Jessica Biel finally reveals the upper-body workout she used to get in shape for 'The Better Sister' - here's how to do it

Ever since that first episode of 'The Better Sister' on Netflix, we have been bombarded with questions about Jessica Biel's upper-body workout. While we got the essential moves from her back in the summer, Jessica's trainer has now shared the arm and back workout that the star used to get strong and in shape for the show.

Jessica uses resistance bands, gymnastic rings, medium and light dumbbells, and a bench in these exercises, as prescribed by celebrity trainer Ben Bruno, who explains that while there are a lot of "great moves here, it's important to note that we don't do [them] all in the same workout".

He says: "In a given workout, she normally does one exercise for the back, which also works the biceps, one exercise for the shoulders, and one exercise for the triceps, and some other moves for legs and abs sprinkled in."

So, take your favourite few and try them out. As well as being excellent strength-building movements, the trainer also says that doing them back to back is "a great way to do it if you don't want to do a bunch of extra cardio".

Jessica Biel's arm and back workout

1. Assisted pull-ups

• Supporting your feet using a bench, grip the gymnastics rings.
• Pull yourself up until your head fits in between the bars.
• To make the exercise harder, as Jessica does, put a resistance band between your wrists and stretch the band out at the top.
• Do 8 to 12 repetitions of this exercise if your goal is to build muscle.

If you don't have access to a gym, you can still do this exercise. Simply switch out the bench for a sturdy chair and pick up a pull-up bar on Amazon. This bar fits between most door frames and is fully adjustable to different height levels.

2. Side-lying plank with crunch

• Tie a resistance band to a squat rack or a study door handle at home.
• Come into a side-plank position, raised up on one hand with your feet crossed over.
• Grab the resistance band from over your head.
• As you hold the side plank position, simultaneously bring your bottom leg into a side crunch and pull the resistance band down over your head.
• Complete the exercise for 8 to 12 repetitions, then switch sides.

This is undoubtedly an advanced core exercise to do at home, and Jessica does lots of exercises at once to "maximise efficiency", the trainer says.

If you're not quite at Jessica's level, make it easier for yourself by doing each part of the exercise at one time and build up to bringing the moves together. For example, just start with the side plank. Once you can hold that for 30 seconds, bring in the crunch. Once you can do that, bring in the overhead resistance band pull.

3. Bulgarian split squat with lateral raise

• Come down into a Bulgarian split squat by taking the classic lunge position and elevating your back foot on the bench or chair behind you.
• Once you're comfortable, stay in that position.
• Complete a lateral raise by grabbing a dumbbell and bringing it in one fluid motion from by your side to in line with your shoulder.
• Hold your other arm out to the side to help you balance.
• Complete for 8 to 12 repetitions, then switch sides.

4. Shoulder raises

• Leaning back, with your gymnastics ring or pull-up bar for support, grab a dumbbell.
• Turn your elbow in slightly. Lift the dumbbell from shoulder height to above your head.
• Complete the movement 8 to 12 sides on both sides.

Another key element to Jessica's workout is balance. Simply by putting her off balance, Ben is helping to improve her balance and core, back, and shoulder stability, which is essential in the muscle-building process, and also a functional fitness exercise.

5. Supine pull-ups

• Hold onto your gymnastics rings or pull-up bar from below, almost lying down on the floor, and balancing on your heels. Keep your legs straight.
• Pull yourself up so your head comes between the rings.
• Once you're at the start of the movement, bring your body towards your legs by bending them at 90 degrees.
• Straighten them, return to the starting position.
• Repeat this exercise for 8 to 12 repetitions.

For exercises like these that use a gymnastics ring, as well as using a doorframe pull-up bar, you could also use TRX cables. These involve a little more permanent fixing as they are two cables with handles that screw into a fixing on your ceiling. Perfect for a home gym. Your living room, maybe not so much.

