#LIKEABEAST BLOG
- Wed, Jul 31, 19
- 5 min read
- avoiding injury
- Beast
- Beast Mode
- bodybuilding
- exercise
- gym
- injuries
- motivation
- recovery
- strong
- training
- weights
- Workout
- Thu, Jul 18, 19
- 3 min read
Team Beast athlete and Men's Physique Olympia Champ Brandon Hendrickson tells you how to bring up lagging body parts.
Team Beast athlete Rob Riches gives us the lowdown on a great Super HIIT Cardio Workout.
- Beast Mode
- Beast Sports
- cardio
- Diet
- exercise
- fitness
- gym
- healthy
- lifestyle
- strong
- training
- weight loss
- Workout
- Thu, Feb 28, 19
- 12 min read
Team BEAST athlete Rob Riches presents a forearms focused workout to have them grow like Popeye!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9kAHfT8tM9w
Every time I hear people speak about their training goals and focus on muscle groups, it’s usually a mixture of abdominals, chest, or arms. Few times have I heard anyone say “I want to have great forearms." Similar to calves and the upper legs, they are typically an afterthought for training.
Sure, having well-defined biceps and triceps is always an aesthetic goal. But balance and symmetry go well beyond just the upper arm. Having strong and powerful forearm muscles make your whole arm look better. They also mean greater grip strength, allowing you to lift more, especially with the back.
In this article I devote to some of my favorite and most beneficial forearm exercises. Like all the past workouts, I begin with a specific stretch and mobility warm up routine.
If you’ve ever changed your grip from supinated (underhand) to pronated (overhand) during curls, you’ll no doubt feel the focus shift from your biceps to a little lower down. This is the brachialis muscle and it protrudes from beneath the biceps into the upper region of the forearm.
It's not a direct forearm muscle, but does help contribute much of the forearm movement, especially when the elbow is flexed. Perform using either a standard straight barbell or the EZ-Bar. With the EZ-Bar you lessen the strain at the wrist and feel it more intensely within the forearms.
Keep your grip no more than shoulder-width apart. Try to keep elbows tucked by the side of your body. As you raise the bar up, your elbows should remain fixed at the side. You should also keep your wrists straight. This ensures that the majority of the work is done by the brachialis muscle.
Focus on a full range of motion. Lift the bar to mid-chest height, and lower it all the way down to your thighs to work the muscles through a fuller range of motion.
For this next movement, I wanted to mimic that of the old-school Wrist and Forearm Developer. It consisted of a handle with a cable attached at the center and a weight at the bottom. You rotated the bar at arms length, pulling the weight up and lowering it.
Given that the majority of gyms don’t offer this great piece of training equipment, I wanted to show something that mirrored the same movement.
Pick up a weight plate, ideally one that has holes around the edges so you can grip it better. Hold it at arms length a few inches away from your thighs. Refrain from flexing the elbows as you flex at the wrists to curl up the plate. Your arms should remain fixed. The goal here is 15-20 repetitions of slow and controlled plate lifts.
Another alternative for this exercise is performing it on a low-cable pulley with a short length handle that ideally rotates back and forth. Stand back with your arms extended straight and parallel to the floor. Repeat the same flexing at the wrist to lift the weight up and down.
The final exercise of this routine is a standing version of the first exercise. But with the barbell behind the body and arms kept straight, allowing for a full flexion and extension at the wrists.
With gravity now working constantly against you, work with a lighter weight to get the optimal muscular contraction within each rep.
Allow the barbell to roll down palm to the fingertips, before closing it back up and flexing at the wrist to curl the bar upwards.
Forearms are a muscle group I’ll often focus on within one workout, and often during an active recovery where I’m giving my larger muscle groups a day off. I find they also pair well with either a back or arm workout, providing that you allow for enough time to commit to all the movements within this routine.
The Warm Up
If you watched other videos within this series, you’ll know I set aside at least 10 minutes to mobilize the joints and warm up the muscles. This prepares them for the workout ahead, and the forearms are no different. I roll out the forearm over a barbell, which acts much like a self-myofascial release of all the muscle fibers. By rolling my forearm across the barbell as I rotate it with my other hand, I apply pressure downwards. I slowly flex and extend at the wrist and rotate the arm slightly to the left and right. The next movement really allows you to get deep into the fiber. Kneel in front of a bench with a massage ball under the forearm and a smash ball on top of the arm, and apply pressure downwards. Focus on passing the forearm back and forth in a slow and smooth fashion. The following movements involve a resistance band. One end loops around a fixed pole and the open end hooks around your elbow. Walk away from the fixed end to create tension in the band. Then plant your hand down on the floor with the knee of the same side resting on the floor. Keep the arm straight, then slowly tilt forward to feel a stretch at the wrist. Then, keeping in the same position on the floor, move the band down to your wrist and turn around. With the palm of the hand planted into the floor, tilt forwards until you feel a stretch within the wrist. You’ll see in the video, I used the massage ball to roll out the muscles in the hand by planting my hand on the floor with the ball underneath it. With an open palm, I apply pressure downwards as I move my hand over the ball. This is great for opening up the wrists.
The Routine:
Like other training programs within this Beast Series, I used supersets. This helps reduce overall workout time, but also helps keep blood volume high within a particular region. It also keeps oxygen-rich blood present in the muscles, and helps shuttle away toxins that are a byproduct from intense training. This is especially beneficial for a forearm-focused routine. These muscles typically respond best to higher volume and intensity. If growth is your goal here, overall weight is important. But perhaps not as much as keeping tension high by super-setting complimentary movements back and forth.Superset #1: Seated Barbell Curls & Pronated EZ-Bar Curls
3 Sets total. 15-20 reps per exercise.
If the barbell curl is the king of bicep training, then seated barbell wrist curls take the title for the best forearm exercise. This movement allows you to move the most amount of weight for any given forearm exercise. It also works the larger muscles within the forearm. Sit on a bench in a tripod position: hips pushed back and leaning forwards so the shoulders are above the knees. With your forearms resting along the bench with the wrists just off the edge, pick up a barbell with an underhand grip. Your hands should be about 6 inches apart. I find this particular exercise requires a little more finesse than most to really feel the forearm muscles get worked. As you lower the barbell down, extend at the wrists so the knuckles start to point towards the floor. Open up your grip so the barbell rolls to the ends of your fingers. Stretch the forearms, and then close up your fingers, allowing the barbell to roll back into the palm of your grip. Flex at the wrists and curl up your hands as high as you can, contacting the forearms as you do so.


