Two Arm Exercises You Should Be Doing

But Probably Aren’t

Bigger arms are on just about every guys’ fitness “to do” list, usually right behind six pack abs and just ahead of a more sculpted chest. The problem most guys face when trying to achieve a bigger set of guns is often the very same problem that they face for developing better abs – poor exercise selection.

When most guys think of an arm workout they picture endless sets of concentration curls for biceps and maybe a set or two of barbell curls for good measure. The triceps, which is responsible for even more of the girth of your arm than the bicep, often gets entirely ignored or at best worked with a light set or two of dumbbell kick-backs.

While concentration curls may have a place in a bodybuilder’s training routine, if your goal is to add some size as quickly as possible – they really have no place at all in yours. There are however, two very simple exercises that you can incorporate into your training routine that won’t take much time to perform and that will have your arms ready to burst the seams of your favorite t-shirt in as little time as possible.

Dips

Parallel dips are an incredible way to build and add size to your triceps. You just need to perform two to three sets to near failure (which won’t take very long at the outset because you probably won’t be able to complete very many full reps) on the parallel dip to begin achieving some incredible results in a short period of time. If you can only manage 3-4 full range reps, toss in a few partial reps at the end of each set and your total will begin to climb pretty quickly as the weeks move on. As an added bonus, parallel dips are also an excellent way to work your chest as well.

If you don’t have access to a dip station, or a sturdy set of parallel bars to perform your dips on, you can still reap the benefits of this often ignored exercise in a variation called the bench dip. Here is a good video tutorial of how to perform the bench dip correctly using a standard height weight bench. It’s important to note though that you don’t necessarily need a bench to perform this exercise, you can use anything of a similar height as long as it provides enough surface to grip and as long as it will support your weight.

Chin Ups

Second on your list of highly effective arm building movements is the chin up. There should be a number of pull up bars available to use at the local gym, or you can grab a portable unit that will quickly install in any standard size door frame for about twenty to thirty bucks.

To perform the chin up stand directly beneath the pull up bar and grasp it with both hands with your palms facing you. In a controlled manner (no jumping, flailing, etc.) pull yourself up until your chin is over the bar and hold for a brief instant before lowering yourself back to the start in a fashion that is just as controlled. Just as with the dips, perform 2-3 sets to near failure per workout.

Perform this simple and effective arm blasting workout on three non-consecutive days per week and in no time the reps per exercise that you are capable of completing will begin to climb and your arms will grow into a body part that is worth bragging about.