The desire to form strong and sculpted arms is a dream, and sometimes the only goal of everyone who starts training in the gym. However, to solve this problem it is not necessary to look for an expensive fitness club and a certified trainer. You can independently create an individual training program that will help develop and strengthen your arm muscles. In this article we will tell you how to pump up your arms at home and look at the basic, most effective exercises for your arms at home.
The importance of exercise for the arms
Hands are a part of the body that is almost always visible, especially in the warm season. In modern urban conditions, the arm muscles do not receive enough load and gradually lose their shape, becoming weak and flabby. The desire to have beautiful and toned arms arises not only among men. Women also want to see this part of their body beautiful and fit.
Most of the set of exercises presented in this article is suitable for both men and women. With systematic exercise, the result will be visible after a few weeks.
Is it possible to pump up your arms without dumbbells?
Not really, experts say. “Pumping up,” that is, noticeably increasing the muscles of the arms, will not be possible without additional weights, but strengthening and tightening is quite possible,” says Alexey Bolyaev, personal trainer at the Women Secrets women’s fitness studio in Tsaritsyno.
Why? “As you know, muscles grow by overcoming resistance,” notes Natella Vladimirova , personal trainer and author of the Instagram blog @trainer.vladimirova . “The greater the resistance, the better the muscle hypertrophy.”
If you have no desire to “sculpt” voluminous and sculpted biceps, but want to make the silhouette of your arms more toned, exercises without weights will be enough.
How it works? We will create resistance using the force of gravity.
It is worth training your hands not only “for beauty”. Pumped up biceps and triceps will make any fitness activity more effective. “Arms are the “link” between the muscles of the back, chest and the machine or free weights. The efficiency of this muscle will depend on their strength,” says Alexey Bolyaev. “All our muscles are connected to each other, there is a synergy between them that determines the functionality of the whole body.”
The best biceps exercises at home
Many who decide to get their arms in proper shape, the first thing they ask is how to pump up their biceps at home, since this muscle is the most noticeable and expressive.
The biceps is a muscle located on the front side of the shoulder and consists of a large and small head. The biceps is responsible for flexing the arm, as well as for supination of the wrist joint, i.e. his turn forward.
You can train your biceps either with or without special equipment. Among the most effective exercises for developing biceps at home are the following:
Advice! Before starting a workout, you need to warm up for 10-15 minutes to prepare your muscles for more serious loads and significantly reduce the risk of injury.
Push-ups for biceps. Classic push-ups use the biceps, but to fully work out this muscle, it is better to use another version of push-ups. Take a lying position as for regular push-ups, but place your hands at stomach level, turning them in the opposite direction. Bend your elbows so that your body is 1-2 cm from the floor, and then return to the top point with a powerful movement.
Reverse grip pull-ups on the horizontal bar. Hang from the bar, holding it with your palms facing you. For this type of pull-up, a medium grip is best. Pull yourself up, trying to touch the bar with your chin, then smoothly return to the starting position.
Biceps Curl. For bending, you will need weights, such as dumbbells. If this equipment is not in the apartment, you can use any convenient equipment: a bag or backpack filled with books, bottles of water. The exercise can be performed sitting or standing. Take the projectile and lower it. As you exhale, bend your arm at the elbow, raising it until your forearms are vertical. Holding the weight for a few seconds, gently lower it without fully extending your arms.
Advice! During training, beginners need to focus not on the number of repetitions, but on their own feelings. This will avoid injury and form the correct technique.
How to train your hands and fingers?
Many novice athletes, when training their arms, underestimate the role of hand and finger strength. However, by working the extensor muscles, overall arm strength can be achieved.
It is generally customary to focus on the shoulders and forearms. But if you pay attention to training your hand, the strength of your forearm will increase.
Experienced trainers note that developing the fingers and wrists helps to properly hold the weights and increases the impact of strength exercises on the shoulders and forearms. Classes are conducted in several areas.
Compressive force is developed using an expander and a tennis ball. By squeezing and unclenching them, as well as twisting the expander in the form of a figure eight, you can achieve good results in strengthening the hand. There are 3 methods of training your hands with a wrist expander. You can train anywhere several times a day.
Also find out about 10 incredible benefits of a hand expander .
On a note! A thick barbell or bodybar will help improve your holding power. Pinching power in your fingers can be developed by holding the plate away from the barbell with your fingertips.
Triceps exercises at home
The triceps is a triceps muscle that occupies the entire back of the shoulder. The task of the triceps is to extend the arm and move it back.
Classic push-ups. The optimal position for your hands is to place them shoulder-width apart. Lower yourself so that there is a distance of a couple of centimeters from your chest to the floor, then return your body to the starting point. For beginners, it is enough to do 15 to 20 repetitions in 3-4 approaches. Further, as you progress in your classes, you can increase the number of repetitions to 25-30 or make push-ups more difficult, changing, for example, the position of your hands or reducing the rest time between approaches.
