Sturdy and defined shoulders and arms help enhance lifting performance, improve the appearance of your torso, and minimize the risk of injuries.
However, building chiseled arms and broad shoulders requires a good diet program, a well-crafted workout plan, and proper recovery.
In this article, I’ll share an ultimate 8-week arm and shoulder workout routine that will help you build sculpted biceps, triceps, and delts and gives you an athletic shape.
Combining this workout plan with a balanced diet will help you achieve chiseled shoulders and arms over time.
Whether you’re male or female, if you’re looking for a comprehensive, easy-to-follow, and effective workout plan for arms and shoulders, this program is for you. Try it for a couple of months. I hope you’ll see some improvement.
The Ultimate 8-Week Arm and Shoulder Workout Routine
This program will be based on the Tri-set workout method. A tri-set workout training involves performing three different exercises in a row (such as overhead press, biceps curl, and rope pushdown) with little or no rest in between.
It also allows you to perform the same or more reps in less time than the standard rep-set method, making it a time-efficient program.
Following the tri-sets arms and shoulder workout program will not build your muscle but also enhance your cardiovascular fitness.
Here’s a summary of the routine:
- Routine type: Tri-set (Performing three different exercises in one set)
- Workout per week: Once a week if you train less than 5 times a week and twice if you work out six times a week.
- Goal: Build sturdy and sculpted biceps, triceps, and delts and improve the look of your torso.
- Target Gender: Males and Females
- Workout level: Intermediate
- Duration/Session: 60-75 minutes
- Rest between sets: 2-3 minutes (You can also take a one-minute break after each exercise instead of taking 2-3 minutes of rest after each set.)
Warm-up: It is best to do 5-10 minutes of warm-up exercises to increase your heart rate and prepare your muscles for intense resistance exercises. You can jog on the treadmill, do bodyweight cardio exercises, or lift light barbells or dumbbells for warm-up.
Okay! Let’s uncover the shoulders and arms workout routine.
Week 1
Set One
- 15 Dumbbell Overhead Press
- 15 EZ Bar Biceps Curls
- 15 Rope Pushdowns
- Repeat twice.
Set Two
- 12 Dumbbell Lateral Raises
- 16 1-arm Cable Overhead Triceps Extension (8/arm)
- 16 Alternating Incline Dumbbell Curls (8/arm)
- Perform two rounds.
Set Three
- 12 Rear Delt Machine Flyes
- 10 Triangle Pushups
- 16 Alternating Hammer Curls (8/arm)
- Repeat twice.
Week 2
Set One
- 15 Arnold Press
- 15 EZ Bar Biceps Curls
- 15 Bar Pushdowns
- Repeat twice.
Set Two
- 12 Triceps Bench Press
- 12 Dumbbell Lateral Raises
- 16 Concentration Curls (8/arm)
- Perform two rounds.
Set Three
- 12 Parallel Bar Dips (Vertical Torso)
- 12 Rear Delt Dumbbell Raises
- 12 Preacher Curls
- Repeat twice.
Week 3
Set One
- 10 Seated IYT Raises
- 10 Chinups
- 10 Triceps Press Down (Slightly heavy)
- Repeat twice.
Set Two
- 12 Skull Crushers
- 12 Cable Face Full
- 12 Spider Curls
- Perform two rounds.
Set Three
- 12 Incline Prone Triceps Kickback
- 12 Barbell Shrugs
- 12 Hammer Curls
- Repeat twice.
Week 4
Set One
- 15 Military Press
- 15 EZ Bar Biceps Curls
- 15 Triceps Press Down
- Repeat twice.
Set Two
- 12 Triceps Bar Dips
- 16 Leaning One-arm Cable Lateral Raises (8 per arm)
- 12 Preacher Curls
- Perform two rounds.
Set Three
- 10 Incline Prone Triceps Kickback
- 10 Reverse Pec Deck Fly
- 10 Neutral Grip Chinups
- Repeat twice.
Week 5
Set One
- 15 Arnold Press
- 15 EZ Bar Biceps Curls
- 15 Rope Pushdown
- Repeat twice.
Set Two
- 12 Narrow Grip Bench Press
- 16 Bent-over Lateral Raises
- 12 Incline Dumbbell Curl
- Perform two rounds.
Set Three
- 10 Straight Bar Dips
- 12 Rear Delt Machine Flyes
- 20 Alternating Hammer Curls (10/arm)
- Repeat twice.
