Arms, Arms, Arms!

[rookie175]

6'3, 21yrs old, between 195-200pounds, 14% bf. arms just under 15inches?!


Hi guys,
I know this is a very generic and is asked on a regular basis but how do you train for bigger arms?
I have quite a wide apperance which i feel then doesnt help with having sticks hanging down from either shoulder!
I've been constantly reading on ways to 'get the arms you want' etc... and trying these training programmes down the gym.
has anyone else been in this position?
does anyone have any advice

 

[Angrymuscles2011]

ah yes, the arms. the holy grail of dem young ones...great i made myself look old ;(

wut's your routine ? can u post it? how long ya been doing it?

also, bigger arms = heavy pulls/heavy presses.

im not the biggest here, but based from my experience of endlessly doing those 'shaping' exercises, it led me nowhere, strength and size wise.

it goes without saying that people easily overload their arms, looking for that pump and growth. but you have to take note that the bis and tris are small group muscles that are easily overtrained.

also, seeing that you're tall, i take it you have long arms, which means longer muscles. yes, that can be a factor, but not an excuse or a reason not to grow.

post your routine

 

[rookie175]

My training routine varies, due to my desperation for big arms! I've tried the whole only train them once a week, and train them twice a week etc....
Currently my arm routine is
Monday Triceps after chest
Dips: one warm up set weighted,
Three sets body weight
V bar pull downs: three sets 50- 70kg 8-10 reps
Rope pull downs: three sets 20- 40kg 8-15 reps

Tuesday biceps after back
Straight bar bell curls: 40kg 3 sets 6-8 reps
Dumbell curls: 15kg individuals 3 sets 8-10 reps

I've been training for about 3 years! But really focusing on them over the last year or so!

Very long arms! Its been a real struggle to get to where I am now!

 

[Angrymuscles2011]

not to be a guy who's against pulldowns for tris, but for me, pulldowns/pushdowns are more of a shaping exercise and not mass. i'd suggest focusing on close grip bench, extensions and dips.

with bis, i'd add in hammer curls. also, you may want to go with ez bar curls rather than straight bar due to high probability of wrist injury, but that's just me.

also, if you've been training for 3 years, why do your arm workout have low weight inputs? looks like strength issue. is your diet in check?

also, please post your entire routine, chest/back/shoulder/legs, the works

thanks

 

[rookie175]

Chest
Incline bench: 80kg 4sets 6-8reps
Flat bench:80-90kg 4sets 6-10reps
Incline flys: 20kg individuals 3sets 10reps
Pec deck: 40-50kg 3sets 10-15reps

Back
Deadlifts: upto 140kg 5sets 6-8 reps
Close grip pulldowns: 90kg 4sets 6-10reps
Bent over rows: 60kg 4sets 8reps
Seated rows: 60kg 3 sets 10reps

Shoulders
Side raises: 12.5kg individuals 4sets 10reps
Shoulder press: 30kg individuals 4sets 6-8reps
Cable side raises: 10kg 3sets 10reps
Machine press: 60kg 4sets 8reps
Rear shoulder raises: 12.5-15kg 4sets 10-12reps

Legs
Squats: 90kg 5sets 6-8reps
Front leg extensions: 70kg 5sets 10reps
Rear laying leg extensions: 40kg 3sets 10reps
Standing rear leg extensions: 20kg 3sets 10reps
Seated calf raises: 40kg 5sets 15reps
Standing calf raises: 50kg 5sets 10reps


Diet:
730am 3 weetabix with milk and whey protein shake

1000am 2 brown bread chicken sandwiches a banana and a oats and honey bar

1200pm lean steak mince, pasta and bolognese sauce. Strawberry yogurt

1500pm tuna and pasta withfrench dressing.

1630pm whey protien shake and apple

1730pm train

Post work out whey protien and raisins

1930/2000pm 2 chicken breast and rice

2200pm yogurt with casien protien added and a pint of milk

2230/2300pm bed.

This is my training and diets! I am growing slowly but surely, I just feel my arms are a weak point.

 

[rookie175]

I started training at 146pounds so I have increased in weight I just feel like Ive hit a wall now.

 

[Angrymuscles2011]

your routine and diet are tight. i'd suggest giving yourself an arms day and see how that goes.

also, are your current lifts slowly going up too? what wall did you hit? for your arms only? or certain lifts?

 

[darkside06]

I use to be in the same situation as you. I'm 6'3" 235olbs and long arms. i've added about 1" to my arms in the last 4 or 5 months.

I did everything twice a week but fewr sets wheni would work them. 3 sets of everything 6-8 reps. I would focus on big lifts or "core lifts" followed by an alternate. the core lift would never change but the alternate would everytime. My routine was Mon and thursday: Chest/back/bi's
Tuesdays and thursdays: Legs/shoulders/tri's

My core lifts for chest is benc press, so everytime i do chest i start with bench and then monday would be an alternate after like maybe incline dumbells but thursday would be flys.

For arms, my core lift would be straitbar curls but the first day i would do it narrow grip and the 2nd day would be wide grip. then i would do an alternate like hammer curls.....ext.

For tri's my core was close grip bench.

The only supplements i was taking at the time beside protien was Dark matter recovery drink. in 4 or 5 months i added 1" to my arms and almost 2" to my chest and back.

