Body Beast: Bulk Arms

Part of the Body Beast set, the Bulk workouts are the second phase of the program after Build. Each Bulk workout focuses on one body part except this Arms workout, which is both biceps and triceps. You alternate biceps and triceps exercises throughout the workout.

The format and set are the familiar ones: stripped-down gym setting, Sagi and two very muscular male backgrounders, unobtrusive music as background filler. There is a countdown clock that shows total workout time as well as the time left in whatever you're doing at the moment: warmup, lifting or resting between sets. There is a readout with the name of the upcoming exercise and the rep count, and a countdown clock on the reps while you're lifting. This workout is 36 minutes long, with 4 minutes total of warmup and stretch and 32 minutes of weights work.

You will needs dumbbells, a bench or aerobic step, and a barbell for this workout. One backgrounder is the designated equipment modifier who does the workout using only dumbbells and a stability ball in place of the bench/step.

The workout starts with a brief warmup: jogging in place/high knees, arm circles, various biceps curls and a triceps extension with light dumbbells, and high knees to end.

The first exercise is a progressive set. Reps are 15 with light weight, 12 with medium and 8 with heavy; after a pause, you reverse order with 8 heavy reps, 12 medium and 15 light. The exercise is standing biceps curls with dumbbells and there is no rest between sets.

Next is a drop set of seated overhead triceps extensions, using one dumbbells in the T-position behind your head. The rep count for a drop set is 15 reps light, 12 reps heavier, 8 reps heaviest, 8 more reps at a lighter-than-heaviest weight with no rest between the two 8-rep sets.

After that comes a force set of wide-grip barbell/EZ bar curl. A force set uses a heavy weight and you do 5 sets of 5 reps with almost no rest between (varies between 8 and 15 seconds of rest). You do not put down the bar between sets. This one builds up fast.

Next is a drop set of skullcrushers on the bench. Sagi uses a barbell but you can also use dumbbells.

Following is a progressive set of seated concentration hammer curls. You do the 15-12-8 progression on the right arm, then the left; then back to the right for the 8-12-15 progression and finish with the left. No rest between sets and the pace is controlled.

The final arm exercise is a progressive set of triceps kickbacks. You do the right-left progressions the same as in the previous exercise. Sagi goes FAST on the kickbacks, almost using explosive moves on the extension. It's a fight to keep good form at the pace he sets.

The workout ends with one set of 30 weighted crunches on the bench, with a barbell plate behind your head. Then there's a very short (90 second) stretch.

This workout creeps up on you. I used the same weights as I did in Build and struggled with the greater number of sets and faster reps. I was tired but exhilarated at the end; this workout won't leave you noodle-armed but you will feel pumped.

Note: another annoying backgrounder shows up in this workout. Nick, the doof who wears the backwards baseball cap, also does little grunts during his reps which the microphone picks up. He's abnormally chatty too (lots of "I got 40s, bro" sorts of comments). Sagi interacts with him a little but I wish he'd shut him up with his patented "don't talk, the BEAST is talking!" comment from a couple of the Build workouts.