Mumbai-based celebrity trainer Preetesh Manas believes that whenever someone wants to show off their strength or the fact that they’ve hit the gym, the natural gesture is to bend your arms at the elbows and show off your muscular biceps . So it’s no wonder that arm day is very popular with gym goers. In addition to the show-off, the arm muscles such as biceps and triceps play an important role as auxiliary muscles in almost all exercises. Take push-ups, for example: our triceps are the auxiliary muscles in this exercise, although the chest is the main muscle group engaged. And with pull-ups, the biceps play the supporting role, while actually the back muscles are addressed.
There are three main sections of the arm, the anterior (front), posterior (back) and shoulders, and you need to make sure you train all three sections, says Bengaluru-based Rahul Huidrom, strength coach at Cult.fit. Biceps brachii (commonly known as biceps) are in front, triceps brachii (or triceps) are in back, and along the shoulders sits the deltoid. Finally, at the back of your shoulder is the rotator cuff, which is made up of four small muscles: the supraspinatus, infraspinatus, teres minor, and subscapularis. “Each of these muscles plays its own unique and important role in helping our arms move in all the different ways we use them throughout the day. Think of all the daily activities like pushing open a door, carrying groceries, moving furniture and so on,” says Huidrom.
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Exercising and strengthening the arm muscles can go a long way towards achieving overall fitness and good aesthetics. The arm muscles are smaller in comparison to other body muscles like the back, chest and legs and therefore you need to turn to a special group of exercises known as isolation movements to work them. “Due to their specific nature, isolated movements help produce greater gains on muscles being trained for both strength, endurance and size,” explains AK Abhinav, trainer and founder of Namma Xfit in Bengaluru.
Exercising your arms and shoulders has many benefits. Arm days help increase your muscle strength, muscle tone, and muscle mass, Huidrom explains, adding that these workouts also protect your bones and stabilize your joints. “Strong, toned arms also look great and boost your confidence and aesthetics. It also comes with a variety of health benefits. Stronger arms and shoulders can reduce the risk of injury,” he adds.
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Often women feel that regular arm training will make them big and muscular, but trainers say that’s not really true. “Resistance training is an essential part of any fitness routine…arms included. Despite some unpopular beliefs, it’s not going to give you huge, oversized, bulging muscles,” Huidrom says, trying to allay fears. “Regular training of the muscles in your arms, back, chest and shoulders is crucial to keeping your upper body strong and your muscles defined. If you’re a woman, the benefits of strength training go well beyond toned, defined muscles.”
Rahul Huidrom’s Arm Workouts
workout 1
Four sentences
EZ Bar Preacher Curls: 10-12 reps
Close-grip bench press: 10-12 reps
Three sentences
Dumbbell Hammer Curls: 10-12 reps
Overhead Rope Extensions: 12-14 reps
Three supersets
Standing Cable Curls: 15 reps
Reverse grip push-ups: 15 reps
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workout 2
Barbell Bicep Curls: 4 sets x 8-12 reps
Incline dumbbell curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
Prone Dumbbell Spider Curls: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
EZ Bar Skull Crushers: 4 sets x 8-12 reps
Tricep Dips: 3 sets x 10-12 reps
Seated dumbbell one-arm triceps extension: 3 sets of 10-12 reps
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workout 3
Four sentences
Close-grip bench press: 10-12 reps
EZ Bar Skull Crusher: 10-12 reps
Three sentences
One-arm cable press: 12-15 reps
Four sentences
Barbell curls: 8-12 reps
Standing hammer curls: 10-12 reps
Seated dumbbell curls: 10-12 reps
Also Read: The Science Behind Testing Your Strength With the 1-Rep Max
The arm workout by Preetesh Manas
workout 1
5 supersets
Tight grip bench press
pull-ups
5 light weight supersets to failure
Barbell Curls
Lying tricep extension
5 light weight supersets to failure
hammer curl
Press triceps down
5 light weight supersets to failure
lure preachers
Dumbbell tricep kick-backs
workout 2
Three sets of medium to heavy weights
Close-grip bench press: 4-8 reps
Lying triceps extensions (10, 8, 6, 4 as weight increases)
Cable extensions (10-8-6-4 as weight increases)
Reverse cable pushdown (10-8-6-4 as weight increases)
Barbell curls: 4-8 reps
Hammer curls: 4-8 reps
Preacher curls: 4-8 reps
Cable Curls: 4-8 reps
Shrenik Avlani is the author, editor and co-author of The Shivfit Waya book on functional fitness.
Also Read: The Best Workouts for a Strong Back
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