It is probably true to say that there are two muscle areas that have become synonymous with muscle and fitness and rank highly on the muscle development, priority list - The Abs and Arms. If you ask someone to flex their muscles, the chances are they'll flex their biceps rather than roll up their trousers and reveal their calves. It is probably for this very reason then, that there is some misconception in understanding what is required to promote the growth of each of these areas, and because of this I would like to address some of the fundamentals behind Big Arms.
For anybody new to muscle training the chances are that they will spend a disproportionate amount of time in developing their arms and this is understandable. It is natural for an athlete to want to advertise their progress and show-off their gains, and with the arms this can simply be achieved by wearing a T shirt. It is very easy though to take this approach to it's extreme so that you end up with 'Popeye Arms' stacked on 'Kermit the Frog, legs.
For anybody wanting Big Arms though you should consider what constitutes the upper arm muscles; namely the biceps and triceps. The biceps and triceps are antagonistic muscles working together as a pair, with the elbow joint acting as the pivot or fulcrum. When exercising though, most people will concentrate on the bicep, but contrary to popular belief the bicep is only a small muscle constituting about 1/3 of your upper arm, whereas the tricep accounts for 2/3's. Therefore if you are ignoring your triceps you are neglecting 67% of your upper arm.
Choose exercises that include the full range of movement and extension for both the bicep and tricep. As the tricep is more concentrated toward the upper range of the arm, the muscle has to be contracted through what might be considered the normal range of movement, to the point of stretching and where the muscles begins to 'pop', when the weight is in its lowest position.
The biceps seem to get all the glory, but a little more attention to their poorer relation the triceps, will pay dividends in the end.
