How to quickly build muscle in your arms

Video: 7 Exercises to Build Bigger Arms Without Heavy Weights

Content

Method 3 of 3: How to Build Muscle Fast
Tips
Warnings

1 Consider an intense workout schedule. To build your arms in most fitness centers, you will be advised to start by lifting weights and a bunch of upper body exercises. Lifting weights is a type of exercise where you can do everything at your own pace. The more time and effort you put in, the better the result will be. While there is no “right” way to pump up your arms by lifting weights, in general it is wise to keep in mind the following tips for optimal results:

Try to lift as much weight as you can every week. Intensive weight lifting usually involves exercising five days a week, leaving the remaining two days for cardio or rest.
Try to avoid exercising the same muscle groups for two days in a row. Muscles need rest and recovery time to grow. For example, if today you were swinging your triceps, then tomorrow focus on the pectoral muscles.
You do not need to concentrate only on your hands, otherwise, over time, your figure will look strange and disproportionate.The arms will be large and the lower body will be slim. It's good if you do exercises for your legs and abdominal muscles at least two days a week.

2 Train your biceps. Usually, when a person decides to build strong, muscular arms, he remembers only one muscle group - the biceps. Why this is, of course, obvious. After all, bodybuilders are usually represented lying on a bench and pressing a heavy barbell. Usually, biceps are not the strongest muscle group in the upper torso (or even arm muscle groups), but no one denies that they are very important in many exercises for lifting and deadlifting heavy weights. Here are a few exercises that will make your biceps burn:

Exercise in lifting the bar to your chest: Stand with a loaded barbell (or with dumbbells in your hands), hold it at waist level, palms up. Gently lift your chest towards your chest, with your elbows along the body, then lower it. Repeat the exercise.
Exercise to raise the dumbbells to the chest: This exercise targets the important "biceps brachii", which are responsible for the much desired "bulge" or "slide" in the shoulder. Do the same as in the barbell curl, but hold the dumbbells so that your palms are facing each other. The movement of your arms should resemble a slowed-down pendulum.
Read our article on biceps for even more exercises.

3 Train your triceps. Although they sometimes receive less attention than their biceps neighbors, triceps are generally considered the more important muscle group both for gaining muscle mass and for increasing strength in general. Be sure to pay as much attention to your triceps as your biceps, if not more. If you want strong, muscular arms, then this is exactly what you need. Below are some great triceps exercises:

Triceps Stretch: Standing, keep your hands close to your head, each with dumbbells. Keep bent elbows parallel to each other. Lift the dumbbells up over your head, being careful not to hit yourself in the head. Lower the weight back to the starting position and repeat the exercise.
Dump on the uneven bars: Rest on two parallel handles or on the edge of a bench with your hands. Slowly lower yourself down until your forearms are level with the floor, then lift yourself up without twisting or twitching. Repeat the exercise.
Read our article on triceps for even more exercises.

4 Pump up the shoulder area. Broad and strong shoulders are often considered very attractive. In addition, deltoids are important in a variety of physical exercises, such as pressing, throwing, and also helping to avoid shoulder injuries. Below are just a few of the exercises you might find useful:

Press while standing: In a standing or seated position, pull the weighted bar to your chest, keeping your arms at an average distance from each other, palms down. Slowly raise the weight towards your face, then over your head. Lower the plank to about chin level and continue the exercise.
Do the sideways extension exercise: In a standing position, hold dumbbells in each hand. Slowly raise your straight arms to the sides, the movement should come from the elbows. When your hands are roughly parallel to the floor, slowly lower them back down and repeat. You can also add straight arms forward or backward to work the front and back of your shoulders.
Overhead Lifting: This is a full-body exercise that trains not only the shoulders but also the hips, legs and back. Standing position with a weighted bar in front of you on the floor. Gently begin deadlifts to bring the barbell up to about waist level. Raise the weight to your chest (all movement must be in control) and press the standing press (see above) to raise it over your head. Now do all these steps in reverse order to put the weight on the floor and repeat the exercise.

