How to Get Bigger Arms

Get Good at Pullups and Chinups

Just like sprinters are known for having well-developed glutes and legs, gymnasts have some of the most enviable biceps in sports. Why? In short, pull-ups and chins are great for upper arm development. Under the superficial biceps muscles lays a smaller muscle called the brachialis. The most effective way to train this muscle is by pulling it from above. The development of the brachialis will push the “peak” of the biceps up much higher and add to overall thickness of the upper arm in the process. It’s something the curls just can’t reach.

Try this: At the end of your workouts that don’t involve chins, try a descending ladder.

• Do 10 pull ups, then rest 1 minute.
• Then do 8, and rest for 1 minute.
• Then 6, then 4, and finally, 2.
• The next day, do the same finisher, but change the exercise to palms-in chin ups. The cumulative volume will make your biceps grow. 

Increase Your Volume

A muscle’s growth often depends on the cumulative volume it endures. Most people look at volume simply as the amount of sets and exercises for a given muscle in a given workout. In reality, it also refers to the amount of times the muscle is hit over the course of the week. It’s one reason Olympic lifters and cyclists all have monster quadriceps. In most exercises, biceps act as assistants to muscle groups like the lats and rhomboids. Making sure you’re keeping up with your back workouts is the first step to arm size. Throw in 3 sets of 20 straight bar curls at the end of your other workouts of the week. It may not feel like much at the time, but it adds up. Not only will it improve the cosmetic appearance of your arms, but it’ll pack on strength too. You’ll be surprised at what you can lift after six weeks.

Remember Your Triceps

When you want a bigger upper body, you don’t only train bench press and shoulder flys. You remember to train your back. It’s the non-mirror muscle that most of your upper body thickness and width depends on. Likewise, your arms won’t be strong at all if you only train your biceps. A group of three muscles makes up 60 percent of the size of your arm, and increasing your arm circumference will be nearly impossible without a pair of well developed triceps. It doesn’t mean doing a few diamond push-ups and rope pressdowns either. Instead go with:

• Barbell Close-Grip Bench Press
• EZ Bar French Press
• Decline Skull Crusher “plus”
• Bodyweght Dips (using parallel bars!)

Most guys you see with impressive arms are sporting a full set of triceps. It’s the true answer to arm size. All four of the above exercises combined will effectively hit all 3 heads of the triceps.