We’ve all seen them; the enormous bicep peaks that form the perfect “cherry” on the top of the amazing arm development possessed by some of the world’s best physique models.
It’s either that, or the incredible “horse shoe” shape that perfectly sticks out from the back of an amazingly well developed tricep muscle.
Arm training isn’t necessarily complicated, but it’s definitely a game of patience and tact that has beaten many a trainee into the ground in their attempt to create the perfect arms.
This is never due to lack of effort, but often due to where precisely that effort is placed.
Are you ready to unlearn what you know and open your mind in order to achieve stratospheric propulsion towards award winning guns?
Either way, we all want these aspects as part of our aesthetic repertoire, and you’ll be happy to know that we can get them with a little effort and strategy.
12 Best Arm Exercises
It’s now time to individually target them and create the most prominent set of arms possible.
Some of the world’s leading fitness models like Andreia Brazier include exercises like the barbell curl and triceps dips (as you’ll shortly read about) as part of their workouts.
If these tried and tested movements are good enough for her, they’re good enough for you too. (1)
This is going to be a methodical and strategic procedure, and provided you incorporate all of the above areas as part of your arm sessions you can rest assured that you’ll bring a set of well-rounded arms to fruition.
1. Cross Body Hammer Curls
Areas Covered: Brachialis, Biceps
How-To: To perform this exercise, start with a dumbbell in each hand held at hip height and the feet shoulder width apart.
Proceed to bend your left elbow, and bring the dumbbell across to touch the right pec muscle whilst ensuring that it is kept in an upright position throughout the movement. Bring the dumbbell back down to the starting position and repeat on the opposite arm.
2. Normal Hammer Curls
Areas Covered: Brachialis, Biceps
How-To: To perform this exercise, simply stand with a dumbbell in each hand at hip height and the feet shoulder width apart.
From here, bend at the elbows until they reach 90 degrees and the top of the dumbbells face the ceiling, then return to the starting position.
3. Reverse EZ Bar Curls
Areas Covered: Brachialis Forearms
How-To: Grab an ez curl bar and proceed to grip the middle, narrow handles with a double overhand grip at hip height.
From here, bend at the elbows and raise the bar upwards until they reach a 90-degree angle - return to the starting position and repeat.
Related: 7 Best Brachialis Exercises
4. Barbell Curls
Areas Covered: Biceps
How-To: To perform this exercise, grab a bar with a double underhand grip just outside of shoulder width apart at hip height.
Proceed to bend the elbows and raise the bar upwards until the elbow joints reach 90 degrees, before extending the arms and returning the bar to the starting position.
We’d rank chin-ups, EZ-bar curls and dumbbell curls as better bang-for-your-buck moves because they force the biceps to work through a fuller range of motion, as well as allowing your wrists and elbows to stay in a more natural position throughout each stage of each rep.
- Joe Warner, Coach Mag UK
5. Incline Dumbbell Curls
Areas Covered: Biceps
How-To: To perform this exercise, set up a bench so that it has a slight incline (the bench should be set at just short of a 45 degree angle) and proceed to grab a pair of dumbbells then sit down with the back firmly against the bench padding.
From here, with the dumbbells by the side - proceed to bend at the elbow of the left arm and bring the dumbbell up until it sits just in front of the left deltoid.
Twist the dumbbell throughout the movement so that it faces inwards towards the body. Extend the arm and rotate the dumbbell back down into the starting position before repeating on the opposite side
6. Preacher Curls
Areas covered: Biceps
How-To: One of the best arm exercises that you can do, sit on a preacher bench and grip an ez bar with a double underhand grip in the narrow position.
Proceed to rest the top of the elbows on the top of the pad, and extend the arms until the bar hovers just above the bottom of the arm pad.
Proceed to bend the arms to a 90 degree angle and curl the bar upwards towards the body before extending at the elbows and repeating the movement.
7. Skull Crushers
Areas Covered: Triceps
How-To: To perform a skull crusher, either grab a straight barbell or an ez bar and lie flat on the back with the bar elevated above the body in line with the head - ensure you have a double overhand grip on the bar.
From here, with the arms fully extended you now need to bend the elbows to 90 degrees and lower the bar until it hovers just above the head.
8. Cable Rope Extensions
Areas Covered: Triceps
How-To: To perform this exercise, set a cable pulley at the top of one of the pillars, and attach a pulley rope.
From here, grab each end of the rope with the wrists in a neutral position (with the palms facing inwards towards each other) and proceed to bend the elbows to 90 degrees in line with the sternum.
Extend the arms whilst keeping the shoulder blades pinched together until the rope handles come down and go just past the hips (by the side of the body.) Proceed to bend the elbows to 90 degrees and return to the starting position before repeating the movement. (2)
You can vary this exercise with dumbbells or barbells. Learn the difference between barbells vs dumbbells vs cables.
