How to build big arms. Everything you need to know to train the muscles of the hands of a man

Hello friends! Today we will look at how to pump up your arms quickly, the best exercises for your arms, and there will also be a lot of cool information about the technique of doing exercises, all sorts of interesting chips, etc.

Unfortunately, very often even experienced trainers cannot explain the differences between certain forms of performing hand exercises.

For the growth of the muscles of the hands, as for all other muscles, it is necessary to solve only three tasks:

1. LOAD PROGRESSION(should increase the volume of training). Perhaps the main rule, because. MUSCLES DO NOT HAVE TO INCREASE UNLESS THE LOAD IS INCREASING.
(you need to learn to feel the muscles that you want to develop, and EXCLUDE THE OTHER MUSCLES FROM THE WORK).
2. NEEDED RECOVERY (fractional nutrition 6-12 times a day + sleep 8-10 hours).

The more strictly you follow these rules, the faster you will be able to pump up your hands. It's not as difficult as it seems.

Most of the mistakes that do not allow you to grow arm muscles go, just because of not correct technique.

It is about her that we will talk a lot today. After all, only by slightly adjusting the technique of performing exercises, we can make the load on the target muscle more concentrated and accurate.

If we talk about the arms, then you should concentrate on the following muscles:

1. Triceps (triceps muscle of the shoulder).
2. Biceps (biceps brachii).
3. Brachialis (shoulder muscle).
4. Muscles of the forearm.

To be honest, the muscles of the forearm can be completely excluded from here, due to their small size. But we will talk about this further.

Let's start with the triceps.

How to build triceps

We talked in detail about the anatomy of the muscles of the hands, so today we will not focus on anatomy in detail. Be sure to read the previous article if you haven't already.

We'll start with competent training triceps because it is bigger than the biceps in terms of size (has three heads instead of two).

(triceps muscle of the shoulder) is a "horseshoe" muscle, consisting of three heads, intertwined from the side of the elbow into ONE GENERAL ligament.

It is thanks to the common attachment (ligament) in the elbow area that during work ALL TRICEPS HEADS are included in the work at the same time!

But despite this, in different exercises, there is a certain emphasis on the load on one of the heads or two heads. That is, it seems that all the heads of the triceps work, but to a different extent.

• Long head triceps(internal) - attached to the back of the shoulder blade. Requires maximum abduction of the arm back (ideally, the shoulder joint should be additionally included in the work, since the long head is involved in its extension).
• Lateral head of the triceps + Medial head of the triceps- attached to humerus. Participate only in EXTENSION OF THE FOREARM. The medial (middle) head of the triceps has a long tendon, so there is a so-called. DEPTH next to the elbow.

Interesting: In mesomorphs and endomorphs, triceps are often massive and long, while in ectomorphs, on the contrary, they are short, but more PEAK. In the former, muscle mass grows faster, in the latter, the muscles are smaller, but they look more aesthetically pleasing.

Next important point, which concerns the SEQUENCE of including the heads of the triceps in the work.

The triceps is activated during the exercise, starting from the MEDIAL (middle) head to the LONG, depending on the severity of the load and the degree of abduction of the arm back.

I repeat:

• IF THE LOAD IS LIGHT = MOST of the load is on the MEDIAL HEAD (middle).
• IF THE LOAD IS A LITTLE INCREASED = In addition, the SHORT (lateral, external) head is switched on.
• IF THE LOAD IS HIGH = Triceps LONG HEAD engages. Plus, the long head comes into action if you BRING YOUR ARM BACK (because it is attached to the back of your shoulder blade)!!!

From this we conclude that the MEDIAL and LATERAL heads work in almost ANY EXERCISES for the triceps, and we will talk about the features of the LONG HEAD a little lower.

Triceps long head workout

The fact is that the long head is attached somewhat differently than the lateral and medial heads. The long head is attached to the SHOVEL, so for its active work it is required:

For the long head of the triceps, the best exercise options would be:

1. French presses from behind the head while standing and sitting (when the arms are raised up).
2. Various kinds of extensions (the same presses) with free weights, with the possibility of moving the arm back.