Superset #2: Seated Pronated Dumbbell Wrist Curl & Plate Extensions
3 Sets total. 15-20 reps per exercise.
These next two movements primarily focus on flexing the wrist. This helps strengthen and develop the forearms. We begin with pronated dumbbell wrist curls. I find these are best done with each arm separately, and the forearm rested across something that is mid-torso high. This is a relatively small muscle not used to working with heavy weight. So, start with a light dumbbell (5-12 lbs should be adequate). In much the same way you performed the seated barbell wrist curls, the movement is reversed. All the movement originates at the wrist, with each repetition performed at a smooth and controlled cadence. If reaching the 15-20 rep mark on each arm feels too much at first, perform 10 on each arm, and then repeat.

Superset #3: Standing Pronated Cable Curl & Behind-The-Back Barbell Wrist Curls
3 Sets total. 15-20 reps per exercise.
The final superset looks somewhat similar to the first two movements. But it actually works the muscles in a slightly different way. First up is the single-arm cable curl using a pronated (overhand) grip. By performing this exercise one arm at a time, you stand at an angle so your arm crosses your body. This shifts the emphasis on the muscles involved. Although a subtle change, you’ll certainly feel the difference. Remember to keep the wrist locked out straight, and raise the handle as high as you can until just before the elbow begins to pull forward. There is also an added benefit of working with cables. There is often much less of a sticking point than with free weights as the stacked-weight pulley system. This means tension is kept consistent throughout the full range of motion.

