8 Best Arm Blaster Exercises + Sample Workout

As a strength coach and bodybuilder, I’m often asked about the arm blaster and which arm blaster exercises are most effective for growing the biceps. 

The 8 best arm blaster exercises are:

Arm blaster hammer curls

Arm blaster side curls

Arm blaster supinated dumbbell curls

Arm blaster barbell curls

Arm blaster EZ bar curls

Arm blaster dumbbell curls

Arm blaster banded curls

Arm blaster reverse curls

To help you get the most out of your arm blaster, I’ll explain how to use it, which exercises to do, and share a sample workout program that you can follow for the next 4 weeks.

Key Takeaways

Using an arm blaster can improve bicep curl technique, increase bicep isolation, reduce injuries, and allow for versatility in arm workouts.

To maximize your bicep training with an arm blaster you should include a conventional curl, a hammer curl variation, and a finisher (i.e. banded curls). 

The Gymreapers arm blaster is my favorite arm blaster on the market due to its durability, look, adjustability, and comfort.

Benefits of Using An Arm Blaster

The main benefits of an arm blaster include:

Better bicep curl technique. The design of the arm blaster anchors your arms in place while promoting an upright posture. Altogether this makes it difficult to swing or use momentum to “cheat” the curls up. This encourages better technique for higher quality gains.

Improves bicep isolation. Another function of the arm blaster is that it allows for greater bicep isolation by decreasing the recruitment of secondary muscle groups.

Reduces the risk of injury. When fatigued or performing bicep curls with heavier loads without an arm blaster there may be additional stress placed on the elbows, wrist, low back, or secondary muscle groups. 

Injury risk is typically due to technical breakdown, which may be mitigated with the addition of an arm blaster. 

Increased versatility for bicep training. With the implementation of an arm blaster, one can use a variety of equipment: EZ-bar, barbell, dumbbell, and bands. This allows for a variety of stimuli to encourage progression over time and could help to keep lifters from getting bored with their training.

Related Article: Are Arm Blasters Worth It? Do They Really Work?

What Muscles Do Arm Blaster Exercises Work?

The primary muscle groups involved during the arm blasters:

Biceps brachii long head

Biceps brachii short head

Brachioradialis

The biceps brachii long head is located on the outer side of the biceps, while the short head is located on the inner arm. The biceps muscles are responsible for elbow flexion (bending) and help to prevent elbow hyperextension. 

The brachioradialis is responsible for flexing the forearm and supinating (rotating inward) and pronating (rotating outward) the wrist.

How To Use An Arm Blaster Properly

To get the most out of your arm blaster, it’s important to use it properly.

Here is how to set yourself up for arm blaster curls:

1. Securely fasten the neck strap in a way that allows the metal plate of the arm blaster to comfortably sit at your upper abdomen/stomach.

2. Your arms should sit in the grooves on both sides of the arm blaster and fix them in place.

3. Either seated or standing, hold your weight in your hands (dumbbells, barbell, EZ curl, bands, etc).

4. Raise the weight while keeping your body stable.

5. Lower the weight at a controlled rate to complete the repetition.

6. Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the desired amount of repetitions.

Top Arm Blaster Exercises

1. Arm Blaster Dumbbell Curls

Arm blaster dumbbell curls are the most traditional and tried and true approaches to training the biceps with an arm blaster.

How To

• Securely fasten the neck pad around your neck, with the metal arm blaster plate resting over your upper abdomen.

• From the starting position, you will hold the dumbbells in your palms facing up.

• Apply upper arm pressure against the arm blaster, while focusing on bending the elbows to raise the dumbbells up.

• In a controlled fashion, lower both dumbbells until you return to the starting position.

• Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the desired amount of repetitions.

Pro Tip

Tempo sets can make arm blaster dumbbell curls even more difficult. Focus on raising the weight as fast as possible, and then lowering the weight at a slow rate. Lowering the weight at a controlled rate will increase the difficulty of the exercise while promoting more intense muscle contractions.

Here is an example set that you can perform:

• 4-count lowering arm blaster curls: 3 x 8 / side

2. Arm Blaster Hammer Curls

Arm blaster hammer curls target the long head of the biceps and the brachioradialis. Every comprehensive bicep curl program should include a hammer curl bicep variation.

How To

• Securely fasten the neck pad around your neck, with the metal arm blaster plate resting over your upper abdomen.

• From the starting position, you will hold the dumbbells in your hands with your palms facing each other.

• Apply upper arm pressure against the arm blaster, while focusing on raising both dumbbells up to contract your biceps.

• In a controlled fashion, lower both dumbbells until you return to the starting position.

• Repeat steps 4 and 5 for the desired amount of repetitions.

Pro Tip

Arm blaster hammer curls allow one to leverage more weight, so it’s best to use heavier loads for this exercise for a more effective bicep stimulus.

That said, hammer curls only target part of the bicep and should always be paired with a conventional bicep curl. 

3. Arm Blaster Side Curls

Similar to hammer curls, arm blaster side curls target the biceps brachii short head and the brachioradialis. However, the arm blaster side curls are more difficult and require a lot more control. I recommend the arm blaster side curls as an alternative when progress has stalled with hammer curls.

