Some might argue that since the beginning of time, the true measure of a man’s brute and masculinity is measured by only one thing; no not that! His arms. Turn of the century circus type pioneering bodybuilder Eugene Sandow developed his arms to amazed onlookers, Arnold Schwarzenneger flexed his 22 inch arms to 7 Mr. Olympia titles, and children always want to be dazzled by how big their Dad or Uncle’s arms are.
So if you have wimp arms, the first thing to take note of is that it really isn’t just about the bicep (the front of your arm), because the tricep (the back of your arm) is two thirds of your arm’s muscle. So doing endless sets of barbell curls in the gym ain’t gonna get you into the “gun” show.
Do these arm exercises three times per week and feel your arm sleeves on your shirts start to feel tighter!
Tricep Bench Dip
1) Start by placing your hands on a bench or chair and your feet on the ground with your legs bent just slightly.
2. Lower yourself down until your arms are bent to about 90 degrees.
3. Return to the starting position and repeat 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Skull Crushers
1) Start by lying on a bench and holding a barbell above your chest with your arms straight. Hands should have a medium wide grip, about shoulder width apart.
2) Without moving your shoulders, bend your elbows so that the bar comes down to your forehead level.
3) Stop the bar just before it gets to your forehead and then extend your arms back up to the starting position.
4) Do 3 sets of 15 repetitions with a moderate weight.
Diamond Pushups
1) Lie face down on the floor and place your hands in the center of your chest and form a triangle shape with your index fingers and thumbs. Feet should be at hip width with toes on floor.
2) Extend the elbows and raise your body off the floor.
4) Lower your entire body (legs, hips, trunk, and head) 3-7 inches from the floor.
5) Return to the starting position by extending at the elbows and pushing your body up.
6) Remember to keep your body and head in a neutral position, don’t raise your hips/butt up too high or droop too low, and never lock out at the elbows.
Dumbbell Curl (two arms)
1) Stand with your feet shoulder width apart and knees slightly bent or sit in upright position on a bench or stability ball.
2) Grasp Dumbbells with an underhand grip (palms facing forward) and allow your arms to hang down at your sides. Your elbows should be close to your sides.
3) Curl the dumbbells up to approximately shoulder level. Keep your elbows close to your sides throughout the movement. Don’t arch your back.
4) Return back down to the starting position.
5) During the movement, your shoulders should be stabilized by squeezing your shoulder blades together slightly, only your elbow joint should be moving.
Some additional tips for getting rid of “Wimp Arms”.
-Remember that anytime you do chest exercises you work the triceps, and anytime you do back exercises you work the biceps. So, in order not to overtrain the arms, do not do chest and tricep on consecutive days, and do not do back and bicep on consecutive days. You’ll need a day’s rest to help the arm muscles grow.
– Exercise machines are great, but don’t rely on them too much because they have a fixed range of motion and your body memorizes that range and adapts quickly. Free weights and manual resistance are always the best choices to get those arms big.
Cheers,
Jack Witt, MS, CPT
Fitness and Health Coach
818-760-3891 Main
310-562-5629 Cell
www.getfitwithWitt.com