ARM GAINS

[mesmorph78]

After arm training yesterday... i measured my arms for the first time pumped
19-1 inches (pumped) not bad  bearing in mind when i first started they were 12 and im not over 200lb..
and whats more im not even an arm guy

Ive mad good gains on arms in the last couple of months by changing a few principles

1. stop killin arms i used to do every arm excersise known to man especially for triceps... my arm session used to run 2 hrs 2 and a half sometimes...

2. only train arms once a week

[Bluto]

how bigger have they got since you changed it around

[DragonRider]

19-1 inches (pumped) not bad  bearing in mind when i first started they were 12 and im not over 200lb..
and whats more im not even an arm guy

Ive made good gains on arms in the last couple of months by changing a few principles

1. stop killin arms i used to do every arm excersise known to man especially for triceps... my arm session used to run 2 hrs 2 and a half sometimes...

2. only train arms once a week

I agree. That is good size for someone under 200. My arms are about the same and I weigh 225.

I also agree with your principles. Any training that lasts over an hour means either your intensity isn't high enough or you are one of those guys who talks to his buddies or on the phone more than he works out.
Additionally, after an hour of training your body is dipping too far into your nervous system for energy and overtraining starts to occur.

[mesmorph78]

bluto
Id say half to 3 quarter inches...
that 19 .1 inch measurement was pumped mind you... but since ive cut back they have been fuller dense
...
dragonrider

I used to train for 2 hrs quite intense... specially on tris.. ive trained many guys into the ground..especially on tris.. they just never get tired i think ive trained them too hard over the yrs do theyre seasoned... yesterday i did close grip benches with 315.... .and i could still do it after my arm session so... go figure..
but i agree ive made good gains in that short time of doing less...

[DragonRider]

God loves only those with over 20k posts

You have that wrong Bluto. It's supposed to read, God loves those with over 20 " arms.

[Bluto]

You have that wrong Bluto. It's supposed to read, God loves those with over 20 " arms.

hmm that'll be a little tougher to accomplish 

[mesmorph78]

i will have over 20 inch arms naturally some day..
it may take a while but i dont mind...
i like the challenge

[The Squadfather]

do your elbows ever hurt you on extensions Meso? my left one has been killing me lately, left extensions out completely yesterday and just did 5 work sets on close grips and 5 work sets on pushdowns heavy to compensate.

[Bobby]

After arm training yesterday... i measured my arms for the first time pumped
19-1 inches (pumped) not bad  bearing in mind when i first started they were 12 and im not over 200lb..
and whats more im not even an arm guy

Ive mad good gains on arms in the last couple of months by changing a few principles

1. stop killin arms i used to do every arm excersise known to man especially for triceps... my arm session used to run 2 hrs 2 and a half sometimes...
2. only train arms once a week

This is exactly what i'm doing... triceps & biceps workout is 2h long, so many exercises, pumped like crazy. It's hard to stop, you always want to do more and i want to make sure i hit it from every angle.

So this is bad? ...but then again, didn't you get 18.5" arms from training like this?
What are you doing for them now, how many exercises and sets?

[Bobby]

do your elbows ever hurt you on extensions Meso? my left one has been killing me lately, left extensions out completely yesterday and just did 5 work sets on close grips and 5 work sets on pushdowns heavy to compensate.

I went a little heavy on lying bb extensions last time and i started to feel it in my left elbow, hurt a little bit. "after years of pushing heavy iron..." maybe better to "calm down" with the weights on that exercise keep the heavy weight to the CG presses.

[mesmorph78]

my right elbow use to bother me...
thats why i always warm up thoroughly... with pressdowns.. and i do close gro benches before skull crushers..
and i use dumbell extensions sparingly those kill my elbows big time...
on skulls i used to go..far back behind my head...  now i take it to the crown of my head less torque on the elbows

[mesmorph78]

This is exactly what i'm doing... triceps & biceps workout is 2h long, so many exercises, pumped like crazy. It's hard to stop, you always want to do more and i want to make sure i hit it from every angle.

So this is bad? ...but then again, didn't you get 18.5" arms from training like this?
What are you doing for them now, how many exercises and sets?

yeah i remember days going to the gym 7pm and doing arms till the gym closed 10 pm.
but im a guy like this stong for long... mmmm but a lot of what i did wan'st necessary as in overkill...

right now like yesterday my session was
 warm up

then i did to the T

close grip
135  25 reps
225  15 reps
315   10 reps
350     4 reps
*****

then straight bar curls with the olympic bar

135 4 sets 10 reps
*******
then skull crushers
fixed bar 65lbs 20 reps warm up

 ezbar skulls with 45 plates each side 12 reps
2nd set 45's plus 10 pounders each side 10 reps
then 45's plus 25's each side 6 reps
******

alternate dumbell curls
15 reps 40lb dumbells
12 reps  50lb dumbells
10 reps   60lb dumbells
 6 reps    75dumbells
*****

pressdowns

4 sets with the stack
20 reps
********

preacher curls with
fixed straight bar 65 lbs 15 reps


the straight bar the one shorter than the olympic bar
45's each side 10 reps

then 45's plus quarters 10 reps also.