How To

• Securely fasten the neck pad around your neck, with the metal arm blaster plate resting over your upper abdomen.

• From the starting position, hold the dumbbells with your palms facing down.

• Curl the right arm from the right hip to the left shoulder.

• Control the weight back down until the elbow is fully extended.

• Repeat these steps for the desired amount of repetitions.

• To target the other side, curl with your left arm from the left hip to the right shoulder.

• Control the weight back down until the elbow is fully extended.

• Repeat these steps for the desired amount of repetitions.

Pro Tip

Arm blaster side curls are more effective when using slow and controlled technique. Controlled movement allows for a more intense muscle contraction and increases the difficulty of lighter weights. Here is an example to implement into your program:

• 4-count lowering arm blaster side curls: 3 x 8 / side

4. Arm Blaster Supinated Dumbbell Curls

Hands down my favorite bicep curls are the arm blaster supinated dumbbell curls. As a competitive bodybuilder, this exercise intensely contracts all of the bicep heads, as well as the thick forearm muscle.

How To

• Start with both elbows fully extended with the upper arms comfortably sitting on the grooves of the arm blaster.

• Stand holding two dumbbells with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).

• Upon initiation of the curl, you will begin to rotate your wrist facing up, as you flex your arm at the top.

• Continue to raise both your arms till they are fully flexed at the top.

• From the top, you will lower both your arms and rotate your wrists back to the starting neutral position.

Pro Tip

My focus with this exercise is to train to absolute failure. One way to go about this is to start with alternating supinated curls, and then do supinating curls with both hands till absolute failure. 

Here is an example of how to program arm blaster supinated curls to failure:

• Alternating supinated curls: x 8/side
• Bilateral supinated curls: x failure

5. Arm Blaster Barbell Curls

Arm blaster barbell curls are my primary strength exercise for the biceps. Including bicep movements with heavier weights is paramount for building big biceps.

How To

• Start with both elbows fully extended with the upper arms comfortably sitting on the grooves of the arm blaster.

• Hold the barbell in your hands with your palms facing up.

• Curl the weight up until the arms are completely flexed.

• Lower the weight until the arms are fully extended to complete the repetition.

• Repeat the previous steps for the desired amount of repetitions.

Pro Tip

Arm blaster barbell curls can be done for higher repetitions and lighter weights, and also lower repetitions with heavier loads. I prefer to implement heavier loads on the barbell curls while saving my higher rep exercises for dumbbell and cable variations. 

Here is an example of how I would program barbell curls:

• Arm blaster barbell curls: 5 x 5 @70-80% or @RPE 7-8

6. Arm Blaster EZ Bar Curls

EZ bar curls with the arm blaster may be one of the most underrated curl exercises for developing the biceps. The inner grip of the EZ bar curls hit a very unique angle, emphasizing the bicep peak, while allowing you to use heavier loads.

How To

• Hold the inner handles of the EZ bar with the palms facing up.

• Curl the weight up until the arms are completely flexed.

• Lower the weight until the arms are fully extended to complete the repetition.

• Repeat the previous steps for the desired amount of repetitions.

Pro Tip

You can either grip the inner or outer handles depending on which head of the biceps you want to prioritize. If you want to improve the bicep peak then I would suggest gripping the inner handles of the EZ bar.

 If you want to target the outside of the bicep, then I would grip the outer handles of the EZ bar. The versatility of the EZ bar allows you to target the complete bicep.

Here is an example workout to target both heads of the bicep:

• Inner handle EZ bar curls: 2 x 8
• Outer handle EZ bar curls: 2 x 8

7. Arm Blaster Banded Curls

Arm blaster banded curls are a non-fatiguing option for your biceps. For this reason, you can implement arm blaster banded curls to increase the volume of work your biceps are doing without increasing your risk of injury.

How To

• Anchor a band to the bottom of a pillar.

• Facing away from the pillar, hold the bands with both hands.

• Curl the band up until the arm is fully flexed.

• Control the band down until the elbow is completely extended.

• Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the desired amount of repetitions.

Pro Tip

There are many ways to increase the intensity and difficulty of arm blaster banded curls. 

First and foremost, you may start with a lighter band and then increase the number of repetitions and sets each week. Once this becomes too easy, you may increase banded resistance. 

Due to the non-fatiguing nature of the banded variation of arm blaster curls, I would recommend incorporating higher repetitions towards the very end of your workout. 

Here is an example of how I would program and progress these:

• Arm Blaster Banded Curls: 
• Week 1: 3 x 12
• Week 2: 3 x 15
• Week 3: 4 x 15
• Week 4: 4 x 12 (Increase banded resistance)

8. Arm Blaster Reverse Curls

Arm blaster reverse curls place an extra emphasis on the brachialis, the forearms, and both heads of the biceps.

How To

• Hold a straight bar with the palms facing down or away.

• Curl the weight up until the arms are completely flexed.

• Lower the weight until the arms are fully extended to complete the repetition.

• Repeat the previous steps for the desired amount of repetitions.

Pro Tip

With reverse curls, using too much weight can often place you in a disadvantageous position, resulting in bad form or an ineffective bicep stimulus. 

