Want Bigger Arms??
Bigger Arms:
What man out there doesnt dream of having bigger arms? Sleeve busting upper arms that ooze power. Arms are one of the few parts of the body that cant be hidden away, when summer arrives (allegedly!!) the t-shirts come out and those spindly arms youve spent the winter hiding are there for everyone to see. What if I could tell you that you could get the arms you want with the right knowledge and the right exercises? Interested? Then read on.
The common misconception is big biceps equals bigger arms, this is not true. The upper arm comprises of three main muscles. The biceps runs along the front from your elbow to your shoulder, their primary function is to bend the elbow. The triceps run along the back of the arm from the elbow to the shoulder and their primary function is to straighten the elbow. The third, less well known muscle is the brachialis, this runs under the biceps, you can only see it when looking at the arms from the sides. If its big arms you want then you need to work the triceps and brachialis just as much as the biceps.
Another misconception is to over train the arms, you should look at training them a maximum of two times a week. Arms muscles can be over trained simply because they are used in most other workouts including bench pressing and pull ups. Arms need time to recover in order to grow bigger and stronger.
When performing arm workouts it is best to train them to failure, to squeeze out every last repetition. Too many people just plod on with their routines, never really pushing themselves to their limits. Your body responds to being pushed and results will come quicker. Try not to exercise them for more than thirty minutes; short, intense workouts will create the desired results much quicker than prolonged training.
I have seen many people over the years making the huge mistake of not maintaining good form. You start reaching the stages of fatigue and then start utilizing the rest of your body to compensate your tiring arms. A very common one is rocking your body from the hips on a bicep curl in order to gain momentum. This will not work if your goal is to get big arms! It would be more beneficial to lighten the weight and keep true form.
It is obviously worth mentioning that exercise alone will not give you the arms you dream about. Exercise provides the stimulus for growth but fuel is what will create the gains. Your body will require a sufficient calorie and protein intake. Protein is made up of amino acids which are the building blocks of muscles and key to muscle growth.
Example of Biceps Exercise:
Standing dumbbell curl: Stand up with your feet together holding a set of dumbbells. With your palms facing forwards, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Really squeeze the bicep hard before lowering back down. Straighten the arm but be careful not to hyper extend as this could cause injury.
Example of Brachialis Exercise:
Standing dumbbell hammer curl: Stand up with your feet together, elbows to your side and palms facing inwards. Curl the arms keeping the palms facing inwards. Watch this video on YouTube for a better idea http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC3nLlEvin4
Example of a Triceps Exercise:
Triceps dips: Take hold of the parallel bars and slowly lower yourself down. Go down until your elbows are at shoulder level and then straighten your arms back to the staring position. Keep your body upright as leaning forward puts more emphasis on the chest.
So there we have it, big arms shouldnt be a dream; with the right knowledge and the right approach anything is possible. There are numerous exercises that target the arms and as with any muscle group exercises its worth looking into a few more of them so that you can tailor a workout to yourself.
Good luck.
Matt.
www.myhomefitness.co.uk
What man out there doesnt dream of having bigger arms? Sleeve busting upper arms that ooze power. Arms are one of the few parts of the body that cant be hidden away, when summer arrives (allegedly!!) the t-shirts come out and those spindly arms youve spent the winter hiding are there for everyone to see. What if I could tell you that you could get the arms you want with the right knowledge and the right exercises? Interested? Then read on.
The common misconception is big biceps equals bigger arms, this is not true. The upper arm comprises of three main muscles. The biceps runs along the front from your elbow to your shoulder, their primary function is to bend the elbow. The triceps run along the back of the arm from the elbow to the shoulder and their primary function is to straighten the elbow. The third, less well known muscle is the brachialis, this runs under the biceps, you can only see it when looking at the arms from the sides. If its big arms you want then you need to work the triceps and brachialis just as much as the biceps.
Another misconception is to over train the arms, you should look at training them a maximum of two times a week. Arms muscles can be over trained simply because they are used in most other workouts including bench pressing and pull ups. Arms need time to recover in order to grow bigger and stronger.
When performing arm workouts it is best to train them to failure, to squeeze out every last repetition. Too many people just plod on with their routines, never really pushing themselves to their limits. Your body responds to being pushed and results will come quicker. Try not to exercise them for more than thirty minutes; short, intense workouts will create the desired results much quicker than prolonged training.
I have seen many people over the years making the huge mistake of not maintaining good form. You start reaching the stages of fatigue and then start utilizing the rest of your body to compensate your tiring arms. A very common one is rocking your body from the hips on a bicep curl in order to gain momentum. This will not work if your goal is to get big arms! It would be more beneficial to lighten the weight and keep true form.
It is obviously worth mentioning that exercise alone will not give you the arms you dream about. Exercise provides the stimulus for growth but fuel is what will create the gains. Your body will require a sufficient calorie and protein intake. Protein is made up of amino acids which are the building blocks of muscles and key to muscle growth.
Example of Biceps Exercise:
Standing dumbbell curl: Stand up with your feet together holding a set of dumbbells. With your palms facing forwards, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Really squeeze the bicep hard before lowering back down. Straighten the arm but be careful not to hyper extend as this could cause injury.
Example of Brachialis Exercise:
Standing dumbbell hammer curl: Stand up with your feet together, elbows to your side and palms facing inwards. Curl the arms keeping the palms facing inwards. Watch this video on YouTube for a better idea http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zC3nLlEvin4
Example of a Triceps Exercise:
Triceps dips: Take hold of the parallel bars and slowly lower yourself down. Go down until your elbows are at shoulder level and then straighten your arms back to the staring position. Keep your body upright as leaning forward puts more emphasis on the chest.
So there we have it, big arms shouldnt be a dream; with the right knowledge and the right approach anything is possible. There are numerous exercises that target the arms and as with any muscle group exercises its worth looking into a few more of them so that you can tailor a workout to yourself.
Good luck.
Matt.
www.myhomefitness.co.uk
