How to Train Arms Like Arnold

Photography by Simon Howard

Going for Schwarzenegger guns this summer? If you really want to peak out, you’ll need to hit every area of the arms with brute force. This Arnold Schwarzenegger arm workout will do just that.

2 x British bodybuilding champ Lewis Emmanuell shows us how it’s done! 

DUMBBELL ALTERNATING CURLS

Start by attacking the long head of the biceps!

Keep the dumbbells in a neutral position to the sides of your body. As you curl one arm, slowly rotate your wrist, bringing the dumbbell parallel to the floor. Once in the top position, squeeze the muscle and gradually bring the weight back down (controlling the eccentric phase of the movement).

ALTERNATING HAMMER CURLS

It’s time to focus on the outside of the biceps. 

Keep your hand in a neutral position, curl the dumbbells up alternately to shoulder height, then slowly control the weight back down.  

CONCENTRATION CURLS

Target the short head of the biceps.

An old-school exercise to target one bicep at a time. Concentration curls are all about the peak. As you curl the weights up alternately, focus on resting your elbow on the inside of your leg just above the knee and keeping the back straight and chest open, squeeze the bicep at the top of the movement. Ensure you don’t lock the elbow out at the bottom. 

EZ BAR OVERHEAD EXTENSIONS

Build thick arms.

Using an EZ bar, sit off of the back of a bench or box. Keeping your chest high, bend the arms at the elbow and extend the bar above your head. Overhead extensions help build a thick arm from the inside of the tricep, leading to a much fuller look. 

LYING SKULLCRUSHERS

Develop the outer triceps.

Holding a bar or two dumbbells, lie on the floor and bring your arms straight up above your head. Bend at the elbows, taking your hands down towards your forehead. Once the bar is hovering just above your forehead, push it straight back up, aiming not to move the upper-arm. 

CLOSE GRIP PUSH UPS

Work the medial head of the triceps.

The medial head of your tricep is the part closest to your elbow. Building this muscle helps develop overall thickness, plus elbow strength. Perform these until failure for best results. 

Thanks again to @lewisemmanuell for this Arnold Schwarzenegger arm workout.