However, most people don’t know how to do it.

Want firm arms? Here’s how to tone up!

It seems to me that a lot of people are going after toned arms in a really poor fashion. For example, there is the old myth that low weight and high reps somehow magically tones your muscles so that they appear firmer and with greater definition.

Not true.

You see muscle toning is all about losing the fat that is covering the muscles. It is not about toning the muscles themselves but about burning the adipose cells that are stopping your muscles from showing their natural tone. You see everyone has toned muscles but not everyone is lean.

So how do I tone my arms?

Now that you know that you need to lose weight to tone your arms you need to do a few things.

1. Weight train to gain muscle
Here is the part where most people get confused. If you want to tone your arms you need to pack on some muscle because the more muscle you have the easier it will be to “tone” them. Once the fat starts to melt away you will have more to “reveal” and this is very important.

Also, weight training increases your metabolism and helps you burn fat a lot faster. So weight training and muscle toning should go together - it just shouldn’t be a “high reps” affair.

2. Eat healthy
If you want to be super toned you need to make sure your diet is super awesome! I am talking about fresh fruit and vegetables and other foods that are not man made. If you get healthy you will get lean and this weight loss is not the kind that only lasts a few weeks.

3. Cardio hard
Start doing cardio workouts that really challenge your body. High intensity is much better for burning fat and it will help get your whole body toned in a much shorter amount of time.

Conclusion on toning your arms

Toning your muscles is not about high reps and low weight. It is about losing the fat that is covering your muscles so that they take on the appearance of being more toned. Don’t let fancy gimmicks fool you. This is the bare essential facts.

People often train their biceps with a very limited range of exercises. They use barbell curls, concentration curls and alternate dumbbell curls and never try to change it up.

However, a simple change in your grip and you can target the outside of your biceps and get a taller and more defined bicep.

Here’s how.

Why do you want to target the outside of your bicep?

The main reason people want to target the outside of their bicep is so that the muscle has a more shapely and defined appearance. Of course, if you really want to define your muscles you need to lose the fat on top of them but you can also speed up the process by targeting certain areas.

When you look at the arm from side on the bicep is often engulfed by the larger tricep muscle. If, however, you work on your outer bicep you can create a carved look so that you can see some curve on the outside. This makes your arm look more complete and sharp.

How do I target the outside of the bicep

It is quite easy to target outside of the biceps. It is a simple change of the grip.

For example, take the barbell bicep curl as the test. Normally you would take about a shoulder width grip on the bar and curl it up keeping your elbows still so that your biceps take the most of the stress.

All you have to do is shift your grip inwards. If you take a narrow grip on the barbell you will hit your outer biceps with much more force. You simply use the same technique as a regular curl but curl it to your chest instead of below your nipples.

Conclusion
It is important to remember that every position your body takes during weight lifting will have an impact on the results. This is why technique is so important. One small mistake can cause a bad injury where on the other hand one small adjustment can bring a huge amount of progress. Make sure you always keep your technique perfect.

How to build some huge biceps in under 20 minutes

I am a busy man. I often only have less than 45 minutes at the gym each day to fit in a workout. I love to workout in an explosive way and have found that it works particularly well for my biceps. Here is an explosive workout for your biceps which will bring you much better results than any long drawn out regular workout.

Essential elements of an explosive bicep workout

If you want to have an explosive workout you need a few things in order for it to go well. Otherwise you will probably just end up doing the same old thing that you normally do.

1. Warm up hard
People will often tell you not to waste too much energy on the workout and in many cases this is good advice. However, if you are going to hit your biceps hard and explosive you need to make sure they are warmed up well. If they aren’t warmed up enough you will find that you run the risk of not getting good enough muscle contraction or an arm injury.

A good warm up is one that uses the arms. Try rowing, skipping, boxing and make sure you don’t stop until there is sweat on your forehead and blood flowing through your muscles.

2. Energy
Don’t try performing an explosive bicep workout without some food in your belly. Of course, you don’t want to still feel full because you will probably throw it back up but you should have a little snack of fruit or a protein shake about half an hour before you hit the gym.

