Day 27:Arms

This is the last weights workout of Phase One of Operation Aesthetic. It’s hard to believe we’re almost at the halfway point. You should be feeling really motivated by the results you’re seeing. Today, you also need to get in your last early morning cardio session of Phase One. Then, at the end of this workout, get in your last cardio session for this phase.

OPERATION AESTHETIC NOTES

*I increase the weight by about 10 pounds with each set for most biceps moves. As I pyramid up in weight, I’m also dropping reps. The variety of higher reps and lower reps hits your slow- and fast-twitch muscle fibers a little differently, helping you develop more complete arms.

*For biceps, I really want you to resist the weights on the negatives—don’t just drop the weight.

*The same goes for triceps. Make sure you control the weight on the stretch, and then emphasize a contraction at the top. An Operation Aesthetic rule of thumb is that I like a two-beat stretch and then a more explosive one-beat contraction. Try to include this rhythm in your biceps and triceps training.

Early morning cardio

25 minutes

Perform this session upon waking before consuming food.

EXERCISE	COMMENT
EZ-bar curls Don’t forget to emphasize the negative/stretch portion of every rep. That phase of the rep should take twice as long as the positive/contraction.	5 SETS / 12, 10, 7, 3, 15 REPS

Seated incline curls Some moves are great for the contraction and some are better for the stretch. This is definitely a stretch move because your arms start behind your body.	5 SETS / 12, 10, 7, 3, 15 REPS

Hammer curls Really feel that stretch on the negative/extension. Don’t just allow the weights to lower with the force of gravity—you should be fighting against that with your arm muscles.	4 SETS / 12, 9, 6, 15 REPS

Standing one-arm cable curls I stand a little sideways to the apparatus and bring the weight across my body a bit to better target the outsides of my biceps.	4 SETS / 12, 9, 6, 15REPS

One-arm dumbbell triceps extensions Keep your elbow still throughout each rep—that will better emphasize your triceps. And don’t forget to use both angles for this exercise.	5 SETS / 12, 10, 7, 3, 15 REPS*

Lying dumbbell triceps extensions Lower the weight slowly with every rep so that you feel the stretch.	5 SETS / 12, 10, 7, 3, 15 REPS

Triceps rope pressdowns This is one of my favorite triceps moves because you can get a really nice squeeze. Hold that contraction for an extra second.	5 SETS / 12, 10, 7, 3, 15 REPS

Dips Lower slowly and with control coming from your triceps; then explode up and contract your triceps at the top.	4 SETS / Burnout*

Post-Workout cardio

25 minutes

I think it’s especially important to perform your cardio immediately after arms based on my training split. That gives you a longer recovery window before your next workout the following Monday.

TIP: I want you to evaluate where you are with your program at the end of today. I know we usually do our evaluations on the 7^th day of each week, but we’re at a crucial point in Operation Aesthetic. If everything is going well, then you can consider going with a 24-hour cheat window beginning with tonight’s dinner. That will really help restock you for Phase Two.