Honor Your Body. Honor You.
A few weeks ago, I interviewed male model Phil Fusco about his workout routine. Today, I’m excited to share a video that we made together while visiting New York City. In it, Phil and I share some of our favorite arm exercises.
And trust me, it was almost more hotness than I was able to handle. I think I’m still sweating. Take a look!
Are bigger arms one of your fitness goals?
When most people aim to increase the size of their arms, they often focus on the bicep. And while the bicep muscle is important, it’s not the biggest muscle in the arm.
If you really want to develop bigger, fuller arms, then watch this video from the Davey Wavey Fitness YouTube channel.
There are no shortage of exercises to add variety to you workout – and switching things up can prevent a stale workout and plateaued results. By incorporating kettlebells, changing the base of stability, taking a new class or trying new exercises, it’s easy to keep you workout fresh and challenging.
Having said that, there are five tried and true exercises that every workout regime should include. These exercises have passed the test of time and have been used by bodybuilders, powerlifters and workout enthusiasts for generations.
Bench press. The godfather of strength training, any gym worth your time will have a handful of bench presses. Some are flat, some are inclined and some are declined – but all are a great way to build strong and powerful chest muscles. In fact, the bench press is one of the three lifts in the sport of powerlifting. Though this exercise primarily works your pectoralis major muscle (i.e., your pecs), supporting muscles like the anterior deltoids, serratus anterior, coracobrachialis, scapulae fixers, trapezii, and the triceps are also trained.
Barbell bicep curl. Of all the bicep exercises that I’ve tried, none compare in their effectiveness to the barbell bicep curl. By adding a barbell, you’re able to increase the amount of resistance that your muscles work against – and the results speak for themselves. Though you’ll primarily work your biceps brachii muscles, your brachialis (lower biceps) and brachioradialis (forearm) are also trained.
Squats. Want a bigger and stronger butt? No exercise compares to the squat in its effectiveness. Also performed in powerlifting, squats primarily work your gluteus maximus, quadriceps and hamstrings. Your erector spinae, transverse abdominus, gluteus medius, gluteus minimus, adductors, soleus and gastrocnemius will also get some love. Proper form is essential for a safe and effective squat, so it’s important to do your homework or consult with a trainer before you jump into your gym’s squat rack or power cage.
Shoulder press. Sometimes called the overhead press, there are innumerable variations of this popular exercise. In terms of building size or strength, there are no shoulder exercises that can touch the effectiveness of a good barbell or dumbbell shoulder press. Specially, this exercise is great for your deltoids – but it also engages your triceps brachii and trapezius muscles.
Deadlift. Also one of the three powerlifting exercises, the deadlift is a compound exercise that engages a large number of muscles including your latissimus dorsi, trapezius, erector spinae, gluteals, hamstrings, quadriceps and hip flexors. In other words, your leg, butt and back muscles will all be screaming after a good set of deadlifts. Even your forearms, to a lesser degree, and obliques will be engaged. Though the deadlift is extremely effective, it’s not for everyone. For individuals with back injuries or certain joint issues, other exercises may be a better fit.Of course, you don’t want to do each of these exercises in every workout. It’s best to break your gym sessions out so that each workout targets different muscle groups. Incorporate the bench press on a chest day, the barbell bicep curl on arm days and so on.
In my opinion, these are the top five exercises to include in any workout regime – but I’d love to hear what you think. Which five exercises top your list? Let me know in the comments below.
Holy forearms.
Strong forearms aren’t just sexy – they’re functional.
When perform repetitions with barbells or dumbbells, some exercisers may notice that it is their grip strength (rather than the muscle being worked) that fails first. In other words, just holding onto the weights may be the greatest challenge – not the exercise itself.
Whenever I go rock climbing, I’m always impressed with the forearms of frequent climbers. Since grip strength is a necessity in climbing, their forearms are developed and bulging. It’s that sexy construction worker look.
In reading a recent article about climbing, the author recommended a very simple but highly effective exercise to build grip strength and forearm muscles. It only requires a tennis ball. I loved it so much that I wanted to share it with you. You can do it at home – or even at the desk while working.
