Fast track your muscle growth and pick up some new shirts to accommodate your new guns, ASAP. You can build last-minute muscle with our tips to make your training pay out fast, all backed by scientific fact and research.
STAY ON TARGET
Focus your fire: science shows that dumbbell concentration curls beat barbells for bicep activity. Isolate and then concentrate. American Council on Exercise
SKIP SQUATS, BRO
Legs day is not the only way to incinerate fat at speed. Using battle ropes burns through 40kJ per minute – and it builds your arms, too. College of New Jersey
PERFECT TIMING
Fueling up on protein immediately pre- and post-workout improves your one-rep max more than spacing out your intake across the day. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
HEADS TOGETHER
Your biceps each have two “heads” – long and short. Incline curls stimulate maximal growth in both. Lie back, but don’t relax.
Journal of Sports Science and Medicine
CHIN TO WIN
There’s no need for heavy metal if you want to build iron muscle. Activate your biceps with chin-ups. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research
GET A GRIP
Work on your grip to target a wider range of forearm muscles. Try a hand gripper, or use fat grips to thicken your bar for deadlifts. International Journal of Industrial Ergonomics
BREAK UP WITH BIG BREAKS
Between-set periods of less than a minute result in an acute growth hormone boost – which means less time in the gym and more on the beach. Sports Medicine
CUT CARB CUTTING
Use starch to stack. Triple your pasta intake for three days and swell your biceps by 5 per cent. Journal of Sports Medicine and Physical Fitness
TRI FOCUS
Your upper arms are two-thirds triceps. Take a break from curls and employ triangle push-ups to achieve tighter sleeves. American Council on Exercise
DEAD DROPS
Lowering your weights slowly is as essential for building big arms as lifting them. For the most efficient results, become a control freak. Journal of Applied Physiology
MENTAL GYMNASTICS
Imagining exing your arms ve times a week translates to a 13.5 per cent strength increase in real life. Jedi mind-trick
your muscles. Cleveland Clinic Foundation