I have long adapted to perform overhead extensions while sitting IN A CROSSOVER! I really like this version of the exercise because of the ability to quickly change the working weight, as well as the ability to keep the triceps in constant tension.

Try it, friends.

How not to hurt your triceps

In general, most injuries in isolated exercises for any pushing muscle group, whether it be triceps, pectorals, deltas or quadriceps, occur due to CHEATING WITH HIGH WEIGHTS!

DO NOT make sudden movements, jerks, helping other muscle groups, when ONE JOINT is working for a break in movement!

Sooner or later, in this situation, you are 100% injured.

That is why, I always advise you to perform isolating exercises AFTER BASIC (unless, of course, we are talking about preliminary fatigue).

You better warm up nutrients entered the joints the right amount, and you are ready for the isolating "finishing" work.

The most traumatic exercise in this "hit parade" is, of course, FRENCH PRESS with large weights (especially without a warm-up). And in general, any triceps exercises where there is a load on one joint are very dangerous!

Conclusion: First, load the triceps well with basic exercises (narrow grip presses, presses from behind the head, parallel bars, etc.), and then move on to isolation exercises, because the triceps will already be tired, which means they will not be able to work with maximum working weights .

Best Triceps Exercises

Here are the BEST exercises, in my opinion, for training triceps (in descending order of their effectiveness):

1. Bench press with a narrow grip (you can use the Smith machine, even better HEAD DOWN, but more on that below).
2. Push-ups on bars.
3. French bench press lying upside down.
4. French bench press while standing (or sitting) from behind the head (possible with dumbbells).
5. Extensions in a crossover or on a vertical block.

Secret: When doing triceps presses, make a negative angle of the bench, so you isolate the triceps even more (the chest and deltas will turn off).

I think that there is enough information about triceps training, now let's move on to biceps training, friends.

Biceps(biceps brachii) - a large muscle, clearly visible on the front surface of the shoulder, consisting of two heads ("bi" \u003d two).

In fact, pumping up the biceps is not so difficult, and he, as a rule, readily responds to the load, for the following reasons:

• Biceps are very easy to FEEL. This is practically the only muscle that flexes the arm in the elbow joint, therefore, complicating this movement with additional weights, it is difficult not to feel the biceps and “not hit the load” on the target muscle.
• Biceps is a small muscle group, therefore, it grows in the wake of large muscle groups (there is no person with tiny arms, but with impressive chest and legs).

Like the triceps, both bundles are connected into one tendon and attached with it to the elbow joint.

There is one interesting point. The tendon is not attached strictly straight, but at a slight angle, so the biceps can supinate (turn) the hand towards the thumb. It is these movements that we must complicate.

Conclusion: For the development of the biceps, it is necessary to BEND and TURN (supinate) the forearm relative to the elbow.

Like the triceps, the biceps brachii can also shift the focus of the load to different heads using some tricky tricks.

As a rule, with almost any exercise for the biceps, the SHORT (inner) head of the biceps works.

Usually, the problem arises precisely with the development of the LONG (outer) head of the biceps.

Why is this happening?

Anatomically, the outer (long) head is attached to the shoulder joint in the upper part, so for its active participation in the exercises, it is necessary to DRIVE THE ELBOWS BACK!

In this way, you mechanically stretch the long head of the biceps, and make it work.

There are several interesting tricks that allow you to include the long head of the biceps in the work:

• Take your ELBOWS BACK. The farther they are behind the back, the better the outer biceps bundle works.
• Use NARROW GRIP. The narrower the grip, the better the external beam is included in the work.

And vice versa. They brought the elbows forward and took the neck wider - they included the INTERNAL bunch of the biceps in the work.

Best Biceps Exercises

There are exercises with dumbbells for biceps, with various barbells and types of power equipment, exercises for biceps on the horizontal bar, etc. But the most effective, in my opinion, are these four exercises:

• Lifting the bar for biceps (with a straight or with an EZ bar).
• Lifting dumbbells, lying on an inclined bench (long head works).
• Pull-ups on the horizontal bar with a narrow reverse grip.
• Lifting dumbbells with supination.

