptable, but twice weekly is ideal. Alternatively, you can do this routine once and another upper-body workout on a separate day.
Keep in mind this workout excludes chest and back exercises, so it’s not a complete upper-body routine. You can incorporate it into a rotation such as:
Arms and shoulders
Legs
Chest and back
(rest or repeat)
Transforming this into a complete upper-body workout: substitute one or both bicep/tricep supersets with a push/pull superset targeting chest and back muscles. We’ll delve into this further in the relevant section.
Continue reading for a deeper dive into each workout component and the options available for every segment.
Section 1: the press
You can perform any variation of shoulder press or overhead press here, using any suitable equipment. Below are some excellent options for the press:
Standing barbell strict press
Seated dumbbell shoulder press (upright, not incline)
Standing single or double kettlebell press
Z-press (seated on the floor with legs spread for stability)
Landmine press (ideal for those experiencing shoulder pain with overhead arm movements)
If you have a preferred press, feel free to substitute it. Push presses are not recommended here; ensure your knees remain straight during standing presses. Push presses are excellent but not suitable for this segment.
Rest time: 2 minutes or more. The initial press is designed as a heavy strength-building exercise (we’ll focus on pump work later), so ensure you take sufficient rest between sets.
Reps per set: around 5. Maintain single-digit reps. You can go as low as 3 reps per set, but avoid exceeding 8. Thinking of this as a “5x5” routine might help you remember.
Weight to use: Choose a weight that allows you to complete the desired reps. It’s fine to vary weights between sets, but aim to make your final set the heaviest.
How to progress: Tailor your approach. Review last week’s session and increase either the weight or reps for at least one set. For instance:
Last week, you used 50 pounds for 8 reps across all five sets. This week, try 55 pounds for your final two sets and see how many reps you can achieve.
Last week, you performed five reps at 20, 25, 30, 30, and 30 pounds. This week, aim for five reps at 25, 30, 30, 30, and 35 pounds.
While a straightforward double progression is an option, I prefer adjusting based on how I feel. Variety keeps things engaging and beneficial.
Section 2: (optional) rear delt exercises
Your deltoids, the muscles atop your shoulders resembling 1980s shoulder pads, consist of three parts: front, side, and rear. Overhead pressing effectively targets the front and side delts, so now it’s time to focus on the rear delts. Here are some excellent options:
Bent-over dumbbell reverse fly
Incline bench reverse fly (lying face-down)
Band pull-aparts
Face pulls using a cable machine
Reverse fly on a pec deck or similar machine
Rest time: Keep it under 90 seconds. If you anticipate boredom, use the downtime for dumbbell curls between sets.
Reps and weight: Aim for 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps. Use a weight that allows you to complete the desired reps per set.
How to progress: Gradually increase weight or reps. If using resistance bands, adjust based on feel, aiming for a stronger band or narrower grip over time.
Section 3: bicep/tricep superset
Now we’re diving into the exciting part! You can choose any exercises here. Some timeless isolation moves for biceps include:
Barbell curls (or ez-bar curls)
Bayesian curls, explained here (a cable curl starting from a stretched position)
Dumbbell curls
Hammer curls
Zottman curls
Cable curls
And for triceps:
Skullcrushers
Overhead dumbbell tricep extensions
French press
Tricep kickbacks
Cable pushdowns
If your focus is solely on arms and shoulders today, stick to these lists. However, if you’re aiming for a comprehensive upper-body workout that includes chest and back, opt for a pull exercise instead of bicep isolation, such as:
Chinups
Pullups
Seated cable rows
Barbell bent-over rows or Pendlay rows
Kroc rows
And replace tricep isolation with a push exercise:
Close grip bench press
Dips
Pushups
Incline or overhead press (select a different variation from your initial workout choice)
We’ll include another bis/tris superset later, so you can opt for a push/pull here and reserve isolations for the final superset.
Rest time: Take breaks as needed. Aim for 30 seconds of rest after completing both exercises, with no pause in between.
Reps and weight: Perform 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps, using a weight that allows you to hit the target rep count. You can also opt for a broader range (5 to 15) if that suits you better.
How to progress: Gradually increase reps each session. Once you can complete three solid sets at the upper end of your rep range, increase the weight or adjust the difficulty (e.g., switch to diamond pushups).
Section 4: shoulder superset
For this segment, we’ll borrow one of the two shoulder supersets from my best shoulder workouts article. The most popular choice is the classic three-head deltoid isolation:
Dumbbell front raise
Dumbbell lateral raise
Bent-over dumbbell reverse fly
Perform these exercises in a circuit, transitioning directly from one to the next without setting the dumbbells down. I recommend changing the starting point each round: for example, front/lateral/rear in the first round, lateral/rear/front in the second, and so on. Don’t stress if rep counts fluctuate; the goal is to fatigue your shoulders, not obsess over numbers.
Rest time: Take breaks as needed between circuits, around 30 seconds.
Reps and weight: Target 10-15 reps for the first exercise, and stick with that weight even if your reps decrease (e.g., 15, 12, 10 in the first round, 12, 10, 8 in the second…it’s perfectly fine).
How to progress: Once you’re comfortably exceeding 15 reps across multiple sets, increase the weight.
Section 5 (optional): light bicep/tricep superset
For this final segment, we’re revisiting the bicep/tricep superset, but with lighter weights. Refer to the earlier list of exercises, but pick different ones than those used previously. For instance, if you did pushups and pullups earlier, try Zottman curls and skullcrushers now.
I’ll provide two approaches for structuring this:
Rest, reps, and weight, option 1: Perform 3 sets of 12 or more reps. Rest at least 30 seconds between supersets. Increase the weight once you can complete 15+ reps across all three sets.
Rest, reps, and weight, option 2: Select a weight you can manage for at least one set of 15. Set a 5-minute timer and complete as many sets as possible with minimal rest. Expect a sharp decline in reps—starting at 15 and possibly dropping to 3 by the end. The goal is to maintain movement throughout the 5 minutes.
And there you have it: a comprehensive arms-and-shoulders routine, adaptable to a full upper-body workout, achievable in 30 minutes or extended with additional sets for a longer session. Track your progress in a notebook, app, or phone note, and enjoy watching your arms and shoulders grow stronger over time.
