Just Arms

The 2 previous reviews covered everything quite well. So, for more info, I'd have to compare this tape to another VF favorite: Cory's Get Hard Arms & Shoulders. I have to admit, I like Joyce arm tape more. It is quicker and you can stop after 2 rounds and still feel it, for even less time. I felt some of Cory's moves were faster than Joyce at times and Joyce gave more rest time, which I never felt like I had enough in Cory's GHAS tape.

This is a great add on tape or great upper workout if short on time. I may not keep the companion Bra Roll Boobs, but instead have substituted Joyce's Fast Forward day one which is chest & back & abs for a more complete workout. The Just Joyce set didn't include abs, so this substitue has been helping me fit it all in.

This is a full pyramid workout which has been fully broken down by another reviewer, so I'll just make some comments.

The exercises are classics. The lifting speed is slow for Joyce, and moderate in general. She gives no resting in between sets, so keep the dumbbells close! You only need dumbbells and a chair for this workout. It is a non-choreographed, gym style workout, with negligable music (standard fare for Joyce workouts.)

I like that you can vary the length of the workout - either do the full pyramid (up and down) which goes about 30 minutes, or you can pyramid up by skipping to the next chapter after each superset. Or, you can do full pyramid and skip an entire superset - there are a lot of options.

Joyce works you hard - she does biceps, triceps and shoulders. A nice thing about this workout is, she ends with alternating arm exercises (one-arm at a time), which allows you to still go heavy even though the muscles are fatiqued from the previous exercises (which are done with both arms together.)

This is an efficient workout, and good for time-crunched days, or can be used as a longer upper body workout (although, chest and back are not worked.)

Others have already posted comprehensive breakdowns of this workout so I will just add my impressions. Overall, I liked this video. It was exactly what I was expecting it to be. I have used Joyce's workouts in the past but shied away from her stuff after having some customer service issues. I had been curious to try her newer stuff and was delighted when I learned I could order some of the workouts elsewhere. I got this dvd and one other from New Idea Fitness and had a very good ordering experience.

Onto the workout, it is the typical bare bones no-frills strength work Joyce is known for. There are 4 sets each containing 3 exercises: one each for biceps, shoulders and triceps. You do a full pyramid, so 12 reps for each exercise with the lightest weight, 10 each with the middle, 8 each with the heaviest, then back down again with the middle and lightest again. I felt nicely worked out by the end of it.

This is the type of training my body responds best to. I know I will get a lot of use out of this routine and am quite happy with the purchase.

This is a great one from Joyce with a slower lifting speed (Marthe counts). You have time to change weights between exercises.

Length: 30 min.

You do 4 rounds of giant sets (3 exercises) for biceps, shoulders, triceps. Joyce uses the full pyramid system 12/10/8/10/12 reps, then move on to the next three exercises, and so on. If you're time crunched, push skip when she's finished with the heaviest weight. That way you'll jump to the start of the next round, doing pyramid up only in all 4 rounds.

simultaneous Bicep curl

Side delt raise

double arm kickback

Concentration bicep curl

Upright row

Single arm french press

Hammer curl

Pee wee lateral

double arm french press

aternating bicep curl

Alternating shoulder press

alternating tricep kickback

Perhaps I'll sub the simultaneous bicep curls with W presses (Slim Series style), and do the single arm french presses in supine position (a bell in each hand). Upright row will be subbed with L-flyes (a bell in each hand). Pee wee lateral will be subbed with Exercise 4 from this link: http://familydoctor.org/265.xml My shoulders will like this much more!

Rotation tip:

One could alternate full versions and time crunched versions of the Just Joyce titles, thus maintaining a two-day split and shorter workout time, but still reaping the benefits of doing the full pyramid this way:

Day 1: Just Arms (full) + Just Bra-Roll (time crunch)

Day 2: Just Thighs (full) + Just Butt (time chrunch)

the next two days are REVERSE:

Day 3: Just Arms (time crunch) + Just Bra-Roll (full)

Day 4: Just Thighs (time crunch) + Just Butt (full)

Day 5: See Day 1

Day 6: See Day 2

The next week you would start out working the lower body instead of upper body, keeping upper and lower body in balance.

So you alternate full and time crunch versions of the titles, thus maintaining a two-day split and shorter workout time, but still reaping the benefits of doing the full pyramid.