6 Simple Exercises to Get Bigger Arms In No Time
Guys, look, if we’re not self-conscious about our abs (or lack thereof!), then it’s our puny little arms that have us looking in the mirror and sighing with disappointment. Ok, maybe I’m being a little dramatic, but seriously, if you’re looking to beef up your arms fast, then try these exercises out!
Let’s start with the triceps. These are the muscles that run along the back of your arm from your shoulder to your elbow. A lot of people forget about them, and that’d be a big mistake! You see, your arms aren’t just about the biceps - you know, the one you flex for someone when they wanna feel your “arm muscles.”
In fact, your biceps only make up 1/3 of your upper arms - the rest is all tricep! So, the rule of thumb is, if you want really big arms, you need to work on your triceps too, and here are the exercises that’ll help you do it:
1. Incline Dumbbell Skull Crushers
Lie down on an inclined bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Carefully bring your arms up overhead and keep your hands shoulder-width apart. Now, slowly bend your elbows to bring the dumbbells down towards your temples.
Your upper arms shouldn’t move, only your forearms. Straighten your arms back out, and that’s 1 rep. You need 3 sets of 12-15 reps each. It might seem like a lot, but the triceps are one of those muscle groups that are hard to work on. So you need more reps to start to feel it. Think of the first 2 sets as a
sort of warm-up for your muscles. Just don’t overdo it with huge weights from the get-go.
Building up your arms takes time, so be patient! And here’s a cool tip for ya: try to do this exercise at different angles and grips. This will help you target different parts of your triceps (there are 3 of them, hence the whole “tri” thing) so that they get massive in no time!
2. Reverse Grip Push-ups
Here’s a fun spin on traditional push-ups. I’m sure you know how to do a push-up, but here’s a reminder: get on the floor with your arms straight, hands in line with your shoulders, and your feet straight back behind you. Pull your core in - your stomach shouldn’t be hanging down. Now, for the reverse style, you’ll turn your hands in the opposite direction so that they’re pointing more toward your toes. Yeah, it takes flexibility and strength, so this one isn’t for beginners! And if you can’t do it, just work your way up from regular push-ups.
You’ll get there in time, don’t worry! Anyway, this style will make the outside part of your triceps really work. Try to do 4 sets of 12-15 reps (or work your way up to that goal). As for the last set, do as many reps as you can with some weights on your back. Again, if you’re new to the fitness game, then work your way up to the weighted version too. This one’s intense, but it helps grow your triceps dramatically!
3. Cable Tricep Pushdowns
Here’s probably one of the most classic and standard moves to build up your triceps. Grab the cable with your hands close together and your palms facing down. Keep your elbows tucked at your sides and bent at a 90-degree angle. Now, straighten your elbows to bring the cable downward. Then, slowly return to the initial position. I’d recommend doing 3 sets of 15 reps for this one.
There are also different styles you can do with the cable machine, like facing away from it and doing a similar move like you did in the Dumbbell Skull Crusher exercise. Just pick a style that you like best or do as many different kinds as you want in order to hit all the parts of the triceps.
Ok, let’s move on to those biceps. If you want really big bulky biceps, you’ll need to use the progressive overload method. It basically means adding more weight and intensity to your exercises with each set you do. Starting with…
4. Preacher Curls
Sit down on a preacher bench and place your upper arms on the support pad. Make sure your armpits are right up on that pad. (And clean it afterwards!) You can grab an EZ curl bar, dumbbells, or a barbell. Whatever you choose, pull it up towards your chin, hold it there for a second, and then slowly straighten your arms and bring it back down.
Don’t straighten your elbows completely or you risk hurting yourself. They should stay slightly bent and parallel to each other - don’t let them point outward. Try to do 4 sets of 12-15 reps to really blast those biceps!
5. Barbell Curl
Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, head up, shoulders back, elbows tucked into your sides, and your chest out. Now, bring the barbell up to your chin by bending your elbows and engaging your biceps. A great thing about barbell curls is that you can put your whole body into the last few reps when your arms are getting kinda tired. In all, it’s best to do 4 sets of 10-12 reps. And don’t forget about that progressive overload thing - add more weight to the bar with each set!
6. Zottman Curls
For your final bicep exercise, you’ll need to grab some dumbbells and hold one in each hand with your arms down at your sides and your palms facing your body. Keeping your elbows locked at your sides, curl the weights up to your chin while turning your palms toward your face. From there, you’ll do a 180 with your hands so that your palms then face outward, and lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. All this turning might sound complicated, but it’s what targets both the inner and outer parts of your biceps, making them big and bulky all around. You need 4 sets of 10-12 reps.
Now, before you run to the nearest gym and overtrain yourself, there are some important things for you to know. All this stuff about big arms and muscles isn’t just connected to lifting weights. One of the essential things here is your diet. Yeah, yeah, sounds so cliché, but hear me out. You need to take in more calories than your body requires right now with your current weight. And the best way
to do that is (any guesses?) protein.
Hey, athletes don’t chug this stuff down for nothing! More specifically, you need lean protein, which can be found in eggs, nuts, fish, chicken, beef, pork, and low-fat dairy products, to name a few. If you wanna gain inches around your arms, try to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of your body weight.
You also shouldn’t underestimate the importance of staying hydrated and well-rested. Water and sleep should be your best friends on your road to huge arms. I know, sounds kinda random, but it makes sense when you think about it. Since you’ll be losing hydration through sweat, you need to replace it by drinking at LEAST 6-8 glasses of water every day.
As for sleep, I’m sure you know the drill: 7-8 hours each night. But it’s especially important for people who work out because your muscles need time to chill and repair the micro-tears they get from exercise. It’s ok, these tears are totally normal and that’s what builds muscle up in the first place! So, that’s it! Keep me updated on whether or not these tips work for you, and if you know any other exercises that build big muscular arms, then sound off in the comments down.
Source : Bright Side