In one hand, squeeze a tennis ball 20 times. Pause and repeat for two more sets.
Then, squeeze the ball between your thumb and pointer finger 20 times. Do this with each finger individually.
Switch hands, and repeat the whole series.
That’s it. But it’s not as easy as it sounds – and your forearms will be burning. Nonetheless, it’s a very effective way to build the grip strength that’s necessary for effective free weight training.
Using the EZ bar for bicep curls makes the exercise easier - but less effective.
Barbell bicep curls are the most effective bicep exercise that you can do. Period. But what’s the difference between doing the curls with a typical straight barbell or the EZ bar?
EZ bars look like curved or bent versions of a typical barbell; they allow the palms to take a less supinated (upward), more natural position when curling. This helps ease the wrist or elbow pain that some lifters experience on a typical barbell. In short, the EZ bar makes curling a bit easier and less painful.
However, it comes at a price. As an experiment, make a fist with your right hand, palm facing upward. Hold your arm as though you were about to do a curl with a 90 angle in your bent elbow. Look at your bicep. It should be flexing. Now slowly rotate your palm inward about 45 degrees – mimicking the grip on an EZ bar. You’ll notice that the bicep flexing decreases, and that some of the contraction moves into your forearm. This is precisely the problem with the EZ bar; it’s not as effective for bicep curls.
If using the typical straight barbell doesn’t result in wrist or elbow pain during your workout, stick with it. The straight barbell will give you a better workout – and better results. But for those individuals experiencing discomfort, the EZ is a great alternative.
It's a bird! It's a plane. No, it's Davey Wavey...
You’ve probably heard someone say, “Exercise can be fun!” And you’ve probably had the immediate reaction of rolling your eyes. But not so fast!
Today, I had an opportunity to visit a local rock climbing gym. Surprisingly, they’re becoming increasingly common in old factories or warehouses around the world. For just $15, I received equipment, training and a day’s worth of access to the gym and rock walls. Monthly and yearly memberships are also available for discounted rates.
Rock climbing is an incredible workout for a number of reasons.
First, it combines strength training and cardiovascular exercise. You’ll be surprised how quickly your heart starts pumping and your pores start sweating. In terms of intensity, rock climbing is the caloric equivalent of about a 7 MPH running pace. For someone my size, it’s about 800 calories and hour.
Second, it hits muscles that are usually pretty difficult to exercise – namely your forearm muscles. The major forearm muscles are brachioradialis, pronator teres, flexor carpi radialis, palmaris longus and flexor carpi ulnaris – and all five get a major workout as grapple across rocks, pull yourself up and grip the holds. You’ll also work your upper arm muscles (biceps, triceps, deltoids), quadriceps and calf muscles.
Third, it’s super fun! Rock climbing something different – and it’s a lot more exciting and interesting than doing forearm exercises with free weights. It breaks your routine and can do a decent job shocking your muscles. It’s also a great idea for a creative date night. Just saying.
If I’ve convinced you to try rock climbing (and I hope I have!) then check out the international rock climbing gym directory to find a gym near you.
Holy triceps! Try drop sets of tricep rope extensions for muscles like these.
Dear Davey,
I want to get bigger triceps. What exercise would you recommend that I try at the gym?
From,
Michael
Dear Michael,
The tricep (short for triceps brachii muscle) is the large muscle at the back of your upper arm. It’s responsible for extending your elbow joint and straightening your arm.
My current favorite exercise is performing drop sets of tricep rope pulldowns (sometimes called the tricep rope extensions). Here’s how you can do it:
Keep your arms locked in at your sides, and pull the rope down.Once you’re done, take a break and try doing the whole drop set all over again.
While the tricep rope pulldown is a great exercise in and of itself, combining it with the drop set technique will leave your triceps screaming. It’s absolutely great for muscle growth – and I think you’ll be pleased with the results.
Love,
Davey
Dear Davey,
I want to get my chest/pecs to pop out more. Any suggestions on what exercises that may help with that? I work both my chest and biceps vigorously to get them bigger, but nothing seems to work. Can you help me out?
