Training Notes:
A1: Face sideways next to the cable stack with the working arm furthest away. Set the pulley to about forehead height. Use a single rope attachment or just hold onto the cable so you’re able to lead with your pinkie. Your off arm should be holding onto the tower to brace. Align the cable and your upper arm so the tension is going through your elbow efficiently. Keep your upper arm locked in place and allow movement only through elbow flexion and extension. Make sure to get a full ROM and hard contraction. Perform sets on both arms before moving on to A2.
A2: These should be performed on a flat bench. Hold a single DB locked out over your chest and with a semi pronated grip. Use your off hand to brace against the biceps of your working arm to provide support. Keep the movement very strict and allow the DB to come down to touch the contralateral pec/anterior delt. Be sure to keep all tension in your triceps and avoid (as much as is possible) use of your pecs and delts to move the load. Perform sets in the same order as A1 and on both arms before moving back to A1.
B: Set spotter pins to catch the bar about an inch off your chest. Add bands from the bottom to overload lockout. Bands should be adding moderate tension at the top and practically nothing at the bottom (try your best to set it up this way). Use a normal grip for these and take the bar out of the J-hooks to begin each set. Control the eccentric, allow the bar to softly settle on the pins, then press through the concentric explosively. Lockout at the top of each rep. Take the last set to 1RIR.
C: Use a load that would be about your 15 rep max here. Make sure to also use an adjustable bench with back support and start it at a ~80-90º angle. After sufficient feeder sets, take the set to technical failure then move into a mechanical drop-set. Adjust the bench to ~60º and continue with incline skull crushers to failure with the same load. Then adjust the bench to ~30º and continue. And finally, down to a flat bench and go to failure one last time with skullcrushers. Expect reps to drop off quickly as you go through this due to fatigue build-up. Try to limit rest to as long as it takes to adjust the bench and get back into position. Have a partner assist with the bench if possible for increased turnaround time!
D1: Adjust a bench to a ~60º incline. Keep your scaps retracted and palms supinated throughout. Adhere closely to the tempo dictated here. Your upper arms should be pointing straight down at all times—limit shoulder flexion here. Really focus on lengthening the biceps and spend time in the stretch. Take the last set to failure. No rest before D2.
D2: Use the same load as D1 and pump these out! You should be able to get a good amount of additional reps but make sure to focus on maximizing blood flow rather than rep count. Get a full ROM on each rep. Take the last set to failure. Full rest before returning to D1.
E: Adhere to tempo and aim to load these up heavy. A machine that levels out the resistance curve is ideal here to overload the shortened position but cables or EZ bar will also work. Be careful to not overextend in the stretch—leave ~15º of elbow flexion at the bottom to protect against biceps strains. Full rest between sets here. Take the last set to 1RIR.
F: The load will be pretty light on these but focus on slow, controlled tempos with as much ROM as you can get. Allow the bar to roll to the end of your fingertips then curl it all the way up while flexing your wrist at the top. Take the last set to failure.