Author of the article
Andrey Belozertsev
Drawing up programs for effective muscle mass gain.
Developed fine muscles of the fingers are an advantage in some sports.
However, to train this part of the arms, you need to perform special exercises, because such small muscles are not involved in many types of physical activity.
In this article you will learn how to pump up your fingers at home.
Principles of muscle strengthening
The muscles of the fingers are worked according to a special scheme. The brush works better for squeezing rather than unclenching - this is our “inheritance” from our wild ancestors.
You can train with dumbbells, barbell plates, or a circular expander. Less effective are tunic pull-ups, which also strengthen your fingers.
Like all other muscles, the muscles of the phalanges need regular training (at least two to three times a week).
It is equally important to eat well in order to quickly increase body weight.
What's Important to Remember During the Best Arm Workout
Approaches
- from 4 to 6
- According to a study published in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, in order to achieve muscle hypertrophy, you need to perform 40 to 60 repetitions per muscle in one workout.
- 4-6 sets just allow you to complete those 40-60 reps needed for growth.
Rep plan
- from 6 to 10
- As mentioned above, 40-60 repetitions for each muscle group maximally stimulate the process of its growth. You can achieve these values by performing 5 to 10 repetitions in each approach.
- For example, 4 sets of 5 reps with a heavier weight, followed by 4 sets of 10 reps with a lighter weight will get you to the target 60 reps.
Load
75 to 85 percent of your rep max or 1RM (the maximum weight you can lift in one repetition). This may go against what you've been taught, but using a heavier load has been shown to cause maximum muscle hypertrophy during arm training
In order to stay motivated and stay interested in training, variety is important. This way you can break up your training program: train at high intensity on one day, low on another, and so on.
This will help you not to give up training and pump up your arms.
Selecting arm exercises
When it comes to increasing muscle growth, choosing the right exercises is very important. No need to invent something unimaginable
Many classic biceps and triceps exercises are great for simulating muscle hypertrophy. Next we will look at them in more detail.
It is also important to change your training program every 6-10 weeks, depending on your level. This will help avoid plateaus in training and simply relieve boredom.
Training frequency
According to a study in the American Journal of Sports Medicine, the best results can be obtained by training one body part every 5-7 days.
It is also important to remember that many compound exercises, such as push-ups and rows, involve several muscle groups at once, so objectively there is no point in 2 or more hands days per week. You will get results even if your training program only has a day dedicated to arms only once every two weeks.
Warm-up
Before you start doing finger exercises, you need to do a short warm-up.
To minimize the risk of dislocations, joint displacements and sprains, you need to spend 2-3 minutes on preparatory exercises.
Basic warm-up exercises:
- "Fan". You need to spread your fingers as wide as possible and stay in this position for 5-6 seconds.
- Make a fist as hard as you can and hold in this position for 7-8 seconds.
- Unclench your fist as much as possible, deflecting the phalanges as close as possible. This exercise trains flexibility well.
- Press your hands on each other, clasping your palms.
- “Lock” - with hands and separately with each phalanx.
- Press your thumb to your wrist with your palm facing up.
- You need to do 8-10 repetitions of each exercise.
How to pump up your wrists at home
Arm Curl
This exercise is very simple to perform. It helps increase muscle strength and flexibility of the ligaments of the hand.
- Starting position: sitting on a bench, body tilted forward, forearms resting on hips.
- You need to take a weight in your hand - a kettlebell or a dumbbell - and raise your palm with the outfit up.
- You should stay at the top point for at least 6-7 seconds.
- Return to starting position.
Do 2-3 sets of 15-20 repetitions.
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With a wrist expander
This method of pumping up your hands is the most effective due to its targeted effect on the muscles.
The projectile itself is cheap and takes up little storage space.
The principle of its use is very simple: you should squeeze the equipment in your hand, training your fingers, palm and forearm.
Minimum number of repetitions: 50-60 times in one approach, of which there should be 4-5.
Reverse stretch
This exercise not only trains the muscles, but also allows you to get rid of discomfort after training. It is very important to follow the correct stretching technique.
