Arms Antagonist Pump

25–35 min Strength Superset Arms Upper Body Arnold Inspired

Flexor with extensor supersets: Curl with Kickback, Hammer Curl with Overhead Extension, Incline Curl with Skull Crushers. Pure arm density. Soft elbows. Stop on tendon noise.

How it runs. Arm circles, then three pairs. Do A, immediately B, rest 45–75 seconds after the pair. Three paired sets each. One pass is the session. Climb reps inside the range first; then load. A three-second lower counts as overload on light days.

How to read ahead. Do to go one move at a time.

Warm-up

1 Arm Circles

45 seconds

Small circles, then a little bigger. Both ways. Soft elbows.

Option. Skip a direction if a shoulder or elbow complains.

Stop if. The shoulder pinches or the neck takes over.

Show the steps

1
Stand tall with arms extended straight out to the sides.
2
Make small forward circles with your arms.
3
Let the circles grow a little as the shoulders warm up.
4
Reverse direction and make backward circles.
5
Keep shoulders down and core braced.
6
Breathe steadily.

Another way

Pair 1 — Curl ↔ Kickback Do curl, then kickback. Rest 45–75s after the pair.

2 Dumbbell Curls

3 sets, 10–12 reps

Stand tall. Palms up. Curl without swinging. Lower with control. Leave reps in the tank.

Option. Water bottles or slow air curls. Sit if the lower back wants to help.

Show the steps

1
Stand tall with feet hip-width apart, dumbbells at your sides, palms facing forward.
2
Keep your elbows close to your body and shoulders relaxed.
3
Curl the weights up toward your shoulders by bending your elbows.
4
Squeeze your biceps at the top for one second.
5
Slowly lower the weights back to the starting position with control.
6
Avoid swinging or using momentum — keep it smooth.

Another way

3 Tricep Kickbacks

3 sets, 10–15 reps

Hinge. Upper arm still. Only the forearm moves. Soft lockout.

Option. Cable Tricep Pushdown if you have a cable. Close-Grip Push-Ups if the bells stay down.

Show the steps

1
Hinge at the hips with a flat back, soft knees, holding a light dumbbell in one hand.
2
Raise the upper arm so it is parallel to the floor, elbow bent at 90 degrees.
3
Keeping the upper arm locked in place, straighten the elbow to ‘kick’ the weight back.
4
Squeeze the triceps hard at full extension for a second.
5
Return to the bent position with control.
6
Finish the set, then switch arms. No swinging the upper arm.

Another way

Pair 2 — Hammer ↔ Overhead Extension Do hammer curl, then overhead extension. Rest 45–75s after the pair.

4 Hammer Curls

3 sets, 10–12 reps

Neutral grip. Elbows under the shoulders. No swing.

Option. Dumbbell Curls. Slow tempo if the weights are light.

Show the steps

1
Pick your set-up. Seated: sit tall on a chair or bench with a light back support if you have it. Standing: feet about hip-width, soft knees, tall posture.
2
Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing your thighs (neutral grip). Wrists straight — thumb in line with the forearm.
3
Brace lightly. Curl the bells by bending the elbows only. Keep upper arms quiet against your sides.
4
Squeeze gently near the shoulders without shrugging or letting the elbows drift forward.
5
Lower slowly until the arms are long again. No drop, no bounce.
6
Breathe out as you curl, in as you lower. Alternating arms is fine — finish clean reps on both sides.

Another way

5 Overhead Tricep Extension

3 sets, 10–12 reps

Elbows by the ears. Lower the bell behind the head, then extend. Ribs quiet.

Option. Two bells or one. Shorten the range if the elbows complain.

Show the steps

1
Hold one dumbbell with both hands overhead, arms extended.
2
Bend your elbows to lower the weight behind your head.
3
Keep your upper arms close to your ears.
4
Straighten your arms back up.
5
Squeeze your triceps at the top.
6
Move with control.

Another way

Pair 3 — Incline Curl ↔ Skull Crusher Do incline curl, then skull crusher. Rest 45–75s after the pair.

6 Incline Dumbbell Curl

3 sets, 8–12 reps

Back on an incline. Arms hang. Curl without letting the elbows drift forward.

Option. Zottman Curl. Flat-bench or seated curls if no incline bench.

Show the steps

1
Sit on an incline bench (or lean against a wall) with dumbbells hanging at your sides, palms forward.
2
Keep the upper arms still and curl the weights up toward the shoulders.
3
Squeeze at the top, then lower slowly, letting the arms fully straighten.
4
Feel the stretch at the bottom without swinging.
5
Maintain a stable torso — no rocking.
6
Control both the up and the down.

Another way

7 Skull Crushers

3 sets, 8–12 reps

On your back. Lower the bells toward the forehead or just past. Extend without flaring.

Option. Close-Grip Push-Ups. Stop if the elbows bark.

Show the steps

1
Lie on a bench or the floor holding dumbbells (or one dumbbell) above your chest with arms extended.
2
Keep upper arms locked in place, pointing toward the ceiling.
3
Bend only at the elbows to lower the weight slowly toward your forehead or just behind it.
4
Stop when you feel a stretch in the triceps, then extend the arms back to the start.
5
Keep the elbows from flaring wide and the upper arms stationary.
6
Exhale as you extend, inhale as you lower.

Another way

Rest after the pair. Elbows stay quiet. Shorten the range or drop the bells the moment a tendon complains. Showing up is the whole win.