By: Bodybuilding.com

	Caution! You may find your arms getting huge, full, developed and striated to the max! Don't worry, this is a normal side effect of intensely performing these arm training techniques and exercises.

To maximize arm development, the biceps, triceps and forearms must be equally and evenly developed in proportion to the surrounding muscle groups: the Deltoids, pecs, lats and traps.

Employ variety and change to shock the muscle groups of the arms as much as possible to build the kind of quality muscle you want! You've gotta make them respond with whatever it takes to make them grow no matter what size they are!

The great advantage to training arms is that it doesn't take much motivation to want to blast them! But, developing competition worthy arms is more than just a matter of size building.

Every contour, striation, and angle must be brought out. It takes a variety of high intensity arm exercises to confuse the arms into gigantic, ripped proportions.

Make sure each part of your arms gets equal training so that one part doesn't dwarf another.

• For a front-double biceps pose for example, you want the biceps to have high peaks while the triceps hang with density and thickness below.

• The forearm should have good angles and striation above the elbow and up to complete the pose and tie in with your massive delts, traps, and pecs.

• The sweeping lats, ripped abs, and full rib cage complete the pose.

This kind of development isn't something you're born with. It takes hard work, dedication and hard training over the entire body in balance and power.

Want 20" Arms?

Although the first thing you may think of when you imagine perfect arms is bulging biceps, it's interesting to point out that the upper arm is only one-third biceps.

The other two-thirds is triceps. So, in order to get those sought-after 20" guns, it takes heavy work on both the biceps and triceps. 20 inchers were in the status of mythical mid-century until they were finally attained by John C. Grimek.

Grimek pulled off the win for Mr. America in 1940 and 1941 with his intimidating monstrous arms. Since then, many hardcore bodybuilders have been able to attain the magical 20 inches and even more including the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Larry Scott, Bill Pearl, Mike Christian, Clancy Ross, Jack Dellinger and Franco Columbo, just to name a few - although this feat is not an easy one!

Tips On How To Build Huge Biceps

• Train consistently, never miss workouts.
• Concentrate hard on each set.
• Do 21's with a standing barbell.
• Do basic movements to begin with for building mass:
  Standing barbell curls
  Preacher curls
  Seated or Standing dumbbell curls

• Do isolation curls, concentration curls and cable curls just before your bodybuilding competition for maximum peaking.

• Use continuous tension throughout triceps isolation movements over the full range of motion.
• Completely flex the entire triceps by extending the arms fully so that the maximum number of muscle cells are involved in the movement.
• Always train the smaller triceps after the larger muscle groups of the deltoids and pectorals.

Tips On How To Build Huge Forearms

• Save your forearms for last when training because they are the smaller weaker group and if you do them first, you won't get as much out of your other training.
• Always bomb the forearms very last in your workout.
• Bear down on them! Train them hard and consistently to build them up.
• Train heavy.

Weak Point Training

Building Biceps

"In general, when you are trying to build up a weak area of the biceps, the best technique you can employ is one-arm dumbbell exercises. Doing an entire set with just one arm at a time allows for maximum concentration and intensity, and ensures that each arm works to its maximum.

"This keeps a stronger biceps from overshadowing the weaker, which can result in asymmetrical arm development. Also, be sure to twist the wrist during the movement for total biceps contraction.

"However, I believe one major reasons bodybuilders show weak points in the biceps is that they do the exercises incorrectly. You need to master proper technique--keeping the elbows steady, lowering the weight rather than dropping it, employing as many Shocking Principles as possible--and then you will be much less likely to have problems in this area.

"For example, I see a lot of bodybuilders using their forearms when they do curls, starting the motion with a kind of Wrist Curl which takes away from the effectiveness of the exercise.

"Or they will do a Curl and, at the top, instead of flexing their biceps--to maintain maximal tension--they will just throw the weight back toward their shoulders, leaving the biceps loose and not working at all. I recommend instead using the peak contraction principle--flexing the biceps as hard as possible when you get to the top of the Curl."



Arnold Schwarzenegger

For Mass

Lift Heavy. Takes intense mental focus and concentration. Visualize your biceps growing! Do Barbell Curls and Cheating Reps.

For Length, Thickness

You must full stretch the biceps to the max and concentrate on working the lower one-third of the mass. Try prone curls or incline curls to really focus the biceps to the max.

Preacher curls work very well for isolation and thickness development. For even better isolation, try the single arm isolation preacher machine (Ex - Shown with two arms). Try rotating the wrists 180 degrees for your last set.

