Features of arm training in bodybuilding
Very often you can find recommendations about dedicating an entire training day to developing your arms. This is easy to explain. Although the arms are used in various exercises, very often their muscles are already very tired, which will not allow you to work them effectively.
We will talk about how to train your hands a little lower, but now we need to touch on the topic of recovery. This is due to the fact that many athletes do not see progress when training arm muscles for the reason that they simply do not have time to recover.
We have already said that the arms are involved in performing various exercises, and it is necessary to find the optimal scheme for training them. Here you can choose one of the training methods:
- Set aside separate days to work on large muscles - back, chest and arms. It is best to use if you have at least a year and a half of training experience.
- Train pulling and pushing muscles on the same day. On back day, also train your biceps and triceps.
- Using the principle of antagonistic muscles. Triceps are trained with the back, and biceps are trained with the chest.
These are just tips and you should experiment and find the optimal scheme.
Training program
In addition to choosing 1-2 main exercises for biceps and triceps, you should also choose 1-2 additional exercises for biceps, triceps and forearm muscles. By the way, you can perform a greater number of repetitions for just such additional exercises, just remember that there should be no more than 12 - too much will negatively affect the functioning of the central nervous system, and will have the opposite effect on the growth of muscle mass and strength. And please, do not lift weights until you lose consciousness - this will send the wrong impulse to the nervous system and is guaranteed to slow down the whole process.
Arm workout:
- Basic exercise for biceps 6*3
- Basic triceps exercise 8*3
- Additional exercise for biceps 12*3
- Additional triceps exercise 12*3
- Additional exercise for the lower forearm 12*2
- Additional exercise for the lower forearm 12*2
You train with small weights or, on the contrary, take on a huge weight, so you don’t have enough strength to do the last repetition, and your arms don’t grow. Is this about you? Then, try increasing the working weights each arm workout (you can add even 1.25 kg or even one additional repetition). But do the strictly indicated number of times or one more in each approach (and if you feel that you can already do much more, then increase the weight on the barbell or dumbbells), 2-3 times a week, and a miracle will happen, your arms will begin to grow!
Hand training priorities
Very often, beginner athletes spend a lot of time training their arms or chest, instead of developing all the muscles of the body.
With natural training, you should not devote too much time to arm training, but at the same time try to use it as efficiently as possible. Try to perform more compound movements using heavier weights. Little time should be allocated for isolated movements. When using compound movements, you can use heavy weights, which is one of the main drivers of muscle growth. You won't be able to gain much mass with isolation exercises. You should also remember that small muscles will not increase in size until large muscles grow. This is another plus in the collection of basic exercises.
How to train your arms correctly?
First of all, you should pay attention to the following points:
- Technique for performing all exercises. This is what you should pay maximum attention to at the first stage of your studies.
- Learn to feel the work of the target muscles and remove the auxiliary ones from it.
- You should not give a large load, as you can overtrain your arms.
- Progress the load.
During arm training, it is necessary to use various techniques to increase intensity, for example, negative repetitions, drop sets, forced repetitions, etc.
But you can’t use them often, because the muscles take a long time to recover. But the super series will be very effective. The essence of this training method is to perform two movements without a pause between them. However, in relation to hands, you should change this principle slightly. Do one exercise for the biceps and the other for the triceps. After a pause between sets, repeat everything from the beginning. This will increase recovery time for each muscle group. In addition, biceps and triceps are antagonists. While one muscle is working, the second one is resting. You must understand that there are no clear and effective training programs that will work for every athlete. You need to find a technique that is effective for you.
How to pump up arm muscles?
To pump up big arms, you need to understand that size is influenced not only by the volume of the biceps. They become larger when training the biceps on the Scott bench and the triceps with the French and close-grip bench press. Most weightlifters don't have a set workout plan other than doing as many biceps reps as possible.
Below are the mistakes that prevent you from pumping up big arms. Immediately watch the video on how to pump up your arms if there is no progress in them, but the rest of the muscles are growing.
Below are 4 main mistakes that prevent you from pumping up your biceps and triceps. Let's correct the mistakes and create a biceps training program that will give great results!
Mistake1: Assuming that any arm exercise can be used first at the beginning of a workout.
Not sure how exactly to start training your arms? Preferring isolated biceps curls and triceps extensions in the machine as exercises for building mass, you are making a big mistake.
Bug fix
Exercises to gain muscle mass should be done at the beginning of your workout, when you still have a lot of energy. What movements are there for gaining mass? Good question. These are usually the ones you can handle more weight with. Multi-joint exercises increase the strength of all minor muscle groups in this area (a reason to start training your chest with presses and training your hips with squats). There are many multi-joint exercises for the triceps, but not for the biceps. Basic standing barbell curls allow you to pump your biceps with heavy weight.
“Basic standing barbell curls allow you to pump your biceps with heavy weights.”
Error 2: Muscles are not pumped at different angles
When training arms, "angles" refer to the position of the arms relative to the torso, that is, different grip widths on the barbell. If you always do bicep curls or triceps extensions with your arms locked at your sides, you are limiting your growth.
Bug fix
For biceps with your arms in front (on a Scott bench) you target the short head of the biceps, with your arms behind your torso (incline dumbbell curls) you focus on the long head. By using a neutral grip (dumbbell hammer curls) and taking a close or wide grip on the barbell during standing curls, you change the angle of your arms slightly with each curl.
For the triceps, you engage the long head better when your arms are overhead, and when you change to an underhand grip (pull down), the emphasis shifts from the lateral to the medial head.
