Exercises for arm strength: complexes and recommendations for developing arm muscles

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What you need

Barbell
Dumbbells
Horizontal bar
Expander
Kettlebells
Sandbag
athletic ball

Strong hands are the pride of any man. This is even more true for athletes. Arm exercises are an essential part of any training program. The article describes the most effective techniques for developing grip and overall arm strength in the gym and at home. Complexes for men and girls are also given.

Exercises with different equipment

Barbells and dumbbells are just part of the sports equipment. Let's look at shells that can (and sometimes should) be used additionally.

Kettlebells

Shells that were traditionally used by Russian strongmen of the past and which are now gaining popularity all over the world. Most of the exercises described above are performed similarly with weights:

The specificity of this “hardware” is that the weight increment is too large. Otherwise, kettlebells have a lot of advantages, and many (including outstanding athletes) consider Russian classics more suitable for developing strength and functionality than barbells and dumbbells.

Heavy athletic ball

A heavy ball can be a good addition to the classics. What can you do with it? Yes, a lot of things, for example:

Throw up - the main load falls on the shoulders and triceps.
Bend your arms, holding the ball from below and from the side - the biceps and forearms are well loaded.
© Maridav — stock.adobe.com
Doing push-ups on the ball - the emphasis is on the triceps.
© Bojan - stock.adobe.com

An alternative is sandbags (bags with sand or other filler), popular today. The bags have comfortable handles - a good help in many exercises. But for powerful grip development, it’s better to avoid straps.

Workout No. 2. Triceps pump strengthening with bands and body weight

1A. Triceps extension with overhead band in a split rack

Sets: 5, reps: 20, rest: 0 seconds

Step 1: Pull the circular tape through a solid object above your head and grab the ends with your hands. Step away from the anchor point and raise your arms above your head. Your legs should be spread apart. Bend your hips back to tighten the band.

Step 2: Extend your elbows without moving your arms or torso. Alternate your front foot on each set.

1B. Simultaneous lifting of straight arms back while bending over

Sets: 5, reps: 20, rest: 30 seconds

Step 1: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and bend your hips back until your torso is approximately 45 degrees from the floor. Your head, spine and pelvis should form a straight line. Extend your arms towards the floor.

Step 2: Raise your arms 90 degrees until they are parallel to the floor.

2. Close-grip push-ups with lift

Sets: 4, reps: as many as possible, rest: 45 seconds

Step 1: Place your feet on a bench, box, or other elevated surface. Get into a push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart and bend your pelvis perpendicular to your spine.

Step 2: Take three seconds to lower your body until your chest is just above the floor. Go back and start the next rep.

3A. Bodyweight push-ups from a seated position

Sets: 3, reps: 10, rest: 0 seconds

Step 1: Place two benches or two chairs parallel to each other and stand between them. Place your hands on each bench and bend your hips and knees so that you are suspended by the benches.

Step 2: Lower yourself until your shoulders are parallel to the floor, then push yourself halfway back up. Lower your body again and then press all the way up. This is one repetition.

3B. Push-up hold

Sets: 3, reps: hold 30 seconds, rest: 60 seconds

Step 1: Get into a push-up position with your hands shoulder-width apart. Hold this position with body tension for 30 seconds.

4. One-Arm Overhead Triceps Stretch

Sets: 1, reps: hold 45 seconds (each hand)

Step 1. Extend your arm above your head and bend it at the elbow. With your free hand, gently pull on your elbow until you feel a stretch in your triceps. Repeat on the opposite side.

Training complexes for hands

What to do with all these exercises for arm strength? There are countless training complexes. Let's give a couple of examples.

Grip strengthening complex. Perform once every 7-10 days:

Exercise name	Number of approaches and repetitions
Wrist flexion/extension with a barbell	4x10-12
Farmer's Walk	4 to maximum
Holding the plate off the bar with your fingers	4 to maximum
Hanging on the horizontal bar on a towel with both hands	3 to maximum
Hanging on the horizontal bar with one arm	3 to maximum
Squeezing the expander	4x10-15
Negative hold of the expander - take a version of the expander that you cannot squeeze with one hand. With your other hand you help squeeze it and then prevent it from opening	3x10

Complex for triceps, biceps and forearms. Emphasis on increasing strength, but also uses assistance. As a result, with proper nutrition, the volume of your arms will also increase. Also performed no more than once a week:

Exercise name	Number of approaches and repetitions
Close grip bench press	4x10,8,6,4
Standing barbell curls	4x10,8,6,4
Triceps style dips with additional weights	3x8-10
Standing dumbbell curls	3x10,8,6
Arm extensions from the upper block with a straight handle	3x10-12
Hammer curls with dumbbells	4x8-10
Wrist flexion/extension with a barbell	4x10-12
Farmer's Walk	3 to maximum
Hanging on the horizontal bar (on two or one arm)	3 to maximum

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Oatmeal with apple

2.8 g Protein
1.9 g Fat
22.0 g Carbohydrates
135.2 kcal

30 min.

