Muscles in the arms respond quickly to exercise and strength training. Follow a healthy diet, watch portions and stay hydrated to maintain overall health and lose fat from the body, including the arms. See a doctor before starting any weight training routine or exercise regimen. Use exercises to build triceps and biceps as well as strengthen shoulders and keep the neck loose and pliable. Within a couple of weeks of using strength training to build muscles on your arms, you will start to notice a difference, especially when you focus on arms two or three times a week with 20 or 30 minute sessions.
Step 1
Warm up the body before engaging in any weight-lifting or muscle-building exercises, recommends FamilyDoctor.org (See Resources). Take a brisk 10 minute walk, jog in place or hop on a treadmill or stationary bike for 10 minutes. Or try using a jump rope for 10 minutes. Following the warm-up routine from a favorite exercise video is another option. Even on a weight-lifting day or strength training day when the focus is not on cardio, it’s safer for women to warm up first.
Step 2
Stretch the upper body and arm muscles before weight training or exercising, as recommended by the Women’s Heart Foundation. Stretching reduces the chance of injury. Clasp hands together, interlocking the fingers. Rotate the hands and turn the palms out, stretching arms in front of you and then overhead. Release. Cross one arm in front of the chest and lightly grasp the elbow with the opposite hand. Feel a gentle stretch and repeat with the other arm. Roll shoulders in one direction and then the other to loosen up shoulder and muscles.
Step 3
Combine four arm exercises into one when you want to build arm muscles fast. Use this sequence and a pair of weights. Start with arms extended down alongside the body. Bend arms, keeping elbows tucked in while bringing the weights up to shoulders for a bicep curl. Turn wrists so palms are facing away from you, and lift arms straight up to do a standing shoulder press. Turn wrists so palms are facing in and release the forearms down, behind your upper arms into a tricep extension. Raise the arms back up until they are straight above your body. Release arms down slowly into cross position, continuing down until arms back to the starting position. Repeat this move 11 more times. Add a second set of 12 and a third set of 12 as your arms get stronger and you need more of a challenge.
Step 4
Add arm building exercises to a weekly exercise routine, including push ups, pull ups and tricep dips. Do pushups every other day to build muscle and tone arm muscles. Install a pull-up bar or use the monkey bars at your child’s favorite playground to pull yourself up repeatedly. Support your body on a bench or low chair, with arms in back of you, palms facing your body. Dip the body down, then raise it back up, building triceps.
Step 5
Use gym equipment that allows you to remove and adjust free weights. For building arm muscles fast, use the lever jam, by adding weights, squatting slightly and pushing forward on the handles. Use the biceps and triceps machine at the gym. Sit down on the seat, and make any height adjustments according to the guidelines posted on the machine. Adjust the weight level and work your biceps. Adjust the same machine to the tricep setting. Women can do three sets of 12 at a weight level which causes arm fatigue (not pain) at the end of the three sets.
Warnings
- Do not use weights to build arm muscles every day, as the muscles need time to recover.
- Do not use gym equipment unless you have received instruction from staff or a workout partner.
