Palms In — Upper Overhead & Arms
The vertical upper day. Dumbbell shoulder press, one-arm row, an optional incline cable press, incline hammer curls, rope pushdowns and cross-body curls, then the forearm block. ~75 min, 11 movements.
Estimated session
- Movements 11
- Loads Coach-filled
- Progresses Every session
Every movement, in order
Each lift with its working sets and target, in the order you run them. The coach sets the loads from your training and moves them up as the work gets easier.
| Order | Exercise | Sets | Target | Rest |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Dumbbell Shoulder Press Seated with back support. Palms in or angled, whichever is pain-free. Lower to ear height only. 2 warm-up sets first 3 × 10–8 · rest 2:30 | 3 | 10–8 | 2:30 |
| 02 | One-Arm Dumbbell Row Knee and hand on the bench. Reps are per side. Let the shoulder blade travel — do not lock the grip early. 1 warm-up set first 3 × 12–10 · rest 2 min | 3 | 12–10 | 2 min |
| 03 | Incline Cable Chest Press Optional. No cable station? Hammer-grip incline dumbbell press, same reps and RPE. 3 × 12–10 · rest 1:45 | 3 | 12–10 | 1:45 |
| 04 | Incline Hammer Curls Bench at 45 degrees, arms hanging behind the torso. Thumbs up throughout, control the bottom third. 3 × 15–12 · rest 1:15 | 3 | 15–12 | 1:15 |
| 05 | Triceps Pushdown - Rope Attachment Optional, rope only — never a straight bar. No cable? Seated bent-over dumbbell triceps extension. 3 × 15–12 · rest 1:15 | 3 | 15–12 | 1:15 |
| 06 | Cross Body Hammer Curl Palm stays facing in as the dumbbell crosses toward the opposite shoulder. Reps per side. 2 × 15–12 · rest 1 min | 2 | 15–12 | 1 min |
| 07 | Seated Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist Curl Forearm block. Forearms on the thighs, seated on the bench. Three seconds down, three seconds up. 3 × 15 · rest 1 min | 3 | 15 | 1 min |
| 08 | Seated Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist Curl Same seat, palms up. Same three-second tempo. All 45 reps at tempo or the load is too heavy. 3 × 15 · rest 1 min | 3 | 15 | 1 min |
| 09 | Dumbbell Lying Pronation Face down on the flat bench, upper arm supported, rotate the palm down slowly. Per side. 3 × 15 · rest 45s | 3 | 15 | 45s |
| 10 | Dumbbell Lying Supination Lie sideways on the flat bench, elbow at 90 degrees, rotate the palm up slowly. Per side. 3 × 15 · rest 45s | 3 | 15 | 45s |
| 11 | Wrist Roller Optional, needs a roller. Without one, do one set of 15 per side of the seated one-arm palms-up wrist curl. 2 × 45s · rest 1 min | 2 | 45s | 1 min |
The coach sets the loads and moves them up — these are the schemes
When to reach for this template
Press first while the shoulder is fresh, then row, then arms, then the forearm block — never earlier. Press with the palms facing in or angled, whichever is pain-free that day, and stop the descent at ear height. No cable station: swap the incline cable press for the hammer-grip incline dumbbell press and the rope pushdown for the seated bent-over dumbbell triceps extension, matched reps and RPE. No wrist roller: substitute one set of 15 per side of the seated one-arm palms-up dumbbell wrist curl, matched tempo and RPE.
Every workout
The coach reads your log, tunes the loads and volume to where you are today, and tells you when to add weight.
Programs that use this template
This session is scheduled across a week and progressed over the mesocycle in the programs below.
Common questions
The facts most people check before they drop this session into a week.
01When should I use the Palms In — Upper Overhead & Arms template?
Press first while the shoulder is fresh, then row, then arms, then the forearm block — never earlier. Add it to your week in Squatly and the coach schedules it, sets the loads from your training, and tells you when to move up.
02How many working sets is Palms In — Upper Overhead & Arms, and how long does it take?
Palms In — Upper Overhead & Arms runs 11 movements and about 31 working sets, roughly 112 minutes once warm-ups are in. The full per-exercise scheme — sets, reps or RPE, and rest — is in the session table above.
Built on the Squatly method
Every set count, rep target, and rest period here comes from how the coach weighs volume, intensity, and fatigue. See where the numbers come from.
Read the methodVolume, intensity, and fatigue — read per lift, every session.
Last updated: June 2026
Keep moving forward.
Add this template to your week. The coach reads your training, sets the loads, and tells you when to push.
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Aleks · Coach
Proposal — add weight