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Other recipes

Conclusion

It is quite possible to increase arm strength at home; this does not require expensive equipment or special exercises. The main task will be to perform strength exercises on the arms in such a way that their action is aimed at developing strength endurance and strengthening ligaments, and not at pumping up muscles. There are many options to quickly increase arm strength at home, but this article presents only one option - basic information. The effectiveness of training can be increased by alternating various physical exercises and techniques for performing them. Also, in addition to the arms, the muscles of the shoulder girdle will also develop. Such exercises will increase strength without gaining mass, but, nevertheless, if you do not spend time training other muscles, you can create imbalances, and this will worsen your appearance. Don't forget about this!

And also read: Exercises for developing strength → Exercises for the hands →

Exercises to develop arm strength at home

If you have a minimum set of sports equipment (horizontal bar and parallel bars), you can fully train your arms at home by doing push-ups and pull-ups.

However, if you don’t have them at hand, then make your hands stronger with the help of static movements. A thick towel is best for these purposes. With it you can do:

Hanging on a towel - this will quickly develop grip strength, make your hands and forearms more powerful and resilient;
Imitation of tearing a towel at different angles - for this you need to pull the towel as if you are trying to tear it, and continue to pull, statically tensing the arm muscles. This method perfectly trains ligaments and tendons, making your arms stronger.

Keeping Mobility

As people age, many people gain excess weight. In women, problem areas become the back of the arm, the subscapular region up to the armpits - this limits mobility in the shoulder joint.

Weak arms and stooping deform the spine; over time, osteochondrosis of the thoracic and cervical spine develops. Signs include aching pain between the shoulder blades and numbness in the fingers. Cervical osteochondrosis is the most dangerous due to the large number of nerve and blood vessels that supply our brain. Dizziness is added to the headache.

Closer to 70 years of age, the upper shoulder girdle becomes so cemented that older people, instead of turning their heads to the right or left, or moving their arms back, are forced to turn their whole body.

In order to maintain mobility of the shoulder joint, a wide towel is enough.

We washed our face in the morning and dried ourselves with a towel. Now take it by the edges and pull it back behind your back with straight arms. Perform 20 forward and backward movements with your arms. Gradually try to reduce your grip on the towel.

This way you will maintain the mobility of the joint, stretch the muscle group surrounding this joint and strengthen the shoulder muscles.

A few more tips

By listening to the recommendations, you can improve the quality of your training, make it more effective and interesting:

Number of exercises. For beginners, the number of exercises performed should be minimal. You need to focus on your feelings. Muscles cannot be overloaded; loads must be added gradually.
Training mode. Only strengthened muscles can be trained in a regimen of twelve to fifteen exercises with three repetitions! This figure is average - it can be increased and decreased depending on your physical fitness, age, weight and other individual characteristics.
Time mode. To avoid overloading your muscles, you need to exercise every other day. Muscle tissue must be restored, so daily training cannot be practiced.
A proper diet is your first assistant. The presence of protein products and slow carbohydrates will help build a slim figure and a manly silhouette.

Attention! Remember that all advice is advisory in nature. When performing exercises, focus on your individual sensations. If an exercise clearly doesn’t suit you, eliminate it.

In order to have toned and defined muscles, you need to create a training plan and constantly follow it. You can use the arm-focused routine described above, and also consult with a sports doctor or trainer and develop individual workouts for yourself. It is important to remember that missed classes bring you back and force you to start all over again. Regular and targeted training will help you notice positive results quite quickly and achieve your goal!

A little anatomy

The target arm muscles that require loads are the biceps and triceps. These muscles are not much used in everyday life. Without receiving load, they acquire a jelly-like consistency. This applies to both men and women. If you work them out with the help of effective strength exercises, you can increase the volume of muscle mass, form relief and get rid of both thick and too thin limbs. If you want to make your limbs smaller and thinner, you need to follow 5 other important recommendations.

Be sure to learn about the 7 most effective methods for getting rid of arm fat, in addition to exercise.

Strength training is at the forefront of effectiveness for the arms and shoulders. It must be remembered that in these exercises the shoulder joint is subjected to heavy load, which can be easily injured. Therefore, you need to strictly follow the recommendations for execution technique and work through each movement before using even a small weight.