3. Music
Doesn’t sound like a crucial element of an explosive workout but trust me, it helps. Set your iPod to whatever music gets you going and take it along with you.

4. Perfect technique
As I always say, if your technique is not spot on you may as well not bother going to the gym at all. The biceps are one of the muscles that need to be hit with perfect technique because if you don’t there are many other bigger muscles waiting to jump in and help carry the load. We don’t want that.

5. Top fitness
If you aren’t fit and healthy and a long time weight lifter then don’t try a workout that promises to be tough and hard. It is out of your league and will do you more harm than good.

The Explosive 20 Minute Biceps Workout

Here is the workout that you can take to the gym and do in under 20 minutes. Some points to remember:

- Keep it heavy
Keep the weight heavy and the reps low. Try to aim for 6-8 per set for each exercise but if you feel you can pump out more with whatever weight you have selected then go for it. Work hard.

- Keep rest to a minimum
Keep your in between sets rest down to a minimum. You really don’t need more than 30 seconds.

- Keep the movements slow
Just because the workout is done in a small amount of time it doesn’t mean you need to go hell for leather and muck up your technique. Keep your declines very slow and your inclines nice and controlled.

With a workout like this you have to be disciplined and focused. You need to make sure your form is not compromised by the lack of time.

As I have found over the years a focussed explosive workout like this is often the very things the biceps need to move through to the next level.

Learn how to build huge arms with this four part series

This is the first post in a four part series on how to build huge arms. This post is all about getting big biceps!

The full series is: PART 1, PART 2, PART 3 and PART 4.

Part 1 of building huge arms - the biceps

Everyone loves the biceps and everyone ones huge ones. A lot of effort goes into pumping those biceps at the gym but it seems not many people do it correctly. I see bad form, bad exercise choice, bad sequence of exercises, bad warms ups… the list goes on.

This post will look at everything you need to know to build huge biceps.

Where are the biceps and how do they work

This might seem like an obvious question. Everyone knows where the biceps are! However, it is important to know exaclty where they are and what they do if you want to train them correctly. Perhaps the reason people train them incorrectly is because they have no idea where they are or how they move?

This is the best image of the biceps I have seen which is from Bodybuilding.com. It clearly shows how the biceps tie into the shoulders and attaches to the forearm. This is important as it gives you some idea of how the biceps is used as a “lever” to pull things up toward the shoulder with the hands.

My brother, an aspiring young scientist, recently explained to me how if the biceps were position higher on the arm up near the shoulder we would all be able to lift hundreds of kilos more due to the change in leverage! Awesome.

So what do you need to know to get huge biceps?

Training the biceps is simple. We don’t have to make it complicated like lots of the fitness magazines want you to believe. However, there are a few simple things we need to know to make our biceps training successful and if we can remember them everytime we train then we will have perfect results.

To get huge biceps you need to:

- know the right exercises
- know how to do each exercise perfectly
- eat right
- rest right

If you make sure your workout has all of these elements covered then you will be on the right track. This post will look at all four.

The best biceps exercises

The first thing you need to know is what exercises work the biceps the best. If you don’t know that then the other stuff doesn’t matter. Here are the three best biceps exercises you can use if you want to hit the biceps hard.

1. The standing bar bell curl
This is the king of all biceps exercises. It has been used by professionals for years and it always brings good results when it is done correctly.

The great thing about the bar bell curl is that it is a raw motion. There is no fluffing around, you just lift the weight the way the biceps lift naturally. And, to add to it, you can handle a lot of weight. The bar bell allows things to be spread out evenly so you can generally whack a few more discs on and not worry about losing form.

