Tag: Arms
Breon Ansley Deep Into Training For Tampa Pro With Huge Arm Day
Breon Ansley is looking to win the Tampa Pro and gain momentum into the Olympia.
Breon Ansley is a former two-time Classic Physique Olympia champion. He is currently preparing to compete in the Tampa Pro and put together a massive arm day during one of his training sessions.
Ansley has finished third in each of the last two Olympia competitions. In 2019, he saw his two-year win streak come to an end at the hands of Chris Bumstead. Most recently, Ansley finished fourth at the Arnold Classic and was unhappy with his performance.
Classic Physique is a division that is gaining popularity and seeing many elite athletes emerge. Ansley is still at the top of his game and wants to show it off on the biggest stage once again. Before this happens, Ansley is looking to win the Tampa Pro and is full or dedication and motivation.
“I’m trying to win this damn thing this year.”
Below, you can find a full guide through Breon Ansley’s arm workout, along with some tips from the champion himself.
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Breon Ansley Arm Day
Machine Triceps Extensions
Rope Pressdown
Overhead Rope Extension
Dip Machine
Dumbbell Kickback
Alternate Dumbbell Curl
EZ-Bar Curl
Hammer Curl
Breon Ansley took down this workout at the legendary Gold’s Gym in Venice, CA. Ansley begins the video by explaining how it is important to focus on recovery and training smart.
“Be careful, guys, with everything. Be careful but be smart. Train smart. Train hard but train that ass to be smart so you can come in here the next day and the next day and the next day and the next day. Who cares about what you’re doing for that one damn day if it puts you out?”
Triceps Training
Breon Ansley begins his workout with machine tricep extensions, the first of five consecutive triceps exercises. This is the way Ansley likes to train arms so you have a constant pump in the muscles targeted.
“I like to train triceps all in one and then start with the biceps. I don’t like to mix up, some guys like to do biceps triceps, biceps triceps and alternate like that. I don’t like to do that because you lose the blood flow, you lose the pump, in between moving one muscle group to the next.”
Ansley moves onto rope pressdowns. He reveals that he likes to use the rope because it allows for his hands to turn out for a better contraction of the muscle. Ansley continued with the rope but with a different movement during overhead tricep extensions.
The final exercise of the tricep portion of the workout was weighted dips. Ansley performed sets with a 35, 40, and 50-pound dumbbell.
“Anytime you’re doing any tricep exercise the is extended over the head, you are working on the short head of the tricep. That is the shorthand in here. Anytime you are pressing something down, doing a pressing movement like we did here, you are working on the long head.
“Remember, the tricep has three heads. The short head, long head, and medium head. That is going to make the arm look that much bigger…make sure you have great tri’s.”
Biceps Training
Breon Ansley focused on triceps over the course of this workout and believes that they are sometimes overlooked. To begin his short stint on biceps, Ansley hit alternating dumbbell curls. He began with 45-pound weights and eventually moved up to 50 pounds.
“I was twisting it at the top to get a little bit more of your inner bi here. Now, we’re going to go outer half…We’re going to hit this more with an outer grip. Obviously, we’re going to hit the brachialis here, for the thickness of the bicep, with the hammer curls, which is one of my favorite exercises.”
Ansley continued with EZ-bar curls and hammer curls to finish out the workout. He admitted to favoring hammer curls because he is strongest while performing them. Ansley began with 55-pound dumbbells before making his way up to 75 pounds.
““If you isolate it, keep the shoulders back and down, and keeping this hinge here, kind of like a drag curl…same principles.”
Breon Ansley is focused on the Tampa Pro and gaining momentum heading into December. After falling back a bit in recent competitions, Ansley looks determined to show that he is still one of the best competitors in Classic Physique.
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Build Sleeve Ripping Triceps With This Crazy Arm Workout
Build those ripped tris with this workout.
Biceps and triceps are two sides of the same coin and yet tris don’t get the same love as the bis, but this triceps workout can change that. Generally, the muscles which can’t be seen in the mirror directly like the tris, back, rear delts, hams, and calves don’t get the same treatment as their counterparts. We love to show off our muscles and if we can’t see them then we start to think others won’t either. But this is why these are the weak muscle group for most people. They just don’t get that much love.
Triceps consist of three heads and a great pair of tris should look like a horse kicked you in the back of your arm. Muscular tris can make your arms look significantly bigger as they add symmetry and size. Plus, they can help give your biceps shape so you really add a well-rounded look of symmetry, size, and shape to your biceps’ aesthetic.
You’ll have to hit your tris from all the three angles to train them effectively. The perfect triceps workout is a blend of compound and isolation exercises, plus resistance and bodyweight exercises. What you will find by doing this is that your workouts will never suffer because you will have so much diversity in your routine. With plenty of exercises, you won’t feel so bogged down and won’t suffer from any of those unwanted plateaus either.
We’ll be starting this workout with isolation exercises to exhaust our tris at the beginning of the workout, so we don’t have to lift heavier weights later in the compound exercises. We’ll be using a lot of variety in this workout to completely annihilate your triceps so you see those desired results to strength, size, and symmetry. Let’s jump into this triceps workout so you can get the most out of your arm day routine.
