SETUP: Grab a pair of dumbbells and stand up straight, pinning your shoulders back with your chest puffed out (like Superman).
LIFT: Raise the dumbbells out to each side until your elbows reach shoulder level, then lower them. I like to keep a slight bend at the elbow at all times to ensure tension remains on the target muscle rather than the joint. With regards to hand positioning, when you reach the top of the rep you should either be in a “thumbs up” position or in a “palms flat” position – both approaches are safe and work nicely, the only grip to avoid is the “pinky up” grip commonly seen in fitness magazines, as this creates impingement.
TIP: We are performing this set with my BEAT THE CLOCK method: This method combines a ladder set of regular reps and rock solid isometric holds at the most difficult part of the rep. Perform 1 rep then pause for a 1 count at the top of the rep, then perform 2 reps and hit a 2 count hold at the top, then 3 reps and a 3 count hold, and so on. The goal is to reach MUSCLE FAILURE or reach 10, whichever happens first.
