HRT: Animal Hellraiser Trainer – Hell Workout 1, Shoulders & Arms

In Hell Session I we're going to hit biceps, shoulders and forearms. With me is IFBB Pro Mike Van Wyck. He's going to demonstrate all of the lifts. I'll be his training partner and spotter.

Before we destroy shoulders, we're going to do some warmup sets of seated front presses. Mike's going to start out with the bar only and do 10 reps to push the blood to the muscles. We'll do three warm-up sets. Each will be a little bit heavier than the prior set.

Warmups make sure we're prepping the muscles and pushing enough blood in there to get them ready for the Hellcentrics (the spotter applying pressure to make the lift more challenging).

• The shoulders take a lot of punishment in bodybuilding. It's important to hit the anterior, posterior and middle deltoids in our training to develop shoulders that make a statement on stage. That statement? "I'm here to kick your @ss!"
• Anyway, shoulders are recruited in so many movements needed to sculpt a complete physique. Shoulder training also provides the opportunity to hit the hard-to-reach clavicular head of the pectoralis.
• Everyone's physique is unique in many ways. When performing these exercises, be sure to find the comfortable range of motion that best suits you.
• In HRT we do three different exercises for complete shoulder development, with a fourth exercise added later in the week (You'll see why this makes sense a little later.)

Works the anterior and middle deltoids as well as hitting the clavicular head of the pectoralis. This movement also hits the traps and even digs into the supraspinatus.

For the middle deltoid primarily. However, the anterior and posterior deltoids have to step up and guide the movement with accuracy and direction. This movement also activates the supraspinatus deep in the shoulder.

Hits the anterior deltoid primarily, the clavicular head of the pectoralis major and the short head of the biceps brachii, which warms up the biceps for their turn to be tortured.

Stretches

Now, it's time to move into biceps, but before we do remember to get your stretches in between body parts. To get your full list of stretches, check out the recovery episode.

• We're going to focus on four parts when it comes to our biceps: the long and short heads known as the biceps brachii, the brachialis beneath the biceps and the brachioradialis.
• The two movements are designed to not only maximize overall size and shape of the bicep, but also to incorporate the all important brachioradialis, which creates a nice symmetrical transition between the upper arm and forearm.

Works both the long and short heads as well as the brachialis, which lies beneath the long and short head. This movement also warms up the brachioradialis, which we will work harder in the next movement.

It's important to keep your grip on the bar at a medium, comfortable position - not too narrow and not too wide. This grip keeps more equal pressure on both heads of the bicep.

Engages the brachioradialis primarily and also hits the biceps brachii, the brachialis and additional forearm muscles including the extensor carpi radialis longus, extensor carpi radialis brevis, extensor digitorum, extensor giti minimi and extensor carpi ulnaris.

This movement will help warm up the forearms for what's to follow.

The next logical movement, since the extensors are warmed up and ready to rock. When performed properly, reverse wrist curls work the majority if not all the forearm extensors.

These muscles tend to be easy to injure, so we will want to go a little easier on the forced negatives for these. Just a small amount of pressure does the trick.

This will finish our forearm work and leave them incredibly pumped. These hit the flexor carpi radialis, pulmaris longus, flexor carpi ulnaris, flexors difitorum superficialis and profundus.