Large arms are a symbol of strength, and many people train for countless hours trying to develop big arms with little or no success. Growing your arms is not as simple as performing 25 sets of dumbbell curls. Stimulating your muscles to grow requires precise training and knowledge of the body, proper nutrition and adequate rest and recovery.
Pre-Exhaustion
Performing auxiliary exercises for a particular muscle before beginning your heavy exercises not only warms up your muscles, but pre-exhausts them, so that during the heavy exercises the targeted muscles are forced to work that much harder. For example, before performing your standing barbell curls, do three sets of seated incline curls followed by three sets of dumbbell preacher curls. Lying triceps extensions and press downs are productive pre-exhaustion exercises for the triceps. For the forearms, wrist curls and grip exercises work well. Pre-exhaustion exercises should be executed with moderate weight, so that the muscles don't become too fatigued, and should be in the eight- to 12-rep range.
Heavy Compound Movements
Your compound movement exercises are the ones with which you really push yourself. Standing barbell curls, close-grip bench presses and reverse barbell curls will tax both your strength and endurance. These exercises should be performed with heavy weight, so that executing 12 reps pushes you to the point of failure. Complete three sets of eight to 12 repetitions for each compound exercise.
Burn Outs
After completing your heavy exercises, it is time to move on to burn outs. Only perform one burn-out exercise for each muscle, and only two sets of each exercise. Doing more than this can lead to overtraining. Cable curls work well as burn outs for the biceps. Overhead triceps extensions function well as burn outs for the triceps. Burn outs for the forearms aren't necessary since those muscles are active during all other arm exercises.
Nutrition and Recovery
Proper nutrition and adequate rest and recovery time are critical to muscle development. Your muscles do not grow while you are in the gym, they grow in between workouts. Insufficient nutrients and rest can facilitate the onset of overtraining symptoms. Train your arms no more than twice each week, and take a week off after every 12 weeks of training. Furthermore, try to get between seven and nine hours of sleep every night.
Diet is as important to bodybuilding success as training and rest. Consume enough vitamins, minerals and nutrients to allow your muscles to grow. Specific intake levels are dependent upon your age, weight and other factors, so consult a physician before beginning any training regimen or diet.
Tips
Train with a partner. A good spotter can help you force additional repetitions to create a deep burn in your muscles during heavy sets and burn outs.
Use perfect form. Cheating by using momentum only cheats you out of your desired results.
Train proportionately. Building massive biceps while ignoring the triceps and forearms will make your arms look grotesque, and such imbalances can lead to serious injuries.
Posted in: Fitness Workouts