Not everyone is blessed with the type of genetics which can lead to big arms with (minimal) effort, so if you’re looking to add an inch or two to your arm measurements there are a few simple strategies you should employ.
Overdoing arm exercises such as curls would seem like a good place to start but while they’re an important part of an overall exercise strategy, the first thing that that you must be aware of is that unless you expand your range of exercises you will have trouble in achieving the look that you are most likely pursuing — instead you must work the full spectrum of different muscles groups in your arms, rather than concentrating on biceps or triceps alone.
So, which tips should you follow if you are serious about building bigger arms?
Build Your Mass
If you’re looking to chisel your arms, you will need some mass there in the first place for you to work with. Isolation moves can be worked on later, at the beginning you should be more concerned with building overall strength by using techniques like deadlifts and pull-ups.
Don’t Neglect the Stretch
When you stretch your muscles before contracting them it will increase your ability to lift more and therefore achieve better results. An inline bicep curl is an ideal technique to use for this objective.
Change Your Grip
Instead of using the standard grip while using dumbbells, you can alternate your grip to the ‘offset’ method where you press your thumb or little finger agains the side of the weight which will cause your bicep to slightly change the muscle groups it uses and force them to work harder.
Don’t Forget Your Triceps
As the name implies, your triceps are comprised of three parts which work in tandem to combine to two-thirds of your upper arm mass. If your goal is to get bigger, look to use techniques like the closed-grip bench press.
Focus On Your Shoulders
Strong shoulders go a long way to building the toned look that you are going for. If your shoulders look impressive, so too will your arms and one of the age-old exercises in the gym can help you with this: the overhead press.
There’s No Need To Overdo It
You needn’t target your arms muscles more than twice per week as they will be kept busy by other elements of your full-body workout. As is the case with every other muscle in your body, they will need time to break down and grow stronger so an overindulgence in your arms can actually have negative effects on your overall goals.
