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How to Build Huge Arms

Besides the perfect abs there are few things that are as desirable as big arms. Let’s face it the first time you went to a gym or lifted a weight you most likely tried to do some sort of bicep curl and when somebody asks you to “flex your muscles” you automatically show them your biceps its something we all do.

I don’t think there is anybody who wouldn’t want bigger arms, the sort that would make you proud to wear a short sleeve t-shirt and show them off, the only problem is that those who actively workout to achieve this goal usually go about it the wrong way. When training the arms most guys let their ego get the better of them and end up trying to lift too heavy and cheating themselves by doing half reps or swinging there body to lift the weight.

Whenever you train a major muscle group like the Legs back and chest you are always encouraged to constantly aim to increase the weight being lifted on a regular basis in order to increase your muscle strength and in return add on size, however when it comes to arm training constantly trying to lift bigger can have an adverse effect, after all there’s a big difference between adding 5-10lbs to your 450lb deadlift than adding an extra 5lbs to your bicep curl.

I’ve found out that with arm training you can make better gains over the long term if you focus more on working the muscle than increasing the weight you can lift. Of course this doesn’t mean you stay at the same weight because as you get stronger you will inevitably need to increase the weight you can lift just don’t focus on lifting heavier you want to ensure you retain good form and you’re working the muscles properly.

When it comes to working out your splits for a workout routine bear in mind that you will in directly work your arm muscles while working other body parts, for instance your triceps are working during all pressing workouts which are associated with your chest workout such as the bench press and your biceps with all rowing exercises you associate with your back so because of this indirect workout to your arms you will only want to devote one day to working them directly and preferably after you’ve rested from indirectly a typical split I would use over a week ensuring maximum rest for muscle growth is:

# Monday Chest (+triceps indirectly)
# Tuesday Back (+biceps indirectly)
# Wednesday Legs and calves
# Thursday Shoulders, abs and forearms
# Friday Arms (biceps and triceps directly)
# Sat/Sun Rest

This trains both your biceps and triceps twice in a week both indirectly and directly but it also allows rest to take place between working them, due to your arms being a small muscle group when compared to your chest and legs for example they are susceptible to overtraining which can hamper your gains, so always try to set up a split to allow rest time.

Also when it comes to arm workouts one of the most effective training techniques is the “positions of flexion” which basically means that you train your muscle group through its FULL range of motion starting with a compound mind range exercise, then an exercise to target the muscle as its completely stretched out and then finishing with an exercise that works the muscle in its full contracted position.
This concept of training is far from new and was most notably used by Arnold during his training and his arm development was amazing even by today’s standards.

A typical arm workout utilising this method of training would consist of something like the following:
  • Barbell Curls
    (this is a mid-range exercise as most of the tension is on the biceps in the middle of the rep)
  • Incline Dumbbell Curls
    (this is a stretched position exercise as most of the tension is on the biceps at the bottom or fully stretched position)
  • Concentration Curls
    (this is a peak contraction exercise as most of the tension is on the biceps at the top of the rep when the biceps are fully contracted)

 

So this is a basic arm workout that utilises the full range of motion to stimulate muscle growth, remembering that it’s not the weight so much as the correct technique that will help you build your arms in the next article well look at how to ensure your performing these exercises correctly and not cheating yourself by using incorrect form.