To do the standing bar bell curl:

- stand with your feet shoulder width a part
- pick up a medium heavy bar bell with your hands no wider than shoulder width a part
- let the weight relax on your hips
- keep your elbows in place throughout the whole motion (this is key)
- tense your biceps
- using that tension left the weight up to just above your nipples
- tense hard again and slowly lower down to a count of four
- repeat

2. The concentration curl
This is another basic exercise that everyone knows but no one knows how to do well. It is something that you need to master, however, as the motion used in the concentration curl holds true for all other biceps exercises. It is the core.

To do a concentration curl:

- sit on a bench that allows your butt to be slightly higher than your knees
- spread your legs and place a weight on the floor inbetween
- grab the dumb bell with your right hand and place your left hand on your left knee
- plant your right tricep muscle on the inside of your leg and then lean your body over the weight in the middle
- tense your biceps and curl the weight slowly up to your shoulder and then lower to a count of four
- repeat

It is very important to not lean backwards over the lifting arm. You should always have your torso firmly planted so that it leans over the centre. This keeps the pressure on your biceps and stops the shoulders from coming into play.

3. The Preacher Curl
The good old preacher curl! If you want to do this exercise at your gym you better get there early because all the big guys hog it out. It is a fantastic biceps exercise that targets and isolates the biceps better than almost any other exercise.

To do a preacher curl:

- sit on a preacher curl bench and adjust the seat so your arm pits are on the top of the pad
- grab the bar bell with a medium grip
- tense the biceps
- lift the bar until your arms are half way up (there is no need to go all the way to the shoulders)
- lower the bar until you get a good stretch in your biceps.

Remember that in all of these exercises the technique you use is the most important thing. If you have poor technique you will have poor results. This is especially true for the biceps where so many other muscles like to jump in and help them out because they are not as strong as the rest. Keep your technique sharp and don’t give in to fatigue.

Eat right, rest right, etc.
The other sections on getting huge biceps such as the diet and the resting procedures will be discussed in the fourth and final post in the Guide to Building Huge Arms series. The reason for this is that those tips are applicable to all areas of the body.

Everyone wants huge biceps. They look good in a t shirt and have important functional uses. Here are the three most important exercises that you will need to develop and build some impressive arms.

1. Bar Bell Curl
Yep, you guessed it. The bar bell curl is the most important exercise for building large biceps. It allows you to use a lot of weight and is one of the most fundamental lifts that you need to master.

PRE LIFT

- Start with your feet about shoulder width a part and take a grip on a medium heavy bar bell slightly less that shoulder width.
- Stand up and let your arms relax so that the weight hangs by your hips.
- Adjust your grip so the weight is balanced.

LIFT

- Tense your biceps and using that tension lift the weight up without moving your elbows from their position.
- When the weight gets to about the height of your nipples tense your biceps again.
- Lower the weight very slowly so that it reaches the start point after a count of four seconds.
- Begin the next repetition without taking any rest at the bottom position.

2. Cable Curl
The cable curl is done with almost the same technique as the bar bell curl. However, the added tension of the cable means that you get a much more comprehensive workout. After a few sessions on the cables you will find your other curling motions will be able to handle more weight. You will also see better performances with the chin up and other related biceps exercises.

PRE LIFT

- Set a good amount of weight on the lowest cable setting.
- Attach the two handed bar attachment.

LIFT

- Grab the bar with a even grip and hoist it up to the top position (this is the cable curl starting positon).
- Once at the top lower the weight with a slow motion keeping the tension in your biceps.
- Again, keeping your elbows locked in place lift the weight whilst breathing out.

NOTE
The decline part of this exercise seems to be the main muscle builder. If you do it slower and the lifting motion with a bit more speed you will see an excellent amount of strength being built.

3. Concentration Curl
The good old concentration curl! It is the most basic biceps exercise on the planet and yet it can have some amazing muscle building results. If you cannot do this exercise properly then you have little hope of building big biceps as all your other techniques will probably be incorrect.

PRE LIFT

- Sit on a bench that is slightly higher than knee height.
- Spread your legs quite widely and place a weight in between your feet.
- Grasp the weight with your right hand and place your left hand on your left knee.
- Fix your right outer arm to your leg and do not allow it to move.
- Bend over the weight so that you are facing the floor and not leaning towards the wall.

