Best way to train arms.

Here’s a little tip that will make your arm day workouts significantly more effective:
The key to getting bigger biceps and triceps is to strengthen these muscles as much as possible. The best arm workouts for mass are the ones that make you stronger.
You can find countless arm workouts online, but most of them are all about “hammering” your biceps and triceps until they’re swollen, pumped, and sore. While this can feel gratifying (all those reps must be doing something, right?), it’s not the best way to build big arms.
That’s why the arms workouts in this article are different.
Not only are they scientifically proven to result in more muscle growth than the “big arms workouts” you’ll find elsewhere, they also take less time, and tend to be much more enjoyable.
Let’s get to the workouts!

Table of Contents

My Top 5 Tips for Better Arm Workouts
1. Use compound and isolation exercises to build bigger arms.
2. Use heavy weights.
3. Increase your weights over time.
4. Put just as much effort into training your triceps as your biceps.
5. Use different exercises to train every portion of your biceps and triceps.

The Best All-Around Arm Workout
Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 4 to 6 reps
Pull-up: 3 sets of 4 to 6 reps
EZ Bar Skullcrusher: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Barbell Curl: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
The Best Biceps Workout
Chin-up: 3 sets of 4 to 6 reps
EZ Bar Preacher Curl: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Alternating Dumbbell Curl: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Hammer Curl: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
The Best Tricep Workout
Close-Grip Bench Press: 3 sets of 4 to 6 reps
EZ Bar Skullcrusher: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Dumbbell Overhead Triceps Extension: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Cable Triceps Pressdown: 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
FAQ #1: How many times should I train arms per week?
FAQ #2: What’s the best way to train arms at home?
FAQ #3: What’s the best diet for building bigger arms?

My Top 5 Tips for Better Arm Workouts

Before we get into the arm workout routines themselves, here are a few tips to help you get the most out of your arm training.
1. Use compound and isolation exercises to build bigger arms.

Many people think that isolation exercises like curls and triceps extensions are the best way to build arm mass, but research shows that compound exercises like the pull-up, chin-up, and close-grip bench press are actually more effective in this regard.
What’s more, studies show that adding arm isolation exercises like biceps curls and triceps extensions to a workout routine already includes compound exercises for these muscles only marginally improves arm muscle growth.
Arm isolation exercises can still have a place in your program, but you should put most of your energy into heavy compound exercises that train your arms.
2. Use heavy weights.

As a natural weightlifter, your number one goal should be getting stronger.
So long as you make that your primary focus in your training, you’ll have no trouble building big arms.
What’s the best way to get stronger?
Lift heavy.
And by “heavy,” I mean working primarily with weights in the range of 75 to 85% of your one-rep max (1RM), or in the range of 8 to 10 (~75%) to 4 to 6 (~85%) reps.
High-rep sets also have a place in your training, but the majority of your time should be spent training in these rep ranges—even when training arms.
3. Increase your weights over time.

If you stop getting stronger, you’ll eventually stop getting bigger.
That’s why you must make progressive overload the key focus of your arm workouts.
You can do all the fancy training techniques you want, but if you’re not adding weight to the bar (or dumbbells) over time, you’re going to struggle to gain muscle effectively.
4. Put just as much effort into training your triceps as your biceps.

Big biceps means big arms, right?
Not necessarily.
Ironically, the biceps contribute substantially less to overall arm size than the triceps, which are a much larger muscle group. For most people, well-developed triceps will account for anywhere from 50 to 70% of their overall arm size.
Thus, one of the little-known “secrets” to building big arms is building big triceps.
5. Use different exercises to train every portion of your biceps and triceps.

If you want to build big, proportional arms that look “filled out” properly, it’s smart to include a variety of different biceps and triceps exercises.
Research shows that varying the position of your shoulder and upper arm while you perform biceps and triceps exercises trains your arm muscles in different ways, helping you avoid muscle imbalances.
For example, instead of only training your biceps with standing barbell curls several times per week, try incline dumbbell curls (which place your upper arms behind your body) or preacher curls (which place your upper arms in front of your body) on several days.
And instead of only doing triceps pushdowns, try EZ Bar skullcrushers (which place your upper arms at 90 degrees relative to your body) or overhead dumbbell triceps extensions (which place your upper arms next to your head) in your program.