Sleeve Ripping Triceps Workout
This great sleeve ripping triceps workout will make you buy a new shirt every time you flex. Those bulging tris can add to any aesthetic and make your arms look absolutely massive. With the right approach to lifting and working your triceps, not only will your biceps benefit, but your overall physique will as well.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
SUPERSET
Cable Triceps Pushdown
3
30, 20, 10 (descending)
Elastic Band Triceps Pushdown
3
10, 20, 30 (ascending)
END SUPERSET
Incline Bench Dumbbell Skullcrushers
4
30, 25, 20 followed by 10 reps drop set
Dumbbell Kickbacks
3
20
Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press
3
20, 15, 10 (descending)
SUPERSET
Dips
3
Until Failure
Diamond Push-Ups
3
Until Failure
END SUPERSET
Exercise #1 and #2 (Superset) – Cable Triceps Pushdown & Elastic Band Triceps Pushdown
The first exercise of this workout should completely burn out your tris. Perform these exercises with a strict form. Stand straight, don’t lean over the bar or the bands, lock your elbows at your sides, and bring your hands over your elbows at the top of the movement.
Related: Eight Best Dumbbell Exercises For Your Triceps
In the elastic band triceps pushdowns, hang the bands around the cable pulley machine so the handles or the ends of the bands are at your chest level. In the lower reps set, increase the resistance on the bands by grabbing them higher and reduce the resistance by holding it by its ends.
Exercise #3 – Incline Bench Dumbbell Skullcrushers
The last set of this exercise is a drop-set. After completing the 20 reps, increase the weights by at least 50% and complete the remaining 10 reps. In this workout, we use many advanced training techniques to ignite new gains in our tris.
Hold a dumbbell in each hand and lock your elbows over your forehead where they are perpendicular to the floor. Hold the dumbbells with a hammer grip and bring them close to your shoulders at the bottom of the movement. Rotate your wrists to a dumbbell chest press position at the top of the movement and contract your triceps.
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Exercise #4 – Dumbbell Kickbacks
In this exercise, we’ll be using the rest-pause technique. After you’re done performing the 20 reps on an arm, take a five-second rest and then do more reps on the same arm until you hit failure.
Throughout this workout, focus on squeezing your tris with every rep and maintain a mind-muscle connection. Don’t just go through the motions. By the end of this workout, your triceps should be filled with blood and lactic acid and asking for mercy.
Related: 5 Exercises To Build Horseshoe Triceps
Exercise #5 – Smith Machine Close-Grip Bench Press
We prefer the smith machine close grip bench presses over the barbell presses because it adds a lot more stability, reduces the stress from the wrists, and adds more tension on the tris while limiting the pec recruitment.
In the intraset stretching sets, hold the bar at the bottom of the movement over your chest for 10 seconds after completing the aforementioned reps. Without racking the weights do more reps until you reach failure.
Exercise #6 and #7 (Superset) – Dips & Diamond Push-Ups
We’ll end this workout with bodyweight exercises done to failure. If you still have some gas left in the tank, feel free to add resistance. You could also perform this superset using the blood flow restriction technique (BFR) by tying elastic bands around your arms.
Perform the dips on parallel bars while keeping an upright stance. Don’t lean forward as it will recruit your chest. In the diamond pushups, form a triangle with your hands under your chest, so your thumbs and index fingers are touching each other and forming a triangle.
Wrap Up
The right triceps workout will enhance your goals for the better and give you that bulging aesthetic you want most. A great combination of compound and isolation exercises, what you will find is variety in your workout while also feeling like you are accomplishing what you want. Be prepared to buy a couple of new shirts for this triceps workout is one to rip the sleeves right off. You will love the way you look and the way you feel with this amazing triceps workout.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
10 Exercises for Thicker Forearms
Exercises You Should Be Doing For Thicker Forearms
Forearms are one of the most overlooked muscle groups and don’t get the same love as the biceps. Forearms and biceps symmetry can add to the aesthetics of your body and can make your arms look bigger.
Bodybuilding is a game of delusions and thicker forearms and smaller joints can visually add significant size to your biceps. Before we dive into forearms training, let’s touch on the forearm anatomy for a minute.
Your forearms consist of two main muscle groups, the flexors, and extensors. Flexors are also responsible for pronation and extensors for supination. Flexors are present inside your forearms and extensors are on the outside of your forearms.
Reverse Grip Dumbbell Curls
The normal bicep dumbbell curls work the biceps, while the reverse grip dumbbell curls primarily work the forearms and the outer heads of the biceps. Holding the dumbbells with a monkey grip (thumbs over the handles) makes the movement more taxing on the forearms.
Barbell Wrist Curls
Barbell wrist curls are an isolation exercise and work the forearm flexors. If you don’t have an access to a wrist curl machine at your gym, you can place your forearms on a flat bench with your wrist hanging off the bench. Lower the barbell until your knuckles are facing the floor and your palms should be facing you at the top of the movement.
Reverse Barbell Wrist Curls
Reverse barbell wrist curls are the opposite of the normal wrist curls and work the forearm extensors. Hold the barbell with an overhand monkey grip to completely exhaust your forearms.
Arm Blaster Reverse Barbell Bicep Curls
The arm blaster can annihilate your forearms. Maintaining a strict form is the hardest thing while performing the reverse barbell curls. Using an arm blaster can eliminate the use of momentum. You can also use Fatgripz to recruit every muscle fiber in your forearms.
Barbell Roll Outs/Grip Crushers
The grip crushers will fill your forearms with lactic acid. Lock out your elbows and grab a barbell in front of your quads. Allow your hand to open and the barbell to roll to your fingertips. Return to the starting position and complete a wrist curl.
Farmer’s Walk
Farmer’s walk might look easy but will demand all you’ve left in the tank. Grab a pair of dumbbells you can hold on to for a couple of minutes. Go for a 40-50 yard walk with the dumbbells and at the end of the distance, stop and continue to hold the weights for as long as possible.
Towel Pull-Up
The harder it is for you to hold on to something, the more will be your forearm recruitment. Performing towel pull-ups can take your forearm gains to the next level. Set up a towel on the pull-ups bar and perform the pull-ups until you can’t hold onto the towel anymore.