You need to do the following: bend your palm, placing it with the back side out behind your back so that the thumb “looks” inward.
If possible, you can lean on your working hand to increase the load.
It is advisable to perform this stretch for two to three minutes. Sometimes the palm is placed on the fingers in front of you, resting on the first phalanges and pressing the open palm to the forearm.
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Stretching
This exercise is a mandatory part of the warm-up if playing sports involves high activity of the small muscles of the arms.
The exercise consists of the following steps:
- Starting position: standing on all fours, turn your hands so that your fingers point inward, towards your stomach.
- Then you should lean forward, moving your body weight onto your hands.
It is very important to be careful not to damage the ligaments. An equally effective way to stretch your wrists is the cobra pose.
You need to lie face down on the floor and point your arms towards you, raising your elbows. This exercise came to the sport from eastern martial and spiritual practices (in particular, yoga).
Pancake Squeezing
This method is very effective for developing grip strength. The weights should be taken from the bar with one hand and held by the edge perpendicular to the floor.
Calculate your ideal sports weight!
It's better to take one or two shells. The mass should be large, but not so large that you cannot hold the pancake and drop it on your feet.
First, it is recommended to perform the exercise while sitting, and only after prolonged training can you straighten your legs and hold the apparatus at a height of about a meter.
Holding the pancake must be done alternately with each hand.
Exercise time: 40-50 seconds of static load or 30 seconds for 5-6 raised limbs with a weight plate.
Roller exercise
This special simulator is in every gym.
If you are working out at home, you can use a short bar or dumbbell with a rope attached to it.
You need to grab the bar with both palms and roll it back and forth. To enlarge your wrists, you should perform at least 5-6 sets of 30 reps.
Developing grip strength
Grip strength indirectly affects not only the endurance and power of all arm muscles, but also protects the hand and forearm from injuries.
To develop grip strength, you need to train your hands using an expander, special elastic bands that are placed on your fingers to develop pinch strength.
You can also exercise with ordinary dumbbells, but hold them not in the palm of your hand, but with your phalanges.
Grip strength develops very well when playing sports and some types of extreme hobbies.
These include:
- rock climbing;
- hockey;
- rope climbing;
- tennis;
- workout;
- martial arts.
The most popular methods of pumping phalanges will be discussed below.
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Relaxation of hands and fingers
For any workout, it is very important to relax the muscles being worked. You can do this as often as necessary, even after each long text, even after each exercise. This can only be beneficial. I use the following ways to relax my hands:
- "Soaping". I rub my hands together with effort, as if I were “soaping” or “smearing” my hands with something, tightly clasping my hands one another alternately, in a circle. The harder you “soap”, the more pleasant the relaxation that follows the effort.
- I rest my fingers on something and press my hand several times, like a “spring,” as if I wanted to “break” my fingers in the opposite direction.
Fingers “for a break”
It is possible both for all fingers at the same time, and for some separately, or even in pairs, three at a time. The main thing is not to overdo it, otherwise you can actually get a sprain. - Shaking. Imagine that your hand is a whip, shake your hands so that your hands and fingers “dangle limply”
Training with an expander
You need to squeeze the circular expander (“donut”) 15-20 times, three to four approaches per session.
To begin with, you can squeeze the projectile with your whole hand; when such a load is not enough, you can squeeze it with two fingers.
Completion time: minimum 5-6 minutes. The stronger the rubber from which the expander is made, the greater the load on the muscles.
From sports games
These exercises are very popular among those who want to quickly pump up the phalanges of their hands.
These include:
- Falling on the wall. Standing parallel to the wall at a distance of about a meter, you need to fall on it, taking the “lying down” position, only in the vertical plane.
- Squeezing the tennis ball without touching the center of your palm.
- Rolling sand-weighted ping pong balls between your fingers.
To achieve visible results, these exercises can be performed daily because they are quite simple.
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Shoulder Exercises
The shape of the shoulders is determined by the deltoids. They cover the shoulder joint and are involved in flexion, extension, abduction and adduction of the shoulder.