LIFT

- Tense your bicep muscles and breathe in.
- Breathe out and curl the weight up so that it rises in a straight motion, naturally following the movement of the elbow joint.
- Pause and tense once the weight gets to its highest spot near the shoulder and the lower it down slowly.

NOTE
The lifting arm should not move away or pivot during the lifting motion. The torso should also not lean away to help hoist the weight up. Instead stay firm and still and let only your lower arm do the work.

Conclusion
If you can master these three exercises and perform them in a heavy biceps session I assure you that you will start to see new size in your arms. Once you are a little bit more expert you can start to alter the grips, speeds and number of reps in your exercises in order to keep your biceps growing.

However, of all the things you need to remember technique is most important. Get it right!

The concentration curl is one of the most basic biceps exercises there is. However, this exercise has a hidden power that can help you grow a huge set of guns.

What is the concentration curl?
Before we get into why the concentration curl is so good we have to take a look at what it is exactly.

To do a concentration curl you take a dumb bell and sit on a bench that is high enough that your butt is a bit above your knees. Placing your free hand on your corresponding knee place the weight inbetween your legs and pick it up. Tensing your bicep muscle curl the weight up while your elbow is resting on the inside of your leg. Once the dumb bell is as close to your shoulder/chest area as possible hold it there and then slowly lower it back down to the starting position.

In this exercise you must be careful not to lean back. This takes the emphasis off of your biceps and starts to bring the shoulders and other muscles into play. Your arm should be position so that it is only your biceps doing the lifting.

Why is the concentration curl so good?
Many people look over the concentration curl in favor of exercises that allow them to lift more weight. They feel that the bar bell curl and the alternate dumb bell curl will bring them better results because they can do heavier sets. However, it may be the case that the opposite is true.

If, for example, someone is pumping out some heavy sets with the bar bell they may find that their technique is a bit sloppy. It doesn’t really matter how much you can lift, if your technique is average your results will be average too.

And that is why the concentration curl is particularly good. It is the precise movement that you need to master in order to be good at biceps training. And, many people find that they can only handle a small amount of weight. This is normal and it is a good thing because it is teaching you how to isolate your biceps effectively.

Conclusion
If you aren’t seeing the results you would like with your biceps then try switching back to a few sets of concentration curls at the start of your biceps workout. Keep your technique clean and very strict and you will see much better progress.

1. The technique is much better as the cable stays in line with the centre of your body so you can feel any off movement.
2. The stress on the biceps is much much bigger as the cable is always pulling and as such you get no rest in between reps. This is the number one advantage of using cables.
3. You can target the biceps much easier as the position of the cable and bar is usually taken care of by the design and the forces pulling on the design.

Cables will boost your bar bell lift
The first thing I noticed was that when I did a week on the cables and then went back to the bar bell was that I needed a bigger weight on the bar bell by a long way. I could lift the old weight easily.

This indicates to me that the cables really boost the strength of the biceps and it is probably due to the muscles being targetted better by slightly isolating them using the cable.

Conclusion
If you have been stuck with the same size biceps for a while now then I suggest you go to the gym and use the cables for a couple of weeks. Stick to double handed motions and mainly concentrate on a heavy weight and getting your form on track.

• warm up with some light weights and stretches;
• grab a bar bell with enough weight to get about 8 to 10 reps;
• hold the bar bell about shoulder width apart;
• let the bar bell relax at the bottom position and lift your chest up slightly but not so far that your shoulders sink back;
• keeping your elbows in place and without moving them at all use your biceps to curl the bar bell up to just above your nipples;
• tense your biceps at this top point;
• slowly lower the bar bell down to the original position making sure the tension is still on your biceps;
• the lowering (decline) motion should be slower than the curl.

If you follow these steps you probably won’t go wrong and will see results happen pretty soon.

Try to add weight each time you do a biceps exercise and especially to the bar bell curl as you will be able to handle more weight and thus shock your biceps more and more.