1. Stick to the basics. When training arms, I tend to shy away from machines and cables, as I find that using dumbbells or barbells provides the best size and shape for bis and tris.
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2. This might seem obvious, but it’s important not to cheat on any of your movements. Keep body english out of it. For serious gains, you have to place as much stress on the muscles you’re targeting, and cheat reps take away from that.
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3. Specifically train the brachialis when you do arms. The brachialis is an upper-arm muscle that runs under the biceps, and when developed helps add dimension to your upper arm and forearms. It’s targeted with any hammer-grip type curl, such as dumbbell hammer curls.
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4. Don’t lock yourself into a set rep range or weight load. Mix up your set and rep ranges from workout to workout. I tend to go by feel. If I have more energy, I might do a few more sets or use a heavier weight. Variation helps keep things fresh.
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5. Be creative with your exercises. If something becomes too easy, look for a way to make it more difficult. For example, if standard barbell curls become routine at a certain weight, you can lean against a wall, which will take momentum out of the equation, if you tend to rock your upper body during reps.
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6. You’ve got to rest and eat to grow. People often forget that training is just a part of the growth equation. If you aim to put on 10 pounds of lean muscle, you should gain a half-inch or more on your arms.
1. Stick to the basics. When training arms, I tend to shy away from machines and cables, as I find that using dumbbells or barbells provides the best size and shape for bis and tris.
2. This might seem obvious, but it’s important not to cheat on any of your movements. Keep body english out of it. For serious gains, you have to place as much stress on the muscles you’re targeting, and cheat reps take away from that.
3. Specifically train the brachialis when you do arms. The brachialis is an upper-arm muscle that runs under the biceps, and when developed helps add dimension to your upper arm and forearms. It’s targeted with any hammer-grip type curl, such as dumbbell hammer curls.
4. Don’t lock yourself into a set rep range or weight load. Mix up your set and rep ranges from workout to workout. I tend to go by feel. If I have more energy, I might do a few more sets or use a heavier weight. Variation helps keep things fresh.
5. Be creative with your exercises. If something becomes too easy, look for a way to make it more difficult. For example, if standard barbell curls become routine at a certain weight, you can lean against a wall, which will take momentum out of the equation, if you tend to rock your upper body during reps.
6. You’ve got to rest and eat to grow. People often forget that training is just a part of the growth equation. If you aim to put on 10 pounds of lean muscle, you should gain a half-inch or more on your arms.