Beast Leg Training with athlete Rob Riches – Superset Combos
Check out this intense leg workout from Team Beast athlete Rob Riches. The video and leg workout article is below. https://youtu.be/Y85qby88lIw The focus for many people who lift weights is to build strength, display separation between major muscle groups, and obtain balance between the front and back, and upper and lower regions of the body. This is certainly true for anyone wishing to step on stage and be judged, as well as those pursuing physical perfection, if only from an aesthetic view point. While the chest, shoulders, back, and arms, can respond well to resistance training and therefore produce faster results, it is the legs that typically appear resistant to change (or growth). The legs are comprised of large, powerful muscles that can withstand high demands. They are also in daily use carrying the rest of our weight around. A few heavy sets here and there aren’t going to result in the same growth and development as the chest or arms might. Simply put, if you want to see a change in leg development, you’re going to need to up the ante within your workouts, and possibly also the frequency at which you train them. This routine below combines both the quads and hamstrings together in one workout. If your focus is to grow your legs, I would recommend performing this routine once a week. Include some specific separate quad and hamstring work within other workouts as well.The Warm Up
I’ve always found it beneficial to perform some prep work on the muscles and joints prior to lifting weights. This doesn’t mean just holding a few static stretches or spending time doing cardio first. This means focusing on the movements you’ll be taking the muscles through. It also includes effectively warming up the muscle fibers and synovial fluid within the connecting joints. I’ve also found this to be beneficial towards getting in the right mindset for the workout ahead.

Superset #1: Front Squat & Stiff-Legged Deadlift
4 Sets. 12 reps on each


Superset #2: Sled Pushes & Box Step Ups
3 sets of sled runs (60 yards or about 20 steps) with 16 reps of step-ups.


Superset #3: Nordic Hamstring Curl & Short Step Lunges
3 sets of 12 reps (NHC) and 30-40 steps for short step lunges.





Be sure to stock up on Beast Sports Creature as well! It's the perfect thing for leg day and there's a huge deal with it. For a limited time, get 2 60-serve Creature for $29.99, plus FREE SHIPPING! This deal won't last so order now!

Welcome to the DEADcember workout: Good Luck Tying Your Shoes…
Meet Jim. Jim likes to lift but lacks guidance in the gym and his workout. Some days he likes to train upper body during a workout but occasionally he’ll remember to train legs if he takes an extra scoop of Beast Mode Black. He’ll track his macros during the week but on the weekends, he usually forgets as he goes out with friends and ends up smashing some nachos at a bar or getting pizza before a movie. Needless to say, Jim hasn’t really seen much progress this year and his training lacks structure. Jim needs some help on the nutritional front (click here) but also on the training side of the equation.The Change Jim Needs…
Welcome to DEADcember, Jim. This program and this workout will likely be harder than what you’re currently doing. That is, unless you’re running a Russian squat cycle like Sheiko or Smolov. Point being, this will probably require you to work harder than normal. That’s good, especially given the excessive surplus of calories which typically accompany the holiday season. As I mentioned prior to the Squatober and Swolvember program, there are 3 main caveats that you must understand before you start this workout:- You must show up. This isn’t debatable.
- Effort is not optional.
- Stick to the plan. You can back off if need be, but adding more is not necessary or ideal.
Just One More Thing
Before we dive headfirst into training, let’s get one thing straight: the conventional deadlift is not a universal movement. Everyone should be able to hinge through their hips without excessive movement in their spine. But that doesn’t necessitate the use of a conventional deadlift.
Trap Bar Deadlift
- If you’re new to training, stick with the trap bar. It's easy to learn, somewhat foolproof, and it’s easier to maintain a better starting position without any coaching.
- Great option for those with shoulder issues. The difference in hand position (neutral vs. pronated) helps to alter positioning of the shoulder.
- Shifts the load around the body as opposed to placing it directly in front of the body. This tends to reduce strain on the low back.
Sumo Deadlift
- Great option for lifters with long legs, short torsos, or short arms.
- How do you know if that’s you? Try it and see how it looks and feels. You’ll know.
- If not, feel free to shoot me an email or DM on Facebook/Instagram (link in my author bio). We can talk shop about your pulls.
- Allows the lifter to remain a bit more upright with their torso. That subsequently reduces sheer forces (aka strain) on the lower back.
- Good option for intermediate lifters who understand their body mechanics and have been training for a few months.
Conventional Deadlift
- Hardest deadlift variation to learn. But it's an excellent option for lifters with long arms, long torsos, or short legs.
- Requires high levels of mobility in the thoracic spine, ankles, and hips. It should be approached with caution if someone is new to training.
- If conventional deadlifts give you back pain off the floor, consider rack pulls or block pulls. Elevate the bar to mid shin or just below the knee. This will allow for a slightly better starting position and hopefully help to mitigate the pain given the high volume that will follow for the next 30 days.
Programming From The Pros - DEADCEMBER

