For years, pumping iron and doing squats to get a bigger backside were all the rage in gyms across America.
But now, personal trainers and fitness enthusiasts say a new trend is taking over the weight room: The race for bulging biceps.
Dale Atkinson, a veteran trainer who works with clients through his brand Peak Health and Fitness, told Daily Mail: ‘I’ve noticed a clear shift toward more attention on arms (and chest), especially upper arms, shoulders and forearms.
‘If the last decade was about glutes and lower body, the next phase seems to be more focused on the upper body, particularly arms and shoulders.’
Daily Mail spoke to four fitness trainers who all said bigger arms were fast becoming the next big fitness obsession, with a surge in clients asking specifically for workouts to build their biceps, triceps and shoulders.
Although butts have dominated gym culture for years, trainers said many clients grow frustrated because glute exercises are harder, while the muscles take longer to show results and are often hidden under clothing.
Arm training, by comparison, is easier, the muscles grow faster and any gains are instantly visible in a T-shirt, at work or even on a video call.
The Ozempic craze may be playing a role too, trainers said, because the rapid weight loss caused by the drugs often leaves people with thinner arms, pushing many to prioritize arms at the gym to build them back up.
Personal trainers and fitness enthusiasts say they are seeing an uptick in the number of people working on their arms (stock image)
Ali Ghavami, a personal trainer in New Jersey, told Daily Mail: ‘I have been in this space for 20 years and I am seeing more men ask to focus on arms, more than normal.
‘It does feel like the pendulum is swinging back and more people are trying to focus on the arms.’
Denise Chaoian, a fitness trainer in Rhode Island, told Daily Mail she was ‘definitely’ seeing clients pay more attention to their arms, particularly men.
She said: ‘I have seen a pretty significant increase in the demand for arm development. Large, muscular arms have become synonymous with strength in an almost instant way.
‘You can see them from a distance when they’re wearing a t-shirt, on a Zoom call, or even when they’re just holding a phone. For a lot of guys, arms are the most visible return on investment at the moment.’
She added: ‘With women, it’s a little different. I’m not seeing women chase size per se, but I am seeing them ask more questions about toned, leaner arms.
‘Sleeveless shirts and dresses and other outfits that leave arms exposed are all in the spotlight, so women want definition without adding bulk.’
Jennifer Aniston is famous for her sculpted and toned arms and has garnered increasing attention for them in recent years
Ryan Seacrest, 51, is among the celebrities who have debut with thicker, bulging biceps within the last year
Pedro Pascal, 50, turned heads when he revealed notably bulkier arms at the Cannes Film Festival in May
Interest in arms first began to emerge among women in recent years after celebrities like Jennifer Aniston, 56, began to post videos of their sculpted and toned arms on social media.
Trainers say that these looks inspired more women to pursue sculpted and toned arms, which may have then prompted men to want bigger arms.
Ghavami added: ‘Women’s strength training may have pushed men.
‘There are a lot of women with impressive arms, which may have prompted men to try to use their upper body advantage to lift more and get a noticeable size difference.’
In November, Ryan Seacrest, 51, the host of American Idol, debuted a more muscular physique, including bulging biceps. In one video, he showed himself lifting weights. In the caption, he wrote: ‘The trick is to wear a t-shirt two sizes too small.’
Pedro Pascal, 50, also created a stir in May after he debuted notably bulkier arms at the Cannes Film Festival.
Female celebrities have also been debuting more muscular arms, including Jessica Biel, 43, who revealed stronger and more sculpted arms in July in her new show, The Better Sister.
Fans went into meltdown over her arms at the time. One wrote on social media, ‘Her arms!’ while a second said, ‘her arms just do it for me!’ and a third added, ‘Jessica + muscles = Goddess.’ She also posted videos of her workouts and did interviews explaining how she achieved her arms for the show.
And now, arm workouts are taking over social media too.
Jessica Biel, 43, made headlines after she debuted her arms last year in The Better Sister. She is shown above in January this year in Santa Monica, California, at the Annual Critics Choice Awards
YouTuber Jeremy Ethier has 3.4million views on his video about bulking up arms, but 2.8million on a similar clip about growing the glutes
Fitness creator Jeremy Ethier, who has 7.4million subscribers online, received 3.5million views for his video ‘The Only Two Exercises You Need For Massive Arms.’
In another case, fitness YouTuber Will Tennyson received 3.6million views on his video ‘How I Grew Wide Shoulders FAST.’
Abbie Watkins, a personal trainer in the UK, added to Daily Mail: ‘Glute training has dominated fitness trends for nearly a decade, but there are some signs that this is shifting, with more people focused on building upper body and arm muscle.
‘A lot of male clients are focusing on building biceps and triceps alongside, or even ahead of, lower body work.
‘Among women, the trend looks slightly different but still reflects a move away from glute-only goals. There’s growing demand for “Pilates arms,” which is a term people are using to describe lean, toned arms with definition.’
To achieve bigger arms with bulging biceps, fitness trainers recommend training the arms twice a week lifting progressively heavier weights.
Women tend to focus on more sculpted and toned arms, but some have also aimed to bulk them up, including Instagram user and bodybuilder Eliya Denali
YouTuber Will Tennyson has also seen much more views on his video about bulking up his shoulders, rather than on the clip about his legs
Exercises include bicep curls, hammer curls, where someone stands and lifts dumbbells while the palms face each other, and overhead tricep extensions, where someone holds a weight over their head and lifts it up and down repeatedly.
To achieve more sculpted and toned arms, fitness trainers said people would still need to lift heavy weights, but for fewer repetitions.
People should follow the same exercises as for building bigger arms, they said, but should also work in supersets, when someone performs two exercises back-to-back with little rest between them.
Trainers also recommended maintaining a slight calorie deficit to achieve that sculpted arms look.
