HOW TO GET BIGGER ARMS IN FOUR WEEKS !
Build bigger and stronger biceps and thicker and more defined triceps with our four-week arms workout plan
1. Increase your weekly volume of training
Research shows that muscle protein synthesis is rebooted every 48 to 72 hours, which means you will need to work a muscle two to three times a week to achieve optimal growth. Once every seven days just doesn’t cut it.
2. Use tempo training
Weght training isn’t as simple as lifting an object from A to B. The tempo with which you lift is integral to building bigger arms. Ensure you stick to a four-digit tempo code (detailed in our training plan below). In seconds, the first digit refers to how long you take to lower the weight, the second digit how long to pause at the bottom of the lift, the third how long taken to lift the weight, and finally the fourth digit refers to how long you pause at the top of the movement.
3. Consume plenty of protein
In order to increase the size of any muscle, you should be getting sufficient protein in your diet. The American College of Sports Medicine advises anywhere between 1.4 to 2 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight each day. The amino acids that make up the building blocks of protein contribute to repairing muscle tissue after training, which then corresponds to increased growth.
4. Stretch to grow
We’re not talking about tying yourself to the front of a car like Stretch Armstrong (who admittedly had sizeable guns). Stretching and flexing your biceps and triceps is key to signalling growth. Increased biceps training, coupled with a desk-heavy job, needs to be combined with sufficient stretching, otherwise the biceps tendon may become too tight and shortened, which can rotate your shoulders internally and create the illusion your arms aren’t as big as they really are. Alleviate the issue by standing side-on to a solid wall, about an arm’s width away. With the nearest arm, place your palm flat on the wall while keeping the arm outstretched – you’ll feel the pinch. Hold for 30 seconds, then repeat on the other side.
How This Arms Training Plan Works
This four-week workout is made up of four sessions a week.
This approach means you directly train your arm muscles twice a week. If you previously worked your biceps and triceps once a week, this strategy will double the amount of training time these muscles get, and it is this significant increase in training volume that will result in bigger and stronger arms.
Each workout is made up of five lifts, which you will perform as straight sets. This means you do all the sets of the first lift, rest as indicated, then move on to the second lift and so on. Simply do the workouts in order, sticking to the sets, reps, tempo and rest periods detailed.
For the first three workouts the sets, reps and rest periods are the same, but in the final session of each week (the biceps and triceps session) the sets and reps are changed to place as much tension as possible on these muscles and elicit the desired growth response. Each week, try to lift slightly heavier than before – but form comes first.
Tempo Training Explained
To get the full effect from these workouts, you need to stick to the four-digit tempo code for each exercise. The first digit indicates how long in seconds you take to lower the weight, the second how long you pause at the bottom of the move, the third how long you take to lift the weight, and the final digit how long you pause at the top.
The accumulated time under tension increases your heart rate to burn body fat and break down muscle tissue so it’s rebuilt bigger and stronger. Keep each rep smooth and controlled so your muscles – not momentum – do the work, and move through a full range of motion.
Workout 1: Chest And Triceps
1 Incline bench press
Sets 5 Reps 8 Tempo 2110 Rest 60sec
Lie on an incline bench, holding a bar with an overhand grip with your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and arms straight. Brace your core and press your feet into the ground, then lower the bar towards your chest. Press it back up to the start.
2 Triceps dip
Sets 5 Reps 8 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec
Grip rings or parallel bars with your arms straight. Keeping your chest up, bend your elbows to lower your body as far as your shoulders allow. Press back up powerfully to return to the start.
3 Hammer-grip dumbbell bench press
Sets 4 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2010 Rest 45sec
Lie on a flat bench, holding dumbbells by your shoulders with palms facing. Drive your feet into the floor and press the weights straight up, then lower them slowly back to the start.
4 Dumbbell triceps extension
Sets 4 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2010 Rest 45sec
Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand over your head, with arms straight. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows pointing up, lower the weights behind your head, then raise them back to the start.
