If you want bigger arms (and who doesn’t?), it’s not enough to focus on growing your biceps.
Sure, everyone loves bicep curls…
Because we’re feeling “the pump” when we’re doing them and we look great in the mirror.
But the truth is, biceps make only ⅓ of your arm.
The name says it all…
The bi-ceps consists of two heads – long and short – and thus its name that comes from Latin…
And means “two heads”...
While the tri-ceps has three heads: the long, lateral, and medial head.
So, if you want to build bigger arms, the math is simple…
You should focus on a bigger tricep muscle. Plus, you’re going to improve your sports performance since the triceps are involved in many functional movements…Such as throwing a ball, swinging a baseball bat, and so on. That’s why it’s crucial that you add some triceps-focused exercises to your routine.
Here’s what I think are the best exercises that are often overlooked for bigger and stronger arms:
1. Close Grip Bench Press
This is just a variation of a normal bench press where your arms are slightly less than shoulder width apart. Your triceps will carry the majority of the load here. Another benefit is having a strong close grip bench, which will lead to a stronger normal bench press.
2. Overhead Tricep Extension
Grab the dumbbell with both of your hands and put it behind your back, then raise it slowly as much as you can. This is a great complementary exercise to the close grip bench because it provides a greater stretch to the tricep in the eccentric part of the lift. You can also test out different variations of this exercise, such as a dumbbell in each hand or using the cable machine.
3. Incline Dumbbell Curls
Sit on an adjustable bench at a 60-degree angle and make sure that your back is completely flat on the bench. If you've never done this exercise, it will add some size pretty quickly to your biceps. The stretch at the bottom will make your arm thicker, and the contraction at the top gives your bicep a bigger "peak."
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I recommend you add these to your next arm day. The Close Grip Bench should be done heavier at 6-8 reps.
Overhead Tricep Extension should be done to fatigue the muscle at the end. Go light and keep the reps at 12+ per set with low rest time.
For the incline dumbbell curls, you'll stay in the 8-12 range. 3-4 sets per each exercise is enough to see growth.
But lifting the weights is only half the battle. Make sure you're getting enough sleep so you can recover fully. That's where your muscles realistically grow.
Make sure to use Oh!mino every day post-workout to aid in recovery and muscle growth.
Stay fit my friend,
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Michael