How to Strengthen the Arm Muscles
The arm contains four primary muscle groups: the biceps, triceps, brachioradialis and brachialis. The brachialis muscle covers your elbow and the brachioradialis covers your forearm. The biceps are located in the front of your upper arm, and allows you to lift and curl your arm as well as protonate your wrist. The triceps muscle extends along the back of your upper arm and is responsible for straightening your arm and twisting your wrist. Strengthening these muscles through daily exercises promotes the fine control needed by these extensor and flexor muscles for movement and reduces your injury potential.
Dumbbell Curls
Step 1
Strengthen your upper arm by performing dumbbell curls. This exercise targets your biceps muscles and works synergistically with your brachialis and brachioradialis muscle to accomplish this movement.
Step 2
Stand upright with your legs at shoulder width.
Step 3
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward, your arms fully extended, and your elbows at your sides.
Step 4
Raise your right arm and rotate your forearm until it is vertical and your palm faces your shoulder.
Step 5
Lower your right arm to the starting position. Repeat this exercise on your opposite arm.
Step 6
Perform one set of 20 repetitions on both arms, once daily.
Triceps Pulldown
Step 1
Strengthen your triceps muscle as you engage in this compound exercise.
Step 2
Stand upright in front of a pulldown machine with a wide bar attached to the pulley. Stand with your feet at shoulder width, and slightly bend your knee.
Step 3
Grab the bar with both hands, with your palms facing inward. Place your hands 4 to 6 inches apart.
Step 4
Extend your elbows and pull the wide bar slowly towards your lower body. At the apex of this pulldown, hold for three seconds.
Step 5
Raise the bar slowly in a controlled motion to the starting position.
Step 6
Perform one set of 20 repetitions once daily to strengthen your arm muscles.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Step 1
Strengthen your triceps muscles and promote flexion and extension at the elbow joint by engaging in this compound exercise.
Step 2
Sit upright in a chair and grab a dumbbell in both hands.
Step 3
Move the dumbbell straight above your head with both arms next to your ears.
Step 4
Lower the dumbbell slowly behind your head until your elbows are bent to a 90-degree angle. Hold this position for five seconds.
Step 5
Contract your triceps muscles and extend your elbows to bring the dumbbell back above your head.
Step 6
Perform one set of 20 repetitions once daily.
Barbell Wrist Curl
Step 1
Perform this exercise to strengthen your triarticulate and biarticulate wrist flexor muscles. These muscles are located in your inner forearm, and are responsible for flexion, abduction and adduction of the wrist. Additionally, these two muscles facilitate flexion and adduction of the fingers, and flexion of the thumb.
Step 2
Sit upright on a bench and grab a weighted barbell with both hands, ensuring that your palms are facing up. Place your hands 4 to 6 inches apart.
Step 3
Place your forearms on your thighs with your wrists resting just beyond your knees.
Step 4
Roll the weighted barbell out of the palms of your hand down to your fingers. Raise the barbell back up by flexing or curling your wrist toward your chest. Ensure that your forearm remains on your thighs as you perform this wrist curl.
Step 5
Extend your wrist backward and roll the barbell back down to your fingers. Perform one set of 20 repetitions, once daily.
Things You'll Need
Dumbbells
Pulldown machine
Weighted barbell
Tip
As you continue your exercise program and strengthen your arm muscles, gradually increase the weight on your dumbbells and barbell. Stop exercising if you notice extreme or an unusual amount of pain.
Warning
Do not lock your elbow while performing an overhead triceps extension.