5 Pump up your chest. And although the pectoral muscles are not technically part of the arms, strong arms with thin chests will not make the proper impression, so this area is simply necessary for everyone who wants to pump up their arms. Moreover, arm muscles, such as the triceps, often play a significant role in chest exercises. While the bench press is the most famous, it is not the only way to work out the pectoral muscles. The list below will provide you with more information about this exercise and others:

Bench press lying on the bench: Lying on your back. Gently lift the weighted bar (or two dumbbells) up from your chest until your arms are straightened, then lower the weight back and repeat. Be sure to ask someone to insure you to avoid serious injury when lifting a load.
Dumbbell Arm Raising: Lying on your back or on a bench for exercises with dumbbells in each hand. Spread your straight arms to the sides, then slowly, gently join them in front of you, without bending. Lower your arms back to the starting position and repeat the exercise. From the side it should seem that you are flapping your wings.
Read our article on pectoral muscles for even more exercise.

6 Don't neglect your back muscles. Roughly speaking, the back muscles are not part of the arms. However, almost anyone who lifts weights will have to devote time to these muscle groups if they want to get strong and muscular arms. In part, this is for aesthetics (strong arms don't look good with an unbuilt back), but also because the back muscles are actively involved in many other exercises to increase arm strength. Below are some exercises to help you work on these important muscle groups:

Row on the horizontal block to the belt: Sitting position on the bench in front of the machine. Pull the cable gently towards you, making sure to keep your back straight but leaning back slightly. Squeeze the muscle between the shoulder blades throughout the exercise. Try not to hunch over or bend your back during exercise, or it could be injured.
Horizontal pull-ups: A lying position on the floor under a horizontal bar. Grasp the bar and slowly pull yourself toward it (keep your feet on the floor) until the bar almost touches your chest. Get back down and repeat the exercise.
Pull Up: There are many exercises you can do on the horizontal bar. For regular pull-ups, hold onto the bar with your hands palms down and slowly pull your body toward the bar until it almost touches your chest. Get back down and repeat the exercise.

7 To make everything look proportional, devote a lot of time to your forearms. Beautiful forearms will become the icing on the cake when pumping up your upper body. And while they are very important for grip strength and the entire arm (which can be useful in other sports like rock climbing), many athletes simply swing them for beauty. Try the simple exercises below:

Barbell Crunches: Sitting on a bench with a weighted barbell in your hands, your forearms resting on your hips. Raise the bar as high as you can, using the muscles in your hands and forearms, then relax the muscles and hold the bar as low as possible. Repeat the exercise. For a complete set of exercises, try alternating the barbell grip with each set.

