One of the first body parts that get noticed is your arms. While arms are just a small part of the whole picture, there’s no way around wanting to have a set of guns that attract positive attention.
For most guys, the name of the game is achieving arm size and definition.
Without the right exercises (via arm day training for bigger arms), reaching your full mountain peak potential will always be just out of reach.
Let’s review the basic anatomy of your arm muscles, followed by the best exercises that have been proven to maximize muscle growth.
We’ll even throw in a comprehensive workout program so you can get started right away.
The Anatomy of the Muscle
Everyone knows what “biceps” and “triceps” are, but it’s important to understand how they each function so that you can put them under the right amount of stress for growth.
Biceps
Biceps Brachii
- Tendons connect the biceps muscle to the bone of the arm.
- The biceps brachii has two sections, or heads: a long head and a short head.
- The long head is found on the outside of the arm and makes up most of the biceps brachii.
- The short head is found on the inside of the arm.
- Forms the overall size of what is considered the bicep muscle. Most exercises are geared toward causing hypertrophy in this muscle.
Biceps-Brachialis
- This is a muscle that can be found deeper than the biceps brachii.
- It does play an important role in functional movements as it helps the biceps brachii with flexion at the elbow joint.
- While the biceps-brachialis does not make up a large portion of the arm, it is still important for balance in muscle size. You will achieve a rounder, fuller look in your arms by incorporating exercises that target this muscle in your workout program. Your arms will have that “peaked” look, that professional bodybuilders have.
Triceps
Triceps Brachii
- Has three sections, or heads, that form the famous horseshoe shape and make up the entire back of your arm.
- Important for stabilization of the shoulder joint.
- The triceps muscle makes up one third the size of your arm. If your goal is to dramatically increase arm size, you would want to focus on causing maximum hypertrophy in the triceps muscle.
- Undertraining the triceps muscle can result in overcompensation from other muscles, increasing your chances for strains and tears. It’s important to work on your triceps muscle just as much as the biceps muscle.
Forearms
- Made up of several smaller muscles including:
- Flexor Carpi Ulnaris (outside of the forearm)
- Palmaris Longus (not everyone has this muscle, but if you do it’s in the middle of your forearm)
- Flexor Carpi Radialis (middle of the forearm)
- Pronator Teres (inside of the forearm)
- And a few more even smaller muscles
- Forearms are important for wrist and elbow flexion.
- They also help to balance out the look of your arms. Large biceps and triceps with underdeveloped forearms are aesthetically unpleasing but also a possible risk for strain or injury.
The Relationship of the Arm Muscles
As simple as it may seem to lift up a gallon of water or throw a basketball, each movement requires a complex set of actions and reactions from your arm muscles. They must work together in order to execute a movement properly.
During pushing movements, your triceps muscles must activate while your biceps muscles relax. During pulling movements, the opposite is true; your biceps will react and activate while your triceps deactivate and relax.
It is important to understand this concept as you go through your workout program.
Pay close attention to how your own muscles are reacting during a movement. Focus your tension on the active muscle, as this will help to stimulate muscular hypertrophy.
The Fundamentals of Arm Growth
There are as many theories and methodologies on how to build your arms as there are muscles, tendons, and ligaments within.
The two major trains of thought boil down to high repetitions with lower volume and lower repetitions with higher volume.
Which one is right?
Both of them are actually. To achieve a high level of maximum growth, you need to focus on compound movements during your regular workouts and dedicating a day to really hitting your arm muscles (or even a day every couple of weeks).
Let’s breakdown the acute variables you should be incorporating into your workout program.
The Important Variables of The Best Arm Workouts
Sets
- 4 to 6
- As demonstrated in a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the repetition range for muscular hypertrophy you want to strive to hit is 40 to 60 per muscle per workout.
- 4 to 6 sets is an ideal amount that will allow you to reach the 40 to 60 repetition range.
Rep Scheme
- 6 to 10
- As mentioned above, achieving a total of 40 to 60 repetitions per workout has been shown to generate the most growth activation. You can hit this range by using the repetition count of 5 to 10 per set of the exercise.
- For instance, performing 4 heavy sets of 5 reps, and then 4 sets of 10 repetitions will result in 60 total repetitions.
Volume
- 75% to 85% of your one repetition maximum, or 1RM (the maximum amount of weight you can perform in one repetition)
- While it may seem contrary to what you have been taught, utilizing a large amount of volume has been shown to cause the most muscular hypertrophy during arm training.
- Variety is important when it comes to staying motivated and keeping your training interesting. So you can break up your workout routines by performing a day of high repetition, lower volume sets every now and again. This will help to change things up while providing your arms a much-needed break.
Arm Exercise Selection
- When it comes to maximizing growth, it is important to select the appropriate exercises. There’s no need to get fancy. Many of the classic bicep and triceps exercises work best for initiating hypertrophy. We will expand on this below.
- The important thing is that you make sure to switch up exercises every 6 to 10 weeks, depending on your experience level. This will help you to avoid both a plateau and sheer boredom.
Training Frequency
- To expand on a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the greatest results came from training one body part every 5 to 7 days.
- It is important to note that compound movements such as the bench press and pull-up will activate your arm muscles and give them lots of volume, so there’s no real need to have more than one arm day a week. Even one arm-specific day every two weeks would be sufficient.