By the way, here is my short video about lifting the barbell for biceps with an EZ bar.

In fact, the variety of different exercises is huge, but, for the vast majority, these exercises will be enough to develop impressive biceps.

Secret: If your forearms "clog" before your biceps, then do exercises with an EZ bar! This takes the pressure off your forearms.

Brachialis. How to pump up, and what is it all about

Brachialis(shoulder muscle) - a muscle that is located UNDER the biceps (like a lining), but directly performs BENDING (does not participate in the process of turning the hand, because it is attached strictly evenly, and not on the side, like a biceps).

It is the brachialis that allows you to lift large weights on the biceps, because. he takes on 65-70% of the load in bending.

The brachialis mechanically PUSHES your biceps out, making the first one more peaky.

Judge for yourself, if the lining from below (brachialis) is larger, then what is higher (biceps) will also stick out more.

Best Brachialis Exercises

The best and most affordable brachialis exercises, in my opinion:

• Lifting the bar for biceps with a REVERSE GRIP.
• "Hammers standing" (hammer bending).

Secret: When performing a barbell curl with a reverse grip, FIX THE ELBOWS IN ONE POSITION! Take a weight that will allow you to perform this exercise WITHOUT THROTTENING THE WEIGHT from the bottom to the top. Remember, TECHNIQUE is everything.

How to pump up the forearms

I will have a separate interesting article about the forearms, but now I will say a couple of main points.

You know, as a rule, if a person asks me about how to pump up his forearms, then his level of fitness leaves much to be desired.

The lower a person's level of fitness, the more he is concerned about the issue of training small muscle groups.

Friends, understand that if you grow in large muscle groups, then your forearms will GROW YOURSELF! The vast majority DO NOT need any special forearm exercises!

It's like trying to build a skyscraper on a cowshed foundation.

During the performance of ANY EXERCISES, the forearms ALWAYS work on the hands.

If you still want to know how to train your forearms, then here is a set of the most effective exercises for you:

• Bending of the brushes with a barbell.
• Bending of the brushes with a barbell with a reverse grip.
• Pronation and supination (turning the hands out and in).
• Expander squeeze.

How to pump up your arms quickly

Now, I propose to move on to the most interesting, how to pump up your arms quickly and competently, and indeed, how to organize effective arm training, what exercises to use, what techniques, etc.

But first, I will list the main mistakes of beginners when training hands:

1. The desire to build arms separately from large muscle groups. Almost everyone who starts training thinks that it is enough for them to train only the biceps and abs, and everything will be “fire”, but this is a mistake. Training small muscle groups does not contribute to the production of a large amount of anabolic hormones, which are so necessary for high-quality growth, so you can forget about the impressive size of the hands, and the body, with this approach.
2. Underdeveloped muscle sense. I have already written about it in many articles. If you do not feel the muscles that you are training, then the load flies by.
3. Too heavy and high volume arm workouts. Arms are a small muscle group and are very easy to overtrain. If you do a bunch of exercises on your hands with large quantity approaches, then this is likely to limit your progress (unless, of course, you use anabolic steroids). The rule: “take more, throw more ...” does not work here.
4. No load progression. The muscles of the arms obey the same growth rules as the rest of the muscles. There is no increase in load - it makes no sense to increase the energy-consuming muscles for the body, everything is simple.

Competent layout when training arm muscles

Options for the layout of the muscles of the hands with other muscles exist simply great amount. Each method has its pros and cons.

