Beginner's Guide To Building Your Arms

Before you ask your question, just read this article below. What question am I referring to, you might ask? Well, I am referring to the question I get 100’s of times a week from beginners all over this great world of ours. How can I get my arms bigger? I don’t mind answering these questions at all, but I decided it was time for me to put all my knowledge on this subject into one of my articles for MuscleandStrength.com. This way anyone can have a detailed blueprint of how to start the process of building HUGE arms.

In the article below we will discuss the anatomy of the forearms, biceps and triceps, their function, location in the body and some exercises for each muscle group. To give you what you are really looking for I will also include 5 of my favorite workout programs to help increase those guns of yours.

Biceps:

• Biceps brachii:
• Location: Front part of the upper arm between the elbow and the shoulder.
• Function: Elbow flexion, basically making the curling motion.
• Exercises: Barbell and dumbbell Curls.

Brachialis:

• Location: Small muscle over the lower portion of the upper arm that connects the bottom half of the bicep to the forearm.
• Function: Elbow flexion.
• Exercise: Hammer curls and reverse grip barbell curls.

Forearms:

• Pronator teres:
• Location: Under belly of the forearm.
• Function: Turning the hand so the palm is facing down.
• Exercise: Palm up barbell wrist curls over bench.

Brachioradialis:

• Location: Top and outer portion of the forearm.
• Function: Flexes the arm at the elbow.
• Exercise: Palm down barbell wrist curls over bench.

Triceps:

• Triceps Brachii
• Location: Back portion of the upper arm between the elbow and the shoulder.
• Function: Extension of the elbow.
• Exercises: Lying tricep press and close grip bench press.

First and foremost let’s get something straight. We all know that the biceps are the show muscle for your physique. When someone asks you to show your muscles, 9 times out of 10 you flex your biceps. It's great to have well developed biceps, but make sure you don’t forget to train the rest of your muscles in the upper and lower arm with the same volume and intensity as you do your biceps.

Many beginners fall into that trap and create terrible imbalances in there arms. Even the great Arnold Schwarzenegger admits he used to train his biceps harder and more often than his triceps in the beginning. This built an imbalance that took him years to balance back out.

For training your upper arms (Biceps and Triceps) I like to use all kinds of rep ranges, high (15-20), moderate (8-12) and low (4-6). Each has its own purpose and will be critical to use all ranges in your pursuit of bigger arms. Forearms on the other hand are what I like to call the “burning buggers”. You will have to endure some high rep muscle burning sets to get these babies to grow. Reps can go as high as 50 to get these to burn like they are on fire, but it will be all worth it when you have thick meaty forearms like Popeye.

Now that you understand about what muscles make up your arms, their function, location and the rep range needed to stimulate them, let’s give you some workouts to help you build your arms.

All exercises should be performed in perfect form because bad form or habits that you start now will follow you and will lead to lack of progress or worst off injury in the future. Many if not all the exercises will be new to you. So make sure that you use the exercise guide on MuscleandStrength.com to help you with your form.

Below Are 5 Of My Favorite Arms Building Workout Programs

Workout #1

• Close Grip Bench Press 3x4-6
• Cable Rope Overhead Tricep Extension 2x8-12
• Cable One Arm Tricep Extension 2x15 with each arm
• Barbell Curl 3x4-6
• Alternating Dumbbell Curls 2x8-12
• Straight Bar Cable Curls 3x15
• Palm Down Barbell Wrist Curls over Bench 5x25

Workout #2

• Bench Dips 3x6-8
• Decline Close Grip Bench to Skull Crushers 2x8-12
• One Arm Triceps Extension 2x12 with each arm
• Incline Dumbbell Curls 3x6-8
• Barbell Curl Lying Against an Incline 2x8-12
• Lying Cable Curl 3x15
• Cable Wrist Curl 5x50

Workout #3

• Close Grip EZ Bar Curls 3x6-8
• Cable Hammer Curls - Rope Attachment 3x12
• Concentration Curls 3x15 with each arm
• Machine Dips 3x6-8
• Decline Dumbbell Triceps Extensions 3x8-12
• Kneeling Cable Concentration Triceps Extensions 3x15 with each arm
• Palms Up Barbell Wrist Curls over Bench  5x25

Workout #4

• Close Grip Standing Barbell Curls 3x6-8
• Cross Body Hammer Curls 3x12
• Machine Preacher Curls 2x15
• Decline EZ-Bar Triceps Extensions 3x6-8
• Low Cable Triceps Extensions 3x8-12
• Reverse Grip Triceps Pushdown 3x15
• Plate Pinch 5x50

Workout #5

• Barbell Curls 3x4-6
• Close Grip Bench Press 3x4-6
• Incline Dumbbell Curls 2x8-12
• Lying Triceps Extensions 2x8-12
• Machine Preacher Curls 2x15-20
• Reverse Grip Triceps Pushdowns 2x15-20
• Seated Palms Up Barbell Wrist Curls 2x50
• Seated Palms Down Barbell Wrist Curls 2x50

There you go 5 killer ARM workouts. Now you have all the ammo to help build your GUNS. I hope this article cleared up some of the questions you might have had about building your arms. It takes hard work and a sound workout program to improve your physique. Having skinny arms is a thing of the past, now you have the knowledge and workout program to make a difference. Use what you have learned to bring out the big guns. Good luck, and as always if you have any questions don’t hesitate to drop me an email: stewbid@comcast.net.

Alex Stewart is the Sales Manager for Betancourt Nutrition Supplements. For more information on Betancourt Nutrition supplements, click here.