Greetings, my dear! Today we will continue our epic cycle of notes on pumping issues and consider a thematic note with the title - how to pump up your arms? As usual, first we will lay down all the necessary theoretical basis- let's go through anatomy and kinesiology, and then get into practice - consider best programs hand workouts.
So take your seats, we're about to begin.
How to pump up your arms? The theoretical side of the issue.
This is the second note from a similar cycle, in the first we considered the muscle groups of the delta and dealt with the issues of its buildup, therefore, if you have not yet testified your respect for this creation :), then please do so by clicking on the link. In this article, we will deal with our pens. I must say right away that the calculations below are true for both sexes, and the ladies will also be able to improve this problem area of theirs - to make it more toned, pumped up and embossed, therefore, ladies, we also wind the information on our heads (or not, you don’t have a mustache, you can use your hair :). Well, actually quite pouring water, let's get down to the point.
Note:
For better assimilation of the material, all further narration will be divided into subchapters.
Hand anatomy and muscle atlas
Hands are a rather small, but very indicative muscle group, in which two parts can be conditionally distinguished:
- anterior (25% arm volume)- biceps, brachial (brachialis), brachioradialis (brachiradialis);
- rear (75% arm volume)- triceps triceps muscle with 3 heads long, lateral and medial.
Let's dwell on each muscle in a little more detail and start with ...
I. Front of the arm
The muscles of the front of the hand include:
No. 1. Biceps
The biceps muscle of the shoulder, consisting of a short and long heads. The first inserts on the front of the scapula and crosses the arm down to the radius, the second originates from the scapula but takes a longer route, also attaching to the radius.
No. 2. Brachialis
It starts in the middle of the humerus and runs down it and attaches to the other bone of the forearm. The brachialis is not involved in pronation or supination of the arm and its main role is to assist in elbow flexion.
Number 3. Brachyradialis
A muscle of the forearm that originates on the humerus and inserts at the end of the radius.
The front part of the arm in assembled form is the following picture.
II. back of hand
The muscles of the back of the hand include:
Triceps
The triceps muscle of the shoulder, the developed heads of which form the shape of a horseshoe. The anatomy of the triceps includes three heads - lateral, medial and long. The first runs from the humerus down the arm and attaches to a structure called the olecranon. The second one starts on the back of the humerus and attaches to your elbow. The third runs from the scapula in the region of the humerus and goes down to the olecranon. Because of this scapular attachment, you can move your arm and shoulder slightly backward to isolate the muscles.
The work of the biceps and triceps muscles in the exercises is clearly demonstrated by the following image.
A complete muscle atlas of the muscles of the hands is such a picture.
Skeletal anatomy
Bones and joints play an important role in arm movement. Understanding how they work will help you better select exercises and maximize the involvement of target muscles in the work.
Three important key joints in the front of the arm that affect biceps training are: the shoulder, elbow, and wrist joints. All of them are tied in movements during arm training and each performs its own function, the ulnar one is involved in the rotation / rotation of the arms and flexion of the elbow joint when lifting the biceps, the shoulder joint is crossed by the long head of the biceps, the carpal one changes the position of the forearms and is responsible for the movements of pronation and supination.
These same joints are important when training the triceps. When the arm is raised above the head, the shoulder joint and the long head of the triceps are included in the work, which stretches and contracts during movement. Straightening the arm, for example, in exercises such as the triceps extension requires extension of the elbow joint.
Muscle functions in practice
It is important not only to know how the hands are arranged, it is important to know their functions by example. real movements, i.e. how muscles, bones and joints work together in weight training in the gym. And we'll start with...
I. Front of the arm
During the work of the front of the arm, the rotation of the hand allows you to “hook” different elbow flexor muscles. In total, there are three options for gripping dumbbells:
No. 1. Supination
Supination - rotary motion in which the palm is facing up. When lifting dumbbells, the biceps helps to flex and supinate the arms. When this grip is used, the biceps brachii receives the most beneficial load and works more efficiently.
