This is part two of how to build huge arms, this time were going to take a look at some exercises that fit into a routine that utilises the full range of motion of your biceps and triceps directly.
There are three exercises for each range of motion so that we target the muscle with three exercises aimed at working the muscle in each of its states, one compound mid-range, one to target the muscle stretched and one to target the muscle in its contracted state ensuring a full workout of the muscle, remember that were not looking to lift as heavy as possible were looking to ensure the muscle is worked correctly and increases in weight will come in time.

Bicep Workout

Standing Barbell Curl

it’s best to start each bicep workout with a simple exercise such as this. You want to start with a couple of warm-up sets that you add weight too progressively and then you want to stick with the same weight for 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps and take a small rest in between sets no more than 1-2 minutes. 

Remember that you want to keep good form throughout this exercise if you can’t manage to keep good form them you’re lifting a weight that is too heavy, this doesn’t mean that your sets should be easy but by the end of the third set you should only just be able to finish the last rep.

Incline Dumbbell Curls

You need to lie down on a bench at a 45 degree angle, let the dumbbells hang at your sides so that you can feel the muscles stretch. 

When performing the curl you should allow for a slight rebound at the bottom of the arc this is not considered bad form and the quick twitch at the point of stretch will send a shock to your nervous system this is called the myotatic reflex and will force reserve muscle fibres to work.

The whole point of this exercise is to work in the full stretched position and because of this you have allot of potential for growth but also an increased chance of injury so make sure you start off with a light weight and gradually build up, overdoing this with a heavy weight to start can really ruin your workout schedule through injury. Like all exercises in this article you want to keep correct form not see how much you can lift. 

As with the standing curls you want to do some warm-up sets with progressive weight then aim for 3 sets of 8-10 reps and rest between sets.
 

Concentration Curls

This exercise really isolates the bicep and works for getting a peak contraction in the mucles, this helps to stimulate those reserve fibres you shocked into action in the last exercise and really finishes off the muscle with the peak contraction.

Sit at the end of an exercise bench with your legs spread. Reach down between your legs and pick up a dumbbell with one hand. Brace your elbow against your knee and fully straighten your arm. Place your other hand on your opposite leg to support your upper body.

Moving only your forearm, use your bicep strength to curl the dumbbell up to shoulder level. Hold this position for a couple of seconds to maximize the peak contraction in the biceps. Slowly lower the dumbbell to the starting position. Repeat for the desired number of reps. Do the same for your other arm.

Your biceps will already be warmed up by now so go straight into 3 sets of 8-10 reps with a rest of around a minute between each set, one of your arms will be resting while you work the other so you don’t need a long rest between these sets.  

Tricep Workout

Close Grip Bench Press

Start your tricep workout with a big basic compound movement that heavily works the triceps throughout the mid-range of the exercise. Lie down on the flat bench press and grab the bar with a grip no wider than the width of your torso, be careful though as using too close of a hand spacing will only place excess strain on the wrists and limit the amount of weight that you can lift.

Do a couple progressively heavier warm up sets and then keep the same weight for 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Rest for 1-2 minutes in between each set.

Overhead Tricep Extensions

By doing tricep extensions overhead you’ll get a better stretch throughout the muscles and it will work more of the long head of the triceps. Make sure to use a full range of motion and use a little bit of a rebound out of the bottom position to help lift the weights back up. Working in this stretched position point where you rebound and change direction between lowering and lifting can help trigger hyperplasia or fibre splitting and thus improve overall muscle growth and size gains.

Do 2-3 progressively heavier warm up sets and then keep the same weight for 3 sets of 8-10 reps. Rest for 1-2 minutes in between each set.

Dumbbell Kick Backs

This is a good exercise to hit all three heads of the triceps with a good peak contraction and finish off your tricep workout.

Brace yourself against a flat exercise bench. Grab a dumbbell in one hand. Place your other hand on the bench to support yourself.

Keep your upper arm along the side of your torso during the entire exercise. Moving just your forearm lift the dumbbell in an arc motion until your arm is straight. Hold this position for a second to maximize the peak contraction in the triceps. Slowly return the dumbbell to the starting position. Repeat.

As with the concentration curls during your bicep exercises your triceps will already be warmed up here so just jump straight into 3 sets of 8-10 reps to finish off your workout, rest for a minute in between as once again your training one arm at a time.