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Finally - a P90X workout that didn't leave me wanting to curl up into the fetal position and cry for Momma! That being said, the P90X® Shoulder and Arm routine is no joke, and is every bit as effective as every other P90X workout that I have been through.

The set up of this workout is geared more towards working the targeted areas in short, 2-round bursts, rather than the longer sustained sets of exercises in some of the other workouts. The Shoulder and Arm routine is broken down into five 3-set sections, with each set containing an exercise for your shoulders, your biceps, and your triceps. What really rocks, however, is that many of the movements target more than one muscle group, and that extra bit of intensity makes a huge difference compared to doing more standard exercises.

Also, even though I have spent years pouring over training manuals, programs, and exercise literature, I was pleasantly surprised to see several very effective exercises in this routine that I had never seen before, including a great bodyweight exercise for the triceps.

In addition, although this was a great workout for the shoulders and the arms, since it wasn't quite as intense as some of the other P90X workouts, they picked a good time to slip in another Ab Ripper X routine which was done after the arm and shoulder workout. You can click on through to check out the review of Ab Ripper X that I did after the Day 1 workout.

Set 1 

Alternating Shoulder Press

The Alternating Shoulder Press is a pretty standard movement, but Tony Horton and the gang changed it up enough to give it an extra bit of effectiveness. In their version, you start with your palms facing forward and a dumbbell in each hand at shoulder level. Alternating back and forth, you push one dumbbell up at a time, rotating your palm inward at the same time so your palm is facing the side of your head when you get to the top of the movement. Reverse that on the way back down, then repeat on the other side.

Form is everything with shoulder exercises, because a shoulder injury will sideline you for months. Stand up straight and keep strict form by using a weight that is challenging, but not too much for you.

In & Out Bicep Curls

WOW - this one wipes out your biceps right out of the gate. You start with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward, and then do a standard 2-arm bicep curl. The twist comes in whenever you rotate your arms out to the side about 45-degrees and do another bicep curl from that position before continuing the set by rotating back and forth between those two positions.

Be prepared to swallow your pride on this one, because whatever weight you can do with standard 2-arm bicep curls will probably be too much for the outward position, so you may have to drop your weight a bit to get your target number of repetitions done. 

Two-arm Tricep Kickbacks

This is a standard 2-arm tricep movement where you bend your knees for support, put about a 45-degree angle on a nice straight back, and then kick 2 dumbbells backwards for a full arm extension.

For added intensity, when you get to the fully extended position, hold it there for 1 full second and squeeze that contraction before doing your next rep. 

Set 2 

Deep Swimmer's Presses

THIS is a great exercise! Start with your elbows at your sides, a dumbbell in each hand, and your arms bent so the dumbbells are in the "up" position of a standard bicep curl. Push both dumbbells up at the same time, turning them as you do until your arms a fully locked, palms facing out. Reverse that movement on the way down, and then as soon as you get back to the start position, lower both dumbbells down and do a 2-arm bicep curl.

Yeah - it's as hard as it sounds, and it is incredibly effective as a result. 

Full Supination Concentration Curls

Supination basically means "to twist" and the "full" part of the name of this exercise comes from a complete range of motion that really rocks your biceps. With a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing in and arms at your sides, you bring one dumbbell up at a time, turning it so that when you get to the top of the movement your palm is facing upwards.

Push this exercise over the top by rotating the dumbbell slightly outwards when you get to the top of the movement, and then holding it there for a full second. Awesome burn! 

Chair Dips

Standard dips using a chair for support, and Tony does a great job during each round of this exercise to remind people of the many different ways that you can make the exercise harder or easier.

Unlike most of the exercises in this workout, you do chair dips until you physically can't do anymore, and that creates a good pump, especially at this point in the workout. 

Set 3

Upright Rows

Again, this is a pretty standard movement, and it was timed perfectly because by this point your shoulders are really starting to get tired. Upright rows also use the muscles in your upper back, so you are still working your shoulders, but you are getting some help from the upper back as well. 

