Exercises to Build Arm Muscles
Three major muscle groups are the targets for arm muscle building: the biceps, the triceps, and the forearms. There are an abundance of different exercises and techniques that can be used for building arm muscle, but the following are the most frequently recommended arm building exercises.
Biceps
* Bicep Curls: These are great arm muscle building exercises that can be performed either sitting or standing. With one dumbbell held in each hand, and your palms facing toward the front, slowly lift the left hand up into the shoulder and lower it slowly to the start position. Repeat this step using the other hand.
* Preacher Curls: While sitting on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on the bench, palms facing up toward the ceiling, ask someone to hand you a barbell. Lower it until your arms are straight on the preacher bench. Let your muscles stretch. Raise the barbell up to your shoulders and then lower it down very slowly to the start position.
* Bicep Concentration Curls: While sitting on the edge of a bench with your legs spread. Place a dumbbell between your legs on the floor. Reach toward the dumbbell with your left hand and hold it firmly. Touch your left elbow to the knee of your left leg while holding your right knee with your right hand to support your upper body. Slowly lift the dumbbell up to your chest and then lower it slowly to the start position.
* Bicep Incline Curls: Sit on an incline bench. With dumbbells held in both hands, hands held sideways, lift the weight up to your shoulders and then lower it slowly to the start position.
* Triceps Push Downs: Stand in front of an overhead pulley with a small bar attached to it. Determine what level of weight that you wish to push down. With your elbows bent and your palms facing down, hold the bar firmly in your hands and slowly push the bar down as you squeeze your triceps. Slowly release the force on the bar and let the bar rise up to the start position.
Triceps
* Triceps Dumbbell Extensions: While standing erect, take a dumbbell in your hand and stretch upwards. Bring the dumbbell downward in an arc to a position behind your head until you elbow is bent at a 90 degree angle, and return to the start position.
* Barbell Extensions: These exercises are quite similar to the Triceps Dumbbell Extensions, except you must hold a barbell with both hands, lift it upwards and then bring it back down in an arc behind your head until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
Forearms
* Wrist Curls: Nothing works the forearms better than wrist curls. Using a wrist curl machine, select the weight to be lifted. Hold the bar in your hand and lift it by moving the wrist upwards and bringing it back down to the original position. This exercise can be done with free weights, but using the machine is less liable to cause injury.
Arm Muscle Building Tips
* Exercises: Never do an exercise unless you know exactly how to perform it. Get the help of a professional trainer when planning your workout regimen and schedule, and then follow his advice. In the early stages of training for building arm muscles, use lighter weights. If you use weights that are too heavy you may not be able to balance yourself correctly and can cause an injury. Concentrate on high numbers of set with intense repetitions. This may not cause immediate muscle gain, but it will increase your muscle strength.
* Diet: A proper diet is one of the most important components of a good program for building arm muscle. Make sure that your diet includes plenty of protein rich foods, green vegetables, and essential fatty acids. Low calorie foods, low carbs, and salads are great. If possible, get a diet prepared uniquely for you by a registered dietitian.
* Sufficient Rest: Many people think that keeping a proper diet and proper exercise routine is all that is needed for arm muscle building. Not so. Rest is equally important. Your muscles don't grow when you're exercising. They grow, or heal and grow, when your body is resting. Try to get your eight hours of sleep each day, and nap whenever possible.
If your goal is to develop good arm muscles, then that should be the focus of your exercise routine, but don't restrict yourself to those muscles only. Exercise to benefit your entire body, but go the extra mile to reach your arm muscle building goals.
Article Source:
http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Jack_A_Bush
Three major muscle groups are the targets for arm muscle building: the biceps, the triceps, and the forearms. There are an abundance of different exercises and techniques that can be used for building arm muscle, but the following are the most frequently recommended arm building exercises.
* Bicep Curls: These are great arm muscle building exercises that can be performed either sitting or standing. With one dumbbell held in each hand, and your palms facing toward the front, slowly lift the left hand up into the shoulder and lower it slowly to the start position. Repeat this step using the other hand.
* Preacher Curls: While sitting on a preacher bench with your upper arms resting on the bench, palms facing up toward the ceiling, ask someone to hand you a barbell. Lower it until your arms are straight on the preacher bench. Let your muscles stretch. Raise the barbell up to your shoulders and then lower it down very slowly to the start position.
* Bicep Concentration Curls: While sitting on the edge of a bench with your legs spread. Place a dumbbell between your legs on the floor. Reach toward the dumbbell with your left hand and hold it firmly. Touch your left elbow to the knee of your left leg while holding your right knee with your right hand to support your upper body. Slowly lift the dumbbell up to your chest and then lower it slowly to the start position.
* Bicep Incline Curls: Sit on an incline bench. With dumbbells held in both hands, hands held sideways, lift the weight up to your shoulders and then lower it slowly to the start position.
* Triceps Push Downs: Stand in front of an overhead pulley with a small bar attached to it. Determine what level of weight that you wish to push down. With your elbows bent and your palms facing down, hold the bar firmly in your hands and slowly push the bar down as you squeeze your triceps. Slowly release the force on the bar and let the bar rise up to the start position.
Triceps
* Triceps Dumbbell Extensions: While standing erect, take a dumbbell in your hand and stretch upwards. Bring the dumbbell downward in an arc to a position behind your head until you elbow is bent at a 90 degree angle, and return to the start position.
* Barbell Extensions: These exercises are quite similar to the Triceps Dumbbell Extensions, except you must hold a barbell with both hands, lift it upwards and then bring it back down in an arc behind your head until your elbows are at a 90 degree angle.
Forearms
* Wrist Curls: Nothing works the forearms better than wrist curls. Using a wrist curl machine, select the weight to be lifted. Hold the bar in your hand and lift it by moving the wrist upwards and bringing it back down to the original position. This exercise can be done with free weights, but using the machine is less liable to cause injury.
Arm Muscle Building Tips
* Exercises: Never do an exercise unless you know exactly how to perform it. Get the help of a professional trainer when planning your workout regimen and schedule, and then follow his advice. In the early stages of training for building arm muscles, use lighter weights. If you use weights that are too heavy you may not be able to balance yourself correctly and can cause an injury. Concentrate on high numbers of set with intense repetitions. This may not cause immediate muscle gain, but it will increase your muscle strength.
* Diet: A proper diet is one of the most important components of a good program for building arm muscle. Make sure that your diet includes plenty of protein rich foods, green vegetables, and essential fatty acids. Low calorie foods, low carbs, and salads are great. If possible, get a diet prepared uniquely for you by a registered dietitian.
* Sufficient Rest: Many people think that keeping a proper diet and proper exercise routine is all that is needed for arm muscle building. Not so. Rest is equally important. Your muscles don't grow when you're exercising. They grow, or heal and grow, when your body is resting. Try to get your eight hours of sleep each day, and nap whenever possible.
If your goal is to develop good arm muscles, then that should be the focus of your exercise routine, but don't restrict yourself to those muscles only. Exercise to benefit your entire body, but go the extra mile to reach your arm muscle building goals.