Try these free weight, machine, and bodyweight exercises to explode to 18 inch arms.
Every athlete desires well-developed and muscular arms. They’re a physical representation of strength, and flexing the arms is the go-to mirror selfie. This post will delve into the 6 triceps and biceps exercises to build 18 inch arms.
First, it’s important to understand that your arms are more than your biceps. If you want bigger arms, you must work on both your biceps and triceps — the triceps make up two-thirds of your arm. You should aim to target these muscles at least twice or thrice weekly.
Your diet and caloric intake also play a role in building 18-inch arms. Eating enough calories and consuming plenty of protein is imperative to spur muscle growth.
Besides bigger flexes, building bigger arms is also important because of the strength that’ll carry over to other lifts such as bench press and barbell bent-over rows and everyday life like taking groceries in. This post examines building bigger arms using the right diet and research-backed exercises.
18 Inch Arms Workout
Building 18 inch arms is easy when you do routines that target your biceps and triceps. Here are some of them to include in your workout training. We’ve included movements you can do with dumbbells, barbells, EZ bars, and even bodyweight, along with rep ranges and sets.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Barbell Curls | 3 | 8-10 |
| Concentration Curls | 3 | 8-10 |
| EZ Bar Curls | 2 | 8-10 |
| Triangle Pushups | 3 | 10-12 |
| Overhead Extensions | 3 | 10-12 |
| Dips | 2 | Max |
Barbell Curls
Barbell curls are a versatile bicep exercise that targets your bicep brachii and brachialis. This exercise can help you build 18-inch arms because you can lift heavier weights with the barbell than with dumbbells. Higher loads lead to more muscle growth.
You grab the barbell with a shoulder-width underhand grip to perform the barbell curl. Hinge your elbows and slowly lift the barbell towards your chest before returning it. Keep your elbows stable without swaying your body to curl the weight to ensure you only use your biceps.
Concentration Curls
The concentration curl is an isolation exercise focusing on the biceps brachii using slow and controlled movements. Concentration curls also activate the triceps brachialis and the brachioradialis since their pressed firmly into your thighs to stabilize the movement.
To perform a concentration curl, you sit on a bench and rest your upper arm on your inner thigh. You lift the dumbbell slowly and squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement before lowering it again. Concentration curls can also be done with kettlebells.
EZ Bar Curls
The EZ bar curl is a great way to add muscle mass to your arms because it builds your biceps. Research shows that using an EZ bar for your curl activates your biceps brachii and brachioradialis during the full range of motion (1). Some people also find the EZ bar more comfortable on the wrists than the barbell.
You hold the EZ bar at arm’s length using a supinated grip at shoulder-width distance to do this curl. Then curl the bar up until your forearms touch your biceps. Ensure your arms are close to your sides, and lower the bar back down.
Triangle Pushups
The triangle pushup is also called the diamond or triceps pushup and is a bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your triceps. However, it also targets muscles on your chest and shoulders. Research shows that this variation of push-ups activates greater activity in the triceps than other pushup variations because of the narrower distance between your palms (2).
To do a triangle pushup, you first bring your hands close to form the triangle shape under your chest. Ensure that your back and legs remain straight, then push off the ground and lower your body to complete the rep.
Overhead Extensions
Overhead tricep extensions are isolation exercises that build your triceps. To do this exercise, you typically use a dumbbell, which can be one or two, depending on your grip strength level. However, you can also use resistance bands, kettlebells, barbells, or a cable machine.
Hold your dumbbells above your head and lower it backward, hinging at the elbow. Return the dumbbells overhead to complete the rep. Ensure you keep your arms in place so the movement occurs only at your elbow for full triceps activation.
Triceps Dips
Triceps dips are a bodyweight exercise that primarily targets your triceps brachii. However, this exercise also recruits other muscles, depending on how you do them. Chest dips will engage your chest and shoulders, while bench dips will solely contract your triceps. Triceps dips are considered one of the best exercises for building your tricep muscles.
To do the triceps dip, sit on a bench, chair, or any other elevated surface with your lower body extended. Then place your hands shoulder-width apart on the surface until your forearms and lower arms form a 90-degree angle. Pause and then raise yourself back up while squeezing your triceps.
Importance of Protein and Calories for Muscle Growth
Doing the right exercises with proper form is important for building 18 inch arms. However, your nutrition also plays a vital role if you want to build bigger arms. Plus, you need fuel for the training in the first place.
Increasing your protein intake is the first step on your journey to bigger arms. Studies show that those who want to build muscle need between 1.4-2.0g per kilogram of body weight of protein daily (3).
Good sources of proteins include eggs, chicken breast, chickpeas, lean beef, greek yogurt, and beans. You can also use protein supplements to help you meet your daily protein intake target. Usually, it’s advisable to combine animal and plant proteins to ensure that all the essential amino acids you need are in your diet.
Finally, it’s important to note that you shouldn’t be in a caloric deficit if you’re serious about building mass in your arms. If your calorie intake is too low, it’ll be next to impossible to build muscle, possibly leading to muscle atrophy. Calories are the fuel you’ll need for your workouts and muscle growth.
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References
- Marcolin, G., Panizzolo, F. A., Petrone, N., Moro, T., Grigoletto, D., Piccolo, D., & Paoli, A. (2018). Differences in electromyographic activity of biceps brachii and brachioradialis while performing three variants of curl. PeerJ, 6, e5165. https://doi.org/10.7717/peerj.5165
- Kim, Y. S., Kim, D. Y., & Ha, M. S. (2016). Effect of the push-up exercise at different palmar width on muscle activities. Journal of physical therapy science, 28(2), 446–449. https://doi.org/10.1589/jpts.28.446
- Jäger, R., Kerksick, C. M., Campbell, B. I., Cribb, P. J., Wells, S. D., Skwiat, T. M., Purpura, M., Ziegenfuss, T. N., Ferrando, A. A., Arent, S. M., Smith-Ryan, A. E., Stout, J. R., Arciero, P. J., Ormsbee, M. J., Taylor, L. W., Wilborn, C. D., Kalman, D. S., Kreider, R. B., Willoughby, D. S., Hoffman, J. R., … Antonio, J. (2017). International Society of Sports Nutrition Position Stand: protein and exercise. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14, 20. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12970-017-0177-8
