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The weekly training plan that will buy you a ticket to the gun show

Hands up if you want big arms!

WANT ARMS LIKE Arnie or just limbs strong enough to lift the shopping bags out of the boot of the car? Try this Monday to Sunday routine for the next six weeks and youโ€™ll be flexing those guns in show windows, car windows and mirrorsโ€ฆ

Okay, a few things to remember.

  • You should always be realistic about your goals. If youโ€™ve never done specific arm workouts, then donโ€™t be ashamed or disappointed if you donโ€™t see results straight away. Youโ€™ll have a whole lot more pain than any noticeable gain for a month.
  • To lift heavier weights and build muscle it is not just your arms that need to be strong; your back, core and lower body will also need to be strong enough to support heavy weights.
  • Correct form is essential to avoid doing yourself any damage.
  • It is always useful to have someone โ€˜spotโ€™ for you. A โ€˜spotterโ€™ can present the weight to you when youโ€™re in position to perform the exercise and he should also be alert as you do so, just in case you look like cracking mid-lift.
  • You need to be adequately motivated, hydrated and fed to get the maximum benefit from these sessions.

Monday

โ€ข Snatch life deadlift on a box

โ€ข Y, T, W and L Dumbell raise

Squat on a six-inch box or step and grab a barbell about twice shoulder width. Without rounding your lower back, pull your torso up and back, thrust your hips forward, and come up to a standing position. Do three or four sets of six reps each, resting two minutes between sets. This video demonstrates how โ€“ but add in a box for a deeper squat. Four sets of eight reps is plenty.

FearlessAcademy / YouTube

As you lie face forward on a bench inclined at 45 degrees, hang your arms straight down. Raise them to shoulder height at a 30 degree angle, the thumb sides of your hands facing up. 3 sets of 15 reps should be enough.

Ronald Dickson / YouTube

For a T dumbbell raise, start in the same position as above and let your arms hang with your palms facing forward. Raise your arms straight out to the sides until theyโ€™re at shoulder level. Again, 3 sets of 15 reps will have you in the hurt locker.

For a W dumbbell raise, start in the same position again. Bend your elbows 90 degrees. Without changing the bend in your elbows, raise your upper arms until your palms face the floor.

Finally, for an L dumbbell raise, let your arms hang straight down, palms facing behind you. Row the weights to the sides of your chest. Then rotate your forearms up and back as far as you can.

โ€ข Offset dubbell lunge

Hold a dumbbell in your right hand next to your right shoulder. Lunge forward with your right leg and return to the starting position. Do 8 reps on each side. Rest 1 minute; do 3 sets in total.

Tuesday

โ€ข Inverted row

Hang from a low bar with your body straight from head to ankles and your heels on the floor. Pull your body up until your chest touches the bar. Do 3 sets of 8 reps, resting 30 seconds after each set.

menshealthuk / YouTube

โ€ข T push-up

Assume a push-up position and grip a pair of dumbbells. Lower your body to the floor. As you push back up, rotate your body to the right and raise a dumbbell straight above your shoulder. Each rep, alternate your rotation direction. Do three sets of eight reps per side, resting one minute after each set.

โ€ข Farmerโ€™s walk

Grab a pair of heavy dumbbells and walk for 30 to 75 seconds. Make it harder by grasping each dumbbell by its end. Once you feel you can go longer than 75 seconds, switch to heavier weights.

TAKE WEDNESDAY OFF

Thursday

โ€ข Bent over row

Bend your knees slightly and bend over bar with back straight. Grasp bar with wide overhand grip. Then pull the bar into your upper waist. Return until arms are extended and shoulders are stretched downward. Four sets of eight reps.

ScottHermanFitness / YouTube

โ€ข Inclined bench press

Lie supine on an inclined bench. Dismount barbell from the rack over upper chest using a wide overhand grip. Then lower the weight youโ€™re your upper chest. Press bar until arms are extended. 4 sets by 8 reps again to failure.