No. 2. Neutral grip
A neutral grip is when the hands are facing each other. This position is most beneficial for the development of brachialis, for example, when lifting a dumbbell with a hammer grip.
Number 3. Pronation
Rotational movement of the hand, in which the palms are facing down. Pronation automatically takes the load off the biceps. This position is most beneficial for the development of brachiradialis, for example, when lifting a dumbbell with a reverse grip.
II. back of hand
The main functions of the back of the arm are extension/flexion of the elbow and extension/flexion of the elbow behind the head. When the first movement occurs, everyone is equally involved in the work. 3 triceps heads. When raising the arm above the head, the emphasis shifts to the long head of the triceps.
Note:
The long head is named so for a reason, it really is the largest, and so is its contribution to the volume of the hand.
From the foregoing, the following conclusions can be drawn.
In order for the biceps to receive a comprehensive load, you need to perform exercises with different grips, and you need to start training with a supinated grip (because it provides the largest weight bearing), then change the grip to neutral and finish off, taking the dumbbell / barbell with a pronated grip.
As for the triceps, the most effective strategy for working it out is to use different positions of the arm relative to the centerline of the body - sitting, standing and lying down. Moreover, the triceps muscle of the shoulder receives the largest weight load during bench presses. (narrow grip/French press), so they need to be put at the beginning of the workout. the rest assistance exercises should be those in which the athlete is in a standing-sitting position.
So, we go directly to the pumping-theoretical side of the issue.
How to pump up your arms? Theory of swing.
The following information is purely exclusive, and I came across it while studying ancient files (already for 1993 year) American scientific fitness magazines. Now we will learn how to swing your arms from a scientific and anatomical point of view.
Hand kinesiology or what you need to know to pump up huge hands?
The very movement of the arm from full extension to full compression is carried out by means of 4 -x muscles working together, duplicating work. The brachiradialis begins the lifting movement due to its location on the arm. After that, the biceps is included in the work, then the “control” is transferred to an area called the brachialis, which completes the movement of the arm, its flexion.
In bodybuilding, it is important to know when each muscle starts and stops working, because. this understanding allows you to achieve better results in the development of muscles. Thus, in any exercise (in this case by hand) There are strong and weak parts of the movement. Cheating weak links means that you are jumping over a part of the muscle without giving it the necessary load and the right stimulus to grow. Such deception (cheating) does not allow a certain area of \u200b\u200bhands to grow properly. Therefore, it is extremely important for building large biceps to observe perfect technique when doing exercises.
The question you should be asking yourself, for example, when doing a dumbbell curl is: “Do you want to just move the weight from point A to point B, or do you want a full biceps workout and big hands?”. When it comes to moving a limb, some muscles do a better job than others depending on where they are in relation to the joints.
In the figure, the brachiradialis is close to the elbow, which is a good position to start the full extension movement. After the movement begins, the biceps and brachialis take over the loads, starting from certain lifting angles. The biceps is the main driving force, but it is assisted by the brachialis (in flexion) and brachiradialis (in extension). Thus, both muscles perform the middle part of the movement - first the biceps starts, then the brachialis, which completes the flexion of the arm.
The conclusion from all of the above is this - each muscle has a certain range of work, and an athlete who decides to build massive hands, it is important to understand which exercises, which areas of movement / areas of the hands, capture.
Let's take a look at the exercises. (and the order in which they follow each other) in order to maximize the involvement of different areas of the muscles of the hands in the work.
Exercise #1
Lifting the barbell for biceps, straight neck - a basic exercise that must be performed first in training for mass. The entire load falls on the biceps of the shoulder. The nuance is starting from a position in 10 degrees, i.e. at the bottom point, do not fully extend your arms. Then you need to focus on exercises for various muscles of the biceps. (meaning brachial / brachial) and do them in a specific range of motion.
Exercise #2
Straight Bar Scott Bench Extension is the best exercise to focus on 2 heads of the biceps. The range in which you will work from 15-30 and reaching 105 degrees. It is he (such an angular range) provides maximum loading of the biceps of the shoulder.