For Height

Concentration curls work well to build that peak. Use a dumbbell or cable for the movement. The intensity should be placed heavily on the top one-third of the muscle mass. Flex your biceps as hard as possible without causing them to cramp at the top of the movement for peak development.

This should really burn and give you a tremendous pump. Dumbell curls that cause your thumb to point outward by twisting the wrist towards the outside of your body as you lift the weight will build great height also. After completely burning the biceps strike some poses in the mirror emphasizing your peak.

For Mass & Outer Thickness

Any kind of curls that bring the weight in towards your chest, such as Close-Grip Barbell Curls or Close-Grip Preachers will develop great mass and outer thickness. Concentration curls that are done inward toward the center of the body will get that outer thickness growing too.

Mass & Inner Thickness

Hammer curls work very well for developing inner thickness. Hammer curls are where you face your palm inward rather than upward as you lift the weight in a semicircular arc. You will notice the difference in stress this places on the biceps. Also, some basic movements work will such as standing barbell curls (wide-grip), seated or standing dumbbell curls, incline dumbbell curls, wide-grip barbell preacher curls.

For Striation, Separation, & Definition

Use as many different biceps exercises as possible. Dumbbell movements are a must because of the great range of motion they provide and the ability you have of hitting every different angle with them. Reverse curls are very good at developing the brachio radialis and biceps so that your back double bicep pose shows lots of definition.

"If you have a real problem with the triceps, I recommend training them according to the Priority Principle, working them first, when you are fresh. I did this myself years ago when I realized that my biceps had developed out of proportion to my triceps.

"I began to concentrate on this area, using the Priority Principle, and soon they began to respond so I had an Olympia-quality arm rather than just Olympia-quality biceps.

"I also found that supersetting triceps exercises, going right from one to the other, was another way of getting extra triceps development. I would first do a few sets to pump up the biceps, which creates a "cushioning" effect, and then really blast the triceps. After the superset I would continue to flex and pose the triceps, never giving them any relief."



Arnold Schwarzenegger

For Mass

Use heavy weight on Close-Grip Barbell Bench, Dips behind the back, and Weighted Dips.

For Mass & Upper Triceps

Do dips, one-arm cable pressdowns, cable pressdowns (reverse and regular), and kickbacks very slowly and strictly, flexing completely. Hold the concentration briefly at the top of the movement.

For Mass & Lower Triceps

Weighted dips and dips behind the back in which you descend fully, but only go three-quarters of the way up force intense concentration on the lower portion of the triceps because stress is placed on them constantly during the set.

"Many bodybuilders end up with a weakness in forearm development simply because they don't train forearms right from the beginning. Another reason for forearms lagging behind, aside from the obvious one of bone structure, is failing to execute the exercises correctly and in a strict enough manner. The more you isolate the forearms and force them to do the movements without any help from the upper arms, the more they will respond. This means being very, very strict in your execution.

"It is important to work the forearms through a long range of motion. You need to lower the weight as far as possible, getting the maximum stretch, then come all the way back up to get a total contraction of the muscles. Working through only three-quarters of the range of motion is not that beneficial because you already use this part of the muscle in a variety of other exercises.

"If you want to drastically increase your forearm development, you can use the Priority Principle in a special way: train forearms by themselves when you are rested and strong, or train your forearms on leg days when your arms are rested. You can also keep a barbell or dumbbells at home and do a couple of sets of Wrist Curls and Reverse Wrist Curls as often as you like, even once an hour every hour."



Arnold Schwarzenegger

Upper Forearms

Hammer curls, reverse wrist curls, one-arm cable reverse curls (Ex - Shown with two arms), and every other kind of reverse curls really hit this area of the forearms not to mention the biceps.

Inner Forearms

One-arm wrist curls, barbell wrist curls, and behind-the-back curls are excellent inner forearm builders.

Other Helpful Pages

Biceps Anatomy, Animated Pics, and How To's
Biceps Workouts: Compiled for Effectiveness!

Triceps Anatomy, Animated Pics, and How To's
Triceps Workouts: Compiled for Effectiveness!

Forearm Anatomy, Animated Pics, and How To's
Forearm Workouts: Compiled for Effectiveness!

Build the Pec-Delt Tie-Ins HUGE!
Plateau Busters: High Intensity Specialization Techniques!

Back to Top

Bodybuilding.com

Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!

Back To Other Writer's Main Page

Back To The Articles Main Page.

Related Articles
How Can You Develop Solid Arms?
The Arm Forum
5 Star Arm Workouts!

NOW Coral Calcium Support serum pH levels and optimal bone health. Learn More!