Barlates: 100 Rep Challenge Biceps & Triceps

Biceps & Triceps is part of Linda Wooldridge’s 100 Rep Challenge series. She has 10 workouts in this series (here is her 100 Rep Challenge playlist so you can view them all). You can also buy the entire series on DVD (which I have now done). The idea behind these workouts is that you do 100 reps of each exercise in the workout. There are 10 exercises, so each workout actually contains 1,000 reps!

This workout really burned. I used it as a finisher after doing Linda’s 46 minute Biceps & Triceps Strength workout. My arms were shaking at the end of that workout so I didn’t even attempt dumbbells heavier than 3 pounds. At 100 reps, this is obviously a high rep workout so you cannot lift heavy dumbbells anyway. In addition, Linda’s rep tempo is very brisk. This definitely finished completely frying my arms. For this workout Linda alternates between tricep and bicep exercises. Plus, to keep things interesting, you do variations of an exercise within your 100 reps. For example, #1 is tricep kickbacks. You do 100 tricep kickbacks, but during the 100 rep circuit she has you change your hand position (palms facing the ceiling or facing your body, then she will have you alternate between these two hand positions). She does this with all of the exercises. Sometimes it is the direction your palms are facing, sometimes it is the angle of your arms, but it adds some variety to the 100 reps you are doing.

Biceps & Triceps is 19 minutes long; 1 minute stretch. Equipment needed: light dumbbells; Linda used 2 pound hand weights and I used 3 pound hand weights.

1. Tricep kickbacks
2. Hold arms straight out in front of you and bend elbows, curling DBs to shoulders but keeping forearms extended straight in front of you at shoulder height
3. Bent over straight arm tricep press backs
4. You are doing a move very similar to #2 but your forearms/elbows are lower–still in front of your body but not shoulder height; changes to wide curls but still at same level; alternate curling wide and in front of you
5. Overhead tricep extensions
6. Serving presses (elbows at sides, DBs in front of you, press/push DBs forward, straightening arms then bringing elbows back to sides); changes to pushing/pressing DBS out wide to sides of body; alternate pressing wide and pressing in front of you
7. Raise arms to side at shoulder height, elbows bent and DBs are at shoulders, straighten arms then bring DBs back to shoulders (like a reverse goal post)
8. Scooping press (hold arms out in front of you with elbows slight bent and palms facing ceiling and scoop arms/DBs up to ceiling); changes to same move but arms open wide out to sides of body; alternate scooping front and side
9. Tricep dips in reverse table top (or crab); lower bottom to floor but keep bending and straightening elbows, still working the triceps; return to tricep dips in reverse table top
10. Traditional bicep curls; changes to pulses w/ DBs lifted halfway; more pulses but this time from halfway mark to shoulders; full traditional bicep curls

For more info on Barlates and other (free) streaming workouts I’ve sampled and reviewed, check out my Streaming page.