You also need to make sure you diet is in check. gotta eat meat to add meat.

Good luck brah!

 

[rookie175]

your routine and diet are tight. i'd suggest giving yourself an arms day and see how that goes.

also, are your current lifts slowly going up too? what wall did you hit? for your arms only? or certain lifts?

Just in general, my weight gains are starting to level out. My lifts are slowly going up, every now and then I change my routine for a month or so and then come back to the original routine.

I'm going to try what you said with the basic movements for arms on a separate day and see how I get on!

 

[Angrymuscles2011]

simplicity is the best, bro.

also, i cannot stress this enough: strict form = gains

 

[Dethrone]

simplicity is the best, bro.

also, i cannot stress this enough: strict form = gains

Hey man, you said straight barbell curls may injure wrist? i've got a pain on my left wrist towards the left side way below my thumb when i do straight bar curls going up or supinated grip pulldowns i feel a slight pain nothing major. Could this be the problem? I don't load the olympic barbell much when i do biceps, i load about 105-115lbs.

 

[peter north]

simplicity is the best, bro.

also, i cannot stress this enough: strict form = gains

I'm gonna disagree with you here. strict form will come second to constantly challenging your muscles with larger weights.

if your new to the game, then sure, focus on form otherwise increasing weight should be the main goal.

 

[Angrymuscles2011]

it is inevitable that form will break in higher weights but as much as possible, try not to break form in a crazy ass manner

also, the pain you are experiencing is already a sign of your wrist being stressed in a weird way. it's how it starts. based from my experience, i kept ignoring that slight pain, only to lead it into something worse. now i can't even do biceps curl and can only do hammer curls.

 

[Long_2010]

Very similar to myself, when arms are relaxed and down they look quite thin. im 6ft4 235 lbs, my arms are 17 n half inches, which isnt small when flexed, but like i say when they not flexed they look quite skinny, well to me they do anyway.

I've started doing my arms on a wednesday and sunday, going as heavy as i can manage and hopefully i start to see some mass over the next year.

 

[vught]

I'm gonna disagree with you here. strict form will come second to constantly challenging your muscles with larger weights.

if your new to the game, then sure, focus on form otherwise increasing weight should be the main goal.

Yeah I'm gonna agree with this. I'm also 6-3 & was around that 200 mark with 15 inch arms. I wanted size & strength. I had to eat to grow. Heavier everytime I came back in the gym was key. I have 17 inch arms I'm 245 14% bf. When I grab a 80lb db (standing preacher curl)to do 3 sets of 6-8 the shorter guys with much larger muscles can't believe I can move that kinda weight but it's just a matter of leverage. The size just comes slower for us taller guys.

 

[Long_2010]

yeah i'm gonna agree with this. I'm also 6-3 & was around that 200 mark with 15 inch arms. I wanted size & strength. I had to eat to grow. Heavier everytime i came back in the gym was key. I have 17 inch arms i'm 245 14% bf. When i grab a 80lb db (standing preacher curl)to do 3 sets of 6-8 the shorter guys with much larger muscles can't believe i can move that kinda weight but it's just a matter of leverage. The size just comes slower for us taller guys.

you right there!!!

 

[Dethrone]

it is inevitable that form will break in higher weights but as much as possible, try not to break form in a crazy ass manner

also, the pain you are experiencing is already a sign of your wrist being stressed in a weird way. it's how it starts. based from my experience, i kept ignoring that slight pain, only to lead it into something worse. now i can't even do biceps curl and can only do hammer curls.

Damn that sucks.. what can i do? not curl anymore for weeks? Or instead of barbell work on dumbells and EZ bar?

 

[Angrymuscles2011]

Damn that sucks.. what can i do? not curl anymore for weeks? Or instead of barbell work on dumbells and EZ bar?

some people are not bothered by bb curls and can do them forever without the risk of wrist problems. some don't. we're the ones who are in the don't part. before your wrist gets worse, go for ez bar and see how it goes.

if there's pain, stop it immediately. you're not badass for working through pain, trust me

if there's pain in db too, stop it.

i'd suggest going hammer curls for a while to recuperate your wrist.

i'd also suggest wrist strengthening exercises like farmer's walk or pull ups (narrow/wide/neutral grips)

 

[Dethrone]

some people are not bothered by bb curls and can do them forever without the risk of wrist problems. some don't. we're the ones who are in the don't part. before your wrist gets worse, go for ez bar and see how it goes.

if there's pain, stop it immediately. you're not badass for working through pain, trust me

if there's pain in db too, stop it.

i'd suggest going hammer curls for a while to recuperate your wrist.

i'd also suggest wrist strengthening exercises like farmer's walk or pull ups (narrow/wide/neutral grips)

Good advice, i appreciate it man. I'll give it a go tomorrow doing EZ Bar curls if that doesn't work out then just hammer curls and preacher machine. Yeah i never had wrist problems whilst doing farmers walk and wrist/forearm exercises but i stopped doing them due to spending too much time in the gym but i'll start up on it again.

 

[sumopatrol]

If you want to try something different do German Volume training for your arms. Pick a decent light weight and work on tempo 10x10 with hammer curls. Really helped my arms. Was black and blue two or three times after the work out.