As busy dads we no longer have the luxury to try the latest Muscle and Fiction magazine arm workout that takes over an hour and leaves us unable to comb what’s left of our hair for a week due to the intense muscle soreness that follows.
So as you focus on the bigger movements and muscles in your workouts (which you should), to get maximum results in minimum time I came up with three different sneaky arm training tricks that you can pick from. Insert one into your regular workout and add some muscle to your arms without adding much time to your workouts…
1. “Run The Rack”
If you want some new bicep growth use this old-school workout trick that saves time and gives you bigger biceps!
-Move down 5lbs to the next set and perform another 8 reps. No rest
-Move down another 5lbs and perform another 8 reps. No rest
-Move down another 5lbs and blast out another 8 reps.
Try to straighten your arms!
Set 1: 35lbs, 8 reps
Set 2: 30lbs, 8 reps
Set 3: 25lbs, 8 reps
Set 4: 20 lbs 8 reps
2. “Back to Back”
Want to instantly blow up your arms with a pulse pounding pump?
First take off your watch as it might begin to stretch AND you won’t need it anyway, as we won’t be counting time for your rest periods in this superset, because there aren’t any!
A1 Alternating DB Curls, 5 sets 5 reps, no rest
A2 Lying DB Tricep Ext., 5 sets of 5 reps, no rest
By rotating between exercises, working opposite muscle groups such as bicep and triceps, you give each muscle a little automatic rest while getting a quick and efficient arm workout, plus a crazy arm pump!
Also pick a weight you can do for 8 reps but do only 5 to allow for the intense arm fatigue.
3. Reverse Curl Curl
You don’t have to waste your time on separate exercises for each part of your forearms if you want to be mistaken for the Brawny paper towel man. Despite it’s name the angled EZ (easy) curl bar at your gym might be designed to be easier on your wrists — but don’t think it’s easier on your arms. Try this exercise variation of the Reverse Curl to fry your forearms.
Perform a standing EZ Bar Reverse Curl with palms facing down and thumbs wrapped around the bar.
Straighten your arms at the bottom but before you curl back up, curl your wrists in towards you while flexing your forearms flexors (the bottom belly of your forearms), then curl your wrists in the opposite direction, up and away from you working the forearm extensors (the top of your forearms).
Give these arm training tricks a try and let me know what you think by leaving a comment below — that is, if you can type afterwards. 😉 
Sean Barker is a busy dad who finds time for family, fitness and fun. He likes pumping iron as well as producing it, as a heavy equipment
operator in the iron ore mines. He is ALSO a nationally certified personal trainer who writes for Fit Parent and Inside Fitness magazines and is the author of The Dad Fitness System at www.DadFitness.com. Sean also has a Dad Fitness Blog with tips, thoughts, and humor on being a fit dad at DadFitnessBlog.com.
Great tips. I have read somewhere that women find men arms the most attractive part of the body.
Hi Sean,
Running the rack is a great way to eek out any juice that going to be left in those arms towards the end of a workout. Definitely a worthy exercise method for building those arms. I wouldn’t do these all the time, however when you do, great benefits are waiting in the wings.
-Mitchell
I do the twisted triceps workout. Great for arms. Thanks for your tips! Will try them as well!