Building World Class Arms

Arms are one of the first things that other people notice and compliment so it’s natural to want to include lifts that specifically target your arms. In addition to improving the way you look, working out your arms and making them stronger also helps you with your other lifts. Or simply, making your triceps stronger will allow you to press more weight in lifts such as bench-press, overhead press, etc. Likewise, making your biceps strong will allow you to pull more weight in lifts such as row, wide-grip pull-downs, etc. The rest of this post will be dedicated towards tips and recommended lifts for building large and powerful arms.

Tips:

• Like other lifts, gradually increase your weights

• Stick to one particular workout for at least a month

• Include bicep lifts on your pull-days (back-days)

• Include lifts that target your triceps on push-days (chest and shoulders)

• If your arms are not responding to your workout, increase the amount of lifts that target them. For example, if you have only been doing bicep lifts on back days, then add some bicep workouts into other workouts, but make sure you give them a sufficient amount of rest between workouts.

Biceps:

• Standing Hammer Curls: This lifts is performed by holding a dumbbell in each hand in the same way you would hold a hammer. Lift one dumbbell at a time to maintain good form (elbows planted at your sides!) and focus on the muscle being trained. This lift targets the outer head of the bicep and helps build a taller peak.

• Preacher Curl: This lift targets and isolates the bicep, and it helps prevent wrist strain.

Triceps:

• Triceps Push-down: This lift is typically done using a cable machine. This is a good exercise for maintaining the same level of strain on your muscle throughout the motion. Remember to keep your elbows planted at your sides, and don’t neglect the concentric portion of the lift.

• Dips: This is a great lift for muscle building and a great addition to chest day as well. When performing this lift, make sure to keep from leaning to make sure your triceps are doing all of the work. The more you lean forward, the more you are targeting your chest. 

 To view other great arm building exercises, please visit: Ultimate Arm Exercises

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Leg Workouts

Most strength training enthusiasts hate having to do leg days, and a good portion of weight lifters completely ignore their legs. This is due to many people only working out so that they can look good or due to the misconception that leg workouts are primarily for athletes. However, Working out your legs can have many benefits such as increased calorie burning, a more symmetrical body shape, and increased power for other lifts. The rest of this post will have some tips and recommended lifts that will help you achieve the most powerful legs possible.

Tips:

1.     Lift heavy weights for a maximum of five reps.

2.     Have three minutes of rest between each set.

3.     Do not lockout your legs during squats or any leg presses. This is to prevent possible leg injury, especially when you are lifting heavy weights.

4.     Make sure to utilize progressive overload in order to continue to grow.

5.     Do not do leg extensions because they are a waste of time and they put a lot of stress on your knees.

6.     Legs more than any other part of your body should be primarily developed using compound movements instead of isolation exercises.

Essential Lifts:

1.     Squats: Back Squats are best and it is important to at least lower the barbell until your thighs are parallel to the ground.

2.     Lunges: These can be done with either a barbell or dumbbells. This workout really targets the hamstrings and glutes.

3.     One-Legged Squats/Split Squat: This is an advanced lift where you place one foot on a bench and then simply squat using one leg. It is best to use a smith machine for this lift because you will need the stability. If you are confused, look up this lift on YouTube.

4.     Leg Press Machine: A leg press machine is a good way to finish a leg work out because you can safely go till exhaustion. It can also be used as a good warm up for squats.

Standing/Seated Calf Raises: These can be performed using a leg press machine, a smith machine, or one of the dedicated calf workout machines you can find in any gym. It is important to use a full range of motion and to use heavy weights because calves are notoriously difficult to grow. In fact, you want to hit your calves twice a week if they are not responding to a once a week workout.

To read about other leg workouts, please visit: The 30 Best Leg Exercises of All Time


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