A nice set of big and muscular arms is always an excellent advantage to have over other men. Getting rid of skinny arms is also an added advantage when it comes to the dating field, as many women prefer dating men with big arms over any other physical attribute.
More so, big arms are a symbol of masculinity and strength and demand more respect at first impression.However, building arm muscles might prove challenging, especially for men who have been skinny all their lives.
Often, you find that many people with skinny arms wish to add a little more definition and sleek shape to their arm muscles.
Luckily, there are a variety of exercises and appropriate lifestyle changes to make the transition to bigger arm muscles more effective and permanent. Let us quickly delve into this article and learn the best tips to get big arms for skinny guys.
How To Get Bigger Arms For Skinny Guys
The arm has relatively two large muscles; the biceps brachii at the front of your arm and the triceps brachii at the back of your arm, which give your arms their shape.
Each of these muscles works together within a range of motions to perform different tasks. For instance, your biceps come into play when you are bending your arm at the elbow or making shoulder and forearm movements.
On the other hand, triceps are responsible for extending your arm at the elbow and some shoulder movements.It is vital to develop balanced strength in both your biceps and triceps in order to build strong, healthy, and defined arms.
As a result, growing your arms increases your deadlift capacity, develop strong and secure grips for more secure lifts, and increases your chances in the dating scene.
There are a variety of exercise routines that you can use to build big arms, including;
Blast your biceps
Usually, biceps are the traditional muscles that people refer to when they think of muscular arms.
While numerous exercises target the biceps, the most efficient one for skinny guys who want big arms is the standing barbell curl. Not only does it focus on your triceps, but it also strengthens and tones your forearm for overall arm building.
It involves standing straight and holding a barbell in front of you with your arms facing forward. Begin with your arms straight and the barbell hanging downward.
Raise the barbell by bending your elbow without moving your shoulders and the rest of your body. Once your elbows pass the 90-degree angle, pause and return to the starting position.
Perform this routine for two to three sets of eight to ten repetitions. It is advisable to use a barbell that is heavy enough for the best and fastest results. Click below for a comprehensive program and guided routine on how to gain more biceps and build your arms.
Work on your triceps
Triceps are the major muscles found at the back of your arm. It is crucial to work on both your biceps and triceps to uniformly develop big arms. According to the American Council on Exercise, the most effective triceps workout is the triangle pushup.
To perform a triangle pushup, get in the standard pushup position. Make sure that while you are facing downward, your body should be straight and its mass supported on your straight arms and feet.
Instead of having your arms positioned under your shoulders like they usually would during a regular pushup, ensure your hands are touching under your chest with your forefingers and thumbs meeting to create a triangle shape on the ground. Do this exercise for about two to three minutes for the best results.
Eat more calories and high-protein foods
One of the reasons why skinny guys have slow progress when trying to get big arms is because they do not eat enough food.
Your arm muscles need additional energy to grow, meaning that you should consume complex carbohydrates, like whole-grain bread, oatmeal, brown rice, and potatoes, with every meal.
Carbohydrates offer your body with an insulin hike after a workout, putting your body in a muscle-building (anabolic) state. More so, glycogen provides your body with long-lasting fuel, ideal for working out.
Eating high-protein foods, like skinless chicken breast, red lentils, egg whites, white fish, salmon, tuna, and lean red meat, is also beneficial to skinny guys who want to gain weight and get big arms.
However, you have to ensure that your high-protein foods are lean and have vast amounts of amino acids, which help in the growth and rebuilding damaged muscle tissues.
According to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, you should make sure that you eat your carbs one to four hours before a workout to avoid stomach upset and discomfort while working out.
Within an hour after working out, it is helpful to eat a healthy combination of protein and carbs to help in the rebuilding of muscles.
Avoid simple sugars and fruits
Eating excess amounts of fruits and simple sugars do more harm than good when you are trying to build your arm muscles. Fresh fruits have high amounts of fiber and vitamins and are relatively low in calories.
Fruits also have vast amounts of fructose, which is a simple sugar that the body uses as a building block for fat tissues. If you opt to eat fruits, it is advisable to eat those low in simple sugars, like blackberries, raspberries, rhubarb, and cranberries.
Give yourself a break
Contrary to popular belief, going to the gym every day to build your arm muscles is not going to do you much good. As a matter of fact, it could slow down your rate of muscle development.
Muscle strength and growth increases during the resting period after working out. Therefore, it is best to take a break to speed up your arm gains overtime.
Make sure you sleep for seven to eight hours every night and allow your arm muscles to rest for approximately 48 hours between gym days. In this particular case, doing less actually helps you get your desired results faster.
Things to avoid so you are not the Skinny Arm Man
Similar to any other body muscles, arm muscles can also tear and get damaged over time if you are not careful. You must exercise care when building these muscles and avoid overstraining them too soon.
Now and then, it is advisable to increase the weights in your routine to maintain your growth over time. However, going heavy too soon with routines like the curls could seriously harm your muscles, resulting in bicep tendon tears.
Similarly, avoid getting over fixated on growing your arms that you forget about exercising the rest of your body.
Even though big arms are a great compliment, especially to a skinny guy, it is also helpful to maintain an impressive and evenly yoked physique. Perform exercise routines that build your chest, deltoid, and traps as well, like static holds, rack pulls, shrugs, since they also help in growing the arms.
Conclusion
Once you follow the exercise routines suggested above to build your arm muscles, you need to strictly adhere to a specific workout plan and meal plan to ensure you get the desired results within your set timeline.
Do one set of eight to ten repetitions for each routine, especially if you are new to weightlifting ad you want to start building strength. Being that you have little body fat to hide your progress, you will start seeing the fruits of your labor reasonably quickly.
Find out how Alby went from struggling to gain a single pound of muscle to an absolute beast in the gym in a very short time…