Even though it’s one of the shorter Build exercises (at just over 38 minutes), Sagi hooks it up by stating, “This one will convert your shoulders like two balloons,” and he absolutely destroys your shoulders. The triceps, deltoid, and lats all feel this one. Only like the previous Body Beast routines, the primary workout here has you putting in a whopping 354 repetitions in just 30 minutes.
These Are the Workouts
There will be a warm-up, and then the main exercise will be performed for 5 sets. The deltoids will be worked in a Single Set, Super Set, and Giant Set. The next step is a Super Set of trap exercises. The primary workout is finished up with a Super Set that focuses on the core after working all three deltoids.
Warm-up
Even with 5-pound dumbbells, I find this to be the most challenging warm-up despite its short duration (3:26). You break into a light jog to begin. And then you should do arm circles, first forward, then backward. Next, you’ll grab some light weights and perform a few sets of front raises, wide front raises (V-shape), lateral raises, overhead press, upright rows, and reverse delt raises to get warmed up. We put down our weights and resume our jog.
Shoulder Press, Single Set, Exercise 1
In Body Beast, a “Single Set” consists of 15 repetitions at low weight followed by a brief break. Then, after a little break, you perform a set of 12 repetitions with a medium weight. Last, do 8 repetitions at maximum weight to complete. In the event of a Drop Set, like in this example, the last set is immediately followed by a new set of 8 repetitions using a smaller weight, with no rest in between.
During this movement, you’ll be seated with the weights resting on your shoulders; from there, you’ll press them up and down before returning them to your shoulders.
Superset #2: Lateral Raises and Upright Rows
Super Sets in Body Beast are structured as follows: 15 reps at a light weight on exercise 1, followed by 15 reps at a light weight on exercise 2 with no rest in between, and then a short break. Next, you’ll perform 12 repetitions of Exercise 2 with a moderate weight, followed by another 12 repetitions at the same weight immediately thereafter, separated by a brief break.
When you’re done, you’ll do 8 repetitions at maximum effort with the heavy weight for exercise 1, and then immediately go on to 8 repetitions at maximum effort for exercise 2. A Drop Set is when you complete an exercise for 8 repetitions with lesser weights immediately following your first set, without resting in between.
Drop sets are performed using the Upright Row as the exercise of choice. Standing with dumbbells at your sides, you do a set of Lateral Raises. For this technique, maintain your wrists straight while bending your elbows slightly.
In this exercise, the EZ Curl Bar is used for the first time to do upright rows, which are performed by grasping the bar with an overhand grip and drawing it towards the chin while keeping the elbows higher than the wrists. Caution is recommended when performing this exercise; a close grasp on the bar should be replaced with a more neutral grip, and the elbows should be pushed out and back rather than up.
Bodyweight EZ Bar Underhand Press, Front Raise, and Rear Delt Raise (1, 1, 2) Giant Set 3
The Giant Sets in Body Beast are structured as follows: 15 light repetitions of exercise 1, followed by no rest, 15 light repetitions of exercise 2, followed by no rest, 15 light repetitions of exercise 3, followed by a short rest. Then, you rest briefly before moving on to a second set of 12 reps with a medium weight for exercise 2. This is followed by another set of 12 reps with a medium weight for exercise 2.
A final heavy-weight set of eight repetitions of exercise 1 is followed by an equally heavy-weight set of eight repetitions of exercise 2 and then, without a break in between, a final heavy-weight set of eight repetitions of exercise 3. During Body Beast’s Giant Sets, Drop Sets are not permitted.
For the EZ Bar Underhand Press, we’ll be using an underhand grip while seated on a bench. In that case, raise the bar over your head and lower it gradually. For the 1,1,2 Front Raises, you’ll start by raising one arm to 90 degrees without bending it while seated, then the other, and finally both at once.
For the 15-rep set, you’ll be raising your weights with each shoulder a total of 30 times, since each of the three rises counts as one rep. The first few times through, it’s best to start with less weights because this one is nasty. Rear delt raises are notoriously difficult, and doing one after a set of 1,1,2 front raises is asking a lot.
When performing this exercise, you should be seated, leaned forward, looking down, and holding the weights between your knees. You should then fly your arms out to the sides and back down to finish the repetition.
Superset #4: Dumbbell Scap Traps and Standing Shrugs
The following step is a superset of Standing Dumbbell Shrugs and Dumbbell Scap Traps, both of which focus on the traps. Sagi calls this exercise Standing Dumbbell Shrugs; you execute it by standing with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a pair of dumbbells in each hand, and lifting them by shrugging your shoulders.
In other words, you shurg, as if to say, “I don’t know. During this movement, you will perform a Drop Set of Standing Dumbbell Shrugs. Similarly, when performing Dumbbell Scap Traps, you lie on an incline bench with your chest supported by the bench and the weights at your feet.
To really benefit from the Scap Trap, you must push your shoulder blades together behind your back at the end of each rep. When doing either of these manoeuvres, it is crucial that you rely only on your traps and that your arms remain completely straight the whole time.
Fifth Set: Super Set: Tuck and Roll/Sagi Six-Way
Sagi Six-Ways and Tuck & Rolls are combined into one massive finisher. After completing 12 Sagi Six-Ways, we go on to 15 Tuck and Rolls. After a brief pause, we will complete 8 more repetitions of the Sagi Six-Ways, followed by 15 sets of Tuck and Rolls. Tormenting your shoulders with the Sagi Six-Way is like a shotgun blast to the whole area. Keep the weights low because this is really a 6-in-1 exercise. While seated, raise a pair of dumbbells to the side, then the front, then the top, back down to the front, out to the side, and finally all the way down. If you don’t cheat by keeping your arms straight, this manoeuvre is no laughing matter. Abdominal exercises like the Tuck & Roll are great for warming down. Keeping your knees slightly bent throughout, you lie on a flat bench with your hands on the side of the bench near your head, and then roll your knees up to your chest and back down.
Cooldown
Another one of my few issues about the software is that the cool-downs only last 0 minutes and 46 seconds. You should maximise the benefits of these stretches.