Exercise #3
Rotation / supination when lifting dumbbells, sitting on a bench (lifting dumbbells with turning the hands). Sit on a bench with an upward slope, in this position the biceps will be stretched as much as possible. The starting position is a pronated grip of the dumbbells, then they are turned and supinated.
The supinating action allows you to involve all three muscles - biceps, brachialis and brachiradialis.
Exercise #4
Dumbbell concentration curls are an exercise that works the brachialis, which in turn pushes the biceps out and creates a peak. The main work begins with 15-30 degrees and continues until 120 , the final phase of bending the arm. key point in the exercise is a slight turn of the hand at the very beginning of the movement. Do not lower your hand all the way down, but start from the corner in 15-30 degrees, and then keep the tension in the muscles throughout the upward movement.
Exercise #5
Hammer raises - can be the final exercise in training the muscles of the hands (biceps). The main "driver" is the brachiradialis. Dumbbell lifts should be carried out slowly and under control, bringing the arm to the corner in 90 degrees. The weakness of this muscle takes away the size of the biceps, so it makes sense to deal with its development through the appropriate exercise.
Well, here, in fact, that’s all in theory, we will consider the specific program part and practical aspects of the training in the second part of the note, so we don’t diverge far, to be continued ... as they say.
Afterword
Another seriously pumping note has come to an end, yes, not everything has been sorted out, or rather, there is no main thing, practice, but we are not saying goodbye, right? And we say to each other "until we meet again." See you in the second part, we are waiting, sir, soon on all TVs in the country :)!
PS. and what chips do you use when training biceps, prick!
P.P.S.
With respect and gratitude, Dmitry Protasov.
Flabby muscles are completely unattractive. You can tighten the muscles of the hands in the shortest time if you do intensive training on regular basis. Each muscle group requires individual intensity and exercise. The result will be obvious after a week of complex classes.
If you are engaged in acrobatics, pole dancing, power martial arts, then you need to first of all direct the main load on the hands. The first and most elementary thing you can use is an expander, or in extreme cases, a rubber ball. Perform the maximum number of compressions allowed, alternating the exercise with a warm-up of the fingers. Stand facing the wall at a distance of 0.5-0.7 m. Rest your palms against the wall, push off as sharply and strongly as possible, lowering to the starting position, and again a sharp repulsion from the wall. Repeat 50 times, alternating with another exercise. Do the same for each hand separately. Perform circular rotations with brushes in different directions.
Powerful arms with pumped biceps and triceps are the dream of any man and the aspiration of all boys with early years. The upper limbs are considered one of the most visible parts of the body, which is why dumbbells and barbells have become so popular. However, having sports equipment is still not enough, since pumping up your arms is extremely difficult and you need to do it right so that the muscles begin to grow rapidly. That is why it is so important to follow the execution technique in order to achieve an increase in muscle tissue in a month.
An experienced bodybuilding athlete can talk about what to shake hands with in training in this video:
The purchase of a barbell usually always justifies itself, but it is desirable that someone be on the safe side nearby. By bending and unbending the arms in which it is invested, you can achieve pumped muscles. However, before taking on the neck, you need to find out the rules for using a sports equipment:
- Pick up the weight. You can effectively start training if you make the minimum mass of the barbell. To begin with, the athlete must learn correct technique performing the exercise, and only then load yourself for pumping;
- Warming up the muscles. Before starting a workout with iron, as well as before any other load, a warm-up is necessary. Muscle tissues must be well warmed up so as not to be injured and be more resilient.
Next, you can proceed to the implementation of the training program itself. It will be possible to see the first results not earlier than in a month., so it’s not worth waiting for the effect in 1 week, but the following exercise can help with how to pump up the muscles of the hands:
- Lean back against the wall;
- Take the bar with your palms on yourself, arms wide apart;
- Do 2 sets of 10 times. During the exercise, you should pay attention to the fact that the elbows do not move and do not fully unbend, and the bar reaches the chest when lifting;
- Change the grip, that is, position the hands so that the palms look away from you and do 2 more sets of 10 times.
