How to grow big arms

As a personal trainer of over 15 years, I get asked a lot of questions. However, in regards to the younger demographic, especially the males, I am often asked how to gain size on the arms. So let's discuss this. How do you grow bigger arms, and what are the best exercises to gain muscle in the arms?

Before anything, it's important to look at the arms anatomically. In regards to the arms, there are five muscular heads to the arm. Three of which are in the triceps, and two of which are in the biceps. This is a common misunderstanding as most people think that when you want to gain size on your arms that you need to train the biceps. In actuality the arm consists more of triceps than it does biceps. So obviously it's very important not to neglect triceps training.

To grow bigger arms, I recommend training arms on their own day. In other words, do biceps and triceps during the same session. Whichever one is lagging the most, I recommend training first. For instance, if your triceps are more developed than your biceps, I recommend doing biceps first and vice versa. In regards to gaining size, the arms are not unlike any other muscle group in that it's going to respond to intensity, overlord, and rest as well as proper nutrition.

Try to hit each muscle group from different angles, with varying weights, and more importantly feel the muscle contraction and stretch with each repetition. Don't throw the weight around, don't use momentum, and utilize the mind muscle connection to make sure that you are contracting and feeling the muscle through the whole range of motion.

Document in a training journal the exercises performed, the weights used, and repetitions. Look at your journal and see which workouts provide the best results. Again, it is very important to emphasize that the arms are not unlike any other muscle group in that it's going to respond to overload, intensity, and then subsequent rest and proper nutrition.

In summation, when training the arms, I recommend giving them their own day. Train biceps and triceps together during the same session, prioritizing whichever one is least developed first. Make sure to document exercises performed, reps, weight used, etc. Remember not to neglect proper nutrition and proper rest for recovery. As always, if you have any questions, feel free to reach us anytime at every body's personal trainer.