In addition to gaining the abs of Brad Pitt from Fight Club, men typically go to the gym to increase their biceps and bulk up their T-shirt sleeves to resemble Mark Wahlberg from Pain & Gain. Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights, for example. Mark Wahlberg in The Fighter, for example. Or Mark Wahlberg in just about any role he has ever had.
Nevertheless, although the former CK model/rapper could not contribute to this article, we got some of the greatest personal trainers in the area to break down the best arm workouts for men to achieve good results (and flex).
Why Do I Want Big Arms, Exactly?
a worthy query James Castle-Mason, a skilled physical therapist at London’s Roar Fitness, inquires, “What’s the first thing that’s evident about people who train?” “Big arms fill out a shirt well,” they say. People can see immediately that you can handle yourself and look the part if you have large arms. Big arms may do wonders for a guy’s self-confidence and serve as a subtle indicator to others that you take your training seriously while also drawing some curious glances.
The owner of the winstrol depot Right Path Fitness in London, Keith McNiven, concurs. Every guy wants to work on their arms since they are one of the “power 3” body parts that characterize the upper body, chest, and back. Men are generally more driven to ensure that their firearms are in top condition because, in particular, their arms are frequently on display.
Putting aesthetics aside, strengthening your physique has a practical purpose. According to Castle-Mason, “by working out your arms, you also develop the muscles that play crucial roles in the development of back, chest, and shoulder muscularity too.” Whether you’re a rugby player, a busy father, or a combination of both, you’ll enjoy how that makes you stronger.
Got it? Next, let’s move on to the greatest arm exercises for men.
1. Bicep enlarging
When it comes to gaining arms, many men turn to beasting bicep curls. However, as movement and performance consultant Luke Worthington of London’s Third Space demonstrates, developing arms that fill a t-shirt requires more than unending curls. He advises that understanding the structure of the muscles is the first step in establishing growth in the biceps (the front of the arm) and triceps (the back of the arm).
The choice of workouts to work them out is rather simple because the triceps expand the elbow joint and the biceps flex it. “If growth is the aim, do one of each.” When performing biceps workouts, a wide hand spacing targets the outer head and a narrow one the inner head.
PT Castle-Mason advises using this arm exercise in your weekly routine to get the most out of your biceps. Choose a medium weight and 10–12 reps for the best results.
Adjustable Dumbbell Curls
3 sets of 10–12 repetitions Angle a bench from 45 to 60 degrees (depending on your preference). On the bench, recline and let your arms hang down at your sides. Curl up while keeping your elbows firmly in place; be careful not to swing the weight. Control back down till the arm is straight while maintaining tension in the biceps.
Your arm is behind you, and your shoulder is extended in this position. This is excellent for filling the sleeves of your T-shirts since it precisely stretches the long head of your bicep, which accounts for a significant portion of the muscle mass in the peak of your bicep.
Positioned Dumbbell Pastor Curl
3 sets of 10–12 repetitions. Build a bench with a 60 to 75-degree slant. Put your arm on the bench from behind it while gripping the dumbbell. Curl up without swinging, keeping your wrist extended until your biceps are fully contracted. Don’t take a break at the bottom; keep your muscles tense the entire set.
Although the preacher curl is somewhat all-around, it targets the lower bicep and brachialis muscle. Combining exercises for both benefits is better because it is not as beneficial for the bicep peak muscles as the incline curl.
Handstand Hammer Curls
3 sets of 10–12 repetitions. You can perform a hammer curl while sitting or standing. Simply curl up and maintain muscular tension the entire time while keeping your elbows locked by your sides, grabbing the dumbbells with a neutral grip, and holding them firmly. Do hammer curls in addition to preacher curls since they both work the brachialis muscle.
2. Tricep Exercise
Are dips and rope pull-downs your go-to exercise? The tricep trifecta by Castle-Mason is an arm exercise that revives the enjoyment of developing the rear of your arms. Again, 10–12 repetitions are ideal for increasing muscle size, and a medium weight will provide a challenge without overworking the muscle or sacrificing form.
“Biceps are what most males pay attention to. However, the key to having large arms is that your triceps account for 2/3 of your arm’s mass, according to Castle-Mason. “As opposed to merely bicep curls, developing a thick horseshoe tricep will make your arm appear much bigger. Fortunately, we are equipped with everything you need right here.
Bench Press with a Tight Grip
3 sets of 10–12 repetitions Grip the bar with your hands slightly wider than shoulder width when lying down on a bench press. Keep your shoulders back and perform the exercise like a standard bench press, but tuck your elbows close to your torso. As you push to the top, feel the stretch at the bottom and tighten your triceps.
Unique is this fantastic all-around tricep builder. It’s one of the few exercises that allows an arm muscle group to be heavily loaded with weight. You get a good carryover advantage to your regular bench pressing and other pressing exercises and a relatively long range of motion.
EZ Bar Skull Crushers That Lie
3 sets of 10–12 repetitions One of the greatest arm exercises for guys to focus on the long head of the tricep is this one. When this head is well-developed, it contributes the most to arm thickness. Pay attention to this.
On a flat bench, lie down. If you’re exerting a lot of weight because this exercise tends to lengthen the spine, you can prop your feet up on the bench. Laying down with your EZ bar in your hands, begin with your elbows in line with your shoulders. For a truly powerful tricep stretch, slowly bench the elbows and let them to drift back as you lower the bar to just behind your head. To fully contract your tricep at the top, extend your elbows in front of your eyes towards the ceiling.
