Do you want massive arms? Let’s take a quick review of basic arm structure before we go into particulars of actual workout routines. The bicep is the round, two-headed muscle situated on the front of the upper arm. The rear of the upper arm consists of a three-headed muscle called the tricep. The following tips will help you build size and strength in your arms. Work your arms once a week and train your biceps before your triceps.
It’s essential to warm-up well because you’ll be training heavy.
- For the first set do twelve reps with a weight that you could probably do 20 with, but stop at twelve.
- Add 20 pounds or so and do eight reps for the second warm up set.
Next, do an acclimation set – add more weight but do only three reps. After this, you’re ready for your core massive arms workout:
1. Incline Curls
This is a first-rate stretching exercise for your biceps. It’s also great for building a high peak and for carving a deep split in the muscle group. Set the incline at around a forty-degree angle and focus on stretching your biceps as much as possible on the way down. A controlled lift with faultless technique (that is NO wobbling) using only biceps will give your arms a good stretching workout. The elbows should be close to the sides of the body but the dumbbells are curled to a position about 8″ to 10″ away from the body. Curl the bells towards the shoulders, simultaneously turn the palms of the hands so that they face upwards and complete the curl. Tense the biceps at the top of the movement to ensure a full “peak contraction.”
2. Preacher Curls
Unlike the calf muscle, the arm has a pivot point. All you have to do is locate the pivot point and contract. But to find that pivot point and to make sure that it contracts to its fullest potential can be difficult. Preacher point benches will help you achieve this. This straightforward tool can isolate your bicep and give you the ideal pivot point that you need.
3. Massive Arms – The Mass Builder – Standing Barbell Curls
Standing barbell curls with a shoulder-width grip is a splendid workout for blowing up the entire biceps when done properly. From a standing position, with “soft” knees, neutral scapulae, and head/chest up, begin the curl with straight arms and the bar slightly in front of your legs. Keep wrists flat, and do not extend your lumbar spine. Standing dumbbell curls can be done in an alternating fashion or both dumbbells can be curled at the same time, whichever you prefer.
Use the following set and rep format and be sure to use a weight you’ll make a great effort with during the last few reps of every set:
| Exercise | Sets | Reps |
| Incline curls | 3 | 10, 8, 6 |
| Preacher curls | 3 | 10, 8, 6 |
| Standing barbell curls | 3 | 10, 8, 6 |
4. Massive Arms – Hot Those Forearms With Hammer curls
2 sets. Grab two heavy dumbbells and let them hang at your sides with your palms facing your hips. Stand balanced, knees slightly bent, abs tense and shoulders down and back. Exercise by curling your arms up simultaneously with your palms facing each other. Avoid moving your elbows. Also avoid alternating your arms, as you WILL start to cheat as you grow tired.
5. Triceps press-downs
This is a superb exercise to clarify all three heads of the triceps. It also serves as an excellent warm up movement for the ligaments and tendons of the elbow. Using a close grip, with the elbows next to the sides, push the bar downwards until the arms are locked out straight, and slowly return the bar to the starting position high on the chest. Repeat for ten reps. To prevent injury, don’t go to total lockout. Also, don’t overdo press-downs.
6. Try Lying EZ Bar Triceps Extension/Pullover/Press For Massive Arms
No doubt you’ve seen the EZ pullover/press. Here’s a triset version of this exercise. Lay back on a bench with your head slightly off the end. Now do 6 reps of a triceps extension, brinig the bar to the back of your head, not your forehead. Go right into pullovers, keeping the bar close to your head and torso. This close action keeps the triceps heavily engaged. Shoot for 6 reps. Finish off with close grip bench presses. Do as many reps as possible. That’s one set. Do 2 total sets with minimal rest between.
7. Massive Arms – Use Maximal Weights
The nervous system is the forgotten element of bodybuilding, and training with maximal weights targets this area by improving the link between the central nervous system and the muscular system. This is what German exercise physiologists refer to as intra-muscular training. By using this technique, you will learn to access a larger percentage of motor units in a given cross-section of muscle tissue.
8. Ice Massage
On each arm – just carry on the massage until the cup has completely melted. Concentrate on soft tissue, staying away from bones and joints. Focus on long, deep strokes, going parallel to the muscle fibers of the biceps, triceps and forearms. And yes, this feels totally miserable. However, you need to suck it up and do it.
Always warm up your arms before working out to prevent injury. Once you get into your core exercises, use a full range of motion and go deep. Getting the most out of your efforts requires you to use a full range of motion on exercises that stretch your biceps and triceps. Finish workouts with an isolation exercise.
Supplements
Supplementing withCreatineshould be a key concern when trying to build massive arms – or any muscle group. When Creatine enters a muscle cell, it pulls water and other nutrients along with it, thus enlarging the cell membrane. Selecting the correct workouts and Creatine formula can have an enormous impact on building arms that look like they’re going to split open your shirt sleeves.
Don’t forget protein powder. Ingesting enough protein goes without saying. One of the things this does is stimulate protein synthesis. This is largely based on the BCAA/EAA content. Of these amino acids, leucine is the most important. If your protein powder does not have at least 3g leucine, buy a BCAA powder or even a leucine powder. Never neglect protein.