Who among us workout warriors doesn’t want a set of supersized arms ripping out of their short-sleeve shirts? Yet, despite most of our gargantuan gun-show goals, how many of us are actually training arms enough? And correctly?
Despite the repetitive number of reps pumped out doing barbell curls, most of us are making critical mistakes that are costing us added growth, not to mention physical performance as well.
According to exercise physiologist Dr. Mike Israetel, training arms properly not only enhances aesthetics but also improves functionality, injury prevention, and athletic performance. As the RP Strength co-founder says, there’s nothing a size extra-large set of biceps can’t do.
“Big arms fix everything,” Dr. Mike bluntly states.
Arms, consisting primarily of the biceps and triceps and forearms, play a pivotal role in just about every upper-body movement imaginable, from pulling, pushing, lifting heavy objects and throwing.
The biceps are made up of both the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, which help flex the elbow joint. The brachioradialis makes up a good part of your forearm as well. Your triceps, on the other hand, is made up of three heads—the long, medial, and lateral heads.
Keeping both your biceps and triceps strong helps contribute to joint stability, which can reducing the risk of wrist and elbow injuries.
But most of us only care about stretching out our shirtsleeves, and to do so requires a rewiring of several mistakes many of us continue doing during our training. Israetel shares five ways to fix this immediately.
5 Most Common Mistakes Made In Arm Training
Mistake 1: Thinking You Need a Single ‘Arm Day’
Many gymgoers still hold on to the belief that biceps and triceps must be trained together in one single session. According to Israetel, this may be counterproductive to your quest to make gains. “If your biceps are pumped, they can limit your triceps’ range of motion.” Shortening the exercise can lead to a reduction in the movement’s effectiveness. His suggestion: Train them separately or spread them throughout your weekly routine. This will allow for allowing proper recovery and maximizing workload. “Doing biceps and triceps together is totally fine, it’s just not a necessity or a net benefit.”
Mistake 2: Sticking to the Classic 3 Sets of 10 Set & Rep Range
The idea that arms require moderate reps (8-12) while body parts such as legs need high reps is misleading. Israetel suggests encourages experimenting with wider range of reps: “Sets from 5 all the way up to 30 reps can grow your biceps and triceps well,” he says. Changing rep ranges prevents plateaus and promotes continuous growth.
Mistake 3: Not Going for as Deep a Stretch as Possible
Many people oftentimes shorten or completely neglect the bottom range of motion—the portion where muscles stretch most. This common mistake will play a part in limiting arm growth. For example, “lying dumbbell curls stretch your biceps under maximal load,” he says, while deep skull crushers challenge triceps fully. Dr. Mike advocates holding the deep stretch briefly before contracting for maximum pump and soreness.
Mistake 4: You’re Simply Not Training Arms Frequently Enough
Arms recover faster than larger muscle groups. Dr. Mike explains, so why not train them harder if your goal is increase size. “You can train triceps hard two to three times a week, biceps three to four times.” Remember less is not always more, especially when it comes to building a giant set of arms.
Mistake 5: Ignoring Forearms
Forearms contribute significantly to the overall arm size and aesthetics, yet many of us are completely guilty of neglecting this crucial part of your arms. “Bigger forearms make a distinct visual difference.” Dr. Mike recommends dedicating multiple weekly sets to different forearm curls to build thickness and strength.