Such an exercise helps not only with how to swing your arms correctly, but also allows you to tighten your back muscles. You can look at a professional with a barbell in this video:
Dumbbells
Dumbbell is one of the most common sports equipment. They are in virtually every home, but mostly stand somewhere in a dark corner. If you effectively use dumbbells 3-4 times a week, you can achieve results quickly, and the following exercises can help with how to properly pump up your arms:
- Alternation. Dumbbells need to be raised rhythmically and not stray. It is advisable to do the exercise in a chair. During execution, the projectile needs to be fixed at the top point for a few seconds, and then lead down and at the same moment move the other hand up from below;
- Hammer. Both projectiles rise up and fall to their original position at the same time. Otherwise, the pumping technique is identical to the previous exercise;
- Thrust. This exercise is mainly used for pumping rear surface shoulder (delta). Many people forget about this muscle tissue, so it is advisable to pump it during training with similar movements. First you need to lie on your stomach, for example, on top of a bench or other hill, in order to place your upper limbs on the sides on the floor. While inhaling, the athlete must raise his arms with dumbbells to the chest, while spreading his elbows to the sides. On exhalation, you should return to the starting position.
Together, these exercises allow you to solve the problem of how to quickly pump up your arms with dumbbells, especially biceps and triceps. The result can be seen within 1-2 months after the first session.
Many athletes try to focus on dumbbells. After all, with their help, you can distribute the load as you like, depending on individual characteristics.
The main advantage of a dumbbell over a barbell is the ability to make a large amplitude of movement, due to which other muscle groups are also affected. The number of repetitions is selected individually, but initially you can start with 3 sets of 20 times for each exercise.
You can see some types of exercises with dumbbells in this video:
Push ups
Probably nothing can help with how to pump up your arms in a week, but push-ups will obviously accelerate the growth of muscle tissue. Due to them, a person can strengthen the upper limbs and back, as well as tighten other muscle groups. Indeed, during the exercise, most of the body is in static tension, so virtually all muscle tissues receive a load. Using the following types of push-ups, you can figure out how to pump up biceps and triceps without a gym:
- Ordinary. The athlete must take the emphasis lying down and bend the upper limbs in the elbow joints. During the exercise, the hands are located shoulder-width apart, and the back should not bend;
- Narrow grip. Unlike the previous type of exercise, in this case you need to place your hands as close to each other as possible. This grip is responsible for pumping the back surface of the hands;
- Wide grip. In this case, the upper limbs are placed as wide as possible. This position serves not only to pump up the arms, but also for the pectoral muscles.
There are other types of push-ups that are only suitable for advanced athletes, for example, on one limb or with a clap. Combining various exercises for swapping hands with each other, you can load all the necessary muscle groups. Initially, you can start with 3 sets of 5-10 push-ups and gradually increase the number of times up to 50.
Look at the execution technique 20 the best options push-ups from the floor can be below:
bars
On the uneven bars, athletes usually pump the muscle tissue of the back, chest and upper limbs. However, before starting classes on this sports equipment, you need to study the recommendations of specialists, since it will not work to quickly pump up the muscles of the hands without this. You can check out their list below:
- Standing on your hands while exercising on the uneven bars, the muscles are greatly overstrained, so they should be warmed up initially. If you give this moment 5-10 minutes, you can prevent injuries and increase endurance;
- Among the exercises for pumping arms on uneven bars, beginners need to choose a simple deflection and a regular grip to avoid injury;
- You need to do exercises for pumping hands regularly. In this case, it will be possible to maintain the effect of training;
- When performing an exercise for swinging arms, you need to feel tension in all involved muscle groups. To do this, you need to make movements smoothly and carefully in order to avoid unnecessary injuries;
- Exercises are done to pump up the hands quickly, but without unnecessary jerks or other oscillatory movements.
It is necessary to perform at least 3 sets of 10 times. For weighting, it will be enough to use a wide grip. When practicing on the uneven bars, you need to ensure that lower limbs remained bent and did not touch the floor, and the back was slightly rounded. In this case, it will turn out to quickly pump up your hands, since all the necessary muscle tissue will work.
