Weight Training Tips and Articles

Target The Brachialis Muscle For Thicker Arms

  If you’re trying to build bigger arms through weight training you obviously need to do biceps and triceps workouts. However, there is a small muscle called the brachialis that lies between the bis and tris that you also need to train for optimal arm muscle size. Targeting the brachialis with a few sets during your biceps training will help give your arms a thicker look.

  While most biceps exercises will hit the brachialis indirectly, there are some exercises that you can do that will target it more specifically. Hammer curls are the best exercise for building the brachialis. To do them you take a dumbbell in each hand with the palms facing you and your thumbs forward like you were going to do normal dumbbell curls, but instead of rotating your wrists on the way up you keep your hands in a fixed position as you do the reps. At the end of a repitition your hands should be in a position like if you were using a hammer. Some gyms have curls bars with grips that allow you to do hammer curls with both arms at the same time. Do some sets of hammer curls during your biceps workout to target the brachialis.

  Another exercise that will hit the brachialis is the reverse grip barbell curl. You basically do a normal barbell curl but with an overhand grip rather than an underhand one. You won’t be able to use near as much weight while doing reverse curls as you would for normal ones. This exercise will also hit the back of the forearms.

  Make sure to do some exercises targeting the brachialis as part of your weight training routine and you will gain a thicker look in your upper arms.

Building Bigger Biceps With High Intensity Weight Training

  The vast majority of men who are into weight training want to build bigger biceps. While the biceps aren’t the largest muscle group by any means, they are very easy to show off and many women love them. If you concentrate on intense biceps workouts you can get the arm size you’re looking for.

  One great technique to use for any biceps exercise is to get a few extra “cheat” reps when you’re doing a set of curls after you’ve done as many with good form as possible. Once you get to the point where can’t do another rep with good form bend your back a bit and straighten it to get the weight up. When you have the weight at the top part of a rep lower it as slowly as possible. Doing this allows you to take advantage of the negative part of a repitition when you’re doing sets of biceps exercises. This should give you a great pump in the bis and give you a better chance at more muscle growth in the arms. You can use cheat reps on pretty much any biceps exercise.

  Another great way to add some high intensity weight training into your biceps workout is to do some drop sets. To do drop sets for biceps do a set of curls and when you get to failure drop the weight and do more reps. You can drop the weight a few times if you want to get a great burn in the biceps. Barbell, dumbbell, cable, preacher, or concentration curls will all work well for drop sets. Drop sets are best used as a finisher to a biceps workout.

Bicep Weight Training Workouts

  The biceps are a very popular muscle to train for most weight trainers. The biceps are almost always on display when you’re not outside in cold weather and are an easy muscle to show off. For most people new to weight training, the biceps are one of the muscle groups they want to add size to. Biceps training is also relatively easy to do and won’t take as much out of you as heavy leg, chest, and back workouts.

  While you should use proper form on all of your weight training exercises to prevent injuries and build real strength, you may want to start your biceps routine with heavy cheat curls. Cheat curls will get the blood flowing in the biceps quickly and allow you to get started with a good pump. Take a weight you can do 5 or 6 curls with good form and do 10 to 12 reps. To do the secong half of the set use some body english to get the weight up, hold it at the top for a second, and slowly lower it under control. After a couple of cheat curl sets do the rest of your biceps exercises with better form, maybe cheating a bit to get an extra rep or 2.

  When you do dumbbell curls for the biceps you should start the exercise with your palms facing you and rotate your hands as you curl so your hands are in the same position at the top of the movement as they would be for barbell curls. This will work the biceps better than just keeping the hands in the same position throughout the exercise.

  To hit the brachialis muscle between the biceps and triceps more directly you can do a few sets of hammer curls or reverse grip barbell curls. Hammer curls are a lot like dumbbell curls except that you don’t rotate your hands. You basically raise and lower your hands like if you were using a hammer. Reverse grip barbell curls will work the forearms as well as the brachialis.

  Towards the end of your biceps workout you can do a few sets of precher curls, cable curls, or dumbbell curls while seated on an incline bench. to finish your biceps routine you should do a couple of drop sets to end your workout with a nice pump in the arms.