Arm workouts

If your biceps are never sore after working out you may be wondering if you’re training them right – the truth is that soreness IS NOT an accurate barometer of how good a workout has been. Here’s why you MIGHT not have sore arms, and – if you must – how to get them: At a glance… Sore arms are not an accurate indicator of training efficiency Instead focus on progress your long term strength and size goals Biceps are a small muscle group and recover from training rapidly DOMS – delayed onset muscle soreness – tends to be triggered …

Why your biceps are never sore [+9 ways to MAKE them!] Read More »

During a long bulk I had large (for me) biceps – BUT they were surprisingly soft when flexing. This is because I’d added enough bodyfat to cover my bicep in a layer of the stuff – and it was THAT fat that felt soft… Muscles themselves are ALWAYS hard when flexed. Here’s the background: At a glance… Muscles contract when flexed – the contraction makes the muscles hard when flexing A flexed muscle may feel soft if there is a layer of fat on it – flat is inert when flexing so remains spongey to the touch Bodyfat can influence …

WHY are my muscles SOFT when I flex? [FACT] Read More »

We’ve all been there – trying to work out if we look like we ‘lift’ or not! The secret is – as we all know – huge arms (disclaimer: I may be exaggerating…) What I wanted to know was whether aiming for 14 inch arms when unflexed was a good goal for someone my height (5’7”). The answer was pretty compelling… At a glance… 14 inch arms when unflexed are significantly larger than the average adult male Whether this is considered ‘good’ will depend on your height, weight, bodyfat percentage as well as your perception of what you see 13 …

Do you have 14 inch arms UNFLEXED? I have good news! Read More »

Even with the best intentions, we ALL get drawn in to working the ultimate t-shirt muscles – the BICEPS! Your height, weight and whether you are a natural lifter or not all impact how impressive those pythons of steel can look – so here we break down WHY and WHEN 14 inch biceps are GOOD!  At a glance… Arms should be measured when FLEXED 14 inch arms are good in the context of those who are shorter and/or with low bodyfat Shorter lifters have shorter limbs, so 14” by comparison is proportionately chunkier! Lower bodyfat improves the aesthetics of your …

WHY 14 inch biceps are GREAT! Read More »

When I first started working out from home there were TWO things I missed most from the commercial gym – the leg press and the preacher bench. You probably understand the leg press, but why did I miss the preacher so much?! Well I simply LOVED the way it isolated my inner bicep. At the end of each workout I’d rep out a few sets to failure on there – no cheating, no kipping – just a solid, awesome bicep pump.  Replicating that at home has been a personal crusade of mine ever since! Here are my top tips for …

11 BEST preacher curl alternatives Read More »

If you’re looking to hit a few curl variations in your workouts then it makes sense to consider hammer and reverse curls. Both of these variants offer something different to regular, bicep-dominant curl variations such as concentration or preacher curls while simultaneously being less fatiguing. This makes them awesome for cycling in with your existing arm work without adding too much extra time or stress to your workouts. Here’s what you need to know: At a glance… Both hammer and reverse curls are excellent exercises for arm growth Reverse curls are more focused on the forearm and lower upper-arm area …

Hammer Curls vs Reverse Curls: ULTIMATE Guide Read More »

The EZ curl bar gets a hard wrap – while it MAY be a ‘bro’ favourite it does bring to the table a pretty solid use-case for arm training.  But what if you CAN’T do an EZ curl and need an alternative? Well there are a TON of curl variations out there – but which one is right for you will depend on WHY you can’t do EZ bar curls. Lets run through the most common situations with a few alternatives to try for each. At a glance… Below are 16 epic EZ Bar curl alternatives to suit almost anyone …

16 EZ Bar curl alternatives for YOUR situation Read More »

Forearms – simply the bit between your wrist and elbow. Not much to it, right? Well for some of us naturally skinny guys growing huge forearms can seem unachievable! Well worry no longer – I’ve got a couple of awesome methods you can follow to grow your forearms at home (even if you’re an ectomorph like me.) At a glance… There are over 20 muscles in your forearm! Consistently training for a few months will grow your arms Rope (or rock) climbing will grow your upper body muscles If you have weights try farmer walks, static holds and fat grips to target your forearms What is the forearm for? So …

How to get bigger forearms at home: 2 Simple Ways Read More »