****

then finally a super set

seated rope extensions with the back of the bench at 90 degrees...
10 reps ascending each set..superset with hammer curls with 65 dumbell
..
and that was it







 







 

[Bobby]

Fuck!! close grip benches with 350lbs for 4 reps

I notice that the heaviest weight is always the last set for you. Aren't you tired and weaker by that time from doing so many working sets before it? I always warm up then get the feel of a somewhat heavy weight for 2 reps, then i do my first working set with the heavist weight i use then go lighter from there.

If i do biceps it might be like
1 135
2 120
3 110
4 100

reps being lower in the first set and then going higher as the weight drops.

[mesmorph78]

when i first started out i used to warmup the get a heavy weight do y weight6 reps.. and work down
but trust me working the other way is better.. builds up endurance and strength...and sizeso when i get to tose heavy sets no im not tried muscles are pumped and ready to go

[Bobby]

It makes a lot of sence because it is kinda stupid to sit down with the biggest weight for your first set. It's something i never do for legs. I have chest tomorrow and i'm gonna try it then. I guess i'll have to get used to it and i will get tired for the first couple of times.

When i normally do chest i start with the heaviest and get maybe 4 reps and by the time i get to the lighter weights that are supposed to be easy, i still can't do more than 4-5 reps unless i use a ridiculously light weight. It's like a weird limitation, the 4 rep is quite easy, but getting number 5 is impossible.

Thanks for the help man, i really appreciate it!

[DragonRider]

This is exactly what i'm doing... triceps & biceps workout is 2h long, so many exercises, pumped like crazy. It's hard to stop, you always want to do more and i want to make sure i hit it from every angle.

3 exercises for each muscle (bicep and tricep) should hit every angle. The most important thing anyone can learn in bodybuilding is that more is not better. You grow from resting and eating. Not from working out. 2 hours for arms is insane. 30 minutes for each muscle group is plenty and that isn't just arms. No single muscle group on your body should take longer than 30 minutes to totally fry.

So this is bad? ...but then again, didn't you get 18.5" arms from training like this?
What are you doing for them now, how many exercises and sets?

If I read his post right, he is saying his arm size came or at least is maintained by cutting down both volume and the number of days per week worked.

[DragonRider]

I always warm up then get the feel of a somewhat heavy weight for 2 reps, then i do my first working set with the heavist weight i use then go lighter from there.

If i do biceps it might be like
1 135
2 120
3 110
4 100

When i normally do chest i start with the heaviest and get maybe 4 reps and by the time i get to the lighter weights that are supposed to be easy, i still can't do more than 4-5 reps unless i use a ridiculously light weight. It's like a weird limitation, the 4 rep is quite easy, but getting number 5 is impossible.

Thanks for the help man, i really appreciate it!

Sounds like you aren't dropping enough weight between sets. I would be dropping 20lbs between sets on small muscle groups like arms (10 for dumbells) and at least 25lbs between sets on large muscle groups.
Did you notice how much weight differential there is between sets on mesomorph's routine?

[thewickedtruth]

best gains for arms..and anyone will tell you this with big arms...is to NOT train them. That's right...

Ask around here hell most bigger guys will tell you...tehy only train arms maybe once every couple weeks or even once a month if at all. Alot of your bigger compound movements take care of them enough as it is. I train my biceps and triceps for one exercise for a few sets as it is and have gained a 1/2" since off the gear and my strength is still climbing. All those guys doing two hour workouts nad ridiculous volume training that have small arms...pay attention to them..and then check out the guys with HUGE arms. If they're working them..they're using very light weights for a few exercises or they do one exercise and that's it. My advice..take a poll. It took forever for me to get that mentality out of my head to do them for their own workout once a week but once I did..i saw great gains.

[Bobby]

3 exercises for each muscle (bicep and tricep) should hit every angle. The most important thing anyone can learn in bodybuilding is that more is not better. You grow from resting and eating. Not from working out. 2 hours for arms is insane. 30 minutes for each muscle group is plenty and that isn't just arms. No single muscle group on your body should take longer than 30 minutes to totally fry.