Zottman Curls
Zottman curls are an overall arm builder. Unlike the textbook barbell and dumbbell curls, the Zottman curls train your forearms as well. Stand holding a dumbbell in each hand with the dumbbells facing your sides. Curl the weights so your palms are facing you at the top of the movement. Turn your palms to face down, and then lower the weights slowly, as in a reverse curl.
Behind the Back Cable Grip Crushers into Wrist Curls
Cables are a great way to maintain a constant tension on your muscles throughout the exercise. Grab a straight bar with your back facing towards the pulley. Open your hands and allow the bar to roll to your fingertips. Return to the starting position and complete a wrist curl at the top of the movement.
Plate Pinch
The plate pinch is a simple exercise which requires a couple of weight plates but will take your forearm gains to the next level. Start with two 10 pound weight plates and pinch them together with one hand. Just like the farmer’s walk, go for a 40-50 yard walk while pinching the plates together and at the end of the distance, stop and continue to hold the weights for as long as possible.
How often do you train your forearms? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Top 10 Exercises For Increasing Bicep Size
Top 10 Exercises For Increasing Bicep Size
Everyone wants have some impressive guns to show off when they rip off their shirt at the beach. In order to get extraordinary looking biceps it requires hard work, dedication, and the right programming for ultimate success. This article breaks down all the requirements needed to build some awesome biceps!
Isolation Exercises for The Biceps
While the biceps are a relatively small muscle, many look to improve their appearance by increasing the size of their biceps. This is most commonly done by incorporating a number of bicep “isolation” exercises which place a maximal stress on the muscle and force it to adapt.
The biceps are a muscle found in the upper arm which are primarily responsible for flexing the elbow. It is a two headed muscle which means that the muscle originates from two different points on the scapula (shoulder blade). This therefore means that, along with flexing the elbow, the biceps assist in generating and controlling movement of the shoulder too.
With this understanding, in order to properly perform bicep isolation exercises, the movements involved with each exercise must revolve around elbow flexion, extension and shoulder rotation.
Muscular Growth Requirements
Before assessing 10 of the best bicep exercises, we must consider two major influencers in the muscle building process. To optimize the rate of muscle growth, it is essential to increase the number of calories and protein consumed in the daily diet. Failing to do so will not allow significant changes in muscle mass to be made.
Consuming more calories is the first requirement of muscle building. Calories are a unit of measurement for energy and therefore, the higher the amount of calories consumed, the greater amount of energy available for the body.
This additional energy is needed by the body to speed up the recovery process after resistance training sessions. The amount of calories required will vary from person to person as a result of sex, physical characteristics and activity levels.
Increasing the amount of protein consumed daily should also considered when looking to enhance muscle size. Protein is the macronutrient responsible for all growth and repair within the body and therefore, it also plays a crucial role in building muscle size. For those aiming to increase muscle size, the recommendation for daily protein consumption is to consume between 1.0 – 1.6 grams per kilogram of Bodyweight (1).
Only once these two factors have been put in place can physical training be considered. For building size in the biceps, a combination of compound and bicep isolation exercises should be used. Compound exercises are “big” movements which utilize many muscles whereas isolation exercises focus on just one muscle group. As suggested previously, isolation exercises are highly important for maximizing bicep development.
When it comes to strength training there are a number of factors that need to be considered, such as training frequency and training volume. Research suggests that for optimal muscle growth, each muscle group should be trained multiple times per week. By repeatedly placing a demand on the muscles of the body, they must adapt rapidly which leads to an increase in muscle strength and size (2).
Lastly, training volume is a topic that has been rigorously researched over the years – specifically the impact of heavy weight, low reps and light weight, high reps training on hypertrophy. While there are a number of differing opinions on this topic, studies indicate that both methods are equally as effective for building muscle (3). Providing training is kept regular, the method that is used to elicit hypertrophy is of little consequence.
The Top 10 Bicep Builders
As will soon be apparent, there is a lot more to bicep training than just the simple bicep curl. The following list includes exercises which manipulate the hand position and use different pieces of gym equipment to apply a stimulus to the bicep in a different way. Training doesn’t have to be boring and I hope that the following list will provide a bank of interesting and diverse bicep exercises that can be added to workouts.
Let’s begin with some barbell-based exercises…
1) Conventional Barbell Curl
Probably the most common bicep builder in the list. This barbell curl will allow the greatest amount of weight to be lifted in comparison to any other exercise. This is because a barbell forces the body into a fixed position and therefore stability becomes enhanced. Being more stable while moving through the range of any exercise will have a positive impact on performance and allow for heavier loads to be lifted.
A recent study reviewed the EMG levels during three bicep exercises and found that the barbell brought about a greater activation of the muscle than dumbbells. EMG simply refers to the electrical activity present within the muscle. Therefore, the barbell curl is extremely effective at targeting the biceps (4).
To perform the barbell curl, grab the barbell with hands approximately shoulder-width apart and stand tall with the chest up. From that position, with arms extended, pin the elbows in tight to the ribcage and focus on hinging only at the elbow. By doing so, the forearm should rise up until the hands are approximately in line with the shoulder before lowering the bar back to the starting position.
It is thought that by adjusting the width of the grip, it is possible to target different parts of the bicep. By narrowing the grip the demand will be placed more on the long head of the bicep whereas a wider grip will shift the demand onto the short head.
2) Wide-Grip Barbell Curl
Leading directly on from this, we have the wide-grip barbell curl. For comprehensive bicep development, it’s important to target the different heads equally and, as mentioned, this is a superb variation that can be used to target the short head of the bicep.
The reason the wide-grip is so effective for short head activation comes down to the biceps control over shoulder movement. By gripping the bar slightly wider than shoulder-width, external rotation of the shoulder occurs. This external rotation changes the position of the upper arm which has a direct impact on the activity of the short head.
