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 Exercises
Arms and the man

Few things are sexier than well developed arms on a man, but how do you develop bulging biceps and tremendous triceps worthy of Vin Diesel's stunt-double? Here's how.

Step 1.
There's no time to waste, have a look at all the possible arm exercises you can do and choose from on our site. Remember your exercises for shoulders as well.

 
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Step 2.
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Health24's Fitness Programmes.

Step 3.
By now, you're a gym bunny, but if you still aren't cutting the muscles where you want them (in your arms), it's time you discovered preacher curls.

Step 5.
Any questions? Just ask. Post a question to our FitnessDoc or our Body Building Coach on their forums.

Remember that cultivating a set of bulging biceps will take more than just exercise. Ask DietDoc what type of diet you should be following, learn when to eat what for a workout and read up on healthy foods and weight loss on our Diet and Food section.

A word from the experts
However, while there are indeed a number of exercises to help tone flabby upper arms, FitnessDoc, Dr Ross Tucker, says it's important not to fall into the trap of only working specific areas, as this won't help much at all.

"The mistake people make is that they try to target the muscle group, often at the expense of doing the whole body exercise that is actually more effective. That's not to say that focus on a muscle group or area is bad, because you need it, but it's better to do whole-body exercise.

"This is called cardio training - this includes running, walking, cycling, swimming, tae bo, aerobics and so forth. Anything that is cardiovascular gets the heart pumping and energy-burning is most effective. It is just a question of how you use these cardio sessions. I would suggest at least four days a week of cardio training, each session lasting about 30 to 45 minutes, at least. You have to build up this duration and then keep at it consistently in order to see change."

Specific exercises to tone those arms
Once you have mastered this, some of the exercises you might want to look at include the bicep curl. This can be done either with free weights, on the machine on the circuit or, if you're training at home, a theraband is just as effective.

Try and make sure the movement is as controlled and slow as possible and aim for about three sets on each arm.

Another effective exercise is the bench dip. This can be done on any step big enough or even a bench or low chair. Again the exercise works best if it is slow and controlled, and be careful not to lock the elbows when you lift yourself up.

Aim for three sets of 15. This will really banish those wobbly bits and is an excellent exercise for the triceps.

An additional exercise to work those triceps is the triceps overheard press. This can be done either with a theraband or with weights. It can be quite tiresome though, so if you're just starting out make sure you have light weights.

This exercise is similar to the triceps press down, which can be done with a theraband or the cable-press machine at the gym, usually found on the circuit.

The one arm triceps extension is also an effective workout for those upper arms. It can be done with a theraband or light weights, and can be done sitting down or standing up.

Click here for more toning exercises.

(Amy Henderson, Health24, updated March 2009)
 
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