Many people flock to the biceps curl in the hope of gaining arm muscles. Unfortunately, many of them fail to find any convincing results due to inadequate or ineffective methods, inadequate nutrition or even failure to take supplements. Some even endure hours of training only to make little or no gains.
In this article we will look at the different muscles of the arm and 6 exercises to achieve your goal of gaining mass.
Anatomy of the upper arm
Knowing which muscles you want to strengthen and develop, together with their functions, is the key to building Herculean arms.
Generally speaking, there are two major muscle groups that make up your upper arm. These are:
- The Biceps which are structured by the long external and the short internal portion. They represent 1/3 of the upper arm.
- The Triceps are made up of 3 portions: the long, the short and the median.
They represent 2/3 of the arm. This contradicts the theory that big biceps are synonymous with big arms.
Therefore, specific exercises for each muscle must be applied in order to obtain a significant growth of your arms.
So be aware that killing yourself doing endless curls is not the most effective strategy. Instead, build your triceps first for big gains.
Here are three exercises suitable for working your triceps and then three more for working your biceps:
The Triceps Dips
It is advisable to perform this exercise on an aerobic bench or step for beginners who are still in the strength stage.
To perform this exercise correctly, you need to use as much of your body weight as possible as it is a very heavy load. In this way, the muscle works very hard instinctively. As a result, the more it works, the more fibres will be put to work. Therefore, you will gain in growth.
Called the King of Triceps builders, this exercise allows you to work all three portions of the muscle at once. This is better than any isolation exercise.
Alternatively, for those who have already acquired some arm strength, go straight to the parallel bars on the pull-up machine or assisted dips. A load of about 2/3 of your body weight would be ideal for a beginner on an assisted machine to perform fine dips. But, as you master the movement, you will be able to readjust your load beforehand.
If you choose to use the machine, here are a few steps to help you use it properly:
- Let your arms hang down on each side and then grab the parallel bars, thumbs inwards.
- Find a good position for your wrists to allow your elbows to bend backwards without too much difficulty while remaining in line with your forearms.
- On a power machine, place your knees on the platform. Then gently lower yourself down and contract your triceps by bringing your biceps and forearm into contact.
3 sets of 8-10 reps will be suitable for beginners while 5 sets of 10 would be highly encouraged as you increase your endurance level.
As you gain strength, you can add weight either with a weight belt or by placing a dumbbell between your legs.
The Triceps Rope Pull
To give the muscle its 'horseshoe' shape, the triceps rope pull is ideal.
While the use of a straight or V-shaped bar requires slightly more weight, the rope isolates the muscle more and contracts it optimally. Nevertheless, it does not require too much load or too much weight. This type of exercise, on a pulley machine, makes you work the lateral and medial part of your triceps.
To perform it decently, follow these steps:
Standing with your upper torso leaning slightly forward, maintain your posture and then normally grab each side of the rope, palms facing each other, and inhale deeply.
- Then, keeping your triceps contracted, pull the rope away from you until your wrists reach your thighs.
- Once your arms are fully extended, move your wrists away from your body to contract your triceps as much as possible.
- Hold your position and then block each repetition.
- Finally, 2 seconds after holding this position, you will be able to release by slowly bringing the rope back up to its initial position and finish with a deep breath while your arms are also coming back up.
You can start with 5 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Triceps extensions with dumbbells
To work the triceps well, you must first work the long part of the triceps well.
To extend the triceps, overhead movements using a dumbbell are ideal.
For this, using both hands would be perfect to add mass to the arms. This way you use more weight and keep a stretch on the eccentric part of the movement. However, this type of exercise works whether you are sitting or standing; elbows pointed out or facing you. Except that pointing your elbows away from you will accentuate the stretch in your triceps.
Follow these steps to do them properly:
- First, spread your feet so that they are the same width as your shoulders. Then hold the dumbbell with both hands and extend your arm to put it over your head.
- Then position the barbell between your hands so that your thumbs can reach the end of the bar. Now prepare to inhale to perform the following movement
- Turn your elbows inwards and start lowering the barbell to the floor until your forearms touch your biceps.
- Finally, while exhaling, gently raise the dumbbell to its initial position while contracting your triceps and repeat the movement.
You can do 3 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
The Curl Pupil
This is the best isolation exercise for the biceps as it works the long portion of the biceps, creates the peak of the biceps making your arm feel bigger.
Cheating with this exercise is almost impossible as it requires strength. The principle is to use moderate loads, lift the barbell, dumbbells or pulley with concentration and contract at the peak of the movement. However, it is recommended to use a wide grip for the short portion and a tight grip for the long portion.
It can be performed on a curl desk as well as on a bench in an inclined position.
Now let's see how to perform it:
- Press your torso firmly against the desk and rest your arms on it, with your palms facing forward and your arms pointing slightly towards you because of the shape of the bar.
- Hold your torso and arms firmly and then complete your starting position by holding the load at shoulder length.
- Inhale and feel a big stretch in the biceps as you lower your arms until you reach maximum or sufficient extension.
- After that, you can exhale and then contract your biceps. To do this, you have to bring the weight back up to its original position and hold this position for 2 seconds.
The exercise is done in 3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.
Inverted curls on the pulley
This exercise stimulates the brachialis. The brachialis are the muscles that lie between the biceps and triceps on the outside of the arm. By working them and making them bigger, you push the biceps upwards and your arm size will increase as a result.
This can be done using a simple reverse grip pulley curl without using heavy loads as this exercise requires a slow eccentric phase to achieve significant gains.
To do this, you can ideally use a low pulley with a straight bar or EZ bar attachment to exert a constant resistance from the cable thus keeping your biceps under tension.
The steps to follow below:
- Standing with your torso straight, hold the bar in front of you, palms down, with a shoulder width grip.
- Keep your elbows close to your body and your upper arms straight. Bring the bar up towards your head while exhaling, then contract your biceps at shoulder level, moving only your forearms.
- Hold this position for 1 or 2 seconds.
- Finally, gently release the bar by lowering it with a movement for 3 to 4 seconds. Then proceed to the repetitions.
This exercise is done in 5 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
Hammer grip curls with dumbbells
This is the last exercise to build big arms where your palms will be turned inwards and not forward as in the traditional curls.
To overload the biceps, use large loads, heavier weights to work the brachioradialis as well as the biceps simultaneously for the best possible results.
However, initially start with lighter weights to get the correct movements.
The steps to follow are:
- Standing with a firm core and straight back, hold a dumbbell in each hand and align your arms with your body, palms inward.
- Keeping your upper arm close to your body, breathe out and contract your biceps, then raise the dumbbell so that it reaches your shoulders.
- Lock your forearms to stay focused on the biceps and hold this position for a moment.
- Return the weights to their initial position after releasing the contraction. Finally, proceed with the repetition.
It is advisable to vary your movements for better results by using a bench to support your back more; also use one hand for better concentration.
3 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions will be suitable for this exercise.
There you go, now you are able to reproduce these exercises correctly. Nevertheless, it is strongly recommended to perform them every week for a more satisfactory result.
Don't forget to exercise the rest of your body for more consistency.