Static Arm Curls

More pain for the biceps! In most bicep exercises, you either do both arms at the same time, or the non-working arm is resting while the working arm is in motion. In Static Arm Curls, however, you actually hold the dumbbell at the halfway point of a standard bicep curl while the other arm is working.

It sounds easy, but it is an amazing burn, especially since your biceps are really tired by this point. Again, don't be afraid to drop the weight a bit in order to do this one effectively. 

Flip-Grip Twist Tricep Kickbacks

Just like the name implies, you are doing tricep kickbacks (as discussed earlier), except in this movement your palms are facing either completely to the floor, or completely to the ceiling, and you alternate on each repetition.

Use a weight that you can truly handle effectively for this one, and don't expect it to be very much. Between the difficulty of this exercise and the fatigue level of your triceps at this point, you won't be moving very much weight!

Set 4 

Two-angle Shoulder Flys

This is actually a combination of a dumbbell lateral (side) raise, and a dumbbell back fly, and the combination really beats up on the shoulders during this exercise. You basically sit on the edge of a chair, do a lateral raise with both dumbbells, and then bend over slightly, keeping your back in a straight line, and then raise the dumbbells up again.

Choosing a proper weight for this exercise is more important than trying to man-handle a weight that is going to compromise your form. This movement targets many small muscle groups, so use a weight that is appropriate, yet still challenging.

Crouching Cohen Curls

This was another exercise that I had never heard of, but one that is very effective. In essence, what you do is grab 2 dumbbells for palms-forward bicep curls, only you start in a bent over position, with your elbows resting on your legs, directly below your kneecaps.

If you need more support, or if your legs or back are really tired, you can also do the exact same movement, only with your butt against the wall.

Lying-down Tricep Extensions

Standard, but very effective tricep movement. Lay on your back while holding one dumbbell in each hand, arms extended, palms facing in. Lower both dumbbells at the same time towards the floor by unhinging your elbows and doing a controlled decent, allowing the dumbbells to come down and almost touch the floor.

This exercise is one of the "original" tricep exercises, and with good reason. If you do it properly - yet with a challenging weight - you'll do a great job of targeting your triceps.

Set 5 

In & Out Straight-arm Shoulder Flys

This is another combination movement that is very effective because it hits the shoulders from 2 different angles, yet during the same exercise. It is basically a dumbbell lateral raise for the first repetition, then bringing the dumbbells forward to do a dumbbell front raise. Alternate back and forth between those 2 movements on each repetition.

Be sure to keep your arms as straight as possible to more effectively target the shoulders, and again, don't expect to be able to do a lot of weight.

Congdon Curls

This is another new exercise, and one that starts out in the standard 2-arm dumbbell bicep curl position. You curl both dumbbells up at the same time, with palms facing upwards, and when you get to the top of the movement, you rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing your body before lowing the dumbbells back to the starting position.

This is a great exercise, and the best advice is to pay attention so that you do your wrist rotations at exactly the right spot during each repetition. 

Side Tri-Rises

This is an awesome tricep exercise, and it does not require any equipment. You lay down on your right side, putting your right hand on your left shoulder. Put the palm of your left hand on the floor and push yourself up as far as you can go before returning briefly to the start position, and then repeat. Do all reps for one side, then switch to the other side, and take this exercise to muscle failure on both sides.

Other than dips, there aren't a lot of exercises you can do for your triceps that don't require external equipment, so this movement is definitely worth committing to memory. 

Conclusion

As I stated in the beginning, this workout isn't as intense as some of the other workouts, but that is by design so that you can focus on working the muscles that this workout targets.

Don't be fooled by the fact that you aren't gasping for air like you were doing the Plyometrics workout. You'll still work up a great sweat, but breathing hard is not the goal of this workout - pounding on your biceps, triceps, and shoulders is.

If you stay focused on the goal of this workout and use truly challenging weights, you'll see huge improvements in your strength, as well as the appearance of your arms, shoulders, and upper back. 

See other related P90X Review posts:

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