3) EZ-Bar Curl
The final barbell-based bicep exercise is the EZ-bar curl. The EZ bar is an undulating barbell which allows the user to grasp the bar with a greater degree of comfort. The bends in the bar take away some of the tension in the wrists and forearm which can be a great help, especially when lifting heavy loads.
In the same bicep study (4), the EZ-bar was also found to activate the biceps brachii to a greater extent when compared to a dumbbell curl. Small, insignificant differences were found between the conventional and EZ curl and therefore, personal preference should dictate which variation to use.
With all barbell exercises and heavy loads, it can be tempting to use other body parts in order to get the bar up. One of the more common ways of doing this is to drive the hips through powerfully to get the barbell moving. Remember, that the bicep curl is an isolation exercise with the purpose of stressing only the biceps and, as a result, the only joint that should move is the elbow.
4) Dumbbell Bicep Curl
Next, we have dumbbell-based bicep exercises. Although the previous study suggested that the bicep curl with dumbbells may not be as effective for bicep activation, it should certainly not be disregarded. As stated earlier, dumbbells are far less stable than barbells; one of the benefits of this is that the surrounding stabilizing musculature is forced to engage in order to facilitate form.
Another positive regarding dumbbells, is their versatility. With the barbell curl, there is a limit to the number of variations that can be performed; not so with the dumbbells, as will soon become clear.
Furthermore, the dynamic of the curl can be altered by adjusting the grip used. With the dumbbell, it is possible to apply a load to the biceps in many different ways by using different grips or by manipulating the arm position. By using two individual weights, shoulder rotation can take place with exercises such as the dumbbell bicep curl. The barbell, on the other hand, only allows for a limited number of different grips and does not allow for any rotation to take place.
5) Dumbbell Hammer Curl
One final benefit that the dumbbells have over the barbell is that the dumbbells may allow for a slightly greater range of motion. With the barbell, as soon as the bar touches the hips, it can go no further. With dumbbells however, the arms can fully extend so that the weight is held by the side of the hips. This stretches out the bicep to its maximum potential prior to contracting.
The hammer position involves holding the dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing the hips) and requires a great deal of work from all elbow flexing muscles. This grip may allow for a more powerful contraction from the biceps and therefore, some individuals may find this variation easier to perform than the conventional curl.
6) Zottman Curl
This is potentially a new exercise for many however, it’s an extremely effective bicep developer. This is one exercise that effectively combines dumbbells and rotation. The biceps assist in the action of rotating of the forearm which explains why rotation is utilized in this exercise.
With the Zottman curl, the arms start extended down by the hips with the palms facing away from the body. A standard curl is performed until the dumbbells are elevated in line with the shoulders. A short pause is taken at that point of peak bicep contraction to allow a rotation through the shoulder to take place. Once this full rotation has occurred, the dumbbells are then lowered back to the original position and the movement repeated for the desired number of reps.
7) Dumbbell Concentration Curl
The concentration curl is an important exercise for anyone who is struggling to move only through the elbow. The technique required for this exercise involves using the knee to support the arm thus preventing the upper arm from moving back or forth. By preventing this from occurring, it is impossible to “cheat” and therefore, the biceps must complete all the work.
To complete the concentration curl, either from a standing or seated position, place the elbow on the inside of the knee. Starting with the arm fully extended, drive the dumbbell up to the shoulders and return in a controlled manner.
8) Incline Dumbbell Curl
By placing a bench on an incline and lying back on it, the elbows moves away from the side of the ribcage to behind the body. Research indicates that this change in position increases the stretch placed on the long head of the biceps (5). Additionally, the bench can be considered a useful addition as it minimizes movement from the trunk of the body and therefore may facilitate better form.
As a consequence of both of these, the incline curl is likely to be more challenging to complete in comparison to free-standing bicep curl exercises.
9) Incline Dumbbell Inner-Biceps Curl
This exercise is almost identical to the aforementioned incline bicep curl and also stretches the long head maximally. The only difference between the two exercises is the position that the dumbbells are held. For the inner-bicep curl, the dumbbells should start wider than the hips and that angle should then be maintained throughout the duration of the movement.
10) Overhead Cable Curl
The final bicep exercise moves away from dumbbells and barbells and instead uses the cables. The overhead cable curl involves adjusting the pulleys so that they are approximately in line with the shoulders. From that position, grasp the handles and ensure that the wrist, elbow and shoulder are all in a straight line, parallel to the floor. From that position, brace hard to enhance stability, and focus on powerfully contracting the biceps so that the hands come in towards the side of the head.
Final Word
Providing a calorie deficit, high protein diet and adequate resistance training are all implemented, muscles will begin to grow. Now, this is not intended to be a comprehensive list of all bicep exercises, rather the purpose was to provide a number of options to keep training interesting and the bicep growing!
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References:
1- Food Funct. 2016 Mar;7(3):1251-65. doi: 10.1039/c5fo01530h. PMID: 26797090 DOI: 10.1039/c5fo01530h
2- Schoenfeld, Brad J.; Ratamess, Nicholas A.; Peterson, Mark D.; Contreras, Bret; Tiryaki-Sonmez, Gul (2015-7). “Influence of Resistance Training Frequency on Muscular Adaptations in Well-Trained Men”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 29 (7): 1821–1829. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000970. ISSN 1533-4287. PMID 25932981.
3- Schoenfeld, Brad J.; Peterson, Mark D.; Ogborn, Dan; Contreras, Bret; Sonmez, Gul T. (2015-10). “Effects of Low- vs. High-Load Resistance Training on Muscle Strength and Hypertrophy in Well-Trained Men”. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 29 (10): 2954–2963. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000000958. ISSN 1533-4287. PMID 25853914.
4- Marcolin, Giuseppe; Panizzolo, Fausto Antonio; Petrone, Nicola; Moro, Tatiana; Grigoletto, Davide; Piccolo, Davide; Paoli, Antonio (July 13, 2018). “Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl”. PeerJ. 6. doi:10.7717/peerj.5165. ISSN 2167-8359. PMC PMCPMC6047503. PMID 30013836.
5- Oliveira, Liliam F.; Matta, Thiago T.; Alves, Daniel S.; Garcia, Marco A.C.; Vieira, Taian M.M. (March 1, 2009). “Effect of the shoulder position on the biceps brachii emg in different dumbbell curls”. Journal of Sports Science & Medicine. 8 (1): 24–29. ISSN 1303-2968. PMC PMCPMC3737788. PMID 24150552.
Follow This 4-Week Forearms Workout Plan To Turn Your Tiny Twigs Into Wood Logs
Follow This 4-Week Forearms Workout Plan To Turn Your Tiny Twigs Into Wood Logs
Forearms are the under-loved siblings of the bis and tris. The majority of people think that training biceps will automatically build their forearms. The said overlooking is why most people limit their forearm training to a couple of sets at the end of their arm workouts.
If you feel that your forearms are lagging as compared to your upper arms, it’s time you stop treating them as accessory muscles. A pair of beefed-up forearms can add to the symmetry of your arms and make them look bigger.
The Best 4-Week Forearm Building Workout
Week 1
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Dumbbell Hammer Curls- 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Preacher Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Towel Cable Rows – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Behind the Back Barbell Crush – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Since the forearms are a small muscle group, you don’t need to dedicate entire workouts to training it. If you have weaker lower arms as compared to your bis and tris, you should begin your arm training with them.
We would recommend that you train bis and forearms or tris and forearms on a single day. Targetting the three muscles together on the same day isn’t going to be as effective as focusing on two.
If you don’t already carry a hand towel to the gym, you should get used to bringing not one but two wipers. Using the hand towels recruits all the muscle fibers in your forearms as it makes holding onto the weight harder.
Week 2
Wrist Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Close Grip Bench Press – 5 Sets 10-8-6-5-4 Reps
Cable Kickbacks – 5 Sets 10-8-6-5-4 Reps
Barbell Skullcrushers – 5 Sets 10-8-6-5-4 Reps
Farmer’s Walk – 5 Sets 1-Minute Walk
The second week’s workout will be a triceps and forearms session. In the first and third week, you can club the tricep workout with your chest session. Train your biceps with your back in the second and fourth weeks.
You’ll be performing a lower number of reps in your tricep exercises as compared to the bicep exercises. Triceps are mostly formed of fast-twitch muscle fibers and respond better to lower reps and heavier weights.
In all the exercises you perform, make sure you’re focusing on your forearms and maintaining a mind-muscle connection. While doing the farmer’s walk, hold onto a heavy pair of dumbbells so that you have to struggle past the 30-second mark.
Week 3
Towel Kettlebell Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Reverse Grip 21s – 5 Sets
Zottman Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Behind the Back Cable Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Wrist Rollers – 5 Sets 10 Rolls Up 10 Down
If you don’t have access to kettlebells in your gym, you can use the good-old dumbbells instead. You might have performed the 21’s but the reverse grip 21’s are a whole new game.
Zottman curls are one of the most underutilized arm training exercises. The Zottman curls are arguably the most brutal exercise on the list and you’ll have to keep your ego in check while performing it.
Week 4
Cable Pressdowns – 5 Sets 10-8-6-5-4 Reps
Reverse Wrist Curls – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Single Arm Overhead Tricep Extensions – 5 Sets 10-10-8-8-8 Reps
Grip Crush – 5 Sets 20-20-15-15-12 Reps
Dead Hangs – 5 Sets 1-Minute Each
Most people make the mistake of lifting too heavy when it comes to forearm training. Going overboard with the weights while training your lower arms can result in an injury as the wrists are relatively smaller joints and aren’t meant to take the constant tension produced by exercises like the wrist curls.
In the forearm training, your aim should be to go after the pump rather than trying to kill the muscles with heavier weights. You can push the envelope with the intensity in lower arm training with exercises like the grip crushes as there isn’t any wrist curling involved.
How often do you train your forearms? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Build Massive Forearms with this Workout
Workout for Building Big Forearms
Forearms are right beside the biceps but don’t get nearly the same love as the big guns. Most people do a couple of wrists curls to train their forearms in every few weeks. The overlooking of training the forearms is a big reason many people have skinny forearms.
Muscular forearms are a symbol of strength and can add functionality by improving your grip strength. Not to mention, chiseled forearms can add to the symmetry and aesthetics of the physique.
Behind the Back Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 15-12-10 Reps
Since your forearms are a small muscles group, they will take relatively less time to recover from a working set as compared to your bis or tris. You should be able to complete your forearm workouts in 25-30 minutes.
Grab the barbell behind your back with an underhand grip. Maintain a full range of motion and curl up the barbell using your wrists. Let the barbell roll out to your fingertips at the bottom of the movement. Doing so will recruit all the muscle fibers in your forearms.
Superset
– Reverse Grip Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 10 Reps
– Wrist Curls – 3 Sets 10 Reps
The reverse grip wrist curls train the top of the forearms while the underhand grip wrist curls train the bottom of the forearm. Use a monkey grip while performing the reverse wrist curls to recruit higher muscle fibers.
Most people make the mistake of lifting too heavy weights in the wrist curls. Leave your ego out of the exercise and use weights you can lift with a full range of motion. You can perform both the superset exercise with your forearms placed on a flat bench or on your quads. Use the wrist curl machine if you have access to it at your gym.
Farmer’s Walk – 3 Sets Failure
You can do the farmer’s walk using dumbbells or a trap bar. In the farmer’s carry, you need to lift a couple of heavy dumbbells and walk around until you can’t hold onto the weights anymore.
The farmer’s carry is a great exercise to develop muscle mass and strength in your forearms. You can also perform the dumbbell or barbell holds to train your forearms. In these exercises, all you have to do is hold onto the bar for the longest time possible.
Wrist Roller – 3 Sets Failure
The wrist rollers look easier than they are. Maintaining a strict form throughout the exercise is an important factor in targeting your forearms. Extend your arms straight forward so they’re parallel to the floor while holding the wrist roller with both your hands.
Roll the weight plate up by rolling the bar towards yourself. While rolling down make sure you don’t let the weight drop by itself. Use a slow and controlled movement to lower the weight. Don’t let your arms lower down while performing the exercise.
Use Oversized Grips
One great way of targeting your forearms in every biceps exercise is to use oversized grips. Using oversized grips make it harder for you to hold onto the barbell or dumbbell and recruits your forearms into action.
If you don’t have oversized grips at your gym, you can wrap around towels around the bars to thicken the grip. If you have weak forearms, you can train them before you start your bi and tri workout as it will recruit your forearms in the arm exercises.
How often do you train your forearms? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
The Machine-Only Bicep Workout For Building Huge Biceps
This Machine-Only Bicep Workout Will Give You Intergalactic Gains
Big biceps have been the symbol of machoism and badassery for ages. Getting girls and building big biceps are two of the most common reasons why people get a gym membership. If building your guns was easy, everyone would be walking around with mountain like biceps.
Most people make the mistake of overly depending on dumbbell and barbells for building their pythons. Following the same workout routine can make you hit a plateau. You need to constantly shock your muscles to make them grow.
1. Cable Curls – 3 Sets 20 Reps
Cable curls are a great exercise for pre-exhausting your guns at the beginning of your workouts. Performing cable curls on a straight bar help with building overall size in your biceps. Cable curls are a substitute for the barbell curls.
Using cables helps you maintain a constant tension on your muscles throughout the exercise. While using the free weights, you have tension on your target muscle on the concentric movement but have no stress on the eccentric movement.
2. Cable Preacher Curls – 3 Sets 12 Reps
You haven’t experienced true isolation until you perform the cable preacher curls. Use the preacher curl machine if you have an access to it at your gym. Otherwise, set up the preacher curl bench on the cable machine.
Set the cable pulley and the bench so the weights don’t rack at the bottom of the movement. This will help in maintaining a constant tension on your biceps. Hold the straight bar at shoulder width and squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.
3. Cable Rope Curls – 3 Sets 12 Reps
Cable rope curls are a substitute for the hammer curls. In hammer curls, you hold a dumbbell in each hand and your palms face each other. Hammer curls are incredibly effective at building the length of your biceps.
While performing the cable rope curls, make sure your elbows are locked in a position and you contract your biceps at the top of the movement. Keep the reps slow and deliberate to get the most out of this exercise.
4. Overhand Bicep Curls – 3 Sets 15-12-12 Reps
Most people neglect training their forearms. Not training your forearms can cause an imbalance between your biceps and forearms. Your workouts should be designed so they help you build muscle symmetry.
Use a straight bar for this exercise. Place your thumbs over the straight bar while performing this exercise. Doing this will force your forearms to recruit more muscle fibers to hold onto the bar.
5. High Cable Curls – 3 Sets 15 Reps
High cable curls are arguably one of the best bicep finishers. This exercise will help you in building a peak in your biceps. Most people let their egos get the better of them while doing this exercise. They put on more weights than they can handle.
Stand in the center of the cable pulley machine and hold a D-handle in each hand. Make sure your elbows stay fixed while you perform the curls. Pause for a second at the top of the movement and contract your muscles for optimal results.
Which is your favorite bicep exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Best Exercises for Building Guns of Steel
Build Bigger Arms with these Exercises
Most people get a gym membership so they can have bigger arms. Although arm exercises are shown a lot of love all around the world, only a few people are successful in building their pythons.
Just like us humans, no two arms exercises are created equal. We see a countless number of people curling weights but only a few own a pair of loaded guns. Don’t be one of those people wasting their time doing bicep curls. Read through and join the other side.
Biceps
Barbell Curls
Barbell curls are for biceps what squats are for the legs. Using the Olympic barbell for the bicep curls will recruit more muscle fibers as compared to the smaller barbell. Maintain an upright stance while performing the curls and don’t use momentum by bending forward or backward.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Alternate dumbbell bicep curls are a staple in a bicep workout. While performing the curls, rotate your wrists outwards at the top of the movement. Doing so will work the peak of your guns.
Preacher Curls
Preacher curls are an isolation exercise. Most people make the mistake of not following a full range of motion while performing this exercise. Your forearms should touch the preacher machine at the bottom of the movement, and the barbell should be at a fist’s distance from your forehead at the top.
Dumbbell Hammers Curls
Dumbbell hammer curls target the outer head of the biceps, the forearms and the length of the biceps. Tip – curling the dumbbells towards the inner pecs will target the outer biceps and curling straight ahead will target the medial biceps.
Concentration Curls
Bend over and place your elbow on the side of your quad. Perform a slow and controlled curl and squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement. You can perform the concentration curls while standing or sitting.
21’s
21’s are one of the most brutal bicep exercises. Bicep pumps will never be the same for you once you try this exercise. In a single set, perform seven reps from the bottom to the middle of a bicep curl range. Perform the next seven reps from the top to the middle. Finish the set with seven reps with a full range of motion.
Overhead Bicep Curls
Stand in the center of the cable pulley machine and use the D-handle attachments. Mimic the motion of performing a front double bicep pose and squeeze the living hell out of your pythons. Overhead bicep curls work the inner heads and the peak of biceps.
Triceps
Close Grip Bench Press
Close grip bench press help in building muscle mass in your triceps. Most people have big biceps but lack size on their tri’s. The close grip bench press is a compound movement and is best done at the beginning of the workouts.
Overhead Dumbbell Extensions
The overhead tricep exercises primarily target the long head of the tricep while the pressing movements target the medial and the shorter heads. Performing the overhead extensions with back support will assist in maintaining a better form.
Cable Pressdowns
Cable press downs are a great isolation exercise. Most people make the mistake of leaning on the bar and towards the pulley. You should stand straight and maintain a full range of motion to get the most out of the exercise.
Cable Kickbacks
Cable kickbacks are better than the dumbbell version as they keep constant tension on the triceps. Contract your triceps at the extension of the elbow and slowly return to the starting position.
Overhead Rope Extensions
Overhead rope extensions are one of the few isolation exercises which target the long tricep head. At the bottom of the movement, keep your hands close to each other and spread them as you reach the top.
Barbell Skullcrushers
Skullcrushers are a great exercise for the overall development of the tris. Start with the barbell at a fist’s distance from your forehead. Your elbows should stay in place throughout the movement. Squeeze your triceps at the top of the movement.
Dips
Dips are a functional movement and you can change the difficulty of this exercise as per your current stage. If you are a beginner, you can do the bench dips. Intermediate lifters can perform the dips on the parallel bars and the advanced bros can do the weighted dips.
Which is your favorite bicep exercise? Let us know in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook and Twitter.
Do Pull Ups Before Every Workout For Killer Arms
Start strong, end even stronger!
So it’s arm day. You’re going to do your usual workout, on your usual machines, with your usual enthusiasm, “This is hard but bearable, at least I can maintain”. But for those of you who are awake, or just tired of being asleep, we’ve got a quick fix to terrorize your arm day, and give it that well needed jolt it deserves.
The secret we are sharing here is to perform pullups before any other exercise during arm day. This will surely fire up those biceps, but also work to target other muscle groups to give you a well-rounded warmup and pump all at once. For those skeptical, this training program can be a game changer if you open your mind to it and commit to seeing big gains.
The program is broken into two sections, “A”, and “B”, and you attach it to the beginning of your arm day workout. Alternate days according to your workout. By following this instructions, you will really start to see great gains and something you can be proud of.
Program A: Do 50 pull-ups as fast as you can (strict as possible)
Program B: Do as many pull-ups as you can within 10 minutes
The Breakdown
While the workout is fairly straightforward there are common pitfalls you can make. Many builders get too overzealous and go too hard in the beginning. While this is admiral, the guts and glory approach can leave you with nothing in the tank to finish the set. You want to leave at least two bullets (pull-ups) in the chamber in order to get to your goal. Longevity is key here.
Another common mistake is staying with one grip. You can switch up grips as much as you’d like for this exercise and we recommend that you do. If you’re a pull-up God then go for it, bust out 50 under hands, strict.
For the rest of us, alternate your grip between underhand (biceps), neutral (palms facing each other; brachialis), and pronated (palms facing away from you: corachobrachialis).
You can also alternate between hand placements. Wide grip emphasize the shoulders as well as other back muscle, while the close grip involve the biceps more as they are in line with the shoulders, giving them slightly more stability.
If you’re feeling really froggy, try extreme close grips (triceps) or extreme wide grips to (traps) to really give you that superman feel. *Plus they look pretty cool when you’re doing them on the bar*
Note: This exercise tend to work best with builders who can do at least 8-10 strict pull-ups, so if you’re not there yet, you might want to concentrate on those first. If you’re doing 10-15 strict pull-ups or more you might want to add weight to get you to the 8-10 range. This will give you the endurance and strength gains you’re looking for.
Wrap Up
To be honest you can add this to the beginning or end of any upper body workout as it hits your lats, biceps, and shoulders in many different ways. Pullups are a great exercise to promote all sorts of crazy benefits especially when it comes to overall strength and added support. For whatever your respective sport may be, definitely consider adding pullups to your training program before arm day to enhance that much desired growth. Make this change and you won’t be disappointed with the results.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
5 Best Exercises For Massive Forearms
Do These 5 Exercises For Big Forearms
Forearms are one of the most underrated muscle groups, and most people overlook training them. If you’re someone who prefers wearing t-shirts, your forearms are more exposed than your biceps, so why not try and give them the love they deserve. While people may not look directly at your forearms, a set of solid and strong forearms can add to your physique and make others certainly envy you.
Even if you’re someone who focuses on training forearms, they can be a challenging muscle group to build up. They are one of the top areas that people struggle with and often find themselves plateauing. We want to make sure we focus on those muscles that others envy. A common mistake is that there are only a few exercises to work your forearms. That is not true. Plenty of compound movements will give your forearms a burn so they grow. What you will find however is that there are certain exercises perfect for building and isolating your forearms, so they grow.
Muscle symmetry can add to your body aesthetics and can make your arms look bigger than they are. Training your forearms as accessory muscles isn’t enough to add muscle mass. You need to treat them as you would treat any other muscle group. As a bodybuilder, or someone seeking a well-rounded physique, don’t neglect a body part that is most visible most often. A set of forearms that will stand out and only add to your symmetry is exactly what you need to see the growth and overall gains you want most.
That’s why we’ve put together this list of the five best exercises for how to get bigger forearms. If done right, this will get you on the path to building massive forearms to be proud of. With the right approach and proper training, you will be well on your way to seeing effective gains all while giving your forearms the love they deserve.
