Arnold's arm exercise routine is a cut above the rest, independent of time and era. Arnold had the best arms hands down among any of his competitors. What set Arnold apart from the rest of his competitors was that the attributes of his arms were in perfect measure, giving him the best double biceps poses of all time.Arnold was not always blessed with the arms he's won multiple Olympia titles (7 in all). He employed every trick in the bodybuilding book to develop his arms.
Arnold did not simply perform a a few sets of any exercise, or limit intensity. Instead, Arnold exercised every body part to extreme intensity developing everymuscle group to its max. He applied the same intensity to his arm exercises hitting his triceps, biceps, and forearms.
The following is a detailed look at Arnold Schwarzenegger's best arm exercises for developing your arm to the maximum.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Principles
Always aim for equal development. Because muscles can be seen from every angle, they should be trained at every angle. You should also work all arm muscles with equal intensity.Keep everything in perspective. Even if you train every muscle group with equal intensity you must recognize that some muscle groups are larger and more complex than others - i.e triceps. Arnold considers your arm 1 part biceps, two parts triceps.
Therfore, your tricep should be worked from more angles than your biceps. You need to hit all three heads to make sure they are adequately developed.
Focus. You need to concentrate on each and every rep of your set. Arnold let nothing in the gym distrac him from his exercises. Arnold believes in visualizing what he wanted to achieve forcing gains in muscle size.
Shock your muscles for change. The body is highly complex. It can adapt to all situations including exercise. Arnold always used change to shock his muscles into growth (Muscle Confusion).
Arnold did not simply perform a a few sets of any exercise, or limit intensity. Instead, Arnold exercised every body part to extreme intensity developing everymuscle group to its max. He applied the same intensity to his arm exercises hitting his triceps, biceps, and forearms.
The following is a detailed look at Arnold Schwarzenegger's best arm exercises for developing your arm to the maximum.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Principles
Always aim for equal development. Because muscles can be seen from every angle, they should be trained at every angle. You should also work all arm muscles with equal intensity.Keep everything in perspective. Even if you train every muscle group with equal intensity you must recognize that some muscle groups are larger and more complex than others - i.e triceps. Arnold considers your arm 1 part biceps, two parts triceps.
Therfore, your tricep should be worked from more angles than your biceps. You need to hit all three heads to make sure they are adequately developed.
Focus. You need to concentrate on each and every rep of your set. Arnold let nothing in the gym distrac him from his exercises. Arnold believes in visualizing what he wanted to achieve forcing gains in muscle size.
Shock your muscles for change. The body is highly complex. It can adapt to all situations including exercise. Arnold always used change to shock his muscles into growth (Muscle Confusion).
Arms are very resistant to growth because they are used in everything we do. Even intense workouts will fail if they are done in the same manner day after day.Arnold suggests training with more weight than usual, doing more reps or sets, changing speed, decreasing rest periods, peforming different exercises, or changing exercise order.
Forced Reps. Used occassionally, with a training partner, have them assist you with a rep with you would not be able to achieve on your own.
Partial Reps. These can be completed without a work partner and require you to continue doing reps despite muscular fatigue. After finishing a set of dumbells curls, perform half reps, or quarter reps until you can no longer curl.
Negative Repetition. Most people emphasize the positive aspect of lifting - the contraction. You can shock your arms by concentrating on the negative aspect of your rep - the lowering aspect. You can even have a partner help you with some forced reps. These should be performed every second or third workout.
Remember good form. You can lift weights until you are blue in the face. If you lift them with bad form, you will not see the results you want. Arnold was a stickler for perfect technique.
Arnold excourages beginners to perform bicep curls with their backs against the wall, allowing the bicep, and only the bicep to work. He also made sure to keep his wrists straight and not to bend them at the start of the rep. This will take stress away form your bicep, making the curl less effective.
Cheating. Arnold only left form to perform a few cheat reps as a way to shock the muscles into performing a few more reps.
Use Supersets. This involves performing two exercises with no rest in between. This forces as much blood as possible into the target muscle group for maximum growth.
Forced Reps. Used occassionally, with a training partner, have them assist you with a rep with you would not be able to achieve on your own.
Partial Reps. These can be completed without a work partner and require you to continue doing reps despite muscular fatigue. After finishing a set of dumbells curls, perform half reps, or quarter reps until you can no longer curl.
Negative Repetition. Most people emphasize the positive aspect of lifting - the contraction. You can shock your arms by concentrating on the negative aspect of your rep - the lowering aspect. You can even have a partner help you with some forced reps. These should be performed every second or third workout.
Remember good form. You can lift weights until you are blue in the face. If you lift them with bad form, you will not see the results you want. Arnold was a stickler for perfect technique.
Arnold excourages beginners to perform bicep curls with their backs against the wall, allowing the bicep, and only the bicep to work. He also made sure to keep his wrists straight and not to bend them at the start of the rep. This will take stress away form your bicep, making the curl less effective.
