While doing bicep curls, it is not easy to prevent your arms from swaying back and forth. If your shoulders and arms are not kept in a fixed position for long, you can end up straining your back muscles, leading to severe back injury and pain.
However, you can easily avoid this problem by keeping your arms locked on either side of your torso. Thanks to the effective old-school training tool, arm blaster, you can keep your arms in a fixed position and effectively work on your arms muscles.
Arm blasters can be easily classified as one of the oldest gym equipment around in the fitness world. It enables you to isolate your bicep muscles so you can get those amazing brawny and bigger bicep bumps you have been dreaming about for so long.
At first glance, the equipment might look simple and old-fashioned. However, it is still very popular among people who are looking to gain bigger arms. The reason why they continue to use the equipment lies in its effectiveness. If you have ever tried taking an arm blaster for a spin before, then you already know how challenging and fun it can be. If you haven't tried it yet, then this article will provide some valuable information about the arm blaster and how to use it properly.
What is an Arm Blaster?
An arm blaster is a curved piece of equipment that comes with neck straps. It is made of lightweight aluminum and has elbow pads on both sides. The curved part of the blaster is placed on your chest. The elbow pads are designed to serve as a resting platform for your elbows.
The straps come with an adjustable buckle so that you can loop it around your neck and adjust it according to your preferences. Once you have an arm blaster on, you can now easily keep your elbows stationary as well as locked in front of your torso while you perform curls.
Benefits of Using an Arm Blaster
It Maintains Good Form.
One of the biggest advantages of using an arm blaster is that it enables people who are doing curls to maintain better form. With this training tool, you won't have to worry about swinging the weights back and forth on your sides or having a bad posture as you do curls. As long as you use the right amount of weight, you can keep your arms in a fixed position, allowing you to focus on working out the muscle without worrying about injuring your back muscles.
It Allows for Better Isolation of Your Bicep.
By using an arm blaster, you can easily isolate your bicep muscles so that they can be worked on more effectively. With this amazing training tool in hand, you will have the ability to do curls for longer periods of time without having to stop and rest between sets. This is because the arm blaster allows you to keep your arms in a fixed position, helping you to effectively isolate your bicep muscles.
It Increases the Functionality of Your Arms.
Arm blasters are not only effective when it comes to isolating and working out the muscle, but they can also help give your arms more functionality as well. By using arm blasters, you will be able to burn more calories, create stronger core muscle as well as give your arms the ability to hold heavier weights.
It Can Help Improve Your Posture.
Aside from gaining bigger and brawnier arms, arm blasters are also extremely useful when it comes to improving your posture in general. When you perform curls on an arm blaster, not only will you be able to fix your back, but the arm blaster can also help reduce any slouching that might have been developed over time.
It Gives You an Intense Pump
Another great benefit of using arm blasters is that it can give you an intense pump especially when doing curls. It helps prevent your arms from compensating momentum and cheating as you do the workout. It also gives your muscles a significant amount of time under tension, allowing blood to flow into the muscle for better development and stronger pumps.
How to Use an Arm Blaster Effectively
You need to find the correct and comfortable height when you are using the arm blaster. Failure to do so will not give you results and might cause injury.
If your arm blaster is placed too high then your chest and triceps will get in the way, which increases the angle and will stress your elbows and chest.
If your arm blaster is placed too low, then your elbows will dig into the pads higher as you are doing the curls, which will tilt the blaster into your stomach and it will be very flimsy and uncomfortable.
The next thing you need to do is to focus on the weights. Arm blaster is not something you want to use for cheat curls as it lets you focus entirely on your form, hence you use lower weights as you normally do with other curls.
Arm blaster also forces your elbow forward which works the inner head of the bicep muscle. You don't need a lot of weight to work this muscle. Too much weight will force your elbows into the arm blaster and push it into the stomach and can become very uncomfortable and unable to breathe. Focus on your form and engaging your core and drop the weight, this will let you isolate and target more bicep muscles.
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Tips on Getting the Most Out of Your Workouts With an Arm Blaster
There are two ways to use arm blasters perfectly: the elbow-in approach and the elbow-out approach.
