Just to disprove some theories...

[Big_BK]

Recently i have been hammering my bi's and tri's in an effort to get them to grow. Now everyone says you dont need to do 500 sets for bis and tris, 2-3 exercises is enough. Well this is what i was doing for a while, i train like a powerlifter so my smaller muscle groups dont really get hit directly via isolation exercises like alot of bodybuilders use.

However i figured i would switch things up and give myself a new stimulus to adapt to. So recently for bi's, after doing my core stuff i would do pull ups with various grip 4 sets with 6-8 reps. Then seated preacher curls low reps like 6-8, rarely over 6 though. Then i would do another 1-2 exercises like DB preachers or standing db curls or some cable curls. I would lift until my bis were so weak i could barely curl a 20lb DB for one rep. Same deal with tri's more or less, started with the compounds then i did pushdowns, extensions, dips, etc. every exercise known to man until i could not move my arms.

I have only been doing this for about 2 months id say and i put just shy of a half inch on both arms. Now, dont take this as everyone should do this to get your arms bigger. For a new trainer this would probably burn you out in a week. But for more advanced trainers its something to look into. If you guys are stuck think about changing things up, work till complete failure. Eventually your CNS is gonna catch up to the beating you are putting on your body week in week out so you can't do this forever. Just trying to get the point across that super high volume and intensity does work.

 

[Jocques Straap]

True!

Results speak for themselves.

Look at your average gym goer, who spends the majority of their time on curls, and stays far away from the squat rack. = Skinny little leg and big biceps.

That certainly isn't the look that I like, but if your only goal is to increase the size of your arms, then you need to focus your efforts on curls.

Not to mention the perception of even bigger arms, contrasting against his little legs, tiny shoulders and chest.

 

[SouthernLord]

Nice. It has been said that you must gain 10-15 pounds of overall body weight to see an increase of one inch to your arm size. Have you gained any weight during this time? I know that I have gone periods of not hitting bis and tris directly and then I hit them with a ton volume they seem to explode.

 

[Big_BK]

Your arms will grow much faster if you are training your whole body and not just one part because your body grows as a whole to stay in proportion. But i would assume years and years of shity training only done on upper body will eventually yeild results and leave you with stick legs. The main thing i was trying to disprove was people saying you dont need to do crazy amounts of sets and exercises for arms. It is basically a bicep boy routine stacked ontop of my powerlifting routine, and it is working damn well. I think i was just so used to low voulume the sudden shock made them grow fast.

 

[Big_BK]

Nice. It has been said that you must gain 10-15 pounds of overall body weight to see an increase of one inch to your arm size. Have you gained any weight during this time? I know that I have gone periods of not hitting bis and tris directly and then I hit them with a ton volume they seem to explode.

Funny you say that as i just put on about 12-15lbs.

 

[SouthernLord]

Funny you say that as i just put on about 12-15lbs.

Good shit bro!

That is more than most average trainers gain in a year.

 

[Big_BK]

Every year i am putting on less and less weight but this year i am hoping to be a solid 220 by the summer. I think its a realistic goal. All summer i pretty much took off the summer from eating and training after nationals and took a few months to get my appetite back but i am loading up on carbs now for once and it seems to be working.

 

[Jocques Straap]

I agree that the body grows best when all body parts are stimulated.

I do not agree that the body grows in proportion. The body grows as a result from stress. If you stress a specific body part, then that specific body part grows. This is clearly evident from people that have a unbalanced workout program, as well as athletes, or people involved with physical labor.

A tennis player, or a baseball pitcher is a perfect example, Due to the nature of their respected sports. There bodies develop pretty sever strength and size imbalanced between left and right; arms, legs, shoulders, core, back, chest. When designing a program for one of these athletes, it's very important to to take this into consideration.

When a physiotherapist attempts to correct muscular imbalances, he focuses his effort on stressing the musculature that is weak, allowing the weak muscles to catch up. Working the already strong muscles, with a similar RELATIVE intensity would be counter productive.


To me, there is nothing worst looking that a body that is out of proportion. Nothing looks worst then a guy walking around looking like a cave man due to an exercise program involving excessive horizontal pushes, and no horizontal pulls. (too much bench, not enough row) -- Once again, a clear example that the body does not grow in proportion.

 

[joe d]

in the beginning i could do a lot of sets and grow. now my biceps do best with 1 straight set to failure every 4 days. or 2 sets every 7 days. of course they are getting a bit of inderect training also.

 

[SaiBoT]

I'm yet to see a program for arms that works so well as the Charles Poliquin Winning the Arms Race. It s a 6 months program with 3 accumulation and 3 intensification phases, fucking brutal, hurts like hell but it works specially if you have a training partner!

 

[OneBreath]

AAP's got a thread going on the ROIDS board talking about just breaking 20" on his arms. He had to put on some weight to do it. Now he's going to try and get the BF back down a little and keep the arms at 20". Good shit here.

I definitely grew last year doing only large lifts and not training arms directly. Now doing DC and hitting my arms directly with some frequency, i think they are going to blow up. I can already see more vascularity after just 4 weeks.

 

[Big_BK]

Well another factor i think was i was doing so much volume i would have debilitating pumps by the end, to the point where i couldnt bend my arms past 90*. I think that def. helped stretch the fascia and make them grow quicker. I was painful though, every workout.

 

[b fold the truth]

I now have a "tricep and bicep" day...

My arms have grown a bit over the last 2 months...and I've gained quite a bit of weight too...

 

[[CinnamonBuns]]

Well another factor i think was i was doing so much volume i would have debilitating pumps by the end, to the point where i couldnt bend my arms past 90*. I think that def. helped stretch the fascia and make them grow quicker. I was painful though, every workout.

after your bicep workout, do you give them a good stretch while pumnped to further expand the fascia and allow more room for growth?

it seems like its a case of

only compounds = growth all over
only isolation = minimal growth, but some in trained areas
combination = maximal growth all over

 

[Big_BK]

Well i was doing some combination but not enough ISO IMO.