On...Bigger Arms

My friend Dan has a saying: "The BIGGER, the BETTER!"

I'm not sure what he's always referring to, but undoubtedly, occasionally, he's referencing arms: the lovely gunnery of a massive biceps-triceps union.

According to a study published in Serious Strength Training by Olympic strength coach Dr. Tudor Bompa, the two most effective arm exercises are preacher curls with a straight bar and a decline tricep extension...thank God for electromyography, a nifty tool that measures activity in muscle.

Biceps: Preacher Curls with a Straight Bar

What to do: Grasp a straight bar with an underhand shoulder-width grip. Lean across a preacher bench and extend your arms fully. Bend your elbows to curl the weight up as far as possible. Keep your elbows firmly anchored. 

Portion of biceps used: 90%
Why? The bench stops you from leaning back to cheat and isolates your biceps.

Triceps: Decline Triceps Extension

What to do: Lie on decline bench and position a barbell above your shoulders with fully extended arms. Bend your elbows to lower the weight until it is behind your head. Keep your elbows pointed up throughout the move. Straighten your arms to go to the start of the move. 
Portion of triceps used: 92%
Why? It works all three heads of your triceps and the decline keeps the stress on the muscle for the whole lift.

Now somebody call the zoo keeper - cos, as my brother likes to say, "The pythons are gettin' out!"