Try This Elite Bodybuilder’s “Juicy” Arm Training

Iain Valliere’s "Juicy" Arm Workout

Retired pro bodybuilder and coach Iain Valliere is renowned for his elite training methods, which won him multiple IFBB pro shows during his bodybuilding career. Valliere recently shared his "juicy" arm training to maximize gains based on science.

Takeaways

• Wrist rotation and wrist deviation during triceps pushdowns.
• Curl with strong wrists.
• Prioritize stability.
• Optimize close-grip press bar path.

Modified Rope Pushdowns

Valliere leads with pushdowns to warm up his elbows and triceps. A form hack is rotating the palms up and curling the rope with slight supination. Emphasize the squeeze by pronating and pulling the rope apart while bending the wrists out—benefits unique to rope handles. Valliere prefers thinner, extended ropes, using grips with finger grooves for maximum range of motion. Lighten the weight if you can’t pull your hands apart.

Preacher Curl Tip and Close-Grip Triceps Press

One of Valliere’s arm day no-nos is having "dead wrists" during curls. "Keep your wrist engaged—it’s going to help engage your bicep and curl," he demonstrated. Strong wrists are imperative to curl progression; limp wrists could help those who struggle to achieve a mind-muscle connection. The key is using manageable loads.

Key Biceps & Triceps Exercises

Bayesian curls and incline curls might be the best "biceps" exercises, according to science. In a recent study, curling with the arms behind the body—fully stretching the biceps—produced more upper arm flexor growth than preacher curls, which grew the lower portion near the elbow more. The study indicates the biceps could have accounted for most upper arm flexor growth, while the brachialis muscles contributed to most of the gains near the elbow. For the opposing triceps, overhead extensions led to significantly more growth across all three triceps heads due to a superior stretch.

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References

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