A millennial weighs in on the art of the princely man arm - and how to get it right

All hail the ‘man arm’, which has come into prominence as increasingly younger generations queue up for the Covid vaccine. The nominees for man-arm-of-the-year so far include actor Ryan Reynolds, Queer Eye hairdresser Jonathan Van Ness and singer Joe Jonas, all of whom posted ‘vaxxies’ (vaccine selfies) online following their jabs.

Prince William also received his first dose of vaccine on Tuesday - and managed to keep his shirt on, unlike Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Conservative MP Johnny Mercer, both of whom stripped their torso completely for vaccine-trapping (Gen-Z lingo for knowingly attracting attention to oneself).

The Duke of Cambridge, 39, didn’t shy away from showing some skin. Rolling up his right sleeve to his armpit, the photograph (released on Twitter by Kensington Royal) revealed the Prince’s lockdown muscles, bathed in the golden light of London’s Science Museum, where he received the jab. It was the Duke’s own Michelangelo moment.

Yet, the first thing I noticed was neither the Duke’s Omega Seamaster watch nor his taut triceps, but rather his hairy upper arm. As a Middle Eastern man, I grew up with more hair follicles than the average Brit, so spotting someone hairier than thou, and not to mention more muscly, has become a competitive sport.

There are some impressive ones to compete with - notably red blooded actor Chris Hemsworth’s XXL biceps, and his fellow thesp, Milo Ventimiglia’s sunkissed lifters not to mention our own Harry Styles’ bulgy tattooed specimens. Indeed, the only difference between the Duke’s arm and those of Hollywood’s best-known citizens is that the Prince is unlikely to show his off on the cover of Men’s Health.

Yet it wasn’t until last summer when vest knits appeared on the catwalks of Lanvin, Alexander McQueen and Dior that I started taking arm exercises more seriously during CrossFit classes and adopted a vigorous upkeep routine. It was all in pursuit of the perfect man arm: veins running from the hands to the forearm and a bulging bump of pure muscle in the upper arm. “The best way to enhance the look of your arms is to do lateral shoulder raises and shoulder presses, as well as push-ups, pull ups, chin ups and bicep curls,” says Silvia Szabo, Strength and Conditioning Coach at Gym1971 South Wimbledon.

Results don’t happen overnight. “For any noticeable difference in muscle size, it normally takes a minimum of six weeks of resistance training,” adds Sarah Bryan, a coach at the same gym. “Royal arms [like the Duke of Cambridge’s] may take a minimum of one year of consistent resistance training - and only regular training will maintain muscle size.”

Then there’s upkeep. During a summer trip to the Amalfi Coast last year, I developed a rigorous arm-care routine. First I waxed my upper arms - increasingly often expected of men, especially among gym goers. Following that, I used Murad’s AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser to help with armcne (arm-acne, also known as keratosis pilaris, a phenomenon which plagues lots of men under 30, due to a buildup of the keratin your body produces to protect your skin). A layer of Susanne Kaufmann’s toning serum and restorative toning body cream came next, to even skin texture. Finally, a petit pois-sized dab of Chanel Soleil Identité bronzing cream on my upper arms helped blend in my builder’s tan.

Restorative toning body cream, £130, Susanne Kaufmann; Sunwise tan accelerator, £27, Elemis at John Lewis; Soleil Identité, £32, Chanel; The Devotion Vetiver, £79, Seed to Skin; Tonic sugar polisher, £33, Clarins; Dry body oil, £48, Aurelia; AHA/BHA exfoliating cleanser, £38, Murad

I’d also suggest investing in a tan accelerator. “Elemis Tan Accelerator is a great product to help combat an uneven tan,” says Joe Coggrave, Beauty Buyer at John Lewis. “It stimulates the natural production of melanin in your skin in preparation for sun exposure. It’s also excellent for sun-sensitive skin and also for prolonging your tan.”

Not that Prince William has any truck with fake tan… his arms may be toned but they are untamed. Well, being a little rough around the edges is endearing, particularly in a future king who’s nudging 40.

If you’re in a rush for a set of truly legendary arms, it can’t hurt to chug down a can of spinach - it’s what Popeye would have done and no one beats his biceps.

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