In this video, the athlete talks about the features of training on the uneven bars:
Horizontal bar
The horizontal bar is one of those sports equipment that will easily help pump your arms, because it loads all the muscle groups of the upper limbs, as well as the back and abs. Pull-ups do not require any additional equipment, so you can go out into the yard to the crossbar and start exercising. You can swing your arms more effectively, but for this you will have to combine the width of the location of the brushes and their grip, both direct (palms away from you) and reverse (palms towards you). You can see the types of exercises in this video:
You need to do 3-4 approaches, and the number of repetitions depends on physical development athlete. If a person cannot do any pull-ups, then you can initially use a stand or stool, but it is advisable to lower yourself onto outstretched arms.
Anyone can pump up their hands if they choose a special exercise program for themselves. However, you should not perform a bunch of different complexes at the same time, since it is important only to load certain muscle groups, and not deplete them completely. It is recommended to choose a special scheme for yourself and strictly follow it. In this case, against the background of dieting and in conjunction with hard training, you can achieve the result being done.
Hi guys! I think that the male half of humanity will appreciate today's article, because we will talk about pumping up our hands, and even at home. In short, the topic of this material is as follows: "How to pump up a man's hands at home." Or a guy. You will learn which exercises will be most effective for increasing arm size and strength, and can also be combined with home workouts. Read to the end and you won't regret it.
Tell me, are you ready to spend a relatively small amount of money to swing your arms not only with the help of your own weight resistance, but also with free weights in the form of collapsible dumbbells? If so, then you, I want to say, will have an advantage in this case. This is what will accelerate the improvement of results.
One more question: do you have a horizontal bar? Be sure to get it or make it yourself: inserted a piece of strong pipe into the slotted holes in the “jamb” ( doorway) will serve as an excellent homemade crossbar.
If it is not possible to purchase dumbbells, then their likeness can also be made independently: on early stages fit plastic containers, filled with water, well, and on a more advanced one - with sand. A full container of sand is heavier than a similar container filled with water.
A rubber expander would be a wonderful addition to everything - it would help to further work out the muscles, and the price is completely ridiculous. Another addition to home arsenal shells should be a round rubber expander for brushes. More on everything below.
Hands are:
- shoulders: deltoid muscles, biceps and triceps with smaller muscles underlying them;
- forearms: brachioradialis, flexors and extensors of the fingers, hands, pronators, as well as long palmar muscles;
- hands: small muscles of the hands, which I will not even indicate.
By the way, this is not the whole list of arm muscles - there are a lot of very small ones. But I want to say that by developing the largest ones (indicated in the list), you will definitely “drag” the small ones as well. It is so inherent in nature that the large ones develop first and force those muscles that are smaller to develop.
Shaking hands at home
As I have already said, with dumbbells or their "handicraft" counterparts, it is possible to achieve a certain volume or strength indicators faster - the difference in exercises and loads makes itself felt. Without dumbbells, you can also impressively hypertrophy your upper limbs, but get ready for a longer journey. I will tell you the main points.
So, you have firmly decided to swing your arms, and you have some kind of horizontal bar "at hand", as well as dumbbells and two types of expanders. Wonderful. Go.
I strongly advise you to pump different muscles in different days, changing their layout: one day you work out on biceps and shoulders (“deltas”), on the other day on triceps and forearms. In the next lesson, you replay combinations: triceps and biceps, as well as deltoid and forearm muscles. Something like this, well, or you can in your own way.
You should always start with basic exercises or with the most energy-intensive ones. For biceps, these are pull-ups on the horizontal bar with a reverse grip, for triceps - reverse push-ups (flexion-extension of the arms in support from behind).
In these two exercises, at advanced stages, you can throw extra weight on yourself - hang it on your belt (belt) or put it on your legs, respectively. For the shoulders, it's generally simple - sitting or standing dumbbell press, as well as Arnold's press. It is these three exercises that are the "flagships" of your home workouts. Now let's talk about the rest.