DAY 1: LOWER BODY
Close Stance Hack Squat or Leg Press (Your Choice): 3x10 A1. Machine Leg Extension: 4x12 A2. Machine/Banded Sissy Squat: 4x15-20 A3. Reverse Sled Drag: 4x25-50 Yards B1. Reverse Grip EZ Bar Curl: 5x8 B2. Seated EZ Bar French Press: 5x8 ______________________________________________________________________________DAY 2: LOTS OF DEADLIFTS + SOME BACK
A1. *Snatch Grip Deadlift (3 Second Eccentric): 6x6 A2. Sternum Chinup: 6x6 B1. Chest Supported DB Row: 3x12 B2. Seated Facepull: 3x12 B3. Seated DB Incline Curl: 3x12 *NOTE: If snatch grip deadlifts off the floor bother your back, utilize blocks, or consider snatch grip RDLs (hinge to just below the knee, then return to the starting position) ______________________________________________________________________________ **In between DAY 2 and DAY 3, take at least 1 (preferably 2) days off.** ______________________________________________________________________________DAY 3: EVERYTHING ELSE + DEADLIFTS
Sumo or Conventional Speed Deadlift: 6x3 @ 50% of 1-RM High Incline DB Shoulder Press (55-65°): 4x8 A1. Cable Fly (2 Count Pause & Squeeze): 3x8 A2. Neutral Bar Dips (3 Second Eccentric): 3x8 B1. V-Bar Overhead Tricep Extension: 3x12 B2. Close Grip Pushup: 3x1 RIR (1 Rep in Reserve - Stay 1 rep short of failure)DAY 4: ALL THE HAMSTRINGS
Snatch Grip High Pull: 5x4 A1. DB Pullover: 4x12 A2. Assisted Pullup Machine: 4x1 RIR (1 Rep in Reserve - Stay 1 rep short of failure) B1. GHR: 3x8-10 B2. KB Swing: 3x12 C1. Prone/Seated Leg Curl - 3x8 C2. Seated Cable Row Supinated Medium Grip - 3x20 Merry Christmas ya filthy animal!Developed Triceps
Team Beast athlete Rob Riches gives us another great workout to build a bodypart, with this one focused on the triceps. It's the key part to arm growth and a bigger triceps equals a bigger arm. Check it out! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rTPQRkq-DFU When I started weight training in my teenage years, it was in part due to the attraction of wanting big arms. I focused on numerous bicep exercises in the hope that they would grow into sleeve-busting arms. No matter how many sets I did, they simply didn't respond the way I wanted. It wasn’t until several months later, after I had amassed a greater understanding of weight training and anatomy, did I realize that to get my arms to the point where I wanted, I would need to put some serious time into training my triceps. They make up about 2/3 of the mass of the arm, and a few pushdowns after countless curls wasn’t going to cut it. This routine below is a homage to the routine I developed that finally gave me the mass, shape, and size in my arms I wanted. I’ll train my triceps as a separate muscle group* (like in this routine), once every 7-10 days. I will also combine them with another muscle group, such as biceps or chest, somewhere in the middle. *Adding a forearm or abdominal circuit on the end of this routine would make for a great pairing.The Warm Up
I learned over the years that properly preparing the muscles (and joints & tendons), prior to the workout itself, will not only lead to greater fiber involvement and a bigger pump, but also gives you feeling of everything working like a fine-tuned machine. My recovery post-training is shortened and with less muscle soreness. This warm-up doesn’t require any weight, although there is resistance placed upon the muscle via various resistance/pull-up bands. If you don’t have access to any of these, I highly recommend buying some. They’re relatively inexpensive and can be used for a whole range of different applications.



