Which muscles make your arms look impressive? How do you do the perfect bicep curl? What is the best way to supersize your triceps? Our Arms A-Z will provide you with all the answers you need.
Related: 3 Exercises That Will Turn Your Forearms Into Firearms!
Q/ Are big biceps more about looking good than actually being useful? Big biceps do a lot more than bulge; they play a big role in most physical activities and support your larger muscle groups – like your back, when doing exercises like pull-ups. Having strong biceps even helps with your running technique and rhythm, as they’ll help provide more stability while your body is in motion. Lastly, biceps are like bodyguards for your shoulders – strong biceps and triceps will help stabilise your movements and the integrity of your shoulder joints.
Q/ Is muscle pain a sign that I’m training effectively? It’s definitely a sign that you’ve pushed yourself while training. Beginners will feel muscle pain quickly; it’s something that affects everyone who is starting a new programme or routine. Regular or elite athletes will experience less muscle pain, both in occurrence and severity. But when it burns and hurts, you’ll know you’re on the right path. Your muscles will grow faster when you push yourself to the point of getting a good muscle burn afterwards. Small tears in your muscles will be repaired by your body – and thanks to the efficiency of that system, they’ll get fixed stronger than ever to ensure that they’re prepared for more. If you aren’t feeling any muscle soreness or stiffness, you can load more in your next workout.
Related: Strengthen Your Core, Arms & Shoulders With The Seated Upper-Body Blitz Workout
Q/ Why aren’t bicep curls making my arms bigger? Probably because you’re making one of these three common mistakes:
- 1. Bad technique. Make sure you control the whole movement, and don’t use momentum. For example, if you’re doing curls, keep your arms in front of your body, your back and head in a neutral position, and lock your shoulders and upper arm – they shouldn’t move at all.
- 2. Protect your joints. Don’t extend your arms all the way out. Make sure they’re under tension throughout the movement, but keep a slight bend to save your joints.
- 3. Wrong hand position. Keep your elbows and wrists in line when doing curls.
Q/ What can I do to lift heavier weights for longer? Skip through to your favourite song. It’s not just a great form of motivation, but a fantastic distraction for your muscle burn. That effect can increase your capacity by about 15%. Don’t believe us? Try it out – it works best with songs at 139 beats per minute (bpm). You can find a selection at bpmdatabase.com
Related: 5 Surprising Ways To Make Your Biceps Grow
Q/ How do I make my biceps wider? If you have a high bicep peak but a narrow bicep (or would like it to be wider), then you need to focus on the brachialis in the crook of your arm. It’s located directly next to the biceps, and if you build it up, it will provide a wider, broader upper arm mass. You should train mostly with a wider grip, which transfers the muscle stimulus to the crook of the arm. Hammer curls can also help you to increase the volume of your biceps.
Ensure your arms are at their best by using intel from our expert coaches in Part 2 of the A-Z Guide of Bigger Arms