For biceps, you can use dumbbell curls (you can either simply or with a turn of the hands), concentrated curls for biceps, as well as the Hammer exercise.
Additionally, triceps will help to develop: extension of the arms from behind the head with dumbbells (or one, but heavy) - something like a French bench press while standing or sitting, extending an arm with dumbbells in an inclination or a French bench press with dumbbells lying down (instead of a bench, tightly composed chairs will do ).
As for additional pumping of the shoulders, here they will help you: dumbbell lifts to the sides, forward and to the sides in an inclination.
The muscles of the forearms swing exclusively by isolating exercises, or together with the biceps of the arms. Therefore, the following exercises are for them: flexion of the hands with dumbbells (dumbbells) with a reverse grip, extension of the hands with dumbbells with a direct grip, or an exercise for bending the fingers (with a round rubber expander).
Why was a rubber expander needed? In order to periodically give your muscles more stress than in all other workouts. Thus, after any exercise, you can use drop sets: do it first with dumbbells, get tired, throw them without rest, take an expander (it has less load) and continue the exercise with it. Thus, you further stimulate the production of anabolic factors, which leads to more growth.
But one condition is not to resort to such sets more than once or twice a month. In them lies, as they say, the "reverse side of the coin" - the depletion of one's own muscles with frequent use.
By the way. Guys without dumbbells, but with a rubber band at their disposal, can do the same arm exercises as with dumbbells. Profit.
Friends, if you want to develop your hands to an impressive size, you need to train not to complete exhaustion in the classroom. Do not be guided by the principle "No pain - no growth" (No pain - no gain). Better accumulate anabolic growth factors: train more often, but with a calculation of 70-80%. That is, you should not be completely exhausted after class. 
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Hands are the part of the body that attracts attention in the first place. Despite the fact that this is only a small part of the entire human body, there is no escape from the general desire to pump up the “banks”. For most guys coming in gym, increase hands in volume, make them embossed - the main, and sometimes the only goal of training.
Without the right training program, it is impossible to achieve maximum potential. First, let's look at the anatomical features of the muscles of the hands, and then move on to a discussion of how to pump up huge biceps and triceps using the maximum effective complex exercises.
Everyone knows what "biceps" and "triceps" are. However, in order to achieve maximum growth, it is also important to understand how these muscles work.
Biceps
Biceps brachii
- Tendons connect the muscles of the biceps to the bones of the arms.
- The biceps muscle of the shoulder consists of two heads: long and short.
- The long head is on outside arm and makes up most of the biceps brachii.
- The short head is on inside arms.
- Forms the overall size of what is called the biceps. Most exercises are aimed at causing hypertrophy of this muscle.
shoulder muscle
- It is located deeper than the biceps of the shoulder.
- This muscle does not play big hand in functional movements, helping the biceps of the shoulder to bend the arm at the elbow joint.
- Even though the brachialis is not a significant part of the arm, it is still important in balancing muscle size. By adding exercises to the training program for the hands, aimed at this muscle, you can further increase the volume of the hands, getting a more holistic and harmonious picture. Your arms will look as strong as those of professional bodybuilders.
Triceps brachii
- Consists of two sections or heads that form famous shape horseshoes and make up the entire back of the hand.
- An important muscle for stabilizing the shoulder joint.
- Triceps is one third of overall size arms. If you want to pump up massive arms, then you should pay attention to exercises that cause maximum triceps hypertrophy.
- Undertraining the triceps can lead to overtraining of other muscles, which increases the risk of muscle strains and tears. It is very important to train the triceps with the same frequency and load as the biceps.
Forearm
- Consists of several smaller muscles including:
- Flexor carpi ulnaris ( outer part wrist)
- Long palmar muscle (not everyone has it. If it does, it is located in the center of the wrist)
- flexor carpi radialis ( middle part wrist)
- Pronator roundus (inside the wrist)
- And a few more smaller muscles
- The forearm is important for wrist and elbow flexion.