Week 6
Set One
- 10 Seated IYT Raises
- 10 Chinups
- 10 Triangle Push-ups
- Repeat twice.
Set Two
- 12 Dumbbell French Press
- 12 Cable Face Full
- 12 Spider Curls
- Perform two rounds.
Set Three
- 20 One-arm Tricep Kickback (10/arm)
- 12 Dumbbell Shrugs
- 20 Concentration Curls (10/arm)
- Repeat twice.
Week 7
Set One
- 15 Arnold Press
- 15 EZ Bar Biceps Curls
- 15 Bar Pushdowns
- Repeat twice.
Set Two
- 12 Triceps Bench Press
- 12 Front Raises
- 20 Concentration Curls (10/arm)
- Perform two rounds.
Set Three
- 20 One-arm Overhead Cable Triceps Extension (10 reps per arm)
- 12 Dumbbell Rear Delt Flyes
- 10 Neutral Grip Chinups
- Repeat twice.
Week 8
Set One
- 10 Seated IYT Raises
- 10 Chinups
- 10 Parallel Bar Dips
- Repeat twice.
Set Two
- 12 Triangle Pushups
- 12 Cable Face Full
- 12 Preacher Curls
- Perform two rounds.
Set Three
- 12 Skull Crusher
- 12 Dumbbell Shrugs
- 12 Incline Dumbbell Curls
- Repeat twice.
How to Integrate Shoulder and Arms Workout in Your Training Program
Here’s how you can include the shoulder and arm workout routine in your muscle-building training program:
If you follow a six-day workout schedule:
- Monday – Back and Chest
- Tuesday – Legs and Abs
- Wednesday – Shoulder and Arms
- Thursday – Chest and Back
- Friday – Tuesday – Legs and Abs
- Saturday – Shoulder and Arms
- Sunday – OFF
If you follow a five-day weekly workout program:
- Monday – Back and Core
- Tuesday – Legs
- Wednesday – Shoulder and Arms
- Thursday – OFF
- Friday – Chest and Core
- Saturday – Legs
- Sunday – OFF
If you follow a four-day weekly workout program:
- Monday – Back and Core
- Tuesday – Leg
- Wednesday – OFF
- Thursday – Shoulder and Arms
- Friday – OFF
- Saturday – Chest and Core
- Sunday – OFF
If you follow a three-day weekly workout program:
- Monday – Quads, Chest, and Calves
- Tuesday – OFF
- Wednesday – Shoulder and Arms
- Thursday – OFF
- Friday – Back, Hamstrings, and Glutes
- Saturday – OFF
- Sunday – OFF
Download The Shoulders and Arms Workout Program PDF
You can download the free workout program to keep it handy.
5 Best Tips for Maximizing Arms and Shoulders Growth
1. Pre and Post Workout Meal
The pre-workout meal helps you perform better during the training, and the post-workout meal helps rebuild muscles and maximizes growth.
You can consume various foods; here are some meal options for you.
Pre-Workout Meal Options | Post-Workout Meal Options |
---|---|
Yogurt with Fruit/Granola | Protein Shake and Banana |
Energy Bars | Oatmeal with yogurt, Almonds, and Berries |
Chicken Salad | Chicken, Roasted Vegetables, and Rice |
Oatmeal, Fruits, & Chia Seeds | Whole grain crackers with cheese and fruit. |
Peanut Butter and Toast | Egg omelet, fish, and Rice |
Protein Sake | Chicken Salad, Sweet Potato, and Yogurt |
2. Muscle Recovery
Training and rest are both equally important for muscle building.
Letting your muscles recover for at least 48 hours after the training is shown to be effective for muscle growth.
So it is best not to directly target your arms and shoulders during the training sessions of other muscle groups.
3. Progressive Overload
Research shows gradually increasing the load over time helps promote strength and hypertrophy. So, it is best to increase weight by 2-3% every week or fortnight. And when increasing the weight isn’t possible, you should aim to increase the number of reps and sets.
4. Consistency
How quickly you see results highly depends on how disciplined and consistent you are with your workout, diet, and sleep. Following the process honestly will help you reach your goal faster.
5. Supplementation
Consuming raw protein through meats, eggs, fishes, and beans are always effective. However, they are not something you can eat instantly after the workout, plus they also take time to digest. That’s why including whey protein or plant protein in your diet can help speed up your muscle growth. Additionally, you can consume creatine monohydrate to further accelerates hypertrophy.
You can include more exercises in your training from the list below: