A lot of people think that curls, curls, and more curls are the key to big arms. This article explain why that is far from the answer, and look at how you can get real results. So, how do you get bigger arms?
It is important to understand that your arms are much more than just your biceps. In fact, your triceps make up two thirds of your arm. Therefor, working your triceps is extremely important for building your arms. That does not mean that you neglect your biceps. You need to work both to really get results.
OK, you need to work both muscle groups in your arms. Now, how do you do that? The key is to mix it up. Your bicep consists of two muscles, which is why it starts with "bi". If you only do one move, you are more than likely not hitting both bicep muscles. You need to use a variety of moves. Hammer curls, supination curls and reverse grip curls are all important to making sure that you hit both bicep muscles properly.
The triceps are a little more complex than the biceps. They consist of 3 muscles, which is why they begin with "tri." So, in order to work your triceps, you need to use a variety of motions. Pushups, tricep extensions, skull crushers, and flip grip tricep kickbacks all hit your triceps from different angles.
Here is a simple rule of thumb for figuring out how to work your different arm muscles. Anything similar to a pulling motion, bringing your hand closer to your body, such as pullups, will work your biceps. Anything that is similar to a pushing motion, such as pushups, or that increases the angle between your forearm and upper arms, will work your triceps.
In addition to using a variety of moves for each muscle group, there are 3 more key components to real muscle growth. First is nutrition. If you are not feeding your muscles, they will not grow. You want to be eating lean protein, complex carbs, healthy fats and drinking lots of water. Try to eat something substantial within an hour after finishing your workout. Next is stretching. This is important for two reasons. First, if helps prevent injury. Second, it helps reduce recovery time. Obviously both of those things are important, so don't skip your stretching. Last is rest. Muscles need time to heal. If you work your arms everyday, you'll more than likely end up injured pretty quickly. Allow a few days of rest between workouts for each specific muscle.
Beachbody's Body Beast is a great program if your are looking to put on muscle mass. It covers both the workouts and nutrition needed for real muscle gain. If you liked this article, and would like more great fitness tips, along with the occasional free workout, check out my Team Beachbody Coach Blog.
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