- The forearms also balance appearance hands Large, inflated biceps and triceps, with underdeveloped forearms, not only look unaesthetic, but also increase the risk of injury.
The interaction of the muscles of the hands
It would seem that picking up a water bottle or throwing a basketball is a fairly simple action, but each movement requires a complex set of actions and reactions from the muscles of the hands. In order to perform a particular movement correctly, the muscles must work together in harmony.
When you push something, the triceps should tense up, while the biceps, on the contrary, should relax. When you pull, the situation is reversed. When the biceps are active, the triceps are relaxed, and vice versa.
It is important to understand these principles before embarking on muscle building workouts. Pay Special attention how your muscles work during each movement. Direct all the tension to the active muscle, so you can stimulate muscle hypertrophy, which leads to an increase in muscle mass.
Basic principles for increasing arm muscle mass
There are many theories and techniques on how to make your arms bigger by using muscles, tendons, and ligaments.
The two main principles of training boil down to a large number repetitions at low intensity and a small number of repetitions at high intensity. Which one is correct? Actually, both. To achieve maximum growth, you need to concentrate on complex movements during training, devoting an entire day to the load on the muscles of the hands.
Let's find out what points it would be good to observe during training
What is important to remember during the best arm workout
Approaches
- 4 to 6
- According to a study published in the American Journal sports medicine”, in order to achieve muscle hypertrophy, in one workout you need to perform from 40 to 60 repetitions for each muscle.
- 4-6 sets just allow you to complete these 40-60 repetitions necessary for growth.
Rep Plan
- 6 to 10
- As mentioned above, 40-60 repetitions for each muscle group maximally stimulates the process of its growth. You can achieve these values by performing 5 to 10 repetitions in each approach.
- For example, 4 sets of 5 reps with a heavy weight followed by 4 sets of 10 reps with a lighter weight will allow you to reach your target 60 reps.
- 75 to 85 percent of your rep max or 1RM (the maximum weight you can lift in one rep).
- This may be contrary to what you have been taught, however, using more load has been shown to cause maximum muscle hypertrophy during arm training.
- In order not to lose motivation and keep interest in training, variety is important. This way you can break up the training program: one day to train at a high intensity, the next at a low intensity, and so on. This will help you not to give up training and pump up your hands.
Choice of hand exercisesand
When it comes to increasing muscle growth, it is very important to choose the right exercises. No need to invent something unimaginable. Many classic biceps and triceps exercises are great for simulating muscle hypertrophy. Next, we will analyze them in more detail.
- It is also important to change your training program every 6-10 weeks, depending on your level. This will help to avoid plateaus in training and just dilute boredom.
Training frequency
- According to a study by the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the best results can be obtained by exercising one body part every 5-7 days.
- It is also important to remember that many compound exercises, such as push-ups and deadlifts, involve several muscle groups at once, so there is objectively no point in 2 or more arm days per week. You will get results even if your training program has a day dedicated exclusively to the arms once every two weeks.
The best exercises for growing muscle mass in the arms
Not all arm exercises are the same. Some involve only certain areas of the hands, while others may just look spectacular, but in fact do not bring any significant benefit.
We have collected the best and most effective exercises for pumping up massive, muscular arms.
All of the exercises below are performed with free weights. This is due to the fact that by training with free weights, you have more room for movement. For many muscle groups, simulators are completely unsuitable.
List of the best bicep exercises
Barbell Biceps Curls
- Hold the bar with a reverse grip on outstretched arms, the core muscles should be in tension, and the back should be straight.
Biceps Curls with EZ Bar
- Hold with an EZ bar with a reverse grip on outstretched arms, the core muscles should be in tension, and the back should be straight.
- Keeping your upper arms still, bend your elbows. Keep your wrists straight while doing this.
- Bend your arms until the stay is as close to your shoulders as possible.
- Stop briefly at the top.
- Slowly and smoothly lower your arms to the starting position.
Alternate bicep curls with dumbbells
- Take a pair of dumbbells, hold them with a reverse grip. Stand straight, core muscles tense.