Reverse grip push-ups . You need to place your hands shoulder-width apart on any hard surface, such as a bench or chair. The torso should be as close to the bench as possible, the elbows should be as close to the body as possible. Stretch your legs forward so that your heels touch the floor. Bend your elbows slightly to avoid injuring your joints. Bend your elbows, lowering your torso to the floor until the shoulder and forearm form a right angle, then quickly return to the starting position.
Advice! When performing reverse push-ups, do not slouch and keep your back straight.
Triceps extension with a load from behind the head . In the gym, dumbbells or a barbell are used for this exercise; at home, they can be replaced with books, a bottle of water, or any other load with a suitable weight. Take an object that will be comfortable to grip and will not cause inconvenience when straightening. The exercise is performed from a standing or sitting position on a hard surface (chair, stool). Extend your arm with the projectile up above your head. Keeping your back straight, bend your elbow and slowly lower the weight behind your head. Hold the weight for a couple of seconds and then return to the starting position.
Training for sagging arms (option No. 2)
Includes a set of 10 exercises that work the upper body. Various flexion-extension, extension, and rotation are taken as the basis. Active participation can be expected not only from the triceps and biceps, but also from the deltas (the front, middle and rear bundles work), the back, and the thoracic region. The selected set of exercises for sagging arms is characterized by high energy consumption, which gives a fat burning effect. Volumes go away faster, tone increases.
Programs for women without equipment:
- Workouts for beginner girls (5 day plan)
- Lose weight in a week without equipment and without jumping (for 7 days)
- Training program for women after 50 years (5 days)
- Program “for the lazy”: simple workouts on the floor (for 5 days)
Raising your arms above your head
Stretch your arms above your head, palms facing forward, keep them side by side. You can bend your elbows a little. The back is straight, shoulders and chest are straightened. From this position, perform the main element: pull your arms down and across the sides along a single plane with your torso, bending your elbows; as soon as they reach the chest line, straighten them upward. Repeat again. When moving down, be sure to squeeze your shoulder blades together as much as possible. An exercise for sagging arms is recommended; the muscles of the back and shoulder girdle are also strengthened and posture is corrected.
How many to perform: 18-20 repetitions.
Straight arm rotations
Move to a position with your arms outstretched to your sides, with your palms facing down. Keep them in line with your shoulders. Straighten your back and keep your head level, without lowering your chin. Start making forward circular rotations with your arms: the amplitude is small, the pace is above average. Only the limbs do the work; the body does not help in any way. This type of rotation is recommended to tighten sagging arms and strengthen the shoulder joints.
How much to perform: 13-15 rotations, first in one direction, then the same amount in the other.
Lower back curls
Direct your arms straight to the sides at the shoulder line, straighten, turning your palms away from you with your thumbs down. The body is straight, the chest is slightly forward. This will be the starting position. Perform the basic movement: bend your arms down (without dropping your elbows too much) and at the same time back behind your back. To finish the exercise, place your hands on your lower back, on top of each other. Straighten it back and repeat. Only the arms work, the body does not move. The exercise will engage the triceps and shoulder girdle, develop joints, and tone the core.
How many to perform: 18-20 repetitions.
Pulsating arm abductions
Position your body straight, straighten your shoulders, and lift your chest. To begin with, lower your arms loosely along your sides, maybe slightly apart to the sides. Then, leaving your elbows straight, move them back behind your back, turning your palms away from you. From this position, begin to make pulsating movements back and forth. The amplitude is short, this will help you feel the maximum load. Works triceps, biceps, rear deltoids, a good exercise for sagging arms and muscle tone without dumbbells.
How long to perform: 23-25 pulsations.
Bent arm twists
Take the position as in a bench press: first straighten your arms to the sides along the same line of your shoulders, and then bend them to an angle of 90 degrees so that your forearms are directed straight up. Clench your hands into fists. The main movement: bring both hands alternately to the place in front of your face, first the right, then the left, at this time do not change the plane of the elbows. There are almost no pauses between transitions. Keep the pace above average to achieve a fat-burning effect. The upper part of the body works, the muscles are toned, and sagging in the arm area is eliminated.
How much to perform: 18-20 turns in total on both hands.
Overhead arm extensions
Leave the starting position from the previous exercise: arms at your sides, forearms raised up at right angles at the elbows, hands clenched. The back is kept in a straight line, looking forward. Begin to alternately raise and straighten your arms almost completely above your head through your right and left sides, respectively. Without pause, they did one completely, then another immediately. Don't help with your body. The shoulders and triceps will get a load, an effective exercise for sagging arms.
