Day 21 opens the Arnold press card on 12 for the first time. Arnold press for 12, 10, 8 and 8, push-ups on the dumbbells for 12, 12, 10 and 10 or to failure, lateral raises for 7, 7, 6 and 5 and two-handed tricep extensions for 6, 5, 5 and 4 - 4 sets each, straight sets, 30 seconds between sets, 2 minutes between exercises. The extension ladder is the one line on this card that has not moved since Day 5 - the triceps get their progression through the presses and push-ups stacked in front of it.
Three weeks in, the rotating press opens on 12 and closes on 8 where Day 5 opened on 10 and closed on 6, and the push-ups now finish on 10 rather than 8. A push-up set of 10 as the fourth of four, on chest and shoulders that have already pressed 38 reps with rotation, is where the "or to failure" clause earns its place: reach 10 if you can, stop clean if you cannot, and either answer is correct. Lateral raises reach 5 on the last set for the first time; keep them light.
Arnold press: rotate on the way up, reverse on the way down, no shrugging the dumbbells into the ears at the top. Push-ups with the hands on the handles and the chest travelling below them, body in one line, elbows at about 45 degrees rather than flared straight out. Lateral raises to shoulder height, slow on the way down. Extensions: elbows narrow and pointing up, the dumbbell lowering behind the neck to a full stretch and pressing to a full lockout.
Three weeks of Arnold presses and the first set finally reads 12 - the rotation has been earning that number since Day 5.
Make it Harder: Stop each push-up for two counts at the bottom, chest below the handles.
Make it Easier: Kneel for the push-ups and start the Arnold press at 10 rather than 12.