9. Triceps Dips
Areas Covered: Triceps
How-To: In order to perform a triceps dip, find a set of parallel dipping bars and proceed to grab both sides in the narrow position (the position that places the hands closest to the hips.)
From here, proceed to suspend the body weight from here, proceed to suspend the body weight above the bars with the arms, pinch your shoulder blades together whilst bending your knees backwards to a 90-degree angle, and then slowly lower the body.
When your elbows reach a 90-degree angle, return the body to the starting position by extending the arms. Never go beyond 90-degree as you'll risk injury in your shoulders - if you want a shoulder workout, check this article out.
10. Reverse Wrist Curls
Areas Covered: Forearms, Biceps
How-To: To perform this exercise, simply grab a barbell with a double overhand grip just outside hip height and hold the bar in front of the body.
From here, curl the wrists upwards so that the back of the hand is parallel to the ceiling, then return the bar to the starting position.
11. Straight Bar Reverse Curls
Areas Covered: Forearms, Brachialis
How-To: To perform this exercise, grab a barbell with a double overhand grip and hold it at hip height.
Proceed to bend the elbows to a 90 degree angle until the back of the arms and hands are parallel to the ceiling - from here extend the arms and return to the starting position.
12. Fat Gripz Integration
Areas Covered: Forearms
If you haven’t heard of fat gripz before, now is definitely the time to look into them.
They simply make the bar you’re holding to perform an exercise much thicker, thus developing your grip while at the same time, developing big forearms and overall general thickness.
Try using them for deadlifts or chin ups periodically and you’ll see some serious results manifest.
You know the areas, you know the exercises - now it’s time to piece it all together with some highly effective arm training routines to solidify the development you’ve been looking for.
Learn more here:
3 Killer Arm Workouts For Any Goal
The following section contains a list of arm workout routines to follow in order to achieve any arm based goal - whilst the rep and set counts listed should be followed at least the first time you perform these routines.
You are encouraged to alternate and switch your workouts at least every month to create the results you’re looking for.
1. General Mass Building Workout
This arm day workout is designed for mass and to target your arms from every angle possible in order to develop a great foundation to further enhance with isolation exercises and higher rep ranges.
All exercises to be performed for between 6-8 reps unless stated otherwise for a total of three sets each with a 120 second rest period in between sets.
Focus on performing a 3 second negative (on the way down), 1 second hold (at the bottom) and 3 second positive (on the way up) count for each movement.
The exercises are as follows:
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Ensure you fully stretch the arms at the end of your session to avoid blood pooling.
Read More:
2. Arm Isolation And Toning Workout
This arm day workout is designed purely to develop the overall tone in your arms in order to improve their aesthetic appearance.
All exercises to be performed with a 60 second rest period in between sets.
Focus on performing a 3 second negative (on the way down), 1 second hold (at the bottom) and 3 second positive (on the way up) count for each movement.
The exercises are as follows:
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Ensure you fully stretch the arms at the end of your session to avoid blood pooling.
3. Total Arm Development Workout
This routine is for those who struggle with their body positioning on some of the free weight movements and need the assistance of machines in order to avoid back pain and injury (especially in the lower back.)
If you are feeling any kind of pain in your lower back, inversion tables may help you.
All exercises to be performed for between 8-10 reps unless stated otherwise for a total of four sets each with a 90 second rest period in between sets.
Focus on performing a 3 second negative (on the way down), 1 second hold (at the bottom) and 3 second positive (on the way up) count for each movement.
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Ensure you fully stretch the arms at the end of your session to avoid blood pooling.
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Did we miss anything?
Realistically, it will be almost impossible not to see any progress if you have a proper nutrition plan and adhere diligently to the guidelines provided in this guide. Stay committed to the principles outlined, and they will take care of you.
Also, I recommend incorporating the highly rated strongest pre-workout supplements into your arm training routine to further enhance your results. These supplements are designed to provide you with the necessary energy, focus, and endurance to maximize your arm workouts.
If you feel that this article has been beneficial to you, I encourage you to share it with as many people as possible so that others can also experience progress. This article could be the breakthrough many individuals have been eagerly awaiting.
References:
- Duston Lapray, WBFF Champion Andreia Brazier's Favorite Arms And Abs Workout!, retrieved from https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/wbff-champion-andreia-braziers-favorite-arms-abs-workout.html
- Stephen Bryan, Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension, retrieved from https://www.nwitimes.com/niche/get-healthy/fitness/cable-rope-overhead-triceps-extension/article_3c282d60-7054-5e95-a3c6-00c8e31303a1.html
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