To develop an ideal upper body aesthetic, it is important to consider the arms along with the chest, shoulders, and back. Our focus will be on four arm exercises from our new book Bodybuilding Anatomy that will help you build stronger, bigger arms.

Muscles of the arm can be divided into two main compartments: anterior (front) and posterior (back). Biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis make up the anterior compartment of the upper arm. The posterior compartment of the upper arm is dominated by the triceps brachii.

Barbell Curl (Biceps)

Figure 1

Execution: Stand up straight with your feet in a comfortable position, approximately shoulder-width apart. Begin with your hands underneath the bar at just inside shoulder width, with your arms straight down, and your chest up. Curl the bar up in an arcing motion until your forearms touch your biceps. As you curl up, keep the elbows from flaring out by actively pushing them inward. Slowly return to the starting position.

Notes: Don’t cut out the bottom part by reversing the motion 10 or 15 degrees before elbow extension. You will experience the highest forces when your forearms are parallel to the floor in the middle of the motion, this is where you should focus on the most eccentric slowing and control of the bar.

Feel your grip and elbow position, as this exercise might irritate your wrists, elbows, or shoulders. If your hand position doesn’t work, try using an EZ bar. Additionally, this exercise can impose significant stress on the lower back. To reduce lower back stress, you can wear a lifting belt while doing barbell curls.

Incline Dumbbell Curl (Biceps)

Figure 2

Execution: Set an incline bench to roughly a 45- or 60-degree angle. Lie down on the incline bench. Pick up a dumbbell in each hand, and hold your legs close together in front of you, with your feet flat on the floor. If your feet do not reach the floor, you may keep your toes planted on the floor, or you may consider putting a weight plate underneath your feet. Let the dumbbells come all the way down and back, while keeping your back slightly arched and your chest up to the ceiling. Then curl the dumbbells up until your forearms touch your biceps. Slowly return the dumbbells down for a maximum stretch while your chest stays up the whole time.

Notes: Set the seat angle for a big stretch and shoulder comfort. If you set the seat too vertically, you won’t get a big stretch in the biceps; if you set it too horizontally, you might irritate your shoulder joints. If you use too much weight and get too dynamic, you could risk injury in the loaded stretch position of this exercise.

Dip (Triceps)

Figure 3

Execution: Grab the parallel bars, which should be spaced shoulder-width apart. Hoist yourself up, with your arms straight and your elbows locked. While keeping your chest pointed up high and your feet either pointed down or tucked under and behind you, slowly dip down by pushing your elbows back. Continue to push them back as long as you’re still descending. Once you can no longer go down any farther, gently accelerate back up until the elbows are locked out. Then begin again.

Notes: Dips are very effective but can be a bit risky for the shoulder joints and pectoral muscles; always practice a slow, controlled descent. The bonus of such a descent is that it will allow you more time to assert your best technique and will greatly stimulate the triceps for growth. As you descend, you may be tempted to lean forward and use your front delts and pecs for most of the effort. Resist this temptation by pushing your elbows back as you descend. To help cue pushing the elbows back, try to keep your chest up.

Dips are a great exercise for those light or strong enough to be able to do at least five (but hopefully 10 or more) reps. If that’s not you, it is fine to do assisted dips or other triceps exercises.

There are two ways to enhance safety in the dip exercise. First, descend slowly and pause at the bottom before pushing up. This minimizes force spikes and reduces injury risk. Second, do not go lower than your shoulder comfort allows. If you feel consistent pain in the shoulder joints from dips, either stop short of the depth that gives you pain or switch to another exercise. The majority of people will be able to dip as low as they can with no shoulder issues.

Cable Push-Down (Triceps)

Figure 4

Execution: Place a cable attachment with a bar of your choice (a straight bar is a great place to start) on the cable machine at about eye level. Stand very close to the bar, and then put an overhand grip on it. Pull the bar down so that the tops of your hands come as close as possible to touching your front delts. While keeping your elbows back and in, push the cable down until your elbows are locked out. On the ascent, push your elbows in and back, generating maximum tension under stretch in the triceps.

Notes: Keep your chest up at all times. This will require the lower arm to travel further up to get to your front delt, enhancing the range of motion. This will also prevent your chest from being involved in most of the force production and support its recovery and adaptation from its own training. By pulling the elbows back on the way up, you will be able to maximize the loaded stretch on the triceps. 

Place your hands where your wrists, elbows, and shoulders feel best. There’s no wrong answer here as long as your joints feel great and your triceps feel anything but!

Header photo by Tima Miroshnichenko