If you’ve been anywhere near the internet lately, you’ve probably seen the buzz around Pedro Pascal’s arms as he appeared on the Cannes film festival red carpet event for his latest film Eddingdon.
The guy’s biceps have basically broken the algorithm, and I was recently asked to weigh in on how to achieve that kind of toned, lean muscle in a piece for Metro UK. You can check out the full feature here:
Fans are thirsting over Pedro Pascal’s arms – here’s how to get yours just as toned
But Pedro’s current shape didn’t happen overnight.
He noticeably stepped up his physical presence in the build-up to his role as Joel in The Last of Us, which premiered in January 2023 on HBO.
Playing a rugged, physically capable survivor in a post-apocalyptic world isn’t just about acting, it meant putting in the work to move, fight, and carry himself like someone who’s lived through it all.
That role marked the start of a visible transformation, and since then, his physique has only sharpened, especially those now-famous arms.
Now lets get to what you came here for, how you can get arms like Pedro too!
Zero fluff here, I’ll give you what actually works (Proven by science) when it comes to getting arms that not only feel strong but look sharp in a T-shirt too.
1. Toned arms come from two things
To get defined arms, you need to:
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Build the muscle through strength training
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Reduce the body fat covering them
That means hitting the weights with purpose and being consistent with your nutrition to stay lean enough to actually see the muscle you’ve built.
2. Train both arms and shoulders
A big mistake people make when training for better arms is forgetting about the shoulders. Shoulders shape the upper part of the arm, and when well-developed, they give the whole arm a broader, more defined look.
Here’s a breakdown of the key muscles and exercises:
Triceps (back of arm)
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Compound: Bench press, push-ups
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Isolation: Tricep push-downs, dips
Biceps (front of arm)
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Compound: Rows, pull-ups
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Isolation: Dumbbell curls, hammer curls
Shoulders (deltoids)
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Compound: Dumbbell shoulder press, Arnold press
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Isolation: Lateral raises, front raises
Shoulders are not an optional extra — they’re essential if you want that capped-arm look that makes everything else pop.
3. How often should you train arms?
Based on the research of Brad Schoenfeld, the leading researcher on muscle growth, you’ll want to aim for:
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10–20 sets per week per muscle group
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Spread across 2–3 sessions per week
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Use 12–15 reps if your goal is tone and shape
Consistency matters more than blasting them once a week and hoping for the best.
4. How to keep that tone
Once you’ve built the arms you want, keep training them with the same volume and intensity that got you there. Don’t ditch the program once results come — maintenance is a process of repeating success, not reinventing it.
5. Men vs. Women – does it differ?
Women may find it slightly harder to build visible muscle due to lower testosterone, but the exercises themselves don’t need to change. What works for men works for women — the difference is in how it’s programmed and adapted across the month, especially around the menstrual cycle.
6. Avoid overdoing it
If your arms are sore for more than 2–3 days, or you’re getting sharp pain around the elbows or shoulders, ease up. More is not always better — especially if it’s leading to joint stress or fatigue that impacts the rest of your training.
The key points to remember
If you want arms that get noticed — like Pedro’s — it comes down to this:
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Train hard and smart
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Don’t skip your shoulders
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Stay lean enough to reveal the results
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Be consistent, not extreme
And hey, if your arms start trending online too? You know who to thank!
Until next time,
Coach Joseph Webb.
‘The number one rated Personal Trainer In Henley and Oxfordshire’
