We have often been told that working out for 30 minutes to 1 hour a day is essential to stay healthy and this is achieved by boosting our energy level and increasing our endurance making us hard against most things.
Most people visit the gym for weight gain, weight loss, cardio, and stretches. When someone has a sleeveless shirt put on our eyes wander off towards their arms expecting them to have nice and muscular arms.
The biceps
Regardless of a goal, a person is pursuing like weight gain or weight loss, it is vital to focus on the arms. Not only do they make you stronger but also make you more appealing visually thus boosting your confidence.
It has been found to have noticed an increase in arm lift surgery by 4500% in women which is done for the loose skin under the arm giving it more definition. Women have also shown more fat in the arms than men as they burn lesser calories and their hormones tend to deposit fat in the peripheral areas of the body like arms and legs instead of depositing it around visceral organs.
The arms consist of 3 muscle groups that need to be worked on when you think about the exercises for the upper arms, the forearms, the biceps, and the triceps.
The biceps
The biceps are also called the biceps brachii, The biceps brachii is the muscle on the front of the arm it helps to bend our forearm upwards towards the shoulder ultimately helping in lifting and pulling, and it also helps turn the palm upwards. In general, the size of the biceps brachii symbolizes the strength of the person.
The biceps as the name suggests consist of 2 heads, the short head also called the caput breve, and the long head called the caput logum. It is important to know where a muscle originates from and ends as it is really helpful during training but both the heads of the biceps originate from the scapula and insert into the radius though both have a different course.
The short head of the biceps brachii gives your biceps the width and the long head gives it the length or the bump. The long head tends to function by protecting the shoulder joint
Exercises to perform for bigger biceps
Incline dumbbell curls
Dumbbell curls are the most basic exercise as they require a minimum amount of equipment but the incline variation of the dumbbell curls requires a setting positing an inclined back.
Here’s how you do an inclined bicep curl and how to get the most out of it.
- Incline yourself on an inclined bench.
- Hold your arms down with weight in your hands.
- Make sure your elbows are placed close to your body.
- Breathe as you curl the dumbbell towards your chest.
- Come back to the normal position.
The inclined dumbbell curls are even more advantageous than the normal dumbbell curls as these tend to position your shoulders backward in relation to your body which causes higher exertion of the long head of the biceps.
It is really important to avoid using momentum while lifting as it makes it easier on the bicep, also try to avoid dropping the weights and try bringing them back down slowly.
Hammer curls
It might seem like the hammer curls perform the same function as the dumbbell curls but they tend to exert the long head of the biceps even more and these should most definitely be in your workout routine if you are targeting to build bigger biceps.
- Stand upright with weights in your hands.
- Positioning your arms next to your torso.
- As you bend your elbow lift your forearm raising the weights towards your shoulders.
- Hold the position.
- Go back to the normal position.
Chin-ups
Chin-ups not only help get bigger arms but also increase your grip and help grow your chest shoulders and back. Get yourself a bar that can withstand your weight without any issues.
- Place your hands on the bar with your arms facing your body.
- Raise your body until it is above the ground and your chin is above the bar.
- Lower yourself.
The triceps
This help stabilizes the joints of the shoulder, and training your triceps makes your shoulders and elbows stronger and more stable. The triceps consist of 3 heads the long head the medial head and the lateral head.
Exercises to perform for bigger triceps
The diamond push-ups
Undoubtedly one of the best and one of the hardest exercises for the triceps.
- Position your arms on the mat below your chest.
- Make a diamond shape with your fingers.
- Keep your knees on the ground or preferably straighten your legs.
- Make sure you are also engaging your core by keeping your back straight.
- Perform a push-up while maintaining your elbows at the side.
Tricep kickbacks
It is considered the second most effective exercise for the triceps after the diamond pushups. Bending against gravity makes your muscles even more engaged.
- Place one of your feet on a platform.
- Place the arm of the same side on your thigh for support.
- Hold a dumbbell in the other hand.
- Pull the arm backward and focus on contracting the triceps.
Perform about 3 sets with 12 to 15 reps each.
Rope pushdowns
perform this with a cable machine using a rope as your attachment.
- Place your hands near the knotted end of the rope.
- Make sure your elbows are bent and next to your body.
- Extend your arms pulling them down towards the floor and spreading the rope.
- Bring the arms back to the starting position.
Tricep extensions
The key is to place your arms close to your face as you lower the weights.
- You can perform this exercise by sitting on a chair or standing up.
- Place your arms close to the face and your elbows facing forwards.
- Lower the weight behind while contracting the triceps.
The tricep dips
The tricep dips are also one of the most effective and challenging exercises to perform for building your tricep muscles.
- Place your hands on a bench or a chain behind you.
- Bend your knees.
- Lower your body to the ground making sure the tension is on the tricep muscles.
- Make sure your elbows are pointed upwards and make a 90-degree angle.
- Raise your body.
Forearms
Training your forearms is important as it not only increases your grip strength but also helps your lift bigger when training other muscles of the arms.
Grip crushes
This exercise is one of the most important as it plays a very vital role in building forearms.
- Perform while seated.
- Place your arm on your thighs with your palms facing upwards.
- Hold a dumbbell in your hands.
- Tighten your hand as your curl up your wrist while you squeeze the bar tightly.
- Repeat on the opposite arm.
This exercise can be performed using a machine, other variations are cable curl, back cable curl, and towel cable curls.
The barbell reverse bicep curls
Something as simple as changing the grip on the barbell can intensely help with building your forearms. Remember to perform a reverse curl with a weight lower than what you use for a normal curl.
- Stand straight with your feet apart.
- Hold the bar down with your knuckles acting upwards.
- Place your elbow by your side.
- Curl the barbell upwards.
- Go back to the starting position.
Plate rises
It also helps increase the strength of your fingers.
- Stand straight.
- Hold a plate heavy enough by your side.
- Hold it for 1 minute.
- Maintain a good posture with your back straight and shoulder proper.
Some common mistakes people make:
All of us want to get strong too soon and in that process, we bite off more than we can chew by lifting more weight than we can handle. A higher rep count with lesser weight in contradiction to more weight and fewer reps helps build bigger muscles.
Make sure you perform variations as this helps your body get accustomed to newer and newer forms making your muscles work even harder. Try and avoid using momentum to your advantage while performing an exercise even if you are unable to perform that last rep as this is not going to help your muscle.
Make sure you have the correct posture to gain maximum from your workouts.
Conclusion
Not only do your arms become stronger when you train them but also it helps keep your heart healthy, it has been found to help in running as stronger arms add to the forward propulsion.
At the end of the day, it is really important to keep your body nourished and not pushed overboard when working out as it will only have negative effects, staying motivated, warming up taking breaks when sick and why it is important to do so when sick as mentioned in one of our other articles and most importantly sleep.
The above might seem too obvious but are the least discussed and even lesser practiced when it comes to bodybuilding.