6. Dumbbell pull-over on one leg

• Lie across your bench or chair, with the middle of your back flat on the seat.
• Bring your legs to 90 degrees, then elevate one.
• Take a dumbbell, gripping it underneath the plate rather than by the handle. Bring it up over and behind your head with your elbows bent.
• From behind your head, lift the dumbbell above your head until it sits directly above your forehead.
• Come back down to behind your head, and repeat the move, then switch legs for 8 to 12 repetitions.

7. Back flys on bench

• Come onto your bench (or a set of two chairs pushed together securely) with your hands and knees resting flat. Grab a dumbbell in one hand.
• Lift one leg and bring it out straight behind you.
• Balancing on one leg and one hand, lift the dumbbell out to the side until it reaches in line with your shoulder.
• Repeat the movement, then switch legs. Try 8 to 12 repetitions.

8. Bent-over row on bench

• Balance on your bench or chairs (as above) with one knee and one hand sitting flat. Bring your other leg down onto the floor to support yourself and make sure your back is parallel to the floor.
• Grab a dumbbell from the floor with one hand, bring it up towards your chest.
• At the top of this movement, twist your body, look up toward the ceiling, and push the dumbbell above your head.
• At the very top of this movement, the dumbbell should be in line with your head.
• Repeat the movement for 8 to 12 repetitions, then switch sides.

9. Single-arm chest press with elevated leg

• Lie across your bench or chairs with the middle of your back flat against it, and your legs positioned at 90 degrees. Grab a dumbbell in one hand.
• Lift one leg, maintaining that 90-degree angle.
• Balancing on one leg, bring that dumbbell from your chest to above your head, carefully and controlled.
• Repeat the exercise for 8 to 12 repetitions, then switch sides.

As Ben says, Jessica's upper-body workout involves doing multiple exercises at the same time for efficiency. In the above, for example, you're working the muscles in your chest primarily, but it's also one of the best glute exercises as you're forced to balance on one leg and stay upright.

10. Dumbbell reverse fly

• Taking two light dumbbells, one in each hand, stand with your back parallel to the floor. You legs should be wider than hip-width apart.
• With your arms directly below you, bring your hands out to the sides, raising them until your hands extend above your shoulders.
• Repeat the movement 8 to 12 times.

This reverse dumbbell fly is one of the easiest upper-body dumbbell workout moves in Jessica's program, so it's a great one to include if you're new to strength training.

11. L-sit ring pull-ups

• Sit down on the floor, with your gymnastics rings or doorframe pull-up bar in reach above your head.
• Keeping your legs straight out in front of you, pull up until your head sits between the rings (or just above the bar).
• Repeat the movement for 8 to 12 repetitions.

Along with sharing Jessica's workout, Ben offered some helpful (and refreshingly honest) insights into the star's fitness routine.

"While she definitely does plenty of work on her back and arms, her workouts aren't split up into 'back day', 'arm day', and so on. She does full-body workouts that combine upper-body exercises, lower-body exercises, core work, and a bunch of things that work everything all at once to maximise efficiency," he says.

In general, most experts recommend doing six strength exercises per workout to get the most benefits for your time, while not fatiguing the body so much that you can't do it again later in the week.

Back in the summer, Jessica shared her go-to lower-body workout for the days when she's filming away from home, which is great for those short on time and equipment.

"It's also important to remember that it's impossible to maintain peak physical condition all the time, and the super-toned physique you see on screen isn't maintainable all year round," he notes. "Jess knows that, so she spends most of the year working out consistently. Seven out of ten hard. Then, if there's ever a time when she needs to look her absolute best, she'll ramp it up for a few weeks, then go back to normal afterwards."

One exercise that we won't be seeing Jessica doing again is the last in the video: a straight-leg pull-up using the gymnastics rings. The trainer reveals that she's only done this move once - right in the lead up to when 'The Better Sister' started filming, and has "no intention" to do it again. We don't blame you, Jess.