WIN ON THE HOME FRONT
Claim back minutes every morning with our gym-free workout for upper-body muscle
Leave queues at the bench to the New Year crowd. This blend of military moves and domestic upgrades builds functional muscle in the (relative) comfort of your own domain. No crowds, no EDM – just sweat
01 CHAIR DIP 3 SETS OF 10/ 6/ 4 REPS
Take a seat, sir; just don’t sit on it. With the chair behind you, grip the front two corners of the seat, then walk forward until your arms are vertical and your torso, hips and feet form a line ( A). Lower your body to a count of three until your forearms and upper arms are perpendicular ( B). Keep your chin up and elbows narrow to zone in on your triceps. Thrust up and repeat.
02 DIAMOND PRESS- UP 3 SETS OF 10/ 6/ 4 REPS
Turn your triceps into objects of desire with diamond press-ups: just adopt a standard press-up position but place your arms closer together and form a diamond shape with your hands and thumbs ( A). Lower your chest to a three count ( B). Don’t flare your elbows – it will recruit your delts and chest and reduce the triceps pump you crave. Power back up and go again.
03 HAMMER CURL 3 SETS OF 10/ 6/ 4 REPS
No dumbbells to hand? Pick up two 4-litre milk cartons filled with water – a training hack used by Marines on tour. With your elbows close to your sides and never further forward than your waist, lift each carton alternately ( A&B) with a neutral grip (palms facing each other). Aim for an explosive lift and a five-second eccentric (lowering) phase to maximise muscle tension.
04 INVERTED TABLE ROW 3 SETS OF 10/ 6/ 4 REPS
To fool your biceps into working harder, follow up with inverted rows: they’re a famous backbuilder but also slyly batter the biceps, plus the brachioradialis. Lie under a table and hold the edge in an underhand grip ( A). Pull your chest up to it, keeping your back straight ( B). If it’s too hard, bend your knees – so your feet stay flat on the floor – until your strength improves.
05 TRICEPS EXTENSION 3 SETS OF 10/ 6/ 4 REPS
Slide the table against a wall and prepare to torch your triceps. Grip the edge with both hands and walk backward until you are at 45 degrees, with ankles, hips and shoulders in a line ( A). Put your weight through your palms and bend at the elbows until your upper arms and forearms are at 90 degrees and your head is near the table ( B). Drive up by straightening your arms.
06 BODY- UP 3 SETS OF 10/ 6/ 4 REPS
Hit the deck and assume a plank position ( A). Your bodyweight should be through your toes and forearms and your back straight. Push your palms into the ground and extend your elbows to raise your body ( B). Keep your elbows tight: this is a triceps-isolating body-up, not a chest-sculpting movement. Aim for an explosive one-count drive up and a more controlled three-count down.
07 CHIN- UP 3 SETS OF 10/ 6/ 4 REPS
Jump up for a classic bicepsbooster. Using a door-mounted chin-up bar (MH Door Trainer £24.99 argos.co.uk), adopt an underhand grip just narrower than shoulder width to recruit your biceps ( A). Hold your legs at no more than a 10-degree angle to stop your body swaying and pull your torso up to the bar ( B). Lower over five seconds to really overload your arms.
08 FINGERTIP PRESS- UP 3 SETS OF 10/ 6/ 4 REPS
Finish on the floor by adopting a press-up position with a wider than shoulder-width grip, and spreading your fingers ( A). Your pecs bear the brunt here but this also pumps up your triceps and deltoids and recruits your wrist and forearm muscles for an armful of gains. Explode up until your arms are almost vertical ( B), then lower over a count of five. Now hit your own showers.