You can never have big enough biceps. This is something all gym bros will agree upon. 

In the pursuit of arms that fill out sleeves, and forearms that Popeye himself would be proud of, most gym bros spend hours (read: waste) doing a lot of isolation work.  

Most of the time, it is the same old bicep curls, hammer curls, dips, tricep extensions, forearm curls and etc. that make up the routine. What if I told you that there were some exercises that will give you a better chance to grow your arms? 

Here's the list of those exercises: 

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A pull-up or a chin-up challenge your biceps as much as curls do and it is more functional as an exercise as well, that has a carryover effect into your daily life. They help you in sports movements as well and help you get stronger overall.

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In the gym, you see a lot of people doing skull crushers with a straight bar or an EZ-bar. The problem with these two is that they are heavy on your wrists and you spend more time adjusting or working with your wrists than actually doing the movement.  

When you pick a dumbbell instead, your wrists are in a neutral position and you will be able to blast your triceps without hurting your wrist or your shoulders. 

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A lot of people do tricep kick-back but the problem is that you cannot really go too heavy and if you do, you do not isolate the tricep area. You are swinging your body and involving your upper body muscles. Diamond push-ups, on the other hand, hit the triceps more effectively and you can also load them externally by doing weighted push-ups.

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Ever seen a strongman's forearms? A single forearm of theirs may easily outsize a typical gym bro's arm size. 

If you want to build massive forearms, have amazing grip strength, and strong forearms, then embrace the farmer's carry. This movement will not just make your forearms pop out, it will also make you build endurance and have stronger glutes.

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Another super unconventional exercise to add to your toolkit, the waiter's carry hits your forearms while also activating your core and improves stability.  You can hold a plate or a barbell or a dumbbell overhead and walk the desired steps or time doing this. Do it one hand at a time and then switch hands.

These unconventional exercises won't feel the same as the old curls and dips to you, but that is where the growth occurs, outside your comfort zone.

Go give these a try and start growing those arms as thick as you can.  

Author bio:

Pratik Thakkar is the co-founder and director of GetSetGo Fitness, an online fitness company. He is regarded as someone who will make it easy for you to understand the process by putting things in the right context and providing science-based recommendations for natural bodybuilding. You can reach out to him at pratik@getsetgo.fitness and follow him on Instagram and Facebook.