If you measure after lifting, you may artificially add up to 1 in (2. 5 cm) to your measurements. If possible, take your measurements at the same time of day every time you measure. This will also help you get the most accurate results possible.
The one exception here is for your wrists. You cannot take an accurate wrist measurement when tightening your fist due to the way tendons change the shape of the wrist. Many bodybuilders track both measurements. It’s totally up to you how you want to track your gains.
The 2 measurements you can take on your own are the wrist and the forearm. You can’t measure your triceps or biceps on your own, though.
You cannot get an accurate bicep measurement if your arm isn’t raised. In bodybuilding competitions, there are typically 3-5 poses that involve the biceps. This is why bodybuilders seem to focus so heavily on these muscles. [6] X Research source
Your forearm should rest at roughly a 75-degree angle to your bicep. You may have seen photos of bodybuilders flexing their biceps with their wrists pointing away from their head. This is a common competitive pose, but it isn’t the best way to measure your biceps since it requires you to contract your forearm, which may detract from the size of your bicep.
The thickest portion of the bicep is typically in the middle of the muscle, equidistant between your elbow and your shoulder.
You don’t really need to measure the other arm, but you can if you’d like to. This applies to the other measurements as well—your left and right muscles should be roughly the same. For personal tracking purposes, you can round up or down if the measuring tape sits between 2 hash marks. It doesn’t matter which you choose, but stay consistent and always use the same method to measure your arms. Get as accurate as possible with your measurement. Use the smallest hash marks available on the measuring tape to determine the size of your biceps. The smallest marks are often 1⁄16 in (0. 16 cm).
The triceps are the muscles behind your biceps. They run from the elbow to the shoulder. They are not nearly as popular to track as biceps, but they’re equally important from a bodybuilding perspective. There are 3-4 competitive poses that emphasize the triceps.
Be as accurate as possible and use the smallest hash marks on the measuring tape to track your triceps. You can round up or down, but use the same method every time you measure.
Since your forearms won’t experience a ton of rapid growth, pay particular attention to the smaller has marks. Those 1⁄8–1⁄16 in (0. 32–0. 16 cm) hash marks are really important for forearms! Round up or down based on your personal preferences. Be sure to use the same method every time you check your forearm!
After the forearm, the wrist is where you’re least likely to see immediate gains with a new lifting routine.
These 2 bony bumps are the ends of your radius and ulna.
Try to get as accurate as possible with your hash marks. Like the forearm, this part of your body is unlikely to experience giant changes right away, so tracking minor changes over time is a great way to see your progress. Feel free to round up or down, but always stick with the same method every time you measure.