Torso Pushdown
3 sets of 10–12 repetitions Heavy load bearing workouts may call for more skill, which can occasionally make overhead movements uncomfortable. The tricep straight bar pushdown is an easy exercise that works the triceps well.
Set up a rope or bar on a cable machine and choose the weight you want. Lean forward around 30 degrees (this isn’t cheating, believe it or not). The ideal starting position is when your upper arm is at a 90-degree angle with your torso. For this arm workout, the conventional wisdom advises standing straight up, but the angle will allow for a more significant tricep contraction. Simply lower the bar until your elbow is fully extended, then raise it back up.
3. Finisher for the forearm
So, the major players have been handled. The best arms workout involves more than just working your biceps and triceps, so think twice before reaching for the protein powder. There’s a separate muscle group called the “forearm,” and developing it is just as crucial as bulking up the shirt-sleeve muscles. Training your entire arm will stop your arm from appearing like half a Twiglet and prevent imbalances, which is always good. McNiven believes all you need is one good move.
He claims that the forearm is the most neglected muscle in every arm exercise. This is strange because they are the bodily part that is genuinely most visible.
Bracelet Curl
According to McNiven, this motion is very little. “You curl your wrist up towards you and back again while seated with a dumbbell in each hand, palms up. Combine this exercise with the reverse wrist curl, which involves performing the identical movement with your hands facing down. I’m done now. Additionally, it will increase your strength and endurance for any other arm exercises you perform.
Choose 3 sets of 10–12 reps at the end of every arms exercise to balance out your bulking.
4. Be Creative
The exercise routine described above will help you develop arms quickly, and you’ll also gain insight into how the muscles function. However, there are various methods for boiling an egg. Here, master trainer Luke Barnsley of Third Space, a premier gym in London, describes an alternative method for doing arm day. By introducing new difficulties into your routine after a month or two, you’ll not only jolt complacent muscles into exerting themselves a little bit harder but also keep things exciting for yourself.
Use this plan for six weeks, increasing the number of sets for each exercise every two weeks. The secret is to maintain a steady beat all throughout. Count three seconds on the decline and one second on the lift for each exercise. This lengthens the “time under stress,” which forces your muscles to work hard to reap the full benefits of the activities.
I made an agonist/antagonist superset to help shake things up, claims Barnsley. You perform two exercises consecutively. Compound exercises use fewer reps to target several muscle fibers and let you work on both strength and hypertrophy. A ton of YouTube tutorials available may help you perfect your form, and the movements are all quite straightforward.
Exercises called compound motions involve many joints, allowing for lifting a higher amount of weight with a wider range of motion. As a result, more muscle fiber will be engaged, increasing the effectiveness. [Better arms, i.e.
“We go to superset C after superset A and B. Start off with low loading. Aim to complete all reps for all sets throughout the first week. Next, gradually try to add weight to A1. And B1. Do everything accurately and correctly. Oh, and exercise patience.
A1. Push-ups
(3 sets of 5-7 reps) The process here is undoubtedly familiar to you, but it’s still important to reiterate. With your palms facing inward, take an underhand hold of a chin-up bar. As you draw your entire body up until your chin just clears the bar, brace your core and tense your arms. Resuming after a controlled descent
Cable tricep pushdown (A2).
(3 sets of 12–15 repetitions) Lean forward about 30 degrees like before, and place your hands on a bar hooked to a cable machine (set the cable so the bar is around chest height). Return to the beginning after pushing the bar down until your arms are straight. As you complete the exercises, be careful not to round your back. Between workouts, take a 60-90 second break.
B1. Bench Press with Close Grip
(3 sets of 5-7 reps) Replicate the exercise from before by doing it once more. Keep your elbows tucked to your sides while lying on a bench holding a pair of dumbbells, and keep your hands slightly smaller than shoulder width. Push up until your arms are almost fully extended, then slowly lower yourself and push up again.
Cable bicep curls (B2)
(3 sets of 12–15 repetitions) Set the D-handles on both cables at the bottom of the cable machine, about shin height. Standing in the middle, hold one in each hand with your arms outstretched. Raise both grips until your elbows are completely extended while maintaining a straight back and a solid core.
The movement has a broader range than most biceps exercises, providing you the greatest burnback. Between workouts, take a 60-90 second break.
C1: Sitting Dumbbell Curl
(3 sets of 12–15 repetitions) Sit down, but don’t get too comfy. With your arms at your sides to start, sit up straight on a bench with your back straight and a medium-weight dumbbell in each hand. Simply curl them up again and start over from the beginning.
C2. Skull crushers with dumbbells
(3 sets of 12–15 repetitions) Give your triceps one last pump while laying on a bench with a mid-weight dumbbell in each hand. Start by bending your elbows so the dumbbells are slightly above and above your head and holding them with your arms overhead. Return to the starting position after extending your elbows until your arms are straight. Between exercises, take a 45–60 second break. The secret to developing huge arms is to concentrate on the movement and not ego-lift, whether you start with Barnsley’s circuit or Castle-workmanlike Mason’s sets. Working out your arms only is the quickest method to establish yourself as a gym newbie. So would you perhaps include a leg day as well?