HOUSE OF GUNS
No iron? No problem. Add 3in to your biceps in just four weeks with this push-and-pull bodyweight ladder from elite PT Bradley Simmonds
Add size to your arms and chest in your living room with our bodyweight blaster
You might be waiting until the pandemic is over to re-up your gym membership, but there’s no reason why you can’t go large in the meantime. Simmonds’s at-home upper-body bulk-up requires no dumbbells. Its push-pull format ensures that one muscle group works while the other rests – so you can squeeze 150 reps from a single workout for supersized benefits. Complete 10 reps of all six exercises before resting and going again, taking off two reps with each new round. Think big.
01 PULL-UP 5 SETS OF 10REPS, 8REPS, 6REPS, 4REPS, 2REPS, NO REST
Wedge a pull-up bar into your door frame. Start by hanging with an overhand grip at shoulder width (A). Keeping your core tight, drive your elbows towards your hips, contracting your back and biceps to lift your chest to the bar (B). Lower and repeat.
02 PIKE PRESS-UP 5 SETS OF 10REPS, 8REPS, 6REPS, 4REPS, 2REPS, NO REST
Drop from the bar and shake out your arms. Now, hinge at your hips to place your hands on the floor in front of you, but keep your glutes in the air (A). Flex at your elbows to lower your head to the floor (B), then press back up to the start. Feel the burn in your shoulders.
03 INVERTED ROW 5 SETS OF 10REPS, 8REPS, 6REPS, 4REPS, 2REPS, NO REST
Hang below some rings or a TRX, with your legs outstretched (A) – if you don’t have the gear, you can hold on to the side of a sturdy table. Use your back and biceps to pull your chest up (B). Lower under control, then go again.
04 PRESS-UP 5 SETS OF 10REPS, 8REPS, 6REPS, 4REPS, 2REPS, NO REST
Drop to the floor. With your feet together and your hands beneath your shoulders, push up into a plank (A). Your elbows close, lower until you’re an inch from the floor (B). Press back up.
05 TRICEPS DIP 5 SETS OF 10REPS, 8REPS, 6REPS, 4REPS, 2REPS, NO REST
Grab some parallettes or a pair of sturdy chairs, then bend your knees to lift your feet off the ground (A). Lower slowly until your elbows are at 90° (B). Now, contract your triceps to push back up to the top. Once you’ve completed your reps, move straight to the bar in your door frame.
06 CHIN-UP 5 SETS OF 10REPS, 8REPS, 6REPS, 4REPS, 2REPS, 2MIN REST
Grab your bar, this time with your palms facing you and your hands closer than shoulder width (A). Focus on your biceps and push your elbows down to lift your chin above the bar (B). Lower yourself slowly to maximise your gains. Rest, reset and get ready for the next round.