- The palms should be facing forward.
- Keeping your upper arms still, bend your elbows. Keep your wrist straight while doing this.
- Concentrate on the tension in the biceps, stop briefly at the top point.
- Slowly and smoothly lower your arm to the starting position.
Biceps Curls with Hammer Dumbbells
- Take dumbbells in your hands. Make sure your core is tight and your back is straight.
- The palms are directed towards the body.
- Bend your elbows, keeping your shoulders still. The movement is like working with a hammer.
- Slowly and smoothly lower your arms to the starting position.
Pull-ups on the horizontal bar
- Hold on to the horizontal bar with a reverse grip. Keep your hands approximately shoulder-width apart.
- During the exercise, keep your core muscles in tension, and your arms slightly bent at the elbows.
- Pull yourself up until your chin is level with the horizontal bar.
- Lower yourself slowly and repeat again.
List of the best triceps exercises
Close grip bench press
- Lie on the bench, grab the barbell, palms already shoulder-length. Push the bar straight up over your chest.
- Slowly lower the bar to your chest. Try to feel the tension in the triceps.
- Keeping your elbows bent, raise the bar to the starting position and repeat.
Dumbbell press from behind the head
- Exercises can be performed both standing and sitting. Holding a dumbbell with both hands, raise it above your head.
- Elbows should look up, and the movement should come from the forearms. Elbows move minimally.
- Lower the dumbbell behind your head, stop, then slowly raise the dumbbell to the starting position.
French bench press
- Hold the EZ bar with a straight grip. Sit on a flat bench and slowly lie down on your back.
- Hold the bar behind your head.
- Throughout the exercise, the elbows are pointing up.
- Slowly and smoothly lower the bar to your face, stop, then return to the starting position.
Extension of the arms in the upper block for triceps
- Make sure the handle on the crossover is in the correct position at the top.
- Grab the handle, make sure top part hands were at the sides of the body throughout the exercise.
- Pull the cable down, paying attention to the tension in the triceps.
- Stop at the bottom point, then slowly and smoothly lower your hands to the starting position.
Push-ups on the uneven bars
- Grasp the bars firmly in the overhead position. Straighten your arms all the way, while keeping your core muscles in tension.
- Bend your elbows and slowly lower yourself down.
- Starting from the bars, go back up. Watch your posture and exercise technique.
- Also this exercise can be performed by pushing off the bench behind you.
List of the best forearm exercises
Reverse Curls
- Stand up straight, hold the EZ bar with a reverse grip.
- Without moving your shoulders, bend your elbows and lift the bar up.
- Stop at the top, then slowly and smoothly lower your arms back to the starting position.
Workout program
Close Grip Bench Press:
- 3-4 sets of 4-6 reps
Barbell curls:
- 2 warm-up sets of 10-12 reps
- 3-4 working sets of 4-8 reps
Push-ups (optional: you can hang weights on your belt)
- 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps
Curls for biceps with dumbbells "Hammer":
- 3-4 sets of 4-8 reps
Alternate bicep curls with dumbbells:
- 2-3 sets of 6-8 reps
It is not enough to simply do the above exercises. It is necessary to constantly overdo yourself, increase the load, the number of approaches, the weights used. Performing the same exercises without any changes will lead to a plateau, when the growth of both strength and muscle mass stops.
- Try to increase the working weight by 0.5-2 kilograms every workout. At the same time, make sure that the execution technique is close to ideal.
- When doing high-intensity sets, reduce the rest time between them. This will force the body to use the energy it receives more efficiently, as well as increase endurance.
- Include work to failure in your workout. It is advisable to leave the approach to failure at the end of the exercise. Just do as many reps as you can on the last set without breaking the technique.
- Don't forget to change the training program after 6-10 weeks, with other exercises, more high load and large quantity repetitions.
- Focus on the muscle you are working on this moment. Review the anatomy section to understand how this muscle works, which will help you visualize the effect of stress on it. This understanding will increase muscle tension and hypertrophy.