How much to do: 18-20 lifts in total on both arms.
Raises of arms with the institution behind the back
Stretch your arms to the sides, bend them slightly, and turn your palms up. You will need to do the following: first, pull your arms back, bending your elbows and moving them behind your back. Next, along the same path, return it to its place and immediately carry it up, lowering it and bending it in front of you opposite your face. Lower your elbows to chest level, forearms parallel to each other, elbows near your sides. Repeat this combination of movements again. An energy-intensive exercise, as it uses the entire upper half of the body, tightening the muscles of the arms, shoulders, back, and chest.
How many to perform: 13-15 repetitions.
Front Curls
Extend your arms clearly to the sides at the shoulder line, straighten. Turn your hands from the accepted position with your palms down. Straighten your back. Don't turn your head anywhere. Now the main movement: along one plane, without lowering it lower, bend your arms forward so that the fingers of your hands close in front of your chest, then straighten them in the opposite direction. Repeat the exercise. A targeted load is given to the triceps, which helps to tighten sagging arms and generally strengthen the muscles.
How many to perform: 23-25 repetitions.
Crossed arms to chest row
First, extend your arms just forward to do a pull-down. Then bend your elbows behind your back and leave them on the sides of the body at chest level, clench your hands into fists. From this position, bring your arms forward, but cross them as in the scissors exercise, bringing one over the other and straightening your palms. If you do it a little sharply, it will be more effective. Return to the quickdraw and repeat the movement, but changing hands. It uses the muscles of the entire upper body to the maximum, tones the arms and shoulders, trains the back, correcting posture.
How much to perform: 18-20 repetitions in total.
Arm turns with elbows together
Move to the next position: first stretch your arms to the sides, then bend them towards you in front of your chest, hold them along the line of the shoulder girdle, close your hands with your fingers opposite your neck. Now from this position, begin to raise your elbows up, and then bring them down, lowering them down and spreading your forearms. There are no pauses between transitions, and the movements flow smoothly. This exercise is often used for sagging arms, as the muscles work intensively.
How much to do: 18-20 elbows.
Large selections of exercises without equipment:
- Top 60 Best Cardio Exercises
- Top 50 best leg exercises
- Top 50 Best Abdominal Exercises
- Top 30 Cardio Exercises Without Jumping
- Top 100 Stretching and Flexibility Exercises
- Top 100 options for planks for the whole body
Forearm exercises at home
The forearm is the muscles located from the elbow joint to the hand. This is not the most visually noticeable muscle group, but it performs a number of important functions and is often ignored during training.
Advice! The forearms are a small muscle group. To get the most out of them, do 15-20 reps per set.
Wrist flexion with a weight . Using dumbbells will make bending at the wrists more comfortable, however, as in previous cases, you can replace them with another comfortable weight. While sitting, place your hand on a hard surface so that the hand hangs palm down. Flex your wrist using your forearm muscles.
Extension at the wrists. The exercise is similar to the previous one, but the projectile is taken with an underhand grip, palms facing up.
Necessary equipment
No need to purchase expensive equipment. This is an obvious plus.
Therefore, the reluctance to exercise can only be justified by laziness, because even the busiest person can devote 10-15 minutes a day to maintain their health.
The following can be used as projectiles:
- bottles filled with sand;
- dumbbells – weighing from 1 to 3 kilograms;
- universal expander.
Exercises for shoulder muscles at home
Pulling the projectile to the chin . Standing, place your feet shoulder-width apart. Take a weight (dumbbells or anything that replaces them), lower your straight arms down in front of your body, palms facing your body. As you exhale, keeping your back straight, lift the apparatus to your chin. Spread your elbows out to the sides, keeping them close to your body. After a two-second pause, lower the weight down.
Advice! When doing chin pulls, do not raise your arms above your shoulders.
Swing to the sides . You can work sitting or standing. Place your arms at the sides of your body, palms facing inward. Raise them to the sides, just above shoulder level. Hold the weight briefly at the top and slowly lower it.
Swing forward. A variation of the previous exercise, performed while standing. Lower your outstretched arms with the load down in front of you, palms facing your body. Raise your arms straight up to shoulder level. Hold them at the top for a couple of seconds, then smoothly lower them.
Advice! When performing swings, make sure that the body does not make unnecessary movements. Do not allow the projectile to drop sharply, make movements slowly.
Warm-up
It is advisable to do push-ups and warm-ups not on the bare floor, but on a special anti-slip fitness mat.
This will reduce the risk of getting bruised or falling due to slipping.
Proper and high-quality warm-up is already half the success. Warming up the body should last at least 10 minutes. The ideal option is 12-15 minutes.
