Most of the people like themselves fit and slim but attractive at the same time. Handsome hunks with biceps and triceps are a treat to watch and hang out with. These muscles are not grown overnight. They need a lot of effort, hard work, and dedication to gain. All those superheroes we watch in movies, the actors, WWE wrestlers, and our favorite sportsmen all put their 110% hard work in making those muscles. It requires effort not only to gain biceps but also to maintain them. Maintain and gaining while having a balance of body metabolism is a challenging task. Those who are doing it right are worth appreciating.
If we genuinely define the term’ sleeve busting arm workout’, it means to have a more apparent size of arms (biceps and triceps) that look sexy when someone wears a T-shirt specifically. It is a common thing that people want to look good in the clothes they wear. Wearing a half sleeve T and having sloppy arms; not attractive. The same is the case with women. When they wear T-shirts, they make sure to have a proper bicep shape to fit in attractively. For all this, you need to gain and maintain bigger arm muscles. To get them, you need to work out.
Before setting a workout routine, it is highly necessary to have some knowledge about the basic anatomy of the arm and how exercises affect them. The proper functioning of flexors, levers, and extensors should be known to everyone, especially those who want to have bigger biceps.
First Comes the Anatomy
Bicep brachii is composed of two heads termed as a short and long head. They are muscles. Both of these muscles originated from the scapula and crossed over at both arms’ elbow and shoulder joint. These are stretched all along the humerus and inserted into the forearm (the front arm). These heads do elbow flexion and forearm supinating.
The primary purpose of the bicep brachii is elbow flexion towards the shoulder on each side. This is the reason to use a bicep curler to makes the arm musculature strong. Bicep’s long head is activated through the flexion of the elbow as a priority.
Motor units of the long head become more activated when the palm is turned up (forearm supination). That is why dumbbell curls include rotational twisting around the forearm. It stretches the muscle, and as a result, stress is increased on the muscle.
The long head creates the peak, whereas the short head assists in gaining thickness and mass. The long and short heads are overlapped, creating an impact of muscle gain and volume. If you are looking for gaining both peak and muscle mass, then these ‘heads’ need to be challenged through an intense workout.
How to start
It is wise to target the smaller muscles first and then come to the long ones. Smaller muscle activation stimulates the flexion of the elbow and enhances muscle recruitment. This stops muscle efficiency too (laziness).
The broader set of muscles recruit more fibers if we make the smaller muscles fatigued early on. This is why the longer muscles work harder in each session until the end. Hence you get the required strength and gain for a longer run.
Workouts for Sleeve Busting Arms
There are different work out routines for this purpose. A person can choose according to his/her preference. Let us have a look at some of them so that you can get an idea of what exercises are suitable for sleeve busting arms.
Overhead Standing Curls:
You need a flat bar placed on the cable machine’s top connector. Take two steps back with an under the grip. This will elongate the arms. Raise your arms to your chin and begin the curling. Make sure to retract your hands above the head and not the face. It will ensure that the movement is isolated and the shoulders are not recruited.
Single Arm Preacher Curls:
This exercise can be done using a preacher machine or dumbbells. Always remember to loosen your wrist when you position your grip. The wrist should be allowed to limp. It disengages the forearms, ultimately putting biceps in tension. At last, just let your chest open laterally to have a more extended motion range.
Zottman Curls:
Brachioradialis, biceps, and brachialis are all pumped up through Zottman Curls. This exercise is named after aa person, George Zottman, who did it for the first time and used 22.5 kg weights. For this exercise, dumbbells are usually curled, and then the wrists are twisted, making your palms facing downwards at the top motion. Lastly, like reverse curls, lower down the weights. It is suggested not to pick heavyweights as when you lower down the dumbbells, and it will become nearly impossible to do that.
Standing Barbell Curls:
This exercise hits the biceps with full strength. The trainers highly recommend this for muscle gain. Stand tall with chest up. Hold the barbell just outside the hips. You can do this by the underhand grip. Remember to keep the chest up and press the elbows tight towards your side. Slightly raise your hands to engage the biceps and to start the exercise. Now curl the bar to the shoulder height, maintaining tension on the biceps. Give a one- or two-seconds squeeze to the biceps. Slowly lower the bar keeping the biceps engaged and tensed.
When the bar reaches the start position, slowly make your arms straight, making the triceps tensed so that the biceps performed to the fullest.
Reverse Grip Curls:
For this purpose, you can use an EZ curl bar or a barbell entirely straight (pronated grip). Never think of using the same weight as you lift for regular underhand grip. Use half the weight for a reverse grip curl for eight reps. Once you get the rhythm and form, you can increase the weight, but a lighter weight is generally recommended for the initial push. Hold the bar with shoulder-width grip above the bar and not beneath it. For the EZ curl bar, hold it on the sloping downward side. Elbows should be kept close, and knees should be slightly bent. Curl the bar just like regular curl.
