Here is a fast mass building workout that I did for Muscle & Fitness.  It looks like they want me to do a weekly series on the site, so look for more articles soon.  I am really enjoying these quick articles because they are easy to read and you can apply them right away in your workouts.

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It doesn’t take long to blast your arms and spark new gun growth. The below six exercises are to be performed as two separate giant sets (three exercises per giant set) repeated twice, which, according to my math (see below) will take you a mere 15 minutes. All the best mass-building moves for arms are included here—from chins to dips to close-grip bench. To maximize efficiency, set up all of the exercises/stations before you start the workout so you can transition quickly between them.

15 Minute Mass Building Arm Workout

1A) Chin-ups, 2 sets x 8 reps, 30-seconds rest
1B) Dips, 2 sets x 8-12 reps, 30-seconds rest
1C) Cable Triceps Extension, 2 sets x 20 reps, 30-seconds rest

2A) Close-Grip Bench Press, 2 sets x 6-8 reps, 30-seconds rest
2B) Reverse-Grip EZ-Bar Curl, 2 sets x 8-12 reps, 30-seconds rest
2C) Two-Arm Dumbbell Curl, 2 sets x 8-12 reps, 30-seconds rest

NEXT: See how it all adds up

The Math:

First Giant Set

1A) 4 sec. per rep x 8 reps + 30 sec. rest = 62 seconds

1B) 3 sec. per rep x 12 reps + 30 sec. rest = 66 seconds

1C) 3 sec. per rep x 20 reps + 30 sec. rest = 90 seconds

SUBTOTAL: 218 seconds = 3.63 min x 2 rounds = 7.27 minutes

Second Giant Set

2A) 4 sec. per rep x 8 reps + 30 sec. rest = 62 seconds

2B) 3 sec. per rep x 12 reps + 30 sec. rest = 66 seconds

2C) 3 sec. per rep x 12 reps + 30 sec. rest = 66 seconds

SUBTOTAL: 194 seconds = 3.23 min x 2 rounds = 6.47 minutes

TOTAL: 13.74 minutes (15 minutes with time transitioning between exercises)

EXERCISE COACHING CUES:

CHIN-UPS

1. Control the tempo and don’t swing.
2. Keep tension on the biceps and lats the entire set.
3. Don’t relax at the bottom of the movement; this strains the shoulders and makes it hard to reverse the movement.
4. Squeeze the biceps tight at the top of the movement.
5. Overload with a dip belt and dumbbell if you’re strong enough.
6. If the chin-ups strain your elbows, try different hand widths – i.e., a closer hand position helps alleviate stress.

DIPS

1. Lean forward to lessen the strain on the shoulders and keep tension on the chest and triceps.
2. Lower until the arm angle is 90 degrees or the triceps are parallel to the floor.
3. Overload with dip belt and dumbbell if you’re strong enough.

CABLE TRICEPS EXTENSION

1. Keep torso leaning slightly forward.
2. Don’t throw the weight; keep the movement smooth.
3. Drive each rep to lockout.

CLOSE-GRIP BENCH PRESS

1. Elbows should be tucked to sides.
2. Place middle finger on the end of the knurling.
3. Keep chest up to lessen strain on shoulders at the bottom of the movement (bar on the chest).
4. Keep shoulders pulled back and down (retraction and depression).
5. Drive feet downward into the floor to keep full body tension.
6. Keep tension throughout the lift and don’t bounce the bar off your chest.

REVERSE-GRIP EZ-BAR CURL

1. Pull your shoulders back.
2. Don’t swing the weight.
3. Keep elbows fixed at your sides.
4. If the movement strains your elbows, try taking your thumbs and putting them behind the bar with your fingers.

TWO-ARM DUMBBELL CURL

1. Control the tempo and don’t swing the weight.
2. Keep the elbows fixed diagonally outward.
3. Curl both dumbbells up at the same (as opposed to one at a time) to save time.
4. Keep your head back in line with your torso.
5. Squeeze biceps hard at the top of the movement.

For more effective muscle building workouts, check out the new Ageless Athlete 3.0 program.