Depending on what type of curl you're doing, you'll have to decide which technique to use. If you want bigger arms with better muscular definition, then it is best to use the elbow-in approach. The elbow-in method of using arm blasters involves placing your elbows close to your torso as you do curls.
When it comes to getting a bigger bicep with more volume and size, then it is best that you use the elbow-out technique. The elbow-out technique involves bringing your arms slightly away from your torso as you do curls.
Arm Blaster vs Preacher Curls
A preacher is not just a simple small gym tool; it is rather a whole station installed in the gyms. Almost all the commercial gyms have this equipment.
The benefits of an arm blaster that undeniably sets them apart from preachers are its portability and effectiveness. An arm blaster is a hundred times lighter in weight, which means you can easily carry them anywhere you want.
If you want to take the blaster to your friend’s home gym, you can. If you are switching gyms, you can carry it to your new gym. There are zero limits, or more like the sky's limit, regarding its portability.
Moreover, the arm blaster keeps the lifter on edge, urging him to work hard. On the other hand, the preacher is so comfortable that it eases the lifter to the point where he starts making mistakes.
So, workout sessions are more effective with arm blasters than with preacher stations. As they say, comfort does not always bring the best results.
Arm Blaster vs Incline Dumbbell Curls
Incline dumbbell curls are a great exercise for biceps. The incline position of the dumbbells makes a stronger contraction on the bicep, which results in more muscle growth at the front of your arms.
However, arm blasters also have their own advantages when compared with incline dumbbell curls. For instance, because you are forced to use a lighter weight and not do cheat curls, your arms get better muscle stimulation. Most people can't do dumbbell curls correctly as there is too much swinging of the elbows going on.
Although the movement is similar with both movements, arm blasters allow you to hit more muscles, including your forearms.
Related Article: Adjustable Dumbbells: How They Are the Best Investment You Can Do for Your Home Gym
Arm Blaster for Tricep Workouts
While an arm blaster is not very common for tricep workouts, it can be used as such. If you want to use the arm blaster for triceps, make sure that your elbows are far enough from your torso. If they are too close, then the weight will cause unwanted pressure on your shoulders and elbow joints. This results in your elbows having to flex in an awkward way.
Tricep pushdowns are much more effective when the elbows stay forward and the stress is focused on the triceps.
When performing a pushdown, an arm blaster forces your elbows to remain forward. This technique is especially beneficial for the triceps because they are stressed before any other back muscles are activated. As the bar goes up, your elbows are free to move forward for a good stretch.
Sample Arm Blaster Workout
It is very important to understand that an arm blaster limits the weight you are lifting. For instance, if you usually perform dumbbell curls with 50 lbs. or so, then with the arm blaster, you will have to make do with 30 lbs, almost half.
The arm blaster workout mentioned here is a sample routine that you can follow.
- Barbell Biceps Curls - 4 sets x 6-8 reps
- Dumbbell Bicep Curls - 3 Sets x 8 reps
- Dumbbell Hammer Curls - 4 sets x 6-8 reps
- Reverse Bicep Curls - 3 sets x 8 reps
Where to Get an Arm Blaster?
Different brands are selling arm blasters now. You can choose the one that has good quality at a reasonable price. DMOOSE Fitness Arm Blaster is one of the best-selling models that you can go for, and it's highly recommended.
Created by fitness experts, DMOOSE arm curling blaster features thick padded elbow pads and foam neck padding to improve safety and comfort, as well as a fully adjustable strap to support everyone's needs.
It is also superior to standard bicep blasters that break down after regular use. It features thick gauge aluminum, strong rivets, and an adjustable nylon belt to improve your stability and enhance gear durability.
Arm Blaster for Bicep & Triceps Workout
Build impressive arm size with the DMoose Arm Blaster, featuring 7mm neck padding and a rubber elbow pad for optimal comfort. Enhance your preacher curls with ease!
Takeaway
Arm blasters are really great for isolating your biceps and focusing entirely on your form. They are portable and lightweight so they make the perfect equipment for your garage gym or you can carry them to your regular gym. Arm blasters are not just for biceps, as they can be used to train your triceps too.