If I read his post right, he is saying his arm size came or at least is maintained by cutting down both volume and the number of days per week worked.

Do you think training this much is unnecessary only, or does it have a negative effect too?

Sounds like you aren't dropping enough weight between sets. I would be dropping 20lbs between sets on small muscle groups like arms (10 for dumbells) and at least 25lbs between sets on large muscle groups.
Did you notice how much weight differential there is between sets on mesomorph's routine?

About this 4 reps limit: this happens only on presses for chest and delts. For arms i don't have that problem.
To get past that limitation i have to use so low weights that it's not challenging and i don't feel it in the muscle.

I usually do for chest
first exercise: flat or incline db presses,
1 105s
2 95s
3 90s
4 85s

Not that much weight, but i do them very strict and go deep.

[Bobby]

best gains for arms..and anyone will tell you this with big arms...is to NOT train them. That's right...

Ask around here hell most bigger guys will tell you...tehy only train arms maybe once every couple weeks or even once a month if at all. Alot of your bigger compound movements take care of them enough as it is. I train my biceps and triceps for one exercise for a few sets as it is and have gained a 1/2" since off the gear and my strength is still climbing. All those guys doing two hour workouts nad ridiculous volume training that have small arms...pay attention to them..and then check out the guys with HUGE arms. If they're working them..they're using very light weights for a few exercises or they do one exercise and that's it. My advice..take a poll. It took forever for me to get that mentality out of my head to do them for their own workout once a week but once I did..i saw great gains.

This is quite annoying when you hear Coleman say he doesn't do much for arms...

I guess it's mentality like you say, it's hard to stop. When you eat so many meals a day you wanna make sure you've done your homework in the gym.
Like today, i did legs...

Legpress 4 sets
Squats 4 sets
Frontsquats 4 sets
Hacksquats 4 sets
Leg extensions 2sets
Lunges 3 'walks'

Seated calf raises 4 sets
Standing calf raises 3-4 sets

It took 2hrs... 

[slaveboy1980]

best gains for arms..and anyone will tell you this with big arms...is to NOT train them. That's right...

Ask around here hell most bigger guys will tell you...tehy only train arms maybe once every couple weeks or even once a month if at all. Alot of your bigger compound movements take care of them enough as it is. I train my biceps and triceps for one exercise for a few sets as it is and have gained a 1/2" since off the gear and my strength is still climbing. All those guys doing two hour workouts nad ridiculous volume training that have small arms...pay attention to them..and then check out the guys with HUGE arms. If they're working them..they're using very light weights for a few exercises or they do one exercise and that's it. My advice..take a poll. It took forever for me to get that mentality out of my head to do them for their own workout once a week but once I did..i saw great gains.

i have read that on many sites. specially from HIT fanatics, they mention heavy rows, benching etc will make your arms grow. and i agree about that, but you arms will never be as big as they could be unless you do direct arm work. believe me i had this discussion many times.

yes many people do wayyyyyyyyyy to much for arms....BUT that doesnt not mean they grow the best by NOT training them.

a few sets (3-4 sets) of curls and direct tricep work a couple of times per week is more than plenty.

[mesmorph78]

best gains for arms..and anyone will tell you this with big arms...is to NOT train them. That's right...

Ask around here hell most bigger guys will tell you...tehy only train arms maybe once every couple weeks or even once a month if at all. Alot of your bigger compound movements take care of them enough as it is. I train my biceps and triceps for one exercise for a few sets as it is and have gained a 1/2" since off the gear and my strength is still climbing. All those guys doing two hour workouts nad ridiculous volume training that have small arms...pay attention to them..and then check out the guys with HUGE arms. If they're working them..they're using very light weights for a few exercises or they do one exercise and that's it. My advice..take a poll. It took forever for me to get that mentality out of my head to do them for their own workout once a week but once I did..i saw great gains.

dont agree there have to train arms just like everything else... t

[haider]

This is quite annoying when you hear Coleman say he doesn't do much for arms...

I guess it's mentality like you say, it's hard to stop. When you eat so many meals a day you wanna make sure you've done your homework in the gym.
Like today, i did legs...

Legpress 4 sets
Squats 4 sets
Frontsquats 4 sets
Hacksquats 4 sets
Leg extensions 2sets
Lunges 3 'walks'

Seated calf raises 4 sets
Standing calf raises 3-4 sets

It took 2hrs... 

You're a masochist.

[haider]

I can't imagine working out arms for more than 20 min at a time much less 2 hours, WTF guys? 

[mesmorph78]

for the guy who said coleman doesnt work arms....
on cor he does 16 sets for tris alone
so yeah he does train arms.. hard too