Both guys and girls want to be able to walk around wearing a sleeveless shirt.
For men, it’s all about the guns and having big yet chiselled arms. For women, it’s about having lean arms with impressive definition. Although arms are just a sample of your complete body composition, they attract most of the initial attention. If you want a pair of arms that will turn heads when you walk into a room, then you need to get your training down to a perfect science.
Let’s break down the muscles of the arms and explore the best ways for you to train to guarantee results. But first, let’s take a look at the primary muscles on our arms.
Breakdown of the Arms
Triceps
The triceps muscle has three sections, commonly called heads. These heads form a horseshoe shape on the back of your arm. On a functional level, the triceps muscle is vital for shoulder stabilisation. This muscle is also responsible for one-third of the size of your arm so it follows then that if you want big arms, you’ll need to hammer the horseshoe.
Long Head
- Begins: Infraglenoid Tubercle of the Scapula (shoulder blades)
- Ends: Teres Major, Teres Minor
Medial Head
- Begins: Dorsal Humerus
- Ends: Medial Intermuscular Septum.
Lateral Head
- Begins: Dorsal Humerus
- Ends: Lateral Intermuscular Septum [1]
Biceps
The biceps muscle is made up of two sections: the Brachii and Brachialis.
The Biceps Brachii is traditionally what you think of when you hear the word “biceps.” Made up of a long head and a short head, it is responsible for the majority of the size of the overall biceps muscle. You can trace the long head on the outside of the arm and the short head on the inside. Since most exercises are aimed at this muscle for the purpose of hypertrophy, many workouts do not cater to the Brachialis.
The Biceps Brachialis is a deep level muscle that supports elbow flexion, especially during Brachii-based exercises. If you want a fuller and peaked set of biceps, then it will be important to target the Brachialis, which I’ll expand on below. [1]
Coming in at third place in 1989 and 1991 Mr Olympia – Vince Taylor
Setting up your Arm Workout
Pair Them Up
If you have a traditional three or four day-a-week workout routine, then you should be allotting specific days to the larger muscle groups, such as the chest and back. Whether you train them on the same day or split them up, working out the chest and back also requires the utilisation of the triceps and biceps respectively.
These secondary muscles help to stabilise the free weight while controlling movement; however, playing second fiddle doesn’t result in strength and size gains for your arms. Therefore, you will want to dedicate one day to give triceps and biceps the spotlight. Focusing training on arms only will cause the micro tears, blood flow (pump), protein synthesis, and anabolic hormone response you need for size and strength.
Hitting the Three Heads of the Tricep
As mentioned above, in order to be the proud owner of a complete and full set of lean yet large triceps, you need to focus on all of three of the heads. While the majority of triceps exercises will incorporate to some degree on all three heads, certain exercises target different heads better than others. With that in mind, you’ll want to make your rounds through a variety of exercises.
Make Sure to Target the Brachialis
Like the triceps, certain heads of the biceps are emphasised more in your general training programs. For the biceps, it’s all about the Brachii, as this muscle makes up the vast majority of the size of your overall bicep. With this in mind, you are going to want to show some love to the Brachialis, as it is usually underdeveloped among most novice to intermediate weight lifters. Again, this is to ensure a full, complete, and even development of the arm muscles.
Don’t Forget About Forearms
Runner-up in the 2000 and 2002 Mr Olympia behind Big Ron was Kevin Levrone
What is arm training without the forearms? The overall forearm muscle is comprised of several smaller muscles including the following:
- Flexor Carpi Ulnaris
- Palmaris Longus
- Flexor Carpi Radialis
- Pronator Teres [1]
For some reason, there is still looming debate about the importance of forearm training. I thoroughly support the incorporation of forearm exercises for two central reasons: function and composition. Your forearms play a very important role in wrist flexion and extension and elbow flexion.
Weak forearms may jeopardise these joints during strength or power lifting workouts. As for body composition, imagine having huge, well-sculpted triceps and biceps with tiny forearms. Forearms are the part of your body you can show off in almost any situation. You can wear a polo to a business casual event. You can’t wear a muscle shirt. With that in mind, it’s all about balance.
“Work the entire arm. Don’t be top heavy.”
Selecting the Right Exercises
Start With the Big Guns
Unless you are intentionally engaging in a pre-exhaust system of training, you will want to begin your arms workout with the most effective exercises first. These exercises are going to utilise the greatest number of muscle fibers, encouraging maximum volume and intensity. Here are several examples of the best compound exercises to begin your workout.
Triceps
- Close-grip Bench Press
- Weighted Dips
- Close-grip Overhead Press
Biceps
- Under Arm Chin-ups
- Smith Press Reverse Grip Pull-up
- Straight Bar Barbell Curl
Isolate and Conquer
Once the blood is flowing and your muscles are awake, it is time to isolate each section and go for broke. Let’s take a look at the best isolation exercises for the triceps and biceps muscles.
Triceps:
One of the biggest mistakes that weight lifters make is they neglect certain heads or sections of the triceps muscle. Hitting all three heads of the triceps muscle is key for even body composition and an impressive set of arms.
Long Head Exercises
- Lying Triceps Extension
- Overhead Extension
- Narrow Grip Cable Pushdown
Medial Head Exercises
- Single Arm Reverse Grip Pulldown
- Triangle Push-ups
- Weighted Dips
Lateral Head Exercises
- Leaning Overhead Cable Rope Extensions
- Kickbacks
- Twisting Rope Pull-down
Biceps:
As I mentioned above, training your biceps means more than doing a few curls, you need to include specific exercises to target both the Brachii and Brachialis as well as the forearms.