- Low Band Tricep Stretch: Secure one end of the band to a fixed point. Insert your hand into the other end of the band, gripping the outside. Keep the upper arm pointed up high, so the bicep is right next to your ear, and hold for 20 seconds and take two big deep breaths. Repeat with the other arm. You may want to perform a second set of these as you feel the muscle fibers begin to open up, or perform all movements first, repeating them for a second time as you return for another circuit.
- Barbell Self-Myofascial Release: I’ve been using foam rollers for SMR for years, but have only recently started incorporating the same practice with a barbell. Hold your arm stretched out on the barbell, triceps pushed into the bar, and rotate the bar forwards with your free hand as you pull your arm back across the bar. Rotate it from side to side, applying a little more pressure onto the bar when you feel a tight spot. I also love this for working the spot just below my elbow, getting deep into all the sinu-tendons that you feel when performing the likes of barbell skull crushers. Use your free hand to rotate your forearm/wrist in circular motions as you continue to apply force downwards on the bar. Perform for 30-60 seconds for each arm separately, spending longer if you feel the need to.
- Banded Pull-downs: This movement can be replaced with cable pull downs (using a light weight) if you don’t have access to any resistance bands. I prefer to use the bands for warm ups whenever I can. The resistance increases the more the band is stretched, allowing me to gauge how much stress I want to place upon my triceps. This allows me to progressively get into deeper, more forceful contractions. Twenty repetitions here is usually sufficient.
- Bench Dips: These, along with the previous banded pull-downs, are the only two movements that work the muscles through a concentric and eccentric motion. Both work the triceps from a different angle, with a different emphasis on the 3 main triceps heads. Do 15-20 repetitions on here.
Supplementation


Triceps Superset Combos
The routine below and in the video is comprised of three paired movements. Each superset has two exercises that are performed back-to-back for a total of 3-4 sets and for the prescribed number of reps. This approach to training – especially for a smaller muscle group such as the triceps - allows blood concentration to be kept high in the muscle, keeping oxygen and nutrients close to the working muscles. It keeps intensity high without needing to use a high amount of weight. I’ve experimented with both options and definitely prefer this approach than straight sets with the heaviest weight I can manage.Superset 1: Skull Crushers and Incline Bench Rope Pull-downs
4 sets total: 15-12 reps on each exercise. Only small increments in weight for each set


Superset 2: Behind the head Extensions and Dumbbell Kickbacks
3 sets total: 15-10 reps on each exercise. Keep the same weight for all sets




Superset 3: Weighted Dips & Reverse Grip Pull-down*
3 sets total: 15-12 reps on each exercise. Keep the same weight for all sets.
*Final set (3rd), add in a set of push ups after the final set of reverse grip pull-downs, and perform until failure.



Conclusion
After completing this routine, your arms will no doubt be full of blood and you’ll have a great pump. I’d recommend performing at least several minutes of cool down movements. It can mimic much of the warm up routine. Make use of the bands for stretching and the foam roller or barbell for the self-myofascial release work. It will be worth the time and help to flush out much of the toxins.We're also giving you a great deal to go along with this article. Get 20% OFF the entire store when you use code BEAST20!

- Thu, Nov 22, 18
- 9 min read
- Sun, Nov 04, 18
- 7 min read