The Best Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of

In today's post I'm going to talk about some of the best arm exercises you've never heard of. I know that sounds kinda strange, but the truth is, most people have a pretty limited repertoire when it comes to arm training.

I'll admit, I haven't written much about arm training, because for the most part unless you're a bodybuilder or you need bigger arms for whatever reason, most people will get all the arm
development from just pushing their limits with all of their pressing and pulling movements.

That said, it doesn't mean that you won't benefit from some dedicated arm training, and there are some pretty good combinations of common exercises that can thoroughly thrash your arms. But what happens if that extra inch on those pipes really DOES matter?

**** If you couldn't care less about arm training, then just ****
**** stop reading here. I don't want to waste your time, ****
**** and this post is all about arm training. ****

Ok, good, you're still with me...

So, what then? Grabbing those dumbbells for another set of curls can get a little monotonous at times. So what are you supposed to do?

The first thing you need to do if you want to spark some new arm growth is to identify why your current arm routine is not working.

There are 5 common mistakes that I see regularly at the gym when people are training their arms.

Mistake #1 - Using Too Much Weight

With the possible exception of standing barbell curls and close grip bench press, which offer a neural benefit when trained heavy, the goal of direct arm training exercises should be to fatigue the
muscles thereby inducing the hormonal cascade that precipitates a local growth response.

I can't tell you how many times I see folks doing what looks like a "Reverse Grip Dumbbell Clean". It's pretty ridiculous. Pick a weight that allows you to complete the reps with decent form, but also don't worry too much if there's a little extra body movement.


Mistake #2 - Not Using Enough Weight

Generally guys won't make this mistake, so this mistake applies mostly to you girls out there who with good intentions are trying to not commit mistake number one. Most guys have massive egos that are way too big to ever risk making this mistake. God forbid some particularly beefy chick is committing mistake number 2 with more weight than you are while committing mistake number 1.

Whoa... did I get that right? Follow me?

The point is, girls, that you might feel it un-ladylike to grunt in the gym, but other than testosterone, there is a reason you usually find guys are more built than you, it's because they're not afraid
to put some meat and potatoes into their lifting!

So if you can get 15 reps (or god forbid even 20) with the same weight of bicep curls for a full three sets and you aren't scrunching up your face in the process, it's time to up the weight and drop
your reps.


Mistake #3 - Mirror Focus vs. Muscle Focus

Sigh... yes, this one applies again, mostly to us guys (I know I've committed this one in the past... it's so hard not too! ;).

There's something about a mirror and what it does to how we perceive ourselves while training. When guys tend to train their arms, it's as if the mirror doubles the size of our arms while we're watching.

I mean really, have you seen the look on guys' faces while they're training their guns? They may have pistols, but they see anti-aircraft artillery canons in the mirror! LOL

What we see in the mirror is ego-fueled, it doesn't necessarily give us the best information about the effects on our muscles of what we're doing.

Muscle Focus gives us far more information. Without the mirror, you're forced to think about what you are feeling in the muscle rather than just what you see.

Trust me... what you feel is MORE important. I have stopped using the mirror for virtually all training over the past year, and I have learned to identify my body position more than ever before. I have
also learned to identify when to force out a few more reps and when to call it a set. The result has been far more effective training.


Mistake #4 - Using The Insanity Training Principle

Presumably you're training your arms because you want them to get bigger and stronger. Ok. We're good. So if you've been using the same old exercises... let me guess.. Standing barbell curls, preacher EZ Bar curls, then concentration curls...

Am I close?

Point is, if you haven't been making any progress with your arm training (hint: use a tape measure, and look at the weight you're lifting), and you've been following the same old arm training routine... regardless of who wrote it and whether or not they had huge arms, if you aren't making progress from it, why are you doing it?

It's called the Insanity Training Principle. Following the same old routine that hasn't given you any results for a long time, and expecting that it will all of a sudden manage to give you great results.


Mistake #5 - Fear of Shrinkage

If you're really afraid of shrinkage... just stay away from steroids!

Seriously though, mistake #5 can be thought of as a adjunct of mistake #4. Many people reach a point in their training where they aren't making any more progress with their training, yet they keep following the same routine for fear that if they stop, they'll shrink away to nothing.

If you're seriously pounding away at the weights and nothing is happening, you could very well be over-training. Not too many people over-train, but it is possible, and if you are over-training,
backing off for a lighter week, or cutting out arm training all together for a week, or even taking a look at the possibility of using some different bicep and tricep exercises can really make a
big difference.

And speaking of DIFFERENT arm exercises, my colleague Nick Nilsson has put together a great book called: "The Best Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of"

I was actually speaking to Nick a few weeks back when he asked me to review his new book. I was intrigued by the title because really, since the elbow is a hinge joint, how many ways can you really
train the arms anyway?

After reading it... 68 apparently! That I hadn't thought of before!

Here's the review I sent back to Nick:

> Hi Nick,
>
> Thanks for the opportunity to review your new book called The Best
> Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of. To be honest I was mildly
> jaded going in as the last few articles I'd read on arm training
> were pretty lame.
>
> Your book completely blew me out of the water! I know that sounded
> kinda "hypey", and if you've ever read my stuff, you'll know it's
> totally not my style to "hype" stuff up, but to be honest, I'm
> totally stoked to try some of the exercises in your book.
>
> If your readers are seeking a way to stimulate new strength and
> muscle growth, this is it! With your crazy stable of
> mad-scientist arm exercises, I think it would be impossible not to
> make some crazy new gains!
>
> There I said it... yes Nick, I think you are a mad scientist! But
> I guess that's ok, I presume you kinda like to be thought of that
> way. ;)
>
> Well you're a genius anyway!
>
> Shane Miller, CPT, CSN
> Your Strength and Fat Loss Coach
> http://www.your-strength-and-fat-loss-coach.com
> http://www.your-beach-body-boot-camp.com
>
>
> I hope that is a decent review that you can use with your readers.
>
> I can't wait to show my readers your book, I know they're going to
> love it.
>
> If you need me to change anything, please let me know.
>
> All the best,
>
> :)
> Shane


So there you have it folks, that's the review I sent to Nick, and while this book isn't for everyone, it's definitely going to be a huge asset to anyone who's bound and determined to grow their arms.

You folks know who you are. If you want to pick up a copy of Nick's book, visit the link below:

The Best Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of

Chances are if you've read this far anyway, then you're definitely interested in arm training, and you really won't believe how many exercises there are for really effectively training your arms.

That link once again is:

The Best Arm Exercises You've Never Heard Of

I know tomorrow when I train I'm definitely going to do a set of "Bodyweight Preacher Curls"... yeah... try to imagine that one!


Until next time,

:)
Shane Miller, CPT, CSN
Your Strength and Fat Loss Coach
www.your-strength-and-fat-loss-coach.com
www.your-beach-body-boot-camp.com