Brachii
- Barbell Preacher Curls
- Dumbbell Curls
- Alternating Cable Curls
Brachialis
- Hammer Curls
- Twisting Dumbbell Curls
- Reverse Barbell Curls
Forearms
- Bench Dumbbell Wrist Curls
- Farmer’s Walk
- Standing Barbell Wrist Curls Behind the Back
The Acute Variables
There are two methodologies for arm training that I would recommend switching between from week to week: endurance and hypertrophy. Both have their advantages and both are needed if you want to build muscle and definition.
Endurance Training
Endurance Training
- High repetitions
- Low volume
Number of Exercises (per muscle group)
- 2 to 4
Sets
- 2 to 6
Repetitions
- 12 to 20
Volume
- 65% to 75% of your one repetition maximum, or 1RM (the maximum amount of weight you can perform in one repetition) [2]
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Sample Workout
- Close Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions
- Close Grip Chin-ups: 3 x 15 to 20
- Lying Triceps Extension: 3 x 12 to 15
- Barbell Preacher Curls: 12 to 15
- Triangle Push-ups: 3 x 15 to 20
- Hammer Curls: 2 x 12 to 15
- Kickbacks: 2 x 12 to 15
- Bench Dumbbell Wrist Curls: 3 x 12 to 15
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Hypertrophy Training
- Lower repetitions
- Higher volume
Number of Exercises (per muscle group)
- 3 to 4
Sets
- 3 to 6
Repetitions
- 6 to 12
Volume
- 75% to 85% of your one repetition maximum, or 1RM (the maximum amount of weight you can perform in one repetition) [3]
Sample Workout
- Weighted Dips: 3 x 8 to 10 reps
- Smith Press Reverse Grip Pull-up: 3 x 10 to 12
- Narrow Grip Cable Pushdown: 3 x 8 to 12
- Alternating Cable Curls: 3 x 8 to 12
- Triangle Push-ups: 3 x 10 to 12
- Reverse Barbell Curls: 2 x 6 to 12
- Rope Pull-down: 2 x 6 to 12
- Standing Barbell Wrist Curls Behind the Back: 3 x 8 to 12
Extra Tips & Tricks for Muscle Growth
Focus on Form
While it’s important to challenge yourself and provide an appropriate amount of stress to the muscle in order to trigger an increase in size and strength, you want to leave your ego at the door. You should never sacrifice your form just so you can impress the girl or guy on the treadmill (who isn’t even staring at you anyway). Loading up a barbell with too much weight or selecting a dumbbell that is far outside of your comfort zone only increases the risk for strain and injury. What’s more, this amount of weight calls into action surrounding muscles that will do the job, robbing your arms the opportunity for maximum stimulation.
Select a weight that you can perform the given range of repetitions for without swinging back and forth. Watch your technique and strive for perfection each time.
Mind to Muscle Connection
Although your ego will be left outside the gym, that does not mean you can’t admire the muscles you are working on. Developing a mind to muscle connection will help your performance, allowing for maximum tension and better performance. Set yourself up in front of the gym mirror. Perform a few warm-up sets first, slowly moving the weight. Watch the muscle you are training. See how it moves, feel the blood pooling, and experience the lactic acid build-up. Now move on to your working weight and do the same.
Change Up Your Workout
It is important to add variety to your workout so that you can avoid reaching a plateau in size, strength, or endurance. One of the easiest ways to avoid this plateau is to switch up the training systems to shock your muscles, as mentioned above. One week, lift for hypertrophy. The next week, lift for endurance. You can also strive to incrementally increase the weight that you are using, assuming you can still do so with perfect form.
Feel free to branch out to other training systems as well. There are plenty to choose from, all of which have been shown to be effective in producing results. Here are the some popular examples:
- Pyramiding
- Super Set
- Giant Sets
- Negatives
- Drop Sets
- German Volume Training
At the peak of his career, Mark Dugdale managed to reach 96kg on stage.
Shorten Your Break
Shortening your rest break is an excellent way to challenge your body while increasing perceived intensity and encouraging blood flow. Isolation exercises tend to have a faster recovery time as it is, so make sure you’re not spending more than 60 seconds in recovery mode. Incrementally decrease this amount of time over several workouts until you get all the way down to 30 seconds.
Squeeeeze
Incorporating this technique will be simple, especially after you develop that mind to muscle connection. When you reach the isometric (pause) portion of the lift, squeeze as hard as you can. Do this for between 2 and 4 seconds then slowly lower the weight to the starting position.
All in All
Training your arms is more than curls and pushdowns. It means formulating a battle plan to attack each individual section of muscle in order to tear it down so you can build it back up bigger and stronger than before. If you want to see results, you can’t cheat yourself out of a good arm workout. Pair up your biceps and triceps and train with the intention of feeling that swollen muscle belly each set. Follow these guidelines while taking care of yourself on the nutritional front and you’ll be very happy with the results you achieve.
References
Feature Image Athlete: Kwame Duah
- Clark, M.A., Lucett, S.C., Sutton, B.G. “Muscular System.” NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2012. 593-594. Print.
- Clark, M.A., Lucett, S.C., Sutton, B.G. “Muscular System.” NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training. Baltimore, MD: Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. 2012. 290-291. Print.
- Wernbom M1, Augustsson J, Thomeé R. The influence of frequency, intensity, volume and mode of strength training on whole muscle cross-sectional area in humans. Sports Med. 2007;37(3):225-64.
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