From,
Keith
Dear Keith,
This is actually a really common question – and it’s one that I get a lot.
Interestingly, the two most effective exercises for biceps and chest are barbell bicep curls and the bench press, respectively. While both of these exercises are definitely old school, they are tried, tested, true – and effective.
A barbell bicep curl, pictured to the right, is pretty straightforward. Simply load a barbell with weight plates. Stand in an upright position with an underhand grip. Contract your biceps to pull the barbell up toward your shoulders. Pause, lower and then repeat.
The bench press is also pretty simple – though it’s always a good idea to work with a spotter. Load the bench’s barbell with weight plates. Lie on the bench and hold the bar just beyond shoulder width apart. Lift the barbell off of the rack, and lower until it touches your chest lightly. Then, press the barbell away from the chest until arms are extended. Pause, then repeat.
Since you’re going for size, it’s important to use the right amount of weight. Use enough resistance so that you’re only able to do between 6 and 10 repetitions of each exercise before your muscles are fully fatigued. If you can do more than 10 repetitions, the weight it too light. Moreover, keep pushing yourself to heavier and heavier levels of resistance; your muscles won’t grow unless they are forced to do so.
If you don’t have access to a gym or equipment, push-ups are a great bench press alternative. To make push-ups more challenging, try some of my push-up variations. Or strap on a backpack loaded with extra weight. This will help force your muscles to grow.
The best at-home bicep exercise is a chin-up. You could buy a chin-up bar at a local exercise supply store. Most can be installed quickly in a doorway in your home. Or, you can take your workout outside – and perform chin-ups on playground equipment. To make it harder, you can even make use of ankle weights.
Hope that helps!
Love,
Davey
Veiny arms are determined by both genetics and body fat.
Dear Davey,
Something tells me it’s genetic, but I want those bad ass bicep veins!
A friend of mine has them and he doesn’t do any of the lifting and cardio that I do. Am I not lifting enough? Am I not running enough? Please help, Davey Wavey, it’s almost beach season.
Yours truly,
Nardo90
Dear Nardo90,
Getting visible veins wasn’t something that the instructors taught us during my personal training courses, but I know where you’re coming from. It’s admittedly superficial, but still quite sexy. Beyond the biceps, I also enjoy veins in the area just below the lower abs, leading down to the crotch. Shallow? Yes. But also a bit delicious.
First things first, the amount to which your veins “pop” is determined by both your genetics and your body fat percentage. Since you can’t change your genes, it makes sense to focus on what you can control: Leaning yourself out. To make your veins highly visible, target a body fat percentage of 6% – 8% through a combination of strength training (increased muscle mass will incinerate calories), cardio (especially interval training) and proper diet. At 9% – 12% most major veins should be visible.
While veins in the forearms are easier to achieve, it’s much more difficult with the biceps, triceps and shoulders. It will take time and dedication, but if it’s very important to you – it’s possible to make it happen.
Also, keep in mind that veins are more visible after you exercise and when your body is dehydrated. While I don’t recommend dehydration as a tactic – as it’s actually very detrimental – it is how many body builders achieve the effects you see in pictures and in magazines. That, and sometimes a little help from Photoshop. 
Love,
Davey
Weight lifting gloves come with a price!
If you’ve ever been to a gym, you’ve probably seen men and women wearing weight lifting gloves. They are worn for a variety of reasons, but generally because they:
The benefits are admirable. But weight lifting gloves also come with a huge disadvantage: Weight lifting gloves damper real gains in grip strength. When it comes to lifting heavy boxes, changing a tire, hanging off a cliff or any other real life situation, you probably won’t have your gloves. In essence, the gloves provide a false sense of grip strength. Instead of strengthening your grip and forearms, the gloves do the work for you and prevent real gains.
For this reason, I retired my weight lifting gloves years ago. Sure, smooth hands are nice. But when I find myself hanging off the side of a 40-story building, I’ll be glad to have my grip.
Do you wear weight lifting gloves? Let me know in the comments below.