5 Diamond press-up
Sets 4 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2010 Rest 45sec
Start in a press-up position but with your thumbs and index fingers touching to form a diamond. Keeping your hips up and core braced, bend your elbows to lower your chest towards the floor. Push down through your hands to return to the start.
Workout 2: Back And Biceps
1 Pull-up
Sets 5 Reps 8 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec
Hold a pull-up bar using an overhand grip with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your chest touches the bar. Lower until your arms are straight again.
2 Chin-up
Sets 5 Reps 8 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec
Hold a chin-up bar using an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your chin is higher than the bar, keeping your elbows tucked in to your body. Lower until your arms are straight again.
3 Barbell biceps curl
Sets 4 Reps 12 Tempo 2011 Rest 45sec
Hold a barbell with an underhand grip with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the bar up to your chest, squeezing your biceps as you go. Lower it back to the start.
4 Reverse-grip bent-over row
Sets 4 Reps 12 Tempo 2011 Rest 45sec
Hold a bar using a shoulder-width underhand grip just outside of your legs. Bend your knees slightly then bend forwards, hingeing at the hips and keeping your shoulder blades back. Pull the bar up towards your abs, leading with your elbows, then lower it back to the start.
5 Dumbbell biceps curl
Sets 4 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2011 Rest 45sec
Hold dumbbells by your sides with straight arms, palms facing forwards. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps as you go, then lower them back to the start.
Workout 3: Legs And Shoulders
1 Back squat
Sets 5 Reps 8 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec
Stand tall with your feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up and core braced, squat down until your thighs are at least parallel to the floor. Drive back up through your heels to return to the start.
2 Overhead Press
Sets 5 Reps 8 Tempo 2010 Rest 60sec
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell across the top of your chest with hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up and core braced, press the bar overhead until your arms are straight, then lower it back to the start.
3 Barbell split squat
Sets 4 Reps 6-8 each side Tempo 2010 Rest 45sec
Stand tall with feet just wider than shoulder-width apart, holding a bar across the back of your shoulders. Keeping your chest up, take a big step forwards with your right foot, then lower until both knees are bent at 90°. Drive back through your right foot to return to the start. Repeat for six to eight reps, then switch legs and do another six reps with your left foot forward.
4 Barbell high pull
Sets 4 Reps 12-15 Tempo 1010 Rest 45sec
Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell in front of your thighs with an overhand grip and straight arms. Keeping your chest up and core braced, pull the bar up, leading with your elbows, until it reaches chin height. Lower it back to the start.
5 Lateral raise
Sets 4 Reps 12-15 Tempo 2011 Rest 45sec
Stand tall, holding a light dumbbell in each hand by your sides, palms facing each other. Keeping your chest up, your core braced and a slight bend in your elbows, raise the weights out to the sides until they’re at shoulder height. Turn your thumbs down at the top and lower them back to the start.
Workout 4: Biceps And Triceps
1 Triceps dip
Sets 8 Reps 8 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec
Grip rings or parallel bars with your arms straight. Keeping your chest up, bend your elbows to lower your body as far as your shoulders allow. Press back up powerfully to return to the start.
2 Chin-up
Sets 8 Reps 8 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec
Hold a chin-up bar using an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart. Brace your core, then pull yourself up until your chin is higher than the bar, keeping your elbows tucked in to your body. Lower until your arms are straight again.
3 Barbell biceps curl
Sets 3 Reps 15 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec
Hold a barbell with an underhand grip with your hands shoulder-width apart. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the bar up to your chest, squeezing your biceps as you go. Lower it back to the start.
4 Dumbbell triceps extension
Sets 3 Reps 15 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec
Stand tall holding a dumbbell in each hand over your head, with arms straight. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows pointing up, lower the weights behind your head, then raise them back to the start.
5 Dumbbell biceps curl
Sets 3 Reps 15 Tempo 2011 Rest 60sec
Hold dumbbells by your sides with straight arms, palms facing forwards. Keeping your chest up, core braced and elbows tucked in to your sides, curl the weights up, squeezing your biceps as you go, then lower them back to the start.
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