Most Effective Exercises for Arms (Biceps + Triceps) Development

 

BICEPS and TRICEPS- This is a fact that when people look at the gym goers, they look at their arms first even before the back, chest, legs, face. So everyone wants to have strong and big arms.

Biceps muscle consists of two muscles i.e short head bicep brachii and the long head bicep brachii and both of these heads extend out of the scapula, which is often referred to as the shoulder blade, to the forearm.

Also, having bigger and stronger arms gives a feeling of self-confidence. Muscular arms convey a sense of athleticism and strength. Stronger arms increase your metabolism, increase muscle endurance, strength and lower the chance of injury.

Now two major and main muscles in upper arm are the BICEPS and TRICEPS. It is very important to know that both are opposite functioning muscle groups, so they require different types of exercises for strength training.

BICEPS- The key muscle involved in lifting and pulling with arms. This is a double-headed muscle that is from your shoulder to your elbow.

Before we jump onto the exercises, it is pertinent to mention that every exercise has a perform form and needs to be performed with that form only else it may cause serious injuries.

Now let’s see the most effective exercise for the developing the biceps. These are general in form for all type of gym goers.

“Barbell Curl”- The most basic and the very first exercise. Now to do this exercise, keep your back straight and in controlled to avoid moving body except arms to put the pressure all the way to your arms(biceps).

Always start with a lighter weight to have the command over the form.                   

Steps to do Barbell curl exercise:

Stand properly on your feet about shoulder-width apart.

Hold the barbell rod with your arms at your side, palms facing out.

While exhaling, slowly curl the barbell up toward your chest. Keep your chest still, using only your arms to lift the barbell.

While inhaling, hold the position for a second, then slowly lower the barbell to its starting position.

Repeat 10 to 12 reps and may be extended upto 15reps keeping your form correct.

“Chinup” - The chinup requires a sturdy chinup bar that’s high enough off the ground that your feet won’t touch the floor when your arms are extended.

To do a chinup: Stand under the chinup bar, and take your both arms up to the bar so that your palms are facing you.

Grab the bar tightly with both hands. You may need to jump or step up to reach the bar.

With a firm grip and your thumbs wrapped around the bar, keep your body steady. It may help to cross your legs with more stability.

While exhaling slowly, pull your body upward by bending your elbows.

Keep your elbows in front of you as you focus on letting your biceps pull you up to where your chin meets the bar.

Pause for a moment, then slowly lower yourself to the starting position before repeating the move again. 10-12 reps even more if you can do.

Alternate Biceps curl/Dumbbell

One of the oldest, basic and most effective exercises for developing the biceps.

How to do Alternate Biceps

On the way up, turn your wrists so your pinky faces your shoulder.

Lift powerfully, but without swinging. Lower the weight under control after each rep.

 Preacher Curl, standing cable curl and seated dumbbell

Preacher curl, is also one of the best exercise for biceps. The reason being, it allows you to isolate your biceps, but you can also go wide, you can go narrow, so you're hitting different heads.

TRICEPS

To have bigger arms, one must focus on developing the triceps first as it covers the major area of the arms. Bigger Triceps with underdeveloped arms may seem good but vice versa Bigger Biceps with underdeveloped triceps not a good look, not a good look. So, when it comes to make decision for the priority always choose triceps.

The very basic and important exercise for the tricep is Triceps Rope Pulldown- This is done by pulling down the rope in a standing position.

Overhead extension-   This is done with single Dumbbell. Always set the weight according to your capacity which can be controlled easily and gradually increase the weight.

Sit on the bench, take your hands above the head and hold the dumbbell with both the hands and lift it up over the head so that your arms are straight. Slowly bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle so that the dumbbell finishes behind your head.

Slowly straighten your arms so that the weight is above your head again.

 DIPS

Important exercise for triceps.

Stand in between the rails of a dip bar.

Grip each bar with your arms straight down by your side.

You may need to bend your knees to keep from touching the floor.

Slowly bend your elbows and lower yourself until your upper arms are almost parallel to the floor. Straighten your arms until you’re back at your starting position.

With Single or Double hand OverHead Extension

Stand with your feet about shoulder-width apart, with one foot slightly in front of the other for balance. You can also do this exercise while sitting on a bench.

Place both hands or hold the dumbbell with single hand to do this exercise.

Lift the dumbbell up over your head so that your arms are straight.

Slowly bend your elbows to a 90-degree angle so that the dumbbell finishes behind your head.

Slowly straighten your arms so that the weight is above your head again.

Triangle pushup

The triangle pushup has been found the most effective for the triceps as just you need your body weight to do this.

Get into traditional pushup position with only your toes and hands touching the floor.

Place your hands below your face with your forefingers and thumbs touching, forming a triangle between your hands.

While keeping your torso and legs straight, slowly lower your body so that your nose comes close to your hands.

Push your body back up to its starting position, being careful not to arch your back.

Close Grip Barbell Bench Press

Keep your elbows tucked in at your sides, and explode up with triceps. This is done in lying position on bench. There are many advance trainings as well for developing the whole arm(Biceps+Triceps) but that can only be attempted once you have mastered the basics and basic form of the exercise under proper supervision.

Also, while doing these exercise or any other exercise for other body parts, always keep your protein intake high for muscle growth and speeds up recovery between workouts, Eat more complex carbohydrates, like protein, complex carbs are essential for building muscle,  healthy fats and good calories.

So these are few best exercises for biceps and triceps and if you aren’t doing such exercises then give them a try and find the results. Also, my video sessions on all the above exercises will be uploaded soon, so that you can learn the form easily.

Hope you have found this article helpful. But if you have any query please feel free to ask. Also you can visit https://intextfit.com/blog for more articles on fitness related topics.