The Best Arm Exercises You Need for Growth
Not all arm exercises are the same. Some activate different portions of the arm while others may just be for show, having no real value.
We have compiled the best and most effective arm exercises that have been shown to maximize muscle growth.
All of the following exercises are free weight based as free weights allow for a greater range of motion without forcing your body into a locked position as many machines do.
The Best Exercises For The Biceps
1. Barbell bicep curl
- Holding a straight-arm barbell with an underhand grip, stand with a tight core and flat back.
- Keep your upper arm in place and bend from the elbow with a straight wrist.
- Curl the barbell up towards your shoulders.
- Pause at the top of the movement.
- Slowly, lower the weight.
- How To Perform
2. EZ bar bicep curl
- Holding an EZ curl barbell with an under handgrip, stand with a tight core and flat back.
- Keep your upper arm in place and bend from the elbow with a straight wrist.
- Curl the barbell up towards your shoulders.
- Pause at the top of the movement.
- Slowly lower the weight.
- How to Perform
3. Alternating dumbbell curl
- Grab a pair of dumbbells, holding them with an underhand grip, and stand up tall with a tight core.
- Your palms should be facing forward.
- Keeping your upper arm at your side, bend from the elbow and lift the bar upward.
- Focus the tension in your bicep and pause at the top of the shoulder.
- Slowly lower the weight to the starting position.
- How to Perform
4. Hammer dumbbell curl
- Hold a pair of dumbbells with an underhand grip and make sure your core is tight and lower back is flat.
- Your palms will be facing inward to the sides of your body.
- Bend from the elbow as you lift the dumbbell up and towards your shoulders. The motion will resemble swinging a hammer.
- Pause at the top and slowly lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
- How to Perform
5. Chin-up
- Grab a pull-up bar with an underhand grip. Your hands should be roughly shoulder-width apart.
- Keep your core tight and your elbows slightly bent throughout the movement.
- Pull yourself up, stopping when your chin reaches the height of the bar.
- Slowly lower yourself and repeat.
- How to Perform
The Best Exercises For The Triceps
1. Close-grip bench press
- Lying on a flat bench, place your hands on the barbell closer than shoulder width. Push the bar up, pausing above your chest.
- Slowly lower the bar, focusing the tension in your triceps.
- Keeping the elbows bent, push the barbell up to the starting position and repeat.
- How to Perform
2. Dumbbell overhead triceps press
- Standing with a tight core or sitting on a flat bench, raise a dumbbell above your head with both hands.
- Your elbows will be pointing skyward, and the movement will come from the forearms. It should have minimal movement.
- Lower the dumbbell behind your head, pause, then slowly lift it to the starting position.
- How to Perform
3. Lying triceps press
- Hold an EZ curl bar with an overhand grip while standing. Sit on a flat bench then slowly lay back.
- Push the barbell above your head.
- Your elbows will be skyward for the entire movement.
- Slowly, lower the barbell towards your face, pause, and return to the starting position.
- How to Perform
4. Triceps pushdown
- Standing at a cable machine, make sure the rope attachment is in place.
- Grab the rope and make sure to keep your upper arms at your sides during the movement.
- Push down on the rope, focusing all the tension in your triceps.
- Pause at the bottom and slowly bring the rope to the starting position.
- How to Perform
5. Dip
- Secure an overhand grip on the dip bars. Lift yourself up and make sure your core is tight.
- Bend at the elbows and slowly lower yourself, focusing the tension in the triceps.
- Raise yourself back up by pushing against the dip bars. Make sure to keep proper form.
- You can also perform this movement with a bench. (The Bench Dip)
- How to Perform
The Best Exercise for Forearms
Reverse curls
- Stand tall, holding an EZ curl bar with an overhand grip.
- Keeping your upper arms at your sides, bend at the elbow, lifting the barbell up.
- Pause at the top of the shoulders and slowly lower the barbell to the starting position.
- How to Perform
Putting it All Together: The Best Arm Workout
1. Close-grip bench press
- 2 warm-up sets of 10 to 12 reps
- 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps
2. Barbell curls
- 2 warm-up sets of 10 to 12 repetitions
- 3 to 4 working sets of 4 to 8 reps
3. Dips
- 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps
- Optional: Add weights via a weight belt
4. Dumbbell hammer curls
- 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps
5. Alternating dumbbell curls
- 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps
Tips and Tricks for Maximum Arm Size
It is not enough to perform the exercises listed above; you have to constantly push yourself, shooting for higher volume, increased sets, and amplified intensity. Doing the same exercises with no change results in a plateau, where size or strength stop showing up.
- Try to increase the weight you are using every workout by 1 to 5 pounds. At the same time, make sure you are able to maintain near-perfect form.
- Decrease your rest breaks between sets on your higher volume end sets. This will force your body to become more efficient at utilizing fuel sources while increasing your endurance capacity.
- Incorporate failure sets into your workout. It is recommended to save a failure set for the last set of an exercise. Simply do as many reps as you possibly can with good form.
- Make sure you mix up your workout after 6 to 10 weeks, utilizing the other exercises, higher volume, or increased sets.
- Be sure to focus on the muscle you are working. Review the anatomy section to understand the workings of that muscle to help you visualize the stress being placed upon it. This mind to muscle connection will help increase tension and hypertrophy.
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References:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/17326698
