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Last Updated on January 7, 2021
Want bigger arms? Bring even more muscle to bear with these atypical arm-day selections.
Barbell curls. Preacher curls. Extensions. Pressdowns. On arm day, these are a few of our favorite things. But why do so many guys use single-joint isolation exercises for biceps and triceps, and then bombard larger muscle groups, such as the chest, back and quads, with an array of multi-joint moves that allow for more weight? Is it possible to use that same strategy on your arms? I believe it is.
When athletes think about developing ripped arms, they immediately think of isolation exercises, such as biceps curls and triceps pressdowns, While isolation movements are great when trying to add some detail to a muscle group, for overall mass and strength gains, compound movements will always trump isolation movements.
Multi-joint moves and heavier weight loads will lead to a greater release of your body’s natural growth hormone (GH), testosterone and IGF-1. Collectively, these hormones work to help you add size—everywhere. That includes your pipes. Just train, feed, and repeat. Here are four moves to get you going.
1- Close-Grip Chin-up
Target: Biceps
When was the last time you did a full set of chin-ups to failure? If you have, then you are likely familiar with the ache in your biceps the next day. Turns out, the chinup isn’t just a back exercise—not by a long shot.
Your biceps have to work so hard to grip and pull your elbow into flexion that there is a tremendous amount of muscle tissue that is stimulated.
How to Do it: Grip a pull-up bar underhand with your palms six inches apart and, starting from a dead hang, “pull yourself up until your upper-chest comes in contact with the bar.” Pause for a full second and the top, and lower yourself slowly until your arms become totally straight. Pulling yourself up all the way to the bar, slightly increases the range of motion, and thus the demand placed on the biceps.
2- One-Arm Hammer Row
Target: Biceps
You likely already do hammer curls in your routine—but hammer rows? Grinnell says to think of it as a modified concentration curl, where you’re getting a bit of help from your back to complete heavier-than-normal reps of an already effective biceps exercise.
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