Here are the most popular split schemes for arm training:

1. Back + Biceps, Chest + Triceps. so-called. push-pull split, one day you train pulling muscle groups (back and biceps), and the other pushing (chest and triceps). While the pullers work, the pushers rest. Not a bad combination, but has the following drawbacks: you load a large muscle group (back or chest), after which the smaller synergist (biceps or triceps) is already tired and cannot work at full strength.
2. Back + Triceps, Chest + Biceps. I like this option a little more, because by training a large muscle group, we do not affect the “small antagonist”. When training the back, the triceps do not work for us, as well as the biceps when training the chest. There are disadvantages, but not the same as in the first case, and they relate to the frequency of training. For example, you train your back and triceps today, and tomorrow you decide to go train your chest and biceps. Your biceps are already partially languishing today (because there was a back workout), and instead of resting, he gets a workout the next day. Although, despite this, I like this layout method more than the first one, as I said.
3. Biceps + Triceps. It seems to be the most logical layout for training arm muscles. Benefits: You set aside a separate day to train your arms, so you only focus on your arms and put all your strength there. But, with this method of layout, as elsewhere, there are drawbacks. A separate day for arm training, in my opinion, is good for an athlete using anabolic steroids, but not for a natural. Why? Yes, because the ANABOLIC SURGE (production) of HORMONES after training is important for the natural, and after training a small muscle group it is minimal, respectively, growth is likely to be small. For example, all last year I trained 5 times a week, I trained my arms separately. Do you know what is the most amazing thing? I almost did not add volume in the hands !!! Why? Yes, because the hands already work in almost every workout of any muscle group, and I also finished them off with 5-7 exercises, 6-7 sets once a week. Accordingly, the recovery potential, which is somewhat limited in the natural, was not enough for proper recovery.

Super tricks for training arm muscles

There are a huge number of super tricks! These include drop sets, forced reps, cheating, negative reps, etc. BUT! It must be remembered that the arms are a SMALL muscle group that can be easily killed with a large load.

In my opinion, the most the best option complication of the load will be the use of SUPER SERIES (supersets).

superset- this is the performance of two or more exercises in a row on the antagonist muscles without rest.

Muscle antagonists- these are muscles that perform opposite functions (like biceps and triceps, or chest and back, or abs and extensors of the spine, etc.).

We can perform supersets in two modes:

1. Exercise Alternation(several sets of a biceps exercise, then several sets of a triceps exercise).
2. Alternating approaches in the exercise(set for biceps, then rest 30-90 seconds, then set for triceps, then rest 30-90 seconds…).

Why do supersets work well?

For three reasons:

1. More rest between sets. We give the muscle a little more rest after a set or exercise, because. after it follows work on the antagonist. The resting muscle recovers better due to the longer time between sets and is able to generate more strength.
2. Active Recovery. While one of the muscles of the antagonists is resting, the second is at work. Due to the fact that our blood enters the working muscle, we thus arrange active recovery for the resting antagonist (nutrients in the blood contribute to better recovery).
3. Pumping. Blood supply in the muscles is constantly increasing, and this effect has a mass useful properties, about which Arnold Schwarzenegger always spoke with great rapture, and other famous athletes. In addition, pumping promotes the development of slow muscle fibers. Pumping improves tissue capillarity, activates growth factors, gives the muscle a more aesthetic appearance, etc.

What to train first: biceps or triceps?

You can often hear an unambiguous opinion on this matter: if you train the triceps first, then the residual tension in this muscle will not allow you to properly load the biceps.

But, it must be borne in mind that in bodybuilding there are no 100% schemes that work the same for all people. Everyone has different genetic capabilities, body structure, attachments, muscle shape, etc.

Usually, yes, you need to start with the biceps, but this is just a theory. If you feel that by training the triceps before the biceps you are giving unfamiliar, additional stress to the muscle, then do exactly as your intuition tells you.

Conclusion: It is better for beginners to train biceps before triceps, experienced athletes look at the sensations.

Hand muscle training. Sequence of exercises

Now, concrete examples according to the sequence of exercises when training the muscles of the hands.

I even have a detailed article on this topic.

For training triceps, the main basic exercises are:

• Bench press with a narrow grip (you can use the Smith machine).
• Push-ups on bars.

Conditionally basic (isolation) exercises for triceps:

• French bench press.
• French bench press from behind the head barbell / dumbbell standing / sitting.
• Extensions at the vertical block or crossover.