Warm-up consists of the following stages:
- Cardio exercises - running, jumping in place, kangaroo or jump rope, leg swings, squats.
- Stretching - first of all, you need to work out the muscles of the neck, arms, back and sides.
- Joint gymnastics. The emphasis should be on the shoulder and elbow joints.
It is advisable to restore breathing after exercise.
Warming up before exercise can reduce the risk of injury, unexpected spikes in blood pressure, and poor circulation to the muscles, which can lead to pain or cramping.
How to pump up brachialis
The brachialis is a brachialis muscle that flexes the forearm. Located as a lining under the biceps. At the same time, it does not participate in the process of turning the hand, because it is attached exactly along the bone, and not from the side like a biceps. The brachialis allows you to lift heavy weights on the biceps, since it takes on 65-70% of the load during flexion.
Exercises for brachialis
- Dumbbell curls with a neutral hammer grip.
- Lifting the barbell for biceps with a reverse grip, fixing the elbows in one position.
When performing exercises, do not throw weights from the bottom to the top. Take the weight that you can lift without violating the exercise technique.
How to pump up your biceps
The biceps biceps muscle is a large brachialis muscle, clearly visible on the front of the shoulder. It got its name because it consists of two heads - short and long. The long one starts from the supraglenoid tubercle, and the short one starts from the coracoid process of the scapula. Both heads connect and form a belly, which ends in a tendon.
It’s not difficult to pump up your biceps – they readily respond to the load. In addition, the biceps is a small muscle group that grows after large muscle groups. This means that it will develop, even if you just make a base.
The muscle tendon is attached at a slight angle, which is why the biceps can turn the hand towards the thumb. Therefore, to develop the biceps, you need to bend and rotate the forearm relative to the elbow.
The short, inner head of the biceps works in almost all exercises. And to work out the long one, you need to move your elbows back, so the head stretches and receives additional load. It is also useful to use a narrow grip. A wide grip and bringing your elbows forward pumps up the inner biceps.
Biceps exercises
The most effective:
- Barbell curls for biceps.
- Lifting dumbbells with supination.
- Pull-ups on the horizontal bar with a reverse, narrow grip.
- Lifting dumbbells while lying on an inclined bench (the long head is pumped).
Biceps can be pumped in a variety of ways: on the horizontal bar, with dumbbells and a barbell, working with your own weight.
Feeling right after a workout
After exercise, some muscle fibers are destroyed. An incomplete breakdown product is lactic acid, which accumulates in the muscles and is the cause of pain the day after training.
It is impossible to get rid of this - this is a natural physiological process, you can only reduce the unpleasant consequences.
It must be remembered that slight pain, a feeling of puffiness and heating of the muscles from the inside are a sign of a conscientious athlete who trains with all his dedication.
On the contrary, if the muscles do not hurt at all, then the load needs to be increased.
To get rid of pain, professionals recommend taking a contrast shower, a warm bath, or booking a massage.
It is also advisable to do a short cardio workout and a cool-down with good stretching. how to pump up the inside of a girl’s arm.
Additional recommendations for beautiful hands
This simple set of hand exercises for women will help keep your hands toned; provided you do them regularly, it will help significantly improve the appearance of your hands. But it is also worth taking care of other factors that are also responsible for their beauty.
If your hands are full, you need to reconsider your diet . Try to exclude sweets, fatty, fried, flour products from it. Drink enough water, eat often, little by little, and healthy foods - in general, the same rules apply here as for proper nutrition in general.
Various procedures can also be useful to improve the condition of the skin of your hands. Salons can offer us mesotherapy, lifting, massages and so on. At home, you can use a contrast shower, self-massage, and apply various masks and creams. wrapping procedure may help . The wrap improves blood circulation, helps remove excess fluid and tightens the skin. It is recommended to complete a course of 10-15 procedures with an interval of one day. For the skin of your hands, you can use the same mixtures as for other parts of the body. For example, one of the simplest recipes involves a mixture of heavy cream, corn oil and a few drops of citrus essential oil. You need to keep this mixture on problem areas for about 20 minutes. Massaging problem areas with a combination of essential oils can also be effective.
You can easily improve the condition of your hands at home if you approach this issue responsibly. It is enough to regularly perform the proposed set of exercises and supplement it with other measures, and then you will soon see clear changes for the better.
What mistakes do newbies encounter?
People who decide to pump up their arms for the first time may encounter problems. This happens because newbies think that:
· the more exercises you do, the faster you will achieve your goal;
· It is necessary to pump your arms daily;
· the greater the weight of the weights, the faster your arms will pump up.
All these opinions are wrong, so often beginners cannot quickly get in shape and harm their own body. If you look at athletes who have been involved in sports for a long time, you will notice that the “masters” do not use heavy dumbbells and train 3-4 times a week.
