We all use our arms a lot every day. We use them to write and type, to greet people to carry the groceries home and for all other sorts of manual labour. Our arms are important to us.

Having strong arms is also important for our general wellbeing and our ability to keep fit. The arms are used in most of the exercises we do when we train the upper body. We use them to lift, pull, push and raise weights not just to build our arms but to strengthen our chest, shoulders and back as well.

For many men, having big arms is a sign of masculinity. For women however it is not uncommon to be considered a bit of a taboo to have muscular arms. Both of these perspective can be unhelpful for your wellbeing. Either you risk a disproportionate physique or arms that are too weak to prevent injuries when training other body parts.

The arms have many muscles. Most people think of the biceps and maybe even the triceps when talking about arms. But many forget about the muscles in the forearm. Some even have fallen prey to the myth that you don’t have to train forearms, that they in some magical way will grow on their own just from you working out. This is not true. You will have to train your forearms in order to get great arms that will be of better use in your every day life and good tools for other exercises in the gym.

My first and most important advice when training arms is to leave your ego at home when you go to the gym. Don’t look at the weights other people rack on. Chose the weights that are right for you. Weights that challenge you but at the same time makes it possible for you to perform the exercise in a correct and safe way.

Secondly, use the mirrors at the gym. They are not there for vanity. The mirrors are there for you to see how you perform your movements – to check your form. Make sure that you go through the exercise using your full range of motion.

Lastly, make sure to stretch after your workout. Stretching will prevent you from losing the flexibility of your arms and speed up your recovery after work out by preventing the build up of lactic acid in your muscles.

If you want to know more about training arms you can always contact me for a free consultation about personal training.