Your 28 Days of Arms halfway check-in

You're training hard. You've put in the time and sweat for stronger arms. Now's a great time to assess your progress and make the necessary adjustments so you can finish 28 Days of Arms strong.

Before you fire up your next workout, stop and use this checklist to give your routine a once over.

It doesn’t matter if you’re training with our 28 Days of Arms program or following your own routine – these rules for your training, nutrition and recovery still apply.

Let’s check that you’re doing the little things right, so you can get the results you’re looking for.

1. Are you training with enough intensity?

To see any kind of progress in your arms, you need those muscles to do more work than they’re used to.

You can increase the intensity of your strength training in several ways.

• Lift heavier weights. Whatever you do, you need to use a weight that challenges your muscles. This includes regularly increasing weight as you get stronger.
• Train for longer. This can be as simple as adding a 5-7-minute 28 Days of Arms burner onto the end of your regular workout.

The approach you take may depend on your ultimate goal – lifting heavier at lower reps to add bulk, or lifting lighter at higher reps for tone and definition.

Even if you go the lighter weights for higher reps route, those last few reps should be a challenge. Here’s how to choose the right weights.

2. Are you training (the right areas) enough?

To maximize growth in any muscle group, you need to train it at least twice a week. So while any strength training you can squeeze into your schedule is a good thing, if you have a specific goal to build arms, you’ll want to make sure you’re working those muscles again later in the week.

The type of upper-body exercises you’re doing can also impact growth rate. While compound movements that work multiple muscle groups (like chest presses and pull-ups) will contribute to overall upper-body development – arms included – you’ll speed up progress with isolation exercises for your biceps, triceps and shoulders.

If you’re tight on time, a good approach can be to complete an upper-body workout with compound exercises, then stack a fast and targeted 28 Days of Arms session onto the end to isolate your smaller arm muscles.

3. Are you overtraining?

There is such a thing as too much training. Far from speeding up your results, overtraining can lead to:

• fatigue

• poor form

• reduced performance and plateaued results

• persistent soreness

• potential injury

As a general rule, you shouldn’t train the same muscle group within 48 hours – this is how all Centr strength training programs are structured, because your muscles need time to repair and grow. It’s also smart to include rest days in your training schedule to allow your body to adapt, recover and reap the rewards of your training.

Plus, your body does its best repair and growth while you’re sleeping, which is why a regular bedtime should also be an essential part of your arm routine. If you need some help resting up, check out our ultimate sleep guide.

4. Are you lifting with good form?

A common mistake when training arms is to cheat your reps by swinging – for instance, creating momentum in a bicep curl by driving from your hips, rather than ensuring it’s the contraction of your bicep muscle controlling the movement.

You’re only cheating yourself when you don’t lift with good technique or form. Not only are you less likely to effectively work the muscles you’re targeting, you’re also more likely to be injured.

If you’re struggling to finish a set with good form, either lower the weight you’re lifting, or use a bench to anchor your arm in place. You may also find that performing exercises with a cable machine (rather than free weights) helps to encourage consistent form.

5. Are you getting enough protein?

Your body requires protein to spark muscle protein synthesis – the process by which your muscles repair and grow. To lock in the benefits of your training and add muscle mass, Centr sports dietitian Angie Asche recommends you’re getting at least 1.6g of protein per kilogram of body weight per day.

To top up the protein you’re getting from your main meals, protein powder is a convenient option – find out what to look for in a protein powder.

If you’re more focused on toning than adding bulk, your body fat needs to be low enough to show the muscular definition you’ve been training to achieve. You can’t spot-reduce fat, so to reduce body fat overall you need to be eating at a calorie deficit. Getting more protein can help, especially if you’re interested in managing weight with a low-carb diet.

And lastly, don’t forget to track your arm progress as you go. Besides tracking your weights, a good way to do this is with photos and an old school measuring tape. You can return to this checklist any time to reset your routine and push for more.

Ready to get out there and crush those arm goals? Get your biceps, triceps, shoulders and forearms pumping with 28 Days of Arms.