Having cut arms is another way of saying you have well-defined arms. To develop them, you need to include exercises in your training regimen to work all the arm muscles. Pushups can have a major impact on your arm definition, but pushups primarily develop the triceps. You will need to do other exercises to develop the biceps and forearm.
Muscle Involvement
As you push yourself off the floor, you perform elbow extension by moving your arm from a bent to a straight position. When you extend your elbow, you work the muscle on the back of your arm, the triceps. Therefore, pushups can build up the back of your arms, but not the front. The other primary muscle group involved with pushups is the pectorals of the chest. You also work the deltoids on the sides of the shoulders.
Good Form
For pushups to be effective at cutting your arms, you need to maintain good form, steady pace and proper range of motion. To begin, lie on your stomach, position your hands slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and place your feet side by side. Steadily push yourself off the floor until your arms are fully extended and lift your hips to form a straight line from your shoulders to your heels. Keeping your abs tight and back straight, slowly lower yourself down by bending your elbows. Once your chest is right above the ground, steadily push yourself back up and repeat.
Close-Grip Variation
You can increase the workload on your triceps by doing a close-grip variation. Place your hands close together right beneath your chest. As you lower yourself down and push yourself up, keep your arms as close to your sides as possible. Make sure you do not lock your elbows when you rise up.
Added Resistance
With any form of pushups, you can add resistance to your body to increase the workload on your muscles. Either wear a weighted backpack, wear a weighted vest or have a spotter hold a weight plate to your back.
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