Method 3 of 3: How to Build Muscle Fast

1 Try to focus more on weight rather than reps. If your muscles fatigue each time, the result will be increased muscle strength and growth, no matter how you do it (as long as you eat enough for muscle growth). However, if you want big, bulky muscles, it is usually recommended to concentrate on exercises with a small number of repetitions of each exercise with a large weight (instead of a large number of reps with a small weight).For example, most sources claim that if all other factors are the same, then performing three to six lifts with a lot of weight will pump more muscles than 15-20 with a small weight.
- On the other hand, some coaches (including Arnold Schwarzenegger) recommend raising the average all the way and doing a little more times (usually somewhere around 8-15). Thus, over time, a healthy balance of strength, relief and mass develops.
2 There is also a "lightning-fast" approach. The fastest way to build muscle is to lift weights very quickly! Research has shown that the so-called "lightning" exercises, that is, when you lift the weight as quickly as possible, will cause muscle and strength to grow faster than with a conventional set. This way your body overpowers the weakness and forces the muscles to contract faster, and if you want to pump up quickly, then this strategy is for you.
- However, everything must be used correctly, so do not let your "lightning" goal distract you from developing your ability to accurately lift weights according to all the rules. Never bend, twist or twitch during exercise, otherwise you can hurt something painfully and for a long time ..
3 Consider the advantages of conventional weights over machine weights. You can build a strong and muscular body with any workout, if done correctly. However, many sources recommend conventional weights (barbells, dumbbells, etc.) instead of machine exercises. Regular weights are better suited to the physical challenges of everyday life and allow the muscles not only to be ready for anything, but also attractive (however, if the exercises are not performed correctly, you can get injured more often than on simulators).
- Weight exercises (such as push-ups, pull-ups, dips, and so on) are usually considered to be somewhere in between, but they offer many opportunities for muscle growth, with little opportunity for injury.
4 Don't waste too much energy on cardio. Cardio is healthy, in fact, it is a great way to increase stamina and burn calories, but if you want to build muscle, it will have the opposite effect. If you spend a lot of energy running, cycling or swimming, your muscles will have little strength to grow. Therefore, serious cardio workouts should be done once or twice a week.
- If you enjoy cardio, try walking more instead of running or swimming.
5 Start eating right. Your body needs a lot of healthy "fuel" to build muscle. In general, for muscle growth, you need more lean protein sources and a healthy intake of fat and carbohydrates. Vegetables and fruits will provide your body with much-needed vitamins and minerals, but it is better to try not to eat sweets and high-calorie foods. Try to eat more of the following foods, ideally 40-50% of your calories from protein, 40-50% from carbohydrates and 10-20% from fat:
- Protein: Lean meats such as chicken, turkey, fish, egg whites, and no fat from pork and beef. Proteins from plant-based foods can be obtained from beans, soy (tofu), broccoli, and spinach. Low-fat dairy products like Greek yogurt are also a very good source of protein. Also, many athletes recommend protein supplements.
- Carbohydrates: Whole grain bread, brown rice, oats, quinoa, starchy vegetables like potatoes and tomatoes. Green vegetables like broccoli, celery, peas and others are also great additions to the diet.
- Fats: Avocados, nuts, cheeses and light vegetable oils (such as sunflower) are great for energy and nutrients.
6 Drink plenty of water every day. Water can help you feel refreshed and energized throughout your workout. It is also low in calories and is essential in your new healthy diet. Most health food sources recommend drinking two liters a day. But if you sweat a lot, then this amount should even be increased.
7 Rest well. When it comes to bodybuilding, the time "outside" the gym is just as important as the time spent exercising. For maximum results, be sure to let your body back off from the load. Avoid overexerting your muscles (which can lead to injury), so it's best to train different muscle groups every day. You may even want to make a full day or two a day or two, it's all up to you.
- In addition, good sleep is key. Each has its own norm, but most sources recommend seven to nine hours of sleep for adults.
8 Keep in mind that anabolic steroids are dangerous. If you are already impatient to build strong arms, then there is a very great temptation to use steroids, but it will always end badly. The only way to build mass quickly is by exercising, not giving up, and eating and resting properly. But steroids not only make muscles grow quickly, but can be dangerous to health, including:
- For men: breast enlargement, painful erection (priapism), constriction of the genitals, decreased sperm count, infertility, impotence.
- For women: increased facial and body hair, irregular menstrual periods, coarsening of the voice, enlarged clitoris, breast reduction.
- Acne
- Oily skin
- Jaundice
- Abrupt mood swings
- Paranoid fantasies
- Rare, serious problems like heart strokes and certain types of cancer.

Tips

Listen to music while exercising.
Stay motivated. Muscles will not grow overnight, but with constant training, you will notice the result in a few weeks.
If there is no access to a gym, then you can always pump up your chest and triceps with push-ups.
Find a friend to go to the gym with you. This will make both of you more motivated and more fun together.
To achieve a quick visual "illusion" of well-pumped arms, concentrate on the transverse deltoid muscles (front of the shoulders). These muscles often remain underdeveloped, and therefore, with the concentration of effort on them, they will quickly grow. This tactic will make the upper part of your arms larger, which will make your arms look bigger. The best practice for this is the lateral extension exercise: bend forward slightly and lift the dumbbells up to the sides so that your body forms a T.
Try posing (bodybuilders do this for a specific reason). Before exercising, look at the muscles in a mirror. This will help you focus better on your workout. For example, today you are going to work on triceps. Tighten your triceps until they come out well, and do the same during exercise.
If there is no access to barbells and dumbbells, you can always use shopping bags, heavy cans, books, and so on.