Pronated grip engaged the brachialis muscles so that you can move and lift the weight. At the top of the curl, feel the tension in the forearms. Hold there for a second or two. Slowly lower down. The blood flow will be felt across your arm, which is a sign of new muscle growth stimulation.
What to Eat for Sleeve Busting Arms
Foods that promote the growth of muscles are needed for bigger arms. Training and exercise can get you to nothing if you do not consume the muscle building diet. It means along with the workout, and the diet should be proper too. For this purpose, add complex carbs, more proteins, and calories to the meals.
1.Proteins
Rob Skinner, a sports nutritionist, said that muscle growth and recovery after strenuous exercise needs proteins. So, proteins help to recover the muscles and make them grow bigger. It is advised to include proteins in every meal, making about 30 grams per meal. It is recommended to take at least 1.4-1.8g proteins daily. Some of the best proteinaceous foods include fish, lean meat, dairy products, beans, and eggs.
2.Complex Carbohydrates
According to Rob Skinner, carbohydrates are the fuel to the body. They provide energy to the body, which makes them equally important as the proteins. The best carbohydrates for muscle gain are rice and whole-grain bread. Simple carbohydrates should be avoided, like soft drinks and sugars. During muscle gain training, try to get half of the body calories through carbohydrates.
3.Fats
Fats have protein spring ability, and they are essential for the production of hormones. If you are taking fats, the body will use its energy rather than using proteins’ power. This thing saves proteins for muscle growth. Peanut butter, olive oil, and fish are recommended to use. Vegetable oils, butter, and animal fats are suggested to avoid if you are trying to gain muscles. According to an academy, your daily calories must include 20%-35% of the fats. Among the fats, it is advised to use unsaturated fats instead of saturated ones.
4.Eat More for Bigger Arms
Without extra calories, hard work for muscle gain is a waste. It is suggested to eat more than thrice with an increased portion of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. Taking an extra spoon of peanut butter does not harm you. The more you eat, the better are the results.
Supplements for Bigger Arms
For the best results, include supplements in your diet along with training and proper diet. Let us see which supplement are useful in this regard:
Whey Protein: Start raking whey protein just before and after work out so that amino acids, which are the building blocks of your body, are delivered immediately to muscles. Food proteins are slow to digest; that is why whey protein powder is used for this purpose. It is one of the fastest digesting proteins one can ask. Take a scoop of about 20 grams before doing exercise and after you have finished doing it, take two scoops of it, which makes almost 40 grams. It will make a tasty snack between meals if you take one or two scoops of whey protein.
Casein Protein: Casein protein is not fast-digesting like whey protein, but it is advised to use if you are not eating much or having a longer gap between meals. Though eating more than thrice while muscle building, you are not eating anything when you sleep. The body will start utilizing the proteins and fats you have eaten to fuel the brain and the rest of the body. In such a case, the extra calories you want are wasted. Casein protein will prevent this from happening. Take casein protein before going to bed. It will provide extra calories and energy while you sleep. Put one to two scoop of casein protein powder in water and have it before sleeping.
Creatine: This ingredient is added in many commercial muscle gain supplements as it works on multiple mechanisms. It keeps the muscles hydrated and draws water towards them, making them turgid. Creatine promotes certain growth factors that increase muscle growth. Take two to three grams of creatine before and after muscle gain training to make a difference. It can also be included in breakfast when you are not training (rest days).
Arginine: it is an amino acid that is a nitric oxide booster. Nitric oxide is a gas naturally produced in the body. This gas is necessary for efficient blood flow, maintaining blood pressure, and instant energy. Arginine is recommended as it is converted into nitric oxide in the body. This makes the muscles look fuller and provide muscle pumps. Take arginine before breakfast. It will boost the nitric oxide level. Always search for an arginine supplement having no caffeine. Consume before sleep and take about 5 to 9 grams.
Branched Chain Amino Acids: Branched-chain amino acids (BCAA) are three, including leucine, isoleucine, and valine. BCCAs are generally protein stimulating in function. They promote the action of proteins in the human body. They enhance insulin release and encourages muscle growth via protein stimulation. They help in restoring the glycogen that builds up the muscles.
Do not do this if you want Sleeve Busting Arms.
Do not skip meals.
Avoid caffeine consumption.
Do not eat artificial sugars and refrain from drinking soft drinks.
Conclusion
Gaining biceps and having sleeve busting arms is not an easy thing. A lot of effort and control is required to do so. Have patience and go slow and steady. Keep up the pace and be consistent in what you are doing. The key to gaining mass and strength is following a proper diet, taking supplements, and following your gym trainer’s instructions. Nothing is impossible to achieve; just have a belief in yourself and follow every instruction you need.