Standing barbell or dumbbell press
This exercise works both the shoulders and triceps well. Take the barbell to your chest, bring your elbows forward. Press the barbell up and behind your head. Lower to the starting position and repeat.
During the bench press, do not throw your head back, it is better to pull your chin in: this way the barbell will follow the optimal trajectory - straight up.
If you perform the exercise with dumbbells, in the starting position, hold them above your shoulders, and then press up, turning your palms away from you.
Dumbbell lateral raises
Stand up straight, take dumbbells, turn your arms with your palms facing you - this is the starting position. Bend your elbows slightly and spread your arms out to the sides until they are parallel to the floor. Lower to the starting position and repeat.
Forearm plank twist
Stand upright lying on your forearms, tense your abs and buttocks, place one palm on the opposite shoulder - this is the starting position. Rotate your torso to the side to move into a side forearm plank. Go back and repeat.
Make sure that in the starting position your shoulder is located above your elbow, do not relax your abdominal muscles - keep your core engaged until the end of the exercise.
Tilt wiring
This is an exercise for the posterior deltoid muscles. Take dumbbells in your hands, tilt your body until it is parallel to the floor or slightly higher. Stretch your arms out to the sides and bring them back.
Lifting from the floor using fists
Lie on the floor, spread your arms to the sides, clench your fists. Using your fists on the floor, lift your upper body and lift your shoulder blades off the floor. Try to relax your abs and lift up using your arms only. Hold the position for 1-2 seconds, lower back down and repeat.
Martial arts exercises
Masters of Eastern martial arts use the hand and edge more often than a clenched fist.
The most common exercises:
- Pull-ups on the first phalanges.
- Push-ups on the first phalanx on a metal floor or any hard horizontal surface.
- Lifting water containers.
- Pulling out a deeply buried pin or tree branch from the ground.
- Throwing a cannonball to different heights.
- Impacts on ironwood wood.
- Impacts in containers with sand and other bulk substances. The hand should get stuck in the sand.
The exercise should be combined with breathing exercises. Attention needs to be concentrated on the muscles being worked.
Exercises for the back of the arms
On the back of the shoulder is a muscle that extends the elbow - the triceps. It comes into play during any movement where you push something away from you or yourself from the floor or wall.
Reverse push-ups on a bench
This exercise is suitable for any level of training. Place your hands on the bench behind your body and lower your shoulders. Bend your elbows, going down until your shoulders are parallel to the floor, and then push yourself up. You can bend your legs at the knees or straighten them. The latter is more difficult.
Dips
Jump onto the bars, lower your shoulders and squeeze your shoulder blades together, stretching your body in one line. Bend your elbows and lower yourself down until your shoulders are parallel to the floor, but not lower, so as not to injure the shoulder joint. Push yourself back up and repeat.
Perform the movement smoothly, without rocking or jerking. If there is not enough load, add weights in the form of a pancake. If, on the contrary, the exercise is too difficult, try performing it using an expander band. To do this, hang it on the bars, put your feet on it and do push-ups. The elastic band will push you upward, relieving some of the load.
Triceps extension with dumbbell
Stand up straight, grab a dumbbell with both hands and lift it above your head. Bend your elbows and lower the dumbbell behind your head. Lift back up and repeat.
Bent over arm extension
Take dumbbells in your hands, bend your knees slightly and tilt your body forward with a straight back. Bend your elbows at right angles, keeping them close to your body. Extend your arms with dumbbells and return to the starting position.
Diamond push-ups
This type of push-up works the triceps the most due to the narrow placement of the arms. Place your hands so that your index fingers and thumbs are connected. Lower your shoulders, extend your body in one line from shoulders to feet.
Lower yourself down and push yourself up, keeping your body straight. Try not to bend in the lower back; to do this, tense your abs.
If you can't do diamond push-ups yet, start with classic push-ups: they will also work your triceps well and prepare you for more complex variations of the movement.
The rules of execution are the same: body in one line, shoulders down, elbows looking back.
If you are working out at home, without parallel bars or dumbbells, alternate between different types of push-ups to fully load all the heads of the triceps.
Practice