By using different grips and hand positions, the different heads of the biceps and triceps are better emphasized, which contributes to their fuller development.
Mistake 3 Constantly training with the same weight and the same number of repetitions
In order for muscles to grow, they need constant progression of loads. If you perform 10 reps with the same weight each time, then you are making a mistake.
Bug fix
“CHOOSE WEIGHT TO ACHIEVE MUSCLE FAILURE WITH A LOW NUMBER OF REPEATS”
Performing exercises with a large weight and a small number of repetitions (no more than 6) helps to increase muscle strength. Training with a weight that allows you to perform 8-12 reps per set until failure is the best option for building muscle mass.
Working muscle groups quickly get used to the same sequence of repetitions and weights. If you've already gotten stronger during your training, then it's time to load your muscles with more weight in exercises to build muscle mass.
For the first exercise, choose a weight that you will use to reach muscle failure with a low number of repetitions (6 reps). For the following exercises, choose a slightly lighter weight that you can handle for 8, 10, or 12 reps; this will allow your muscles to work at different intensities. By using heavier weights, you increase strength, and with lighter weights, you will be able to pump more blood into the muscles and pump them better for building mass.
Mistake 4 Training using the same program
Do you do the same workout over and over again and expect new results? This is a common mistake.
Bug fix
Your body will eventually get used to the workout, even if it worked well in the beginning. Most people need to change their workout every 6-8 weeks to make consistent progress in their workouts.
The only way to get better is to incorporate advanced training techniques that force you to work beyond muscle failure for 1-2 more sets of the exercise. Methods to try include forced reps, drop sets, rest-pause techniques, and negative reps.
The supersets below force you to perform two exercises in a row without resting in between; you rest only after completing both exercises. You may not consider supersets as a method for building muscle mass. In this workout, you engage opposing muscle groups. Moreover, one of them contracts, and the other stretches, which increases blood flow to these areas.
NARROW GRIP BENCH PRESS
Research confirms that when you perform a preliminary exercise on the antagonist muscle, the muscle performing the second exercise becomes stronger! Doing a set of cable extensions before a set of biceps curls makes you stronger in the curl. Make sure to modify the first exercise in your next workout.
Another benefit of supersets is the reduction in workout duration by reducing rest periods. Reducing the need to run around the gym, the superset combinations in this arm workout use one piece of equipment for two exercises.
The Giant Arms Workout corrects the four biggest arm day mistakes by combining the best muscle-building movements with a progressive rep sequence.
Accelerated workouts, the best exercises for gaining muscle mass in your arms, intense methods - all this is provided by one workout that can help you build huge arms!
The best exercises to train your biceps
Standing barbell curl
This is a great basic exercise that all athletes use. You need to take the sports equipment with a shoulder-width grip. The bar in the starting position is located near the thigh. As you inhale, begin to lift the projectile to shoulder level. At the top point, pause and slowly begin to lower the barbell.
Lifting dumbbells with supination
The exercise can be performed with alternate lifting of projectiles or with simultaneous lifting. Thanks to supination, you can work the entire biceps. Many professionals consider this movement one of the most effective.
You can also perform the movement while standing or sitting. When performing the exercise, special attention should be paid to supination. This is the most important point.
Triceps
When looking for an answer to how to pump up big arms, we must not forget about another important muscle group - the triceps. The latter consists of a whole group of heads - external (lateral), internal (long), middle (medial). All “elements” of the triceps are interconnected and work in all exercises where the triceps are involved. The only thing that may differ is the degree of load, for example, when working with dumbbells or a barbell, as well as the mechanics of performing the exercise.
How to pump up arm muscles in the triceps area? Here are some interesting exercises:
- dips (to concentrate the load on the triceps, it is better to make the grip narrow);
- bench press (also with a narrow grip);
- French press;
- arm extensions when working in a vertical block.
The best exercises to train your triceps
Close grip barbell press
This is a basic exercise for training the triceps. At the same time, you must learn to focus the load on this particular muscle. Take the sports equipment with a medium grip from below. Your feet should be firmly planted on the ground, and the barbell should be at arm's length and positioned at approximately shoulder level. Start lowering the bar until it touches your chest. It is very important that your elbow joints are moved out to the side at approximately a 45-degree angle relative to your body.
Dips
A very effective exercise if you focus on the triceps. To do this, you need to keep your hands close to your body with a minimal forward tilt of the body. Also, your hands should be shoulder-width apart.
French incline press
When performing the exercise, most of the load falls on the triceps, and the minimum on the deltoids and pectoral muscles. Lie down on a bench and grab an EZ bar. In the initial position, the projectile is placed in the arms, bent at the elbow joints at an angle of 90 degrees. Slowly lift the projectile and return to the starting position. You should feel a load in your triceps as you perform the movement. If this does not happen, then your elbow joints were not locked and you did not benefit from the press.
For more information on how to train your arms for mass, see:
Anatomy
In order to effectively and efficiently pump your arms, you should know the anatomy:
- Delta is responsible for lifting the limb. It covers the shoulder and shoulder joint.
- The biceps controls the flexion of the elbows and is responsible for the rotation of the forearm. This is a fairly small muscle that starts from the shoulder joint and attaches to the radius. She gets tired quickly, so you shouldn’t overload her during the training process.
- The triceps is responsible for extending the forearm. It should be worked out to the maximum to speed up pumping and create the necessary power and relief.