For biceps, the basic exercises will be:

• Standing barbell curl (one of the best exercises for biceps).
• Lifting the bar for biceps with a reverse grip (brachialis).
• "Hammer" bending with dumbbells.

Conditionally basic (isolation) exercises for biceps:

• Lifting dumbbells for biceps sitting or lying down.
• Curls for biceps on the Larry Scott bench.
• Concentrated lifts.

There are a huge number of options for training programs for arm muscles.

I trained my arms in different ways.

And I put them into full body workouts, and to separate muscle groups within the split, and trained them separately, and trained both slow muscle fibers of the arms and fast ones.

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 the correct technique for performing the exercise, and only then load himself 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 hands with dumbbells to chest, while spreading the 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. During classes on the uneven bars, you need to ensure that the lower limbs remain bent and do not touch the floor, and the back is 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 the physical development of the 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 for themselves special program exercises. 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.

, arms place on the back of the head, put the head on the chin. With an exhalation, lift your upper body off the floor, and stay in this position for 20 to 30 seconds. As you inhale, lower yourself back down to the floor and relax. Repeat the exercise 2 to 4 more times.

Pull out arms forward, placing them on the floor. Inhale lift up right hand and left leg, freeze for 2 to 4 seconds. As you exhale, lie down on the floor. Repeat the lift with your left arm and right leg. Do the exercise 30 times.

Sit on your buttocks, stretch your legs in front of you, put your palms near your hips. With an exhalation, tear off your hips, lift them up, creating a plank with your whole body. Pull the chin to the base of the neck, do not fall through. Lock the position for 1 minute. Next, on the exhale, bend arms in your elbows and slightly lower your back to the floor, while inhaling, rise up again. Do 5 - 7 similar push-ups.

Take in arms dumbbells weighing at least 1 kg. Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart, bend your elbows and place your palms with dumbbells near your shoulders. Inhale lift up arms up, with an exhalation, lower to the starting position. Repeat the exercise at least 20 times.

Put your hands with dumbbells behind your head, pointing your elbows straight up. With an exhale, unbend arms and raise the dumbbells over your head. Bend again while inhaling arms at the elbows. Repeat the exercise 15 - 20 times.

Raise straight arms over your head. As you inhale, spread them apart, fixing them parallel to the floor for 2 seconds. Exhale lift up arms up. Do 20 repetitions of the exercise.

Dilute arms straight to the sides, parallel to the floor. Do rocking movements up and down for 2 minutes. Lower arms down and let the muscles rest for 2 minutes. Dilute again arms and make circular movements, first in one direction, then in the other. Initially, do a small amplitude, then gradually increase it to the maximum. Having made a large circle, proceed to reduce the radius of movement.

A pumped up back will make your life easier, protect your spine and provide correct posture. At home, there is no way to pump up your back like professional bodybuilders, but you can make it beautiful and harmonious.

Instruction

The main exercise is pull-ups. If it is not done or done incorrectly, it will not work. In order for this exercise to work the muscles of the back, and not the biceps, the grip on the bar must be such that thumb didn't hug her. To begin with, 4 sets of 10 pull-ups are enough, over time, the number of approaches should increase.

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 who come to the gym, increasing their arms in volume, making them embossed is 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 located on the outside of the arm and is most 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

• It consists of two sections or heads, which form the famous horseshoe shape and make up the entire back arms.
• An important muscle for stabilizing the shoulder joint.
• The triceps make up one third of the total arm size. 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 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 of the 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 focus 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 of Sports Medicine, in order to achieve muscle hypertrophy, you need to complete 40 to 60 repetitions per muscle in one workout.
• 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 in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the best results can be obtained by exercising one body part every 5-7 days.
• It's also important to remember that many compound exercises, such as push-ups and deadlifts, involve multiple muscle groups at once, so there's objectively no point in having 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 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, starting from 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 lots of repetition.
• 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.

The desire to pump up the muscles of the arms as quickly as possible is the goal of most beginners in gym. Many of them buy dumbbells for home workouts in an attempt to give their biceps an extra boost. However, everything is not so simple - it is impossible to pump up only hands without paying attention to integrated development throughout the muscular system of the body.