LIVESTRONG.COM / YouTube

โ€ข Dumbell press

Grasp two dumbbells. Lie supine on a bench. Support dumbbells above chest with arms fixed in slightly bent position. Internally rotate shoulders so elbows point out to sides. Lower dumbbells to sides until chest muscles are stretched with elbows fixed in slightly bent position. Bring dumbbells together in hugging motion until dumbbells are nearly together. Three sets x 15 reps.

ScottHermanFitness / YouTube

Friday/Saturday

โ€ข Chin ups

No secrets to this one. Itโ€™s the hardest one youโ€™ll do so donโ€™t be alarmed if you canโ€™t raise yourself a foot! Think the film Cool Runnings. Everyone has to start somewhere.

Isaac Way / YouTube

โ€ข Bicep curls

We all love this one, donโ€™t we? But do them right and ensure youโ€™ve enough weight. Enough weight is that you can barely lift the last one. It must be heavier than your iPhoneโ€ฆgo three sets by 20 if you can.

โ€ข Tricep dips

These should be done immediately after biceps for maximum effect (and pain). Position your hands shoulder-width apart on a secured bench or stable chair. Slide your arse off the front of the bench with your legs extended out in front of you. Straighten your arms, keeping a little bend in your elbows to keep tension on your triceps and off your elbow joints. Slowly bend your elbows to lower your body toward the floor until your elbows are at about a 90-degree angle.

Be sure to keep your back close to the bench. Once you reach the bottom of the movement, press down into the bench to straighten your elbows, returning to the starting position. This completes one rep. Do 25, at least.

ScottHermanFitness / YouTube

Burn, baby, burn.

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15 Comments
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    Mute Mattew Keane
    Favourite Mattew Keane
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    Aug 11th 2014, 9:38 AM

    You could do them all year long but your wasting your time if you not eating enough and getting the correct amount of rest, plus with exception to the deadlift there itโ€™s all upper body so likely to end up with chicken leg syndrome also

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    Mute philip murphy
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    Aug 11th 2014, 10:05 AM

    The article is about working the upper body not the legs

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    Mute Mattew Keane
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    Aug 11th 2014, 10:45 AM

    Meaning only one exercise that works the lower body , itโ€™s not a balanced workout , if your looking for โ€˜ big gunsโ€™ you will have a better overall success rate with an full body workout

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    Mute Johnny Bravo
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    Aug 11th 2014, 10:57 AM

    The article is about having bigger arms Philip so Mathew has a point

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    Mute philip murphy
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    Aug 11th 2014, 12:20 PM

    He does if youโ€™re talking about an overall workout but its about bigger arms and he was talkin about people getting โ€œchicken legsโ€.

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    Mute Shane Walsh
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    Aug 11th 2014, 3:45 PM
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    Mute Aidan Jennings
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    Aug 11th 2014, 3:51 PM

    Upper body lads are gas, with their enormous shoulders, stupidly large guns and tiny waist and chicken legs. All a bunch of sad Geordie Shore wannabes.

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    Mute Black Friday
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    Aug 11th 2014, 4:06 PM

    Small man syndrome. Most were bullied at school. Making up for their low self esteem.

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    Mute Greg Cavey
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    Aug 11th 2014, 1:03 PM

    Iโ€™m Ron burgundy?

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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    Aug 11th 2014, 3:37 PM

    Spot me Brenโ€ฆ

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    Mute Mattew Keane
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    Aug 11th 2014, 10:40 AM

    Yes philip but with the exercise mentioned above your also working your chest , back and shoulders

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    Mute Ted Carroll
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    Aug 11th 2014, 11:23 AM

    Thereโ€™s lunges, deadlift and farmers walk in there, itโ€™s not exactly balanced but if there was a set of squats in there it wouldnโ€™t be miles off either. Article is clearly aimed at upper body.

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    Mute dung like a honkey
    Favourite dung like a honkey
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    Aug 11th 2014, 3:38 PM

    Stronglifts โ€“ that is all.

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    Mute Shane Walsh
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    Aug 11th 2014, 3:36 PM

    Good article, I do most of them, for killer shoulders I recommend Military Presses, but like other comments above mentioned if you do not eat big you wont get big..

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    Mute Stephen Bolger
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    Aug 11th 2014, 11:51 PM

    Too much work

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