The Bicep Curl – The bicep curl is one of the most basic and well known exercises for the arms, specifically the biceps as the title suggests. To perform a bicep curl you need to hold a dumbbell in one or both hands with your arm extended straight by your sides and your palm facing forwards. From here you pivot your arm at the elbow alone to bring the weight up to your shoulder. Do so in a controlled and slow manner then lower it back to the starting position.

Hammer Curls – Hammer curls are similar to bicep curls except you have your hands facing inwards towards each other. This will work the sides of the biceps which are often neglected.

Reverse Grip Dumbbell Curls – Again these are the same as the ordinary bicep curls except you have your palms facing the opposite way – outwards away from your body. From here you curl as per normal to work slightly different parts of the and in particular the forearm improving grip etc.

Preacher Curls – For preacher curls you need to use the seat with the sloped surface in front of it. By resting your upper arm on this as you do the curl it ensures you can’t generate momentum by swinging your arm and that all power is therefore coming from you pivoting your elbow. This will isolate your bicep, forcing it to do all of the work and thus giving it a heavier workout. For this reason however you will also need to use lighter weights than you would if you were doing bicep curls free-form.

Cable Curls – To perform cable curls you simply do ordinary bicep curls but holding a cable attachment rather than a dumbbell.

Barbell Curls – Barbell curls are like they sound, bicep curls with a barbell.

Isolation Curls – Isolation curls refer to other methods of isolating your biceps. One method is to sit on a bench and rest your elbow on your knee or leg. From here you slowly curl the dumbbell so that it goes between your legs as you do. You can also perform this movement by squatting or by leaning against a wall with your free hand.

The Bent Over Row – The bent over row is an exercise that works the lats, shoulders, traps, biceps and forearms. To perform it you will need a bench and a single dumbbell (heavier than you might normally use). Now place the knee and a palm from the side you’re not using on the bench and plant your other foot on the floor next to it. You should now be bent over while holding a dumbbell in your spare arm with your arm straight and the dumbbell hanging. From here you need to raise the weight directly upwards so it’s near your side by pivoting at both the shoulder and the elbow joint. Lower slowly and repeat.

The Upwards Row – The upwards row works similar muscles to the bent over row but with slightly more emphasis on the shoulders (deltoids). For this one you’ll need to be standing up, holding a barbell in front of you with your arms extended so that it’s about waist height. Now simply raise it directly upwards in front of you so that it reaches about chin height.

Dumbbell Runners – Dumbbell runners work both the triceps and the biceps and are named after their appearance which mimics the movement of your arms while running. Take two medium-weight dumbbells and hold them with your palms facing inwards (ala hammer curls). Now do a hammer curl with one while doing a tricep kick back with the other then swapping. It should all be one smooth movement, imagine you’re on Baywatch!

The Lat Pull Down – The lat pull down is a great way to work your lats. Here you sit in a seat with your legs pushed down by pads then pull downwards in a bar that hangs above you. Ensure that when you pull down you pull the weight in front of your face rather than behind your head – otherwise you risk damaging your neck.

The Tricep Kick Back – The tricep kick back work the triceps which are the horse-shoe shaped muscles at the back of the arm. These are often neglected by gym goers which is a big mistake as your arm is supposed to be 2/3rds made up from your triceps – if you want big arms do tricep kick backs!

To perform the movement get in position as though you were doing a bent over row but with a lighter dumbbell suspended so your upper arm is level with your back – as though you were at the top point of the row. Now straighten your arm at the elbow, slowly swinging the dumbbell backwards straight behind you. Return slowly to the starting position and repeat. Here technique is more important than using a heavy weight.

Tricep Push Downs – For this you’ll need a cable machine which can be found at most gyms. You’ll need to adjust it so that you have either the short bar extension attached or the rope and so that the cable is coming from above you and the extension is dangling about chest height. From here grasp the handle then extend your arms so that they extend straight, pivoting at the elbow and forcing the extension downwards.

Pullovers – Pullovers are another way to work your triceps as well as your upper chest. To perform these you need a bench and a barbell. Here you hold the barbell directly over yourself with arms straight, then pivot at the elbows so that the barbell lowers behind and under your own head. Then straighten again and repeat. For this you will need a relatively light barbell compared to that which you might use for a bench press.

Bench Press – For the bench press you will use a bench with a rack behind it for the barbell. Here you lift the barbell off of the rack then hold it with arms extended over yourself. Ensure your feet are meanwhile planted firmly on the ground either side. From here you bend at the elbows, bringing it slowly down towards your chest before pushing it back up. This is a great and highly popular ‘compound’ exercise meaning it works a large proportion of your muscles in unison, specifically your pecs, triceps, deltoids, traps and core. There is debate as to whether you should arch your back while pressing, but really it comes down to preference. While arching your back will allow you to lift more and engage your traps more, keeping it flat will target the pecs more specifically.

Mack LeMouse

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