Best Exercises for Bigger Arms – A Complete Guide

Best Exercises for Bigger Arms – A Complete Guide

Jan 31, 2025 mindpump

When it comes to building bigger arms, it’s not just about curling heavy weights and hoping for the best. Growing your arms takes smart programming, an understanding of anatomy, and a consistent focus on progressive overload. Whether you want massive arms like Arnold, or just want to get stronger, this guide has you covered.

Anatomy of the Arms

To build bigger arms, you need to train both the biceps and triceps effectively. Here’s a quick breakdown:

• Biceps Brachii: The iconic “show muscle”, responsible for elbow flexion and forearm supination (think curling motions).

• Brachialis: A muscle under the biceps that gives your arms that thick, 3D look when developed.

• Triceps Brachii: Making up about two-thirds of your upper arm size, the triceps are responsible for elbow extension (think pushing motions).

Now that you know the muscles, let’s dive into the best exercises to target them.

Bicep Builders

1. Barbell Bicep Curl

The barbell curl lets you overload the biceps with heavy weight, making it perfect for building size and strength.

How to: Keep your elbows tucked, control the weight, and avoid swinging. Use a full range of motion for maximum engagement.

2. Incline Dumbbell Curl

This exercise stretches the biceps in their lengthened position, providing a unique stimulus for growth.

How to: Sit on an incline bench, let your arms hang, and curl the dumbbells without swinging. Keep the movement slow and controlled.

3. Hammer Curl

Targeting the brachialis, this exercise adds thickness to your arms and strengthens your grip.

How to: Hold dumbbells with a neutral grip and curl up. Avoid using momentum and focus on keeping tension in your arms.

Tricep Builders

1. Close-Grip Bench Press

A compound movement that lets you move heavy weight while focusing on the triceps.

How to: Use a grip narrower than shoulder-width and keep your elbows tucked as you press. This shifts more emphasis onto the triceps.

2. Skull Crushers

A staple for isolating the triceps, this movement targets the long head for maximum growth.

How to: Lie on a bench and lower an EZ bar or dumbbells toward your forehead. Keep your elbows stationary and focus on extending fully.

3. Tricep Dips

An underrated bodyweight exercise that’s great for building triceps size and strength.

How to: Use parallel bars or a bench. Keep your torso upright to emphasize the triceps over the chest.

Programming for Growth

If you want to bring these up because they’re lagging or a focal point, train them 2-3 times a week so they can be hit with enough volume. Make sure they are spaced out enough so that you can recover and hit the exercises fresh. Test out all rep ranges to see what works best. This can look like 4 weeks at 4-8 reps, 4 weeks, at 10-15 reps, and 4 weeks at 15-20 reps

Make sure to try and add one more rep or 5 more pounds than the week before. Make sure to control the eccentric, or lowering part of the exercise. It should be controlled and allow for tension to build rep to rep.

For arm growth, train biceps and triceps 2-3 times per week, ensuring you’re recovering between sessions. Use a mix of heavy, low-rep sets (4-8 reps) for strength and moderate-rep sets (10-15 reps) for hypertrophy. Don’t forget progressive overload: add weight, reps, or sets over time.