Strengthening your arms will help you perform daily activities, such as carrying children, lifting sacks of groceries and cleaning your house. Deciding to aim for ripped arms takes you to another dimension of strength training. When you choose to get ripped muscles, it's often to showcase your body and your hard work. Keep in mind that getting a chiseled look takes a combination of strengthening exercises, cardio and a strict diet in order to lose any excess fat covering your muscles.
Step 1
Perform compound exercises incorporating multiple muscle groups in a single exercise. For instance, get in a push-up position while holding dumbbells in each hand. Do a push-up, then lift one dumbbell, performing a row. Do another push-up followed by a row with the opposite arm. Choose a dumbbell weight that is sufficiently heavy to exhaust your muscles by the 11th or 12th repetition. Similarly, you could combine a dumbbell shoulder press with an overhead triceps extension.
Step 2
Lift heavier weights. Muscular hypertrophy, or muscle growth, occurs when you lift heavy weights, creating small tears in the muscle fibers that then repair in a stronger, larger form. You want each set to wear you out at between six to 12 repetitions. If 12 reps don't wear you out, increase the weight.
Step 3
Drink milk after your workout. Milk provides the perfect balance of protein and carbohydrate for muscle recovery. In an ongoing research study performed at McMaster University in Ontario, Canada, in 2007, individuals who drank milk after lifting weights lost more fat and gained more muscle mass than individuals who consumed a soy drink or a carbohydrate drink similar to popular sports drinks.
Step 4
Allow yourself to rest. Hypertrophy occurs when the muscle repairs itself. Without allowing yourself at least a full day of rest between workouts, you won't allow your muscle to repair and grow.
Step 5
Give it time. According to the American Council on Exercise, it takes at least four to six weeks to see significant changes in muscle thickness. Don't expect results overnight.
Tips and Warnings
- Mix up your workout every few weeks in order to keep your muscles adapting to changes. Perform at least three, 30-minute cardio routines each week in order to burn more calories and aid in fat loss.
- Just because you're working out your upper body regularly doesn't mean you can skimp on lower-body workouts. Balance your exercise and incorporate leg strengthening routines as well.
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