Cheating. Arnold only left form to perform a few cheat reps as a way to shock the muscles into performing a few more reps.
Use Supersets. This involves performing two exercises with no rest in between. This forces as much blood as possible into the target muscle group for maximum growth.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's Best Arm Exercises
For Biceps:For Height:
For Biceps:For Height:
- Dumbell Concentration Curls: Sit at the end of a flat bench. Spread your legs to a V and place your elbow on the inside of your thigh. Curl up slowly, twisting your wrist as you come up so that your little finger turns towards your body. Remember to squeeze at the peak of your rep.
- Arnold Dumbbell Curls: Start with knuckles facing forward. Curl the weight by crossing it in front of your body in a semi-circular motion. Your palm should face in towards your body.
- Close Grip Barbell Curls: Hold barbell with hands about 12 inches apart. Curl bar until your forearms touch your biceps. Do not use momentum to lift the weight, only your biceps.
- Hammer Curls
- Alternate Dumbbell Curls
- Standing Barbell Curls
- Incline Dumbell Curls (done on an incline bench)
- Wide-grip Preacher Curls (done on preacher curl bench)
- Bench Dips
- Weighted Bench Dips
- Lying Tricep Extensions
- Close-grip barbell presses: Like a regular bench press but with hands centered in front of you only 12 inches apart.
- Cable Pressdowns
- Tricep Kickbacks
- Kneeling Extensions: Place a bench in front of a high pulley machine. Kneel down with elbows on bench and head down. Hold straight bar attachment above head with plams facing forward. Start with forearms and biceps touching and press away form your body in a semicircular motion.
- Weighted Dips
- Partial Bench Dips: Dip all teh way down but only come up 3/4 of the way to keep stress on the lower triceps under stress.
- Barbell Reverse Curls: A barbell curl with palm facing down instead of up.
- Hammer Curls
- Reverse Wrist Curls: Regular Curls with palm facing down instead of up.
- Barbell Wrist Curls: Barbell curl curling only at the wrists.
- Behind the Back Wrist Curls
The Workouts
Basic Arm WorkoutThe basic workout will lay the foundation for building arm mass, which will help you in undertaking Arnold's Advanced Arm Workout.You can train on this routine once a week, and it will take you about 30 minutes to complete. Pay close attention to your form and make note of any weak points to work on.
Arnold's Advanced WorkoutPerform this workout once a week. It will take you about 30 minutes depending on your need for rests. The advanced workout focuses on building further muscle while while targeting muscle separation.
This is an actual workout performed by Arnold during the 70's and due to the intensity of this workout, should be performed alone. Arnold suggests doing the forearm workout on a separate day to concentrate on this stubborn muscle group.
Forearms can be incorporated into this arm workout, but never before bicep and tricep work.
Forearm Workout:
Basic Arm WorkoutThe basic workout will lay the foundation for building arm mass, which will help you in undertaking Arnold's Advanced Arm Workout.You can train on this routine once a week, and it will take you about 30 minutes to complete. Pay close attention to your form and make note of any weak points to work on.
- Barbell cheat curls - 2 sets, 8-12 reps
- Incline Dumbell Curls - 3 sets, 8-12 reps
- Concentration Curls - 2 sets, 8-12 reps
- Close-grip Barbell Presses - 3 sets, 8-12 reps
- Weighted Dips - 3 sets, 8-10 reps
- Regular Cable Press-downs - 3 sets, 8-10 reps
- Barbell Reverse Curls - 3 sets, 8-10 reps
- Barbell Wrist Curls - 3 sets, 8-12 reps
Arnold's Advanced WorkoutPerform this workout once a week. It will take you about 30 minutes depending on your need for rests. The advanced workout focuses on building further muscle while while targeting muscle separation.
This is an actual workout performed by Arnold during the 70's and due to the intensity of this workout, should be performed alone. Arnold suggests doing the forearm workout on a separate day to concentrate on this stubborn muscle group.
Forearms can be incorporated into this arm workout, but never before bicep and tricep work.
Forearm Workout:
- Barbell Wrist Curls - 4 sets, 8-12 reps
- Barbell Reverse Curls - 4 sets, 8-12 reps
- Behind the Back Wrist Curls - 4 sets, 8-12 reps
- Superset one: Barbell curls with lying tricep extensions. 4 sets of 10-12 reps for each superset, with no or very minimal rest.
- Superset two: Alternate Dumbbell Curls with pushdowns. 4 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Superset three: Seated incline curls with kneeling tricep extentions. 4 sets of 10-12 reps.Superset four: Concentration curls with one-arm tricep extension. 4-10 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Bench dips: 2 sets, 26 reps.References: Bodybuilding.com
There you have it. Arnold Schwarzenegger's Best Arm Exercises for building muscle mass. If you train as intensely as Arnold did, then you will have amazing forearms, triceps, and biceps to show off.
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