When it comes to gaining weight and packing on some muscle, one of the most common target areas is the arms. There is no point in having a good physique if you have scrawny arms. The major muscle groups in the arms include the biceps, triceps and forearms.
Everyone wants big arms, but how do you get bigger and stronger arms? Do these 9 best arm specific exercises. Pics are included with each exercise to help with demonstration.
1. Lying Barbell Triceps Extensions (Skullcrushes) – One of the best exercises for triceps. Almost guaranteed sore triceps every time. Use an EZ curl bar if possible.
2. Lying Dumbell Triceps Extensions – This exercise is a good alternative to using the bar, and has the added bonus of not needing a spotter.
3. Dips – Use parallel bars, Hold the bars and push yourself up until you’re arm’s length. Now for the tricky part, slowly lower yourself until your biceps make contact with your forearms. At the bottom, press back up by extending your elbows. Remember when your on the way back up to the start position, do not lock your arms at the top, hold and pause before starting next rep. If you get a power rack it will usually come with dip bars so you can do this exercise.
4. Chin-ups – Use chin-up bars, Hold the bars with your arms extended above your head and palms facing you. Now for the tricky part, slowly lift your body until the bar comes close to or touches your upper chest. At the top, the body is then lowered by extending your arms. When you are back down to the start position, hold and pause before starting next rep. A power rack will often include chin-up bars.
5. Seated Preacher Curls – Sit on a preacher bench with the top of the pad resting just below the armpits and the back of the arms firmly pressed against pad. Curl bar upwards towards your chin, pause for a few seconds and then repeat the movement. Be careful that you don’t jerk the weight down at the bottom. Try a variety of width grips.
6. Standing Barbell Bicep Curls – Stand with the correct weighted pair of barbells in your hands, palms facing away from you and always have your feet shoulder-width apart. Try not to move your elbows, keep them stable and close to your body at all times, slowly raise the barbell toward your shoulders and then bring them slowly back down. Make sure you get a full range of motion, and that you try varying grip widths for different effects.
7. Barbell Wrist Curls – One of the best forearm exercises. Keep your forearms pressed flat against the bench, and curl all the way down then all the way up.
8. Dumbell Wrist Curls – This forearm exercise is similar to barbell wrist curls, but you can focus on one forearm at a time. I’ve found it best to do this over the corner of a bench. Keep your forearms pressed flat against the bench with the dumbell extending over the edge, and curl all the way down then all the way up.
9. Pushdowns – Concentrate on keeping your elbows still, and tight to your sides.
The arm exercises demonstrated above will go a long way to helping you build bigger arms, however they should only be one component in an overall weight training program. Your time is best spent on multi-joint exercise which train more the one muscle group at a time.
When it comes to gaining weight and packing on some muscle, one of the most common target areas is the arms. There is no point in having a good physique if you have scrawny arms. The major muscle groups in the arms include the biceps, triceps and forearms.
Everyone wants big arms, but how do you get bigger and stronger arms? Do these 9 best arm specific exercises. Pics are included with each exercise to help with demonstration.
1. Lying Barbell Triceps Extensions (Skullcrushes) – One of the best exercises for triceps. Almost guaranteed sore triceps every time. Use an EZ curl bar if possible.
2. Lying Dumbell Triceps Extensions – This exercise is a good alternative to using the bar, and has the added bonus of not needing a spotter.
3. Dips – Use parallel bars, Hold the bars and push yourself up until you’re arm’s length. Now for the tricky part, slowly lower yourself until your biceps make contact with your forearms. At the bottom, press back up by extending your elbows. Remember when your on the way back up to the start position, do not lock your arms at the top, hold and pause before starting next rep. If you get a power rack it will usually come with dip bars so you can do this exercise.
4. Chin-ups – Use chin-up bars, Hold the bars with your arms extended above your head and palms facing you. Now for the tricky part, slowly lift your body until the bar comes close to or touches your upper chest. At the top, the body is then lowered by extending your arms. When you are back down to the start position, hold and pause before starting next rep. A power rack will often include chin-up bars.
5. Seated Preacher Curls – Sit on a preacher bench with the top of the pad resting just below the armpits and the back of the arms firmly pressed against pad. Curl bar upwards towards your chin, pause for a few seconds and then repeat the movement. Be careful that you don’t jerk the weight down at the bottom. Try a variety of width grips.
6. Standing Barbell Bicep Curls – Stand with the correct weighted pair of barbells in your hands, palms facing away from you and always have your feet shoulder-width apart. Try not to move your elbows, keep them stable and close to your body at all times, slowly raise the barbell toward your shoulders and then bring them slowly back down. Make sure you get a full range of motion, and that you try varying grip widths for different effects.
7. Barbell Wrist Curls – One of the best forearm exercises. Keep your forearms pressed flat against the bench, and curl all the way down then all the way up.
8. Dumbell Wrist Curls – This forearm exercise is similar to barbell wrist curls, but you can focus on one forearm at a time. I’ve found it best to do this over the corner of a bench. Keep your forearms pressed flat against the bench with the dumbell extending over the edge, and curl all the way down then all the way up.
9. Pushdowns – Concentrate on keeping your elbows still, and tight to your sides.
The arm exercises demonstrated above will go a long way to helping you build bigger arms, however they should only be one component in an overall weight training program. Your time is best spent on multi-joint exercise which train more the one muscle group at a time.