For this reason, tempo reps are going to be a more effective route for increasing intensity. Count to 4 during the lowering portion of reverse curls for a more intense contraction. 

Tips For Maximizing Your Arm Blaster Workout

Here are some pointers for you to maximize your arm blaster workout:

• Implement a total of three exercises to target the complete bicep and forearm for a comprehensive arm workout.

• Of these three exercises, it is good to implement a lower repetition strength movement at the start, a higher repetition movement second, and finally a finisher to burn out the biceps. This allows for a movement to drive strength progression and a couple of movements to drive fatigue.

• Adding tempo reps can always be a great way to increase the quality of your repetitions, furthermore, it's another way to drive progression week to week.

• Diversity is extremely important for exercise selection. Here is how you pick your exercises:
• Exercise 1: Select a conventional curl to target the entire bicep
• Exercise 2: Some variation of a hammer curl to target the brachialis (deep bicep muscle) and the brachioradialis (forearm muscle).
• Exercise 3: Select a finisher to further detail the bicep muscles.

Sample Arm Blaster Workout Routine

Here is a sample week-to-week arm blaster routine that you can implement:

Week 1

• Tuesday
• Arm blaster barbell curls: 3 x 5 @75%
• Arm blaster hammer curls: 3 x 8 @60%
• Arm blaster seated dumbbell curls: 2 x Failure
• Thursday
• Arm blaster supinated curls: 4 x 10 @60%
• Arm blaster EZ-bar curls (inner grip) 4 x 12 @50%
• 4 count lower arm blaster reverse curls: 4 x 6 @50%

Week 2

• Tuesday
• Arm blaster barbell curls: 4 x 5 @75% + 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster hammer curls: 3 x 8 @60% + 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster seated dumbbell curls: 3 x Failure @30-40% + 5-10 lbs
• Thursday
• Arm blaster supinated curls: 4 x 10 @60% + 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster EZ-bar curls (inner grip) 4 x 12 @50% + 5-10 lbs
• 4 count lower arm blaster reverse curls: 4 x 6 @50% + 5-10 lbs

Week 3

• Tuesday
• Arm blaster barbell curls: 4 x 5 @75% + 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster hammer curls: 3 x 8 @60% + 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster seated dumbbell curls: 3 x Failure @50% + 5-10 lbs
• Thursday
• Arm blaster supinated curls: 4 x 10 @60% + 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster EZ-bar curls (inner grip) 4 x 12 @50% + 5-10 lbs
• 4 count lower arm blaster reverse curls: 4 x 6 @50% + 5-10 lbs

Week 4

• Tuesday
• Arm blaster barbell curls: 4 x 5 @75% + 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster hammer curls: 3 x 8 @60%+ 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster seated dumbbell curls: 3 x Failure @50% + 5-10 lbs
• Thursday
• Arm blaster supinated curls: 3 x 10 + 5-10 lbs
• Arm blaster EZ-bar curls (inner grip) 3 x 12 + 5-10 lbs
• 4 count lower arm blaster reverse curls: 3 x 6 + 5-10 lbs

Arm Blaster Recommendation

SHOP ARM BLASTER

Due to its comfort, durability, and look, the Gymreapers arm blaster is the ultimate option. Its heavy-duty aluminum build is a quarter of an inch thick and allows for extra wear and tear.

The padded ends allow for your arms to comfortably lock in so that you can maintain technique and posture. 

Furthermore, the adjustable neoprene padded strap reduces the amount of tension on the neck which adds extra comfort. 

Of all the arm blasters on the market, the Gymreapers arm blaster has my favorite silhouette.

Frequently Asked Questions

Did Arnold Schwarzenegger Use An Arm Blaster?

There is a lot of footage of Arnold Schwarzenegger using an arm blaster. He has mentioned that he would use it at the end of his workouts as a finisher. It is also noted that he implemented cheating bicep curls as well to be a part of his arm workouts.

How Does The Use of An Arm Blaster Affect Muscle Activation Compared to Traditional Bicep Curls?

Traditional bicep curls will target the complete bicep; however, they also recruit secondary muscle groups for stabilization. The arm blaster places a greater emphasis on targeting the musculature of the bicep and reduces the involvement of secondary musculature.

Can arm blaster exercises benefit individuals with specific fitness goals, such as bodybuilding or rehabilitation?

If your goal is bodybuilding, implementing an arm blaster is a no-brainer because it introduces new and novel stimuli to get even more muscle growth out of your workouts. In a rehab setting, one may be able to use the arm blaster to strengthen their forearms and biceps with lighter loads.

What are some signs that I might be using the arm blaster incorrectly, and how can I correct them?

You might be using the arm blaster incorrectly if your elbows are digging uncomfortably into the pad and you're not controlling the descent. Make sure that the pad is in line with your upper abdomen so you can rest your upper arms on the arm blaster and add tempo work to decrease cheating reps.

How can I incorporate arm blaster exercises into a broader upper body workout routine?

Typically, workouts will begin with compound movements with isolation movements to follow. Arm blaster exercises are bicep isolation movements that should be implemented after your compound exercises.