We’ve all seen Hollywood stars flaunt their biceps and triceps and wondered how they could get such an enviable physique. Because celebrities need to look attractive for the camera, they prioritize developing a perfectly bulked-up and fit body. They have a team of professional training coaches and nutritionists who help them achieve the kind of body that they require. 

But does this mean you cannot achieve the same effect while just being a fitness enthusiast? This is not necessarily true. With the right kind of exercises and nutrition, you can also attempt to get Hollywood star-worthy biceps and triceps and flaunt those hammer arms. We’ll let you in on a few secrets that celebrities follow to help them get beefed up arms, chests, and abs. In this blog post, let us understand the muscles involved in the arm, the exercises you can do to develop them, the kind of food you need to eat to bulk up your biceps and triceps, and the benefits of having strong arms besides looking good. 

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The Muscles of The Arms

To have optimum results in arm development and strength, we need to first understand the general anatomy of arm muscles. The arm consists of two main muscles, the biceps and the triceps. The biceps are located at the front of the arm and have two heads. The triceps are located at the back of the arm and consist of three heads. Contrary to popular belief, the tricep muscle is larger than the bicep muscle.

The function of Biceps and Triceps

The biceps and triceps are antagonist muscles that perform opposite actions. The biceps are responsible for flexion (bending) of the elbow whereas the triceps are responsible for extension (straightening) of the elbow.

Practically speaking, you can say any movement that requires pulling or lifting with the arms engages the biceps. When you push an object or push against something, it engages the triceps.

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Benefits of Strong Biceps and Triceps

Well-developed and good-looking biceps and triceps contribute to an attractive physique, but that must not be the sole reason for incorporating arm exercises into your routine. Having strong arms has a variety of different health benefits as follows.

Increased Overall Body Strength

Strong and lean biceps and triceps increase overall arm strength, enabling higher efficiency and endurance in performing daily tasks like lifting, pulling, and pushing.

Improves Posture

Your posture is not just a result of core and back workouts. Strong arms also lend an amount of balance to your gait and help you keep an upright posture.

Boosts Performance

We use our arms for most physical activities like working out, swimming, running, and playing sports like badminton, tennis, cricket, basketball, etc. So it’s only natural that strong biceps and triceps will boost your performance significantly. It is well-known that strong arms can improve your performance in the gym and enable you to exercise for longer and with more intensity.  

Increases Metabolism 

Bulking up and increasing muscle mass in the arms can help boost your metabolism. A higher muscle mass directly increases your resting metabolic rate, which means you can burn more calories even at rest. This is an excellent health benefit of regular arm workouts. 

Bicep and Tricep Workouts

Now that we understand so much better about biceps and triceps, let’s look at some exercises that Hollywood stars and celebrities include in their arm workout routines to get those loaded arms. 

Bicep Exercises

Here are a few bicep exercises you must include in your workout routine,

Concentration Curl

The concentration curl is a staple of any bicep workout because it is known to achieve the greatest muscle activation among all bicep workouts. It is one of the most effective workouts for the biceps because it can isolate the muscle really well. The steps to do concentration curls are as follows:

  • Sit at the end of a bench with a dumbbell in one hand
  • Bend your head down slightly and rest your elbow holding the dumbbell on your inner thigh
  • Curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder, rotating your wrist slightly when you reach your shoulder
  • Hold the dumbbell in peak position for a few seconds, then lower it back down gently
  • Repeat the movement for 10-15 reps for both arms

Cable Curls

The next bicep workout that many celebrities prefer for arm workouts is the cable curl. The cable curl requires a cable machine with a low pulley attachment. Here’s how you can practice cable curls:

  • Stand about two feet away from a cable machine with your back towards the machine.
  • With one hand, hold the cable handle with your palms facing the opposite side.
  • Ensure that your elbow is close to your body.
  • Place the opposite foot slightly forward for better stability. 
  • Now as you did in the concentration curl, slowly curl up your arm towards your shoulder.
  • Hold the curl for a few seconds to feel the tension in your bicep and lower back down.
  • Repeat the movements for 10-15 reps for both arms.

Barbell Curls

Most fitness experts and star trainers swear by barbell curls for bicep workouts. Since both arms are worked on simultaneously, there are no chances of any muscle imbalances that concentration or cable curls may cause. Barbell curls require good stability and a strong back so your body doesn’t sway when lifting the weight. If you’re new to barbell curls, start with lighter weights. To do barbell curls:

  • Stand straight with your feet about shoulder-width apart
  • With an underhand grip, hold a suitably weighted barbell with arms extended at your waist
  • Now slowly curl both arms to bring the barbell up to your chest
  • Make sure your arms are doing all the work and not your chest muscles
  • Hold the curl for a few seconds and lower the barbell back down
  • Repeat curls for about 10-15 reps.

Tricep Workouts

For your triceps, the following exercises may be the most effective, giving you well-defined and strong triceps.

Triangle Pushups

Believe it or not, the humble triangle push up is the most effective workout you can do to build your tricep muscles. The best part about this exercise is that it is a bodyweight workout that doesn’t require any equipment. You can do this at home for a well-toned tricep.

  • Get into a standard hands and toes push-up position
  • But instead of placing your palms beneath your shoulders, place them a lot closer so that the thumbs and forefingers of both hands touch to form a triangle
  • This ensures that the load is directed towards your triceps
  • Now you can proceed with a regular push-up by keeping your body straight
  • Repeat push-ups for 10-15 reps

Tricep Kickbacks

The next most effective tricep exercise is the tricep kickback. There are two ways you can do tricep kickbacks. You can either do both arms at once or do them one arm at a time. Here are the steps to perform tricep kickbacks.

  • Stand with dumbbells in each hand and bend your knees slightly
  • Also bend from your waist so that your torso is almost parallel to the floor
  • Keep your arms at your sides and bend your elbows so that the dumbbells come up to your chest
  • Now straighten your arms behind you and hold for a few seconds
  • Bring the weights back to your chest by bending the elbows again.
  • Repeat the steps for 10-15 reps for both arms.

Nutrition 

Getting bulky arms is not just a function of bicep and tricep workouts, but also of proper nutrition. Celebrities ensure that they consume enough protein to develop lean muscle mass along with regular exercise. So, increase your daily protein consumption by loading up your plate with protein-rich foods like lean meats, eggs, dairy, beans, pulses, nuts, etc. You can also consume whey protein powders in shakes and smoothies to up your protein intake.      

Final Word  

With the above exercises for bicep and tricep workouts, you can also get bulked up and strong arms just like those Hollywood stars. Whether you’re developing your arms for strength, for a bodybuilding competition, or just as a passionate fitness enthusiast, remember that consistency is key. Follow the exercise routines we advised and combine them with a high-protein diet.

For the most optimum and effective arm workouts, download the FITPASS app and look for the best gyms near you that offer targeted bicep and tricep workouts. By getting the best training that fitness studios offer, you can flaunt muscular arms in no time at all. 

FAQs

How long should a bicep tricep workout be?

A combined bicep and tricep workout could be about 30-40 minutes long, depending on the specific exercises you’re doing. A common arm workout routine involves 30 minutes of bicep workout and 20 minutes of tricep workout.  

Can girls train biceps?

Absolutely. Bicep training in women results in strong and well-toned arms. There’s no reason why girls or women shouldn’t train their biceps and triceps.  

Should I work out the triceps or biceps first?

Fitness experts advise that you should work out your triceps before your biceps in your arm strengthening routine. The reasoning behind this is that triceps are larger muscles that have many extensions into different muscle groups. Exercising them first will warm up those muscles and hence you can optimize further workouts.