The total musculature of both arms is no more than 10-15% of the mass of all muscles in the body - and the arm muscles themselves are not divided into biceps and triceps at all, but into 20-25 different muscle groups. That is why a full-fledged arm workout should include not just endless dumbbell lifts for biceps, but.

How often should you train your arms?

Even professional athletes are advised to train the biceps and triceps muscles no more than twice a week, giving them at least 3 days to rest. At the same time, the total duration of such a workout should not exceed 10-15 minutes - otherwise, overtraining will occur, which negatively affects muscle recovery and growth.

We also note that given the relatively small size of the biceps and triceps, these muscles do not require countless repetitions or serious working weights. Much more important to study the correct exercise technique for development, which allows you not only to pull the weight, but to feel the work of a particular muscle.

Hand training for beginners

For beginners and intermediate athletes, one arm workout with isolation exercises per week is enough. On the rest of the training days, these muscles are involved in the work indirectly - the triceps are involved in the bench press and other chest exercises, and the biceps are involved in exercises such as.

"Hand Day" is recommended to be combined with, since these muscle groups practically do not affect each other's work. In total, it is better for beginners to perform no more than 2 different isolating exercises for the arms (that is, one for biceps and one for triceps), for an intermediate level athlete - no more than 4. Once again, we note that the technique of performing exercises in this case is most important.

Best Hand Exercises

It must be remembered that the best exercise for biceps or triceps is the exercise in which you really feel the work of these muscles. In order for the muscles of the arms to grow successfully, it is not enough to perform a block pull on the triceps, arching with the whole body, or to lift the barbell to the biceps, throwing it up due to the force of inertia.

At the same time, it is important to note that most beginners are not able to correctly perform even such a simple arm exercise as alternate standing dumbbell lifts - any muscles are involved in the work, but not the biceps at all. The effect of training manifests itself exclusively in the form. And the greater the weight of the dumbbells, the greater the harm.

How to properly train triceps?

The main muscle group in the muscles of the arms is not the biceps at all, but the triceps. Its physical size is at least 30-40% over size biceps. At the same time, a strong and developed triceps is important both for the overall size of the hands and for increasing performance in basic exercises. The advantage of training this muscle is that it is easier to feel its work by its characteristic burning sensation.

Anatomically, the work of the triceps is related to the work pectoral muscles, repulsive movements and push-ups - both from the floor and from the bench. Beginners are advised to first learn how to feel the triceps in any of them, then include it in their training program and perform it twice a week with an average weight, 12-15 repetitions and 3-4 sets.

Training rules for: why exercise technique is more important than working weight?

How to properly train biceps?

The easiest way to learn how to feel your biceps is when doing concentration dumbbell curls on a bench - first fix the incline bench at 60 ° , then lean on it with your shoulder so that the outstretched arm with the dumbbells lies on the bench, palm up. Slowly and with the strength of the biceps, lift the weight of the dumbbell, then slowly lower it.

Another good exercise on the biceps for beginners is lifting the lower block - an analogue that allows you to concentrate on the technique and the feeling of muscle work. Believe me, the biceps will grow much faster with the correct execution of these “simple” exercises, and not at all when trying to “somehow” lift heavy dumbbells.

How to pump up your arms at home?

Once again, the worst strategy for home arm training would be to perform endless dumbbell raises or other isolation exercises for the biceps. Even if you only want to pump up your arms, your workout should include both, and, and squats with dumbbells. Only in this case you will succeed.

The main secret effective workout biceps and triceps at home - using variations of basic multi-joint exercises to develop the muscles of the whole body, and not focusing on any muscle group separately. As we have already mentioned, it is purely physically impossible to pump big hands, without having the proper level of development of the muscles of the back, chest and shoulders.

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An attempt to make a training program exclusively for pumping arms - typical mistake beginners who do not understand that pumped arms cannot be imagined without the presence of general muscle mass. It is also important that beginners (especially) often do not know how to feel their biceps and triceps at work and perform exercises largely due to inertia.