Anatomy of the Forearms
Your forearms are made up of three muscles/ muscle groups, all working for their own benefit respectively. Your brachioradialis is the muscle that flexes the forearm at the elbow (1). Certain exercises like hammer curls are great for this muscle.
Your flexors are located on the posterior side of the forearm and are responsible for wrist extension, finger extension, and forearm supination, so turning your palm upward and outward. An exercise like the barbell wrist curl is a good one for flexors.
The extensor muscles are located on the anterior of the forearm and deal mainly with flexion and pronation, rotating your forearm so your palm is backwards and downwards. The dumbbell wrist extension exercise is a good exercise to perform for forearm growth.
Benefits Of Strong Forearms
Having strong forearms is important when it comes to those of us who lift for a number of reasons. They first provide for better grip strength and as we work up in weight, it is important for us to realize that we need to have a solid and secure grip so our gains never falter (2). They also provide for bicep stability and will work improve all those big lifts that deal with your biceps and other body parts. Plus, they will provide for a more rounded and symmetrical physique that others will definitely envy.
5 Best Exercises For Massive Forearms
As promised, we wanted to share the 5 best exercises for massive forearms. Knowing the right exercises and having the right approach to training will better prepare you to tackle any workout. While forearms tend to be overlooked, these exercises will give you great gains and make you see the progress you want most.
Let’s take a look at these best 5 forearm exercises so you can have the best for all your gains.
1. Barbell Wrist Curls
Barbell wrist curls are one of the most common forearm exercises and yet most people perform them incorrectly. Don’t let your ego get the better of you while doing this exercise and use weights you can maintain a full range of motion with. The barbell wrist curls work the brachioradialis and flexors.
The best way of performing the barbell or dumbbell wrist curls is to kneel down at the side of a flat bench with your forearms placed on the bench. Grab a barbell with an underhand grip and curl it as high as you can while lowering the barbell. Let the barbell roll down to the tip of your fingers. Doing so will help in recruiting all the muscle fibers in your forearms and hands.
2. Barbell Reverse Wrist Curls
Barbell reverse curls is another common forearm exercise but is a little harder as compared to the normal wrist curls. Use a wrist curl machine if you have access to it at your gym or use a flat bench.
You will be lifting lighter weights in this exercise as compared to the normal wrist curls. Grab the bar with an overhand monkey (thumbs over the barbell) grip. A monkey grip helps in better targeting your forearms better. The reverse wrist curls work the extensor muscles.
3. Behind the Back Cable Wrist Curls
Behind the back cable wrist curl is a great exercise to isolate your forearms. Using the cables will help you maintain a constant tension on your forearms and will fill your muscles with lactic acid.
Stand with your back towards the cable pulley machine and grab a straight bar. Curl the bar and hold the movement at the contraction for a couple of seconds. This exercise focuses on your brachioradialis and flexors.
4. Reverse Grip Barbell Curls
Reverse grip barbell curls are a compound exercise and will help you in developing muscle mass and strength in your forearms. Holding the barbell with an overhand monkey grip will make your forearms work harder to hold onto the bar.
Keep your elbows pinched to your sides and curl the barbell. Keep the reps slow and controlled and squeeze your forearms and biceps at the top of the movement. The reverse grip barbell curls work the extensors.
5. Farmer’s Walk
Farmer’s walk helps in building forearm size and grip strength which can carry over to other exercises. The farmer’s walk is also one of the easiest exercises to perform. Grab a pair of dumbbells and walk around until you can’t hold onto the dumbbells anymore.
Another variation of this exercise is the pinch carries. In pinch carriers, you need to pinch together two plates so they don’t slip. Pinch carries activate your forearms by forcing you to squeeze your fingers so the plates don’t separate.
Recommended Forearms Workout
With so many workouts out there, finding a good forearms workout may be challenging. We wanted to share a great one with you so you can tackle your arm goals with no problem.
Exercises
Sets
Reps
Barbell Wrist Curls
3
15
Barbell Reverse Wrist Curls
3
15
Behind The Back Cable Wrist Curls
3
12
Reverse Grip Barbell Curls
3
12
Farmer’s Walk
2
1 minute
Tip: Use a Thick Bar or Fat Gripz
Another way for how to get bigger forearms is to increase the muscle fiber recruitment of the forearm muscles and grip is to use a thicker bar. Conventional barbells and dumbbells have one-inch handles, but you can use thicker bars to make the forearms work harder. Thicker bars also provide a greater stimulus for your forearms to grow stronger and larger. It would be worth trying this out for you will get great benefits that can work towards your goals with a solid bar.
Supplements For Bigger Forearms
When looking to enhance forearm growth, looking to the right supplements will prove to be worthwhile for growth and recovery. A solid pre-workout can work to provide energy and push past fatigue while also aiding in increased blood flow so your forearm muscles really start to grow. On top of that, a protein supplement for those post-workout gains will work to boost protein synthesis and allow those muscle tears to heal producing more muscle. Creatine is also great for increasing strength and size and for those really looking to put on mass and muscle, a mass gainer is a great option to advance your gains.
Wrap Up
Getting bigger forearms can make those arms of yours truly pop. How to get bigger forearms may seem challenging, but with this workout and some great supplements, you are well on your way to making that happen. Don’t neglect your forearms and give yourself the best chance at overall success by putting these 5 best exercises for massive forearms into your routine.
Let us know what you think in the comments below. Also, be sure to follow Generation Iron on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
*Images courtesy of Envato
References
Mitchell, B.; et al. (2021). “Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Forearm Muscles”. (source)
Szymanski, D.; et al. (2004). “Effect of 12 Weeks of Wrist and Forearm Training on High School Baseball Players”. (source)