The Top 6 Arm Exercises

While most fledging weight lifters, body builders, and fitness enthusiasts understand the importance of using compound movements to train the big muscle groups (legs, chest, back, etc.), everyone still loves a good arm workout. Despite the recent trend of coaches telling people they don't need to work their arms directly, you will never develop your biceps and triceps to the fullest without some direct work. Here are 6 of the best arm exercises:

Triceps:

When most people think arm training, they think biceps. However, it is the triceps that make up nearly two thirds of the upper arm mass and are responsible for a great deal of your strength and power in pressing movement. Focus on your triceps first to fully develop your arm strength and size.

1. Close-Grip Bench Press

This is arguably the most effective mass builder for the triceps. Along with weighted dips, it allows you to use the most weight of any triceps movement. This is because unlike extensions, the close grip bench is a compound movement, an exercise that brings many muscles into play.

The best way to perform this movement is to take a grip on the bar a little less than shoulder width apart. Have a spotter hand off the weight to you, if you can, and bring the weight down to your lower chest area. Drive it back up, and repeat. Remember to keep your back tight and feet on the floor.

2. Triceps Dips

Many people like this movement even more than the close grip bench press. Like that movement, dips are a compound exercise that allows you to stress your triceps with a great deal of weight, especially when you add external resistance.

To perform dips for the triceps, take a narrow grip on the dip bars. Some may find it useful to use a false grip, where your thumb is not wrapped around the bar. Lower yourself to the point where your upper arms are parallel with the floor, and drive yourself back up to the top.

Make sure to keep your head looking straight ahead to best target the triceps. If you look down at the ground, you will make the movement easier but will also shift most of the stress to the chest.

Once you can do around 10-15 bodyweight dips, start adding extra weight to yourself with a dip belt.

3. Decline EZ-Bar Extensions

Though you should focus on compound movements to develop your triceps, you should also include a few extension movements in your arm workouts. I have found that the most effective extension movement for developing the triceps is the decline version.

You can use a straight bar for extensions, but my wrists stay healthier when I use the EZ bar. Find out which one works best for you - if your wrists can tolerate a straight bar, don't be afraid to use that, instead.

To perform this movement, get into position on the decline bench and have someone hand you the weight at the top position. Lower the weight to your neckline and drive it back up. It's okay to use a little bit of rocking motion as long as you keep the stress on your triceps.

Biceps:

Here is the muscle group everyone loves to train. While you should focus the most attention on your triceps, and while you will still hit your biceps hard with pulling movements, you've got to do some curls to develop your arms to their fullest.

4. Barbell / EZ Bar Curls

This should be your main movement for biceps because it allows you to handle the most weight with acceptable form. It is completely up to you whether you use a straight bar or an EZ bar. Again, I prefer the EZ bar for wrist safety, but you should see what works best for you.

You'll often hear "gurus" and "experts" tell you to stay super-strict on curls, but this is nonsense. A basic barbell curl is a perfect movement to put a little bit of swing into. Just make sure you keep the movement reasonably tight and controlled, and that most of the stress is on your biceps.

5. Machine Preacher Curls

Some gyms don't have very good curl machines, but overall, the machine preacher curl is one of my favorite biceps movements. It is especially useful for when you want to place maximum stress on your biceps, but you are too tired from other movements to use free weights.

Since this is a machine, the movement is pretty self-explanatory. However, one word of advice: don't think you have to be confined to keeping your butt in the seat of the machine. No matter how I set them, I always feel akward sitting down. I usually just stand up at a height that allows my biceps to get a good stretch.

6. Rope Hammer Curls

If you're training arms, you need to do at least some movement to target your forearms. Many people like to do dumbbell hammer curls, but I have always felt the cable version in my arms more.

To perform this movement, use the rope attachment on a cable pulley set at the bottom-most level. Curl the rope up to your chest, and don't let your hands come together to make the movement easier. I have found this to give one of the biggest burns of any biceps movement.