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There is, as yet, no Oscar for Best Male Arms, but if there were, Matt Damon in Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey would be in with a very good shout. Like so many men, I’ve been chasing the perfect set of arm muscles all my adult life and consider myself something of a connoisseur. I’m prepared to lay my reputation on the line and say his heft, definition and sword-carrying credibility are all on point.
There are actors, such as The Rock and Arnie, who had the arms first then tried acting. Somehow, these aren’t role models, and their arms are frankly just too big and complicated for someone living a regular life with supermarket shopping and a lawn to mow. Matt Damon is a man whose acting occasionally necessitates massive arms, and through hard work and focus, he beefs up for a role. That’s what’s fascinating – it’s a process we can aspire to, and he has biceps we can reasonably hope to emulate.
It was a yearning for bigger arms that first took me into the gym at 16. The inspiration was Marlon Brando in that dirty cap sleeve T-shirt he wears in A Streetcar Named Desire. Now, at 62, I train for a whole set of noble, long-term goals like longevity and cognitive health, but I still want those heavy masculine arms. In a T-shirt, or even a fitting shirt, arms are what people see. My cardiovascular health is important but cannot be included in a set of holiday Instagram posts. The good news is that results can happen fast.
Bigger biceps could lead to a longer life
Rhodri Whittaker who coaches at the Absolute Body Solutions gym chain says, if you’re new to training or haven’t trained for some time, you could be looking at visible change fairly quickly. “In a beginner with relatively promising genetics, you could probably see some sort of development in eight weeks.”
The key to adding muscle to your body is eating more calories than you are doing right now to maintain your current weight. Then you need to be pushing or pulling a weight that’s becoming harder as you become stronger. “Progressive overload is the single driver, if weight isn’t increasing, neither is muscle tissue.” Whittaker says.
The third ingredient for bigger muscles is often neglected: sleep. You will have to prioritise a serious night’s rest. “Sleep is where you grow; without optimal sleep, recovery drops, which decreases training ability and growth hormone secretion, leading to compromised muscle gains.”
In case you needed more than simply Damon’s superb upper arm development to justify your efforts, research carried out in China found that people with more muscle in the arm area were less likely to die prematurely. The study was obviously using arms as a convenient way of measuring muscle, but I still say this remains solid justification for some extra time performing bicep moves.
To make the most of each repetition, remember that the phase when you lower a weight or return the weight to the start position, is when most growth is stimulated, so slow down here. If you’re performing a bicep curl, for example, make the part where the weight is lowered a slo-mo careful action, and you will see more growth.
The five moves you need to build mythical arms
All you need is some dumbbells and a willingness to work hard. Gentle workouts do not grow muscles, they will need to feel challenged to respond. Start with three sets of eight to 10 reps with the last few feeling like there aren’t many more in the tank. These can be done three times a week: you should allow good rest days in between sessions.
1. Lateral Raise
Focus: shoulders, deltoids
Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, with a weight in each hand and raise your arms to shoulder height and lower again. As this move is away from the body, you will need to use a light weight in each hand. This develops the top of the arm where it meets the shoulder, giving that great ball of muscle over the triceps and biceps. If the light is right, these create a fetching shadow. It’s a slow flapping motion, keeping a steady pace as you raise and lower the weight up to shoulder height and down again. Don’t rush this one, however tempting.
2. Close Grip Press-up
Focus: back of the arms, triceps
Start flat on the floor with hands only a few inches apart and elbows tight to your ribcage, push up until the arms are fully extended. A conventional press-up with the hands wider apart works the chest; this version will give you thickness in your arms. Two-thirds of the upper arm is triceps. Explode upwards and lower yourself slowly – keep your body straight, no sagging.
3. Overhead triceps extension
Focus: back of the arms, triceps
Stand tall, feet comfortably apart for a solid base and with one arm holding the weight, place it in a bent position behind your head. Keeping the elbow pointed at the ceiling, extend the arm up and lower it down slowly. If you are unable to keep good form and find yourself wobbling, use a lighter weight.
4. Seated bicep curls
Focus: front of the arms, biceps
Sit on a chair with a back with a weight in each hand (if you have a bench, even better). With your palms facing upward, lift the weight towards the shoulder. The upward movement is fairly quick, while the downward motion is very slow. The temptation is to cheat by using swing momentum or by leaning forward. Keep your back still and against the seat, your chest high, and use the full range of motion in your arms, making sure the biceps do all the work.
5. Hammer curls
Focus: Brachialis – the muscle inside the biceps, front of the arms
Stand with your feet solidly planted shoulder-width apart and a dumbbell in each hand. Turn your palms toward your hips and slowly raise the dumbbells and lower them again. The key difference between this exercise and the conventional curl is the way in which the dumbbells are held in a sideways position rather than with palms facing outward. This targets the brachialis – the muscle deep inside the bicep area giving your arms more size from within the muscle group. Resist the urge to swing or let the weight drop, keep the motion slow and controlled throughout.
Programme by Rhodri Whittaker at Absolute Body Solutions
