Three great tips for toning your arms!
When it comes to showing off, there isn't much more of a badge of honor than a set of tone arms. Where most people go wrong is by placing all of their emphasis on bicep development. While the biceps are vital to great looking arms, if you really want to have tone arms, don't let your triceps go untrained! Here are three exercises that are great for skyrocketing the muscle growth in your arms.
1. Dumbbell Tricep Extensions
For this exercise, grab a dumbbell and keep those arms in a 45 degree angle, behind your shoulders. Since an exercise like this one does require stability, feel free to place your free arm on the tricep, helping to stabilize the arm. Finally, to complete this extension, you will extend your arm (dumbbell still in hand) to a fully straightened position.
2. Close Grip Bench Press
Like you would with the standard bench press, you will still need the same equipment, with one minor change. To properly perform a close grip bench press set, you'll need to keep your arms parallel to the sides of your chest. Be warned, this exercise isn't for those with a big ego, be sure that you lower the weight, as the new stance is going to feel different.
3. 21's
If you have the stamina to perform them, 21's are a great way to force additional bicep muscle growth. Using either an EZ curl bar or a full-sized barbell, you can choose which equipment is best for your strength level. Consisting of 21 reps in a set, here are the steps to complete a full set of these bicep busters:
First 7 reps - Barbell is held in your hands, exactly like if you were to begin a set of barbell curls. However, the first 7 reps of 21's will have you curling the barbell to only elbow level, or 90 degrees.
Next 7 reps – Starting from a barbell in your hands, at a 90 degree level, you'll now curl the barbell fully, bringing the bar to your chest, 7 times.
Final 7 reps – To complete the last 7 reps of 21's, simply complete 7 full barbell curls.
The key to why 21's work well to add muscle growth to your biceps is because of how much effort they require. Again, check your ego at the door with 21's, you'll need to use a significantly lower weight than you would with regular barbell curls.
To sum it up, having arms that are stubborn to grow can be frustrating but you can fix it. The next time you step into the gym, utilize the previously mentioned exercises and watch your arms finally start to grow fast. Also, ensure that you are taking care to maintain a diet needed to facilitate further muscle growth. Remember, no amount of curls and presses can grow muscle on a bad diet, aim to consume a gram of protein, per pound of body weight. Having enough protein will help bring about even more muscle growth, especially while you are utilizing the previously mentioned exercises!