"Armed and dangerous", or "awesome pipes", are some of the phrases you may hear at the gym by those admiring a lean, hard, symmetrical set of arms. From birth, Mother Nature has provided each one of us with our own unique set of genetic codes, anatomy, and biochemistry. So, to a small extent, our physical potential is pre-determined. But we are also born with the gift of adaptability and development. With the employment of solid training, you have a foundation on which you can build. Before we tell you how to build great arms, let's start with some basic anatomy of the shoulders, biceps and triceps.

Your shoulders (deltoids) originate from the Clavicle (horizontal bone above chest) and Scapula (top of shoulder blade), and insert into the Humerus (bone of upper arm). The function of the shoulders is abduction, flexion, and extension.

Your biceps (biceps brachii and brachialis) are two separate muscles. The biceps brachii originates from the Scapula and the Coracoid process (top of humerus), and inserts into the top of the Ulna (top of ulna bone). The brachialis originates from two-thirds of the way down on the humerus and inserts into the top of the ulna.

Finally, we have the triceps (long head, medial head, lateral head). The long head originates from the middle edge of the scapula and inserts into the top of the ulna. The medial head originates from the posterior surface of the humerus and inserts into the top of the ulna. The lateral head originates from the lateral posterior surface of the humerus and inserts into the top of the ulna.

Shoulders are somewhat like calves. You either have them or you have to train like hell to get them. One of my favorite shoulder exercises for medial deltoids is a wide-grip upright row. To determine the proper grip for you:

• stand up straight, and slowly raise your elbows to the height of your shoulder joint
• allow your hands to hang freely
• That's the grip! Grasp the bar with your hands facing down, back straight, abs tight, and knees slightly bent
• Slowly raise your elbows until they are parallel with your shoulder joints
• Focus on lifting from the elbows and holding the bar close to your body through the entire range of motion
• Keep the elbows out to the sides, and slowly lower the bar back to the starting position.

This next exercise is for the posterior shoulders. I find most beginners spend a lot of time developing the anterior part of their shoulders, and neglect to train the back of their shoulders. If you neglect rear shoulder development, you will explicate muscular imbalances, which in time can lead to anatomical difficulties. Symmetry is everything!

Seated bent over rear deltoid raises are the answer.

• Hold a dumbbell in each hand and sit at the end of a flat bench with your feet planted firmly close together on the floor
• Bend forward from the waist until your chest almost touches your upper thighs
• Keep arms straight, but don't lock elbows
• Raise arms up and forward as high as possible until dumbbells touch in front above head
• Keep torso close to knees throughout exercise
• Repeat until exhaustion.

• Stand with feet about shoulder width apart and grasp the bar with an underhand grip, hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart
• Curl the bar out and up in a wide arc, and bring it up as high as you can
• Avoid swinging motions from the shoulders as this takes the emphasis off the biceps
• Keep your elbows stationary
• Contract your biceps hard at the top of the movement, and slowly return to the starting position
• Enjoy the pump!

This next exercise is great if you like to feel a little pain in your biceps. It will confirm that you know you are alive! Soon you will ask someone to pinch you to make sure you are not dreaming about how awesome your arms look.

This little beauty is called concentration curls. When done correctly, you can add some serious height to those guns.

• Seated or standing, bend over slightly and take a dumbbell in one hand. Rest your other arm on knee
• Curl the weight up to the shoulder, keeping your curling arm in a hanging position
• Avoid resting the working arm on your thigh
• As you lift, twist the wrist so that the little finger ends up higher than the thumb
• Contract the biceps hard

• Grasp a bar (E-Z curl bar) with an over hand grip, hands approximately 10 inches apart
• Press the weight until your arms are straight, but not locked
• If your execution is correct the bar should be back behind the top of your head, with your triceps supporting the bar in that position
• Keeping the elbows stationary, lower the bar towards your forehead and repeat

Now, let's do dips behind the back. Grab a bench behind your back and hold onto the bench at the edge, hands about shoulder width apart. If you can, place your heals on another bench slightly higher than your hands.

• Bend your elbows, and lower yourself as close as you can towards the floor
• Explode upwards until your arms are straight but not locked
• Repeat to exhaustion
• Enjoy your new set of triceps

• Always emphasize the peak contraction.
• Never compromise form for weight. Strict form all the way.
• Feel and make every rep count.
• Use 30 - 45 second rest periods between sets, no more.
• Every third arm workout change the exercises.
• If you don't have a pump, YOU ARE NOT WORKING OUT!
• Train until muscular fatigue, every set.
• Don't be a sissy, make it burn.
• Visualize how you want your arms to look, then train like you already have them.

T'ai Erasmus is a certified personal fitness trainer, and sports nutritional consultant working in Vancouver. To book sessions or a consultation he can be reached by calling 604-329-7867or by e-mail at tai@taierasmus.com.