Want bigger and more toned arms?

We all do! Guys and girls alike are constantly trying to find ways to get bigger and more toned arms. Look no further, we’ve got 7 proven ways to blow up and tone up your arms.

1. Hit both biceps and triceps

Did you know that your upper arms are made up of 2 main muscles? That’s right, your bicep and tricep are the two main muscles that compose your upper arms. This needs to be considered when planning your arm workouts. Hit only one of them and be prepared for lackluster results. Hit both and get ready to see your hard work pay off! Your triceps are on the “back” of your arm. While not easily noticeable to yourself, your triceps make up a large part of your arm girth.

2. Angles matter

When working out any muscle, different angles trigger different muscles to activate. When training your arms, be sure to include several different angles. The best way to add more angles into your routine is to use an adjustable bench. Here are a few exercises to consider:

• Incline Bench Dumbbell Curls
• Standing Dumbbell Hammer Curls
• Barbell Preacher Curls
• Dips

Want more tips to build bigger biceps? Read the best bicep workout here!

3. Increase Volume

We use our arms every day, in order to grow your arms you will need to increase your reps or sets. Remember: Sets x Reps = Total Volume. By increasing your overall arm training volume, your arms will be “shocked” by the amount of stress they are put under and will be forced to grow. This is key to increasing the size of your arms.

4. Increase Weight

The alternative to increasing the volume of arm work in your routine is to increase the weight. Increasing the weight of your exercises will force your body to recruit more muscle fibers to work in order to move the weight.

5. Strengthen Your Back

Any time you workout your back, you simultaneously use your arms in order to move the weight. This is called a secondary muscle exercise. By strengthening your back, your biceps will also work with your back. If you’re not currently strengthening your back, try adding that to your routine and watch the work pay off.

6. Work your forearms

Your forearms are another secondary muscle used when working your biceps. We recommend adding a set of bicep curls using a pronated grip to your routine. A pronated grip means that the top of your hands will face upwards.

7. Recover Harder

We all know how important recovery is, but it can never be stressed enough. You might think your muscles are growing when you workout, but that’s false. Your muscles actually grow while your sleeping. During your workout you will create micro-tears in your muscles. To fix this, your body repairs them and adds more muscle on top. Be sure to get at least 8 hours of sleep every night to aid in your recovery. Want to go the extra mile in recovery? Try getting a deep tissue muscle massage once a month to further repair your arms.

Your arms are not going to grow 2″ overnight, nor will you be able to tone down the excess fat on your arms overnight. Growing and toning your arms is going to take time. Use these 7 tips routinely and you will see the results pay off. Tell us your favorite arm exercise below!