Consider this: Every 30 days, 6 trillion emails are sent worldwide, and 80 million stars explode
in the universe. Now we don’t know if those events are related somehow, (we’re looking
into it), but 30 days is also enough to pump up your noodle arms and fill out your t-shirts
with muscle! Trust me, I’d know, and here’s what I did!
For starters, I measured the thickest part of my biceps: 14 inches even. I did it again
30 days later to see my progress, which ended up being more than I’d ever guess! I didn’t
buy any gym equipment – just used my own body weight at home!
Before the workout, I did some cardio to warm up: 1 minute of Jumping Jacks or high knees.
Next:
The Plank Tap This one targets the shoulders, back, triceps,
glutes, and your core. - Get in a straight-arm plank position with
your arms shoulder-width apart. - Tap your left shoulder with your right hand,
and keep your glutes and core engaged. - Do the same thing with your opposite hand.
- 3 sets with 15 reps each was perfect. While still in position, move on to:
The Forearm Plank Reach It focuses on your back, shoulders, biceps,
and glutes. - Lower yourself into an elbow plank. Keep
your abs flexed – no dipping! - Now, reach your right arm directly in front
of you with your palm facing inward. - Stay in that position for 3 – 5 seconds,
and then bring your arm back down. - Repeat the same thing with your opposite
hand. - 3 sets of 15 again for this one.
The Triceps Box Dip …focuses on your arms and chest.
- Sit with your body facing forward, and pull your hands behind you on a sturdy object – it
can be a chair, table, or bench. - Keep your legs slightly bent with only your
heels touching the floor. - Straighten your arms and lift your glutes.
- Then, bend your elbows and lower yourself down without touching the floor.
- Do 20 reps.
The Plank Up and Down Now you’re targeting your entire body, arms
included, of course! - Get in a regular plank position with your
feet hip-width apart. - Keep your arms extended and lower your right
arm so your forearm touches the floor. - Do the same with your left arm to position
yourself in a forearm plank. - Reverse those steps to get back up in a
straight-arm plank. - Keep at that for 20 reps.
The Decline Push-Up Time to target those arms and shoulders even
more! - Place your feet on a step, box, or bench
with your toes pointing down. - Get into a high-plank position with your
arms shoulder-width apart. - Bend your elbows and lower your chest to
the floor, then push back up. - Do 15 reps with this one.
Next was the opposite to pump up the chest too…
The Incline Push-Up - Get into the plank position again with your
arms extended on a box or bench. Your legs should be straight out on the floor behind
you. - Press your elbows and lower your chest toward
the bench. - Then, push your body up with your arms.
- 30 reps are enough. You’ll also need some cardio in between,
so do some:
Plank Jacks This exercise focuses on your arms, pecs,
and most of your leg muscles. - Get into a high plank with your hands shoulder-width
apart and your legs straight out behind you. - Jump your feet out like you did earlier
with the Jumping Jacks, and try not to relax your glutes.
- Keep at it for 30 seconds. And kick things up a notch with:
Burpee Push-Ups This one pumps up your shoulders, pecs, arms,
legs, and glutes. - Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Squat in a forward motion, and put your hands on the floor.
- Then, kick your legs behind you in a plank position.
- Now, bend your elbows, and press your chest down to do a push-up.
- Finally, jump your feet toward your hands, jump straight up, and reach for the ceiling.
- Do 15 of these bad boys! Let’s close with the most difficult one:
The Impossible Push Up It focuses on your core, inflates those biceps,
and gives some volume to your forearms. - Lie on your stomach with your arms outstretched
above your head. - Bring your hands together on the floor,
making a diamond shape between them. - From your toes to your fingertips, lift
your entire body as high as you can, stay in position for 2-3 seconds, and slowly go
back on the floor. - Do 10 reps…if you can!
Here are some other tricks I followed alongside my arms-focused workout that helped me bulk
up.
- I did 20-minute aerobic exercises a week before my workout to lose the excess fat hiding
my muscles.
- I never skipped my cardio before the workout. Besides getting my muscles warmed up and the
blood pumping, jumping jacks helped me get rid of excess water weight.
- I also stretched my biceps after each workout. You can try the wall one:
o You place your palm against a wall. o Slowly turn your body away from the wall
until you feel a stretch in your biceps, triceps, and chest.
o Then, repeat the same on the other side.
- I altered my exercises every few days. Every 8 – 10 workouts, your body gets used to
the daily load, so the exercises aren’t as effective.
- I increased my reps with time for the same reason. When it gets too easy to do the sets,
add 5 more reps to each!
- Try to find more reasons to work your arms. I like busting out some bicep curls whenever
I bring the groceries in!
- I ate 1 to 2 hours before working out, and I chose meals high in carbs. Pasta, bread,
fruits, and energy bars are great for that!
- I also ate after my workout to give my system the vitamins and minerals it needs. Some of
my favorite post-workout foods were rice cakes, sweet potatoes, chocolate milk, peanut butter,
avocadoes, and fruits or nuts.
- I never skipped breakfast either. Every morning, I had smoothies, cottage cheese with
toast, or an omelet.
- I also never let myself get hungry, so I had a small meal every 3 hours. If I didn’t
eat for a long time, I overate later. I always felt full because I kept my food intake up.
- Munching on proteins is important too. They helped me speed up my metabolism and pump
up my muscles. You need around 1 gram of protein for every 2 pounds of body weight.
- I only ate more whole foods that are low in sugar and high in fiber. They helped with
digestion, gave me more energy during my workout, and saved me some money.
- Lastly, I accompanied my meals with fruits and veggies. Most of those are low in calories
and made me feel full.
Just 30 days later, I measured my biceps again. They were 15½ inches. That’s 1.5 more inches
than when I first started! My weight dropped too, while my muscle mass increased. Next
step is to add dumbbells, but that’s another story!