Arm measurement (cold): flexed vs. relaxed (hanging straight)

[jwwpua]

I'm just curious what the difference is between your flexed arm measurement and your relaxed arm (hanging at your side). Measure both at the biggest point!

I'm 5'-8", 157 lbs, 10-11% bf

Relaxed: 13.5"
Flexed: 15"

1.5" difference. I'm just wondering if it's directly related to bodyfat or if it's just genetic (muscle shape?).

Anyways, just include what I did, thanks.

 

[Mithrandir]

my flexed is about 15, but unflexed about 12...I do not know my bf, but I think the difference comes from your BF

 

[d3track]

the way my bis peak, there is a pretty big difference for me.....

 

[WalkingBeast]

Im the same way. The peak seems to add a large difference. I was at 16" relaxed and 18 3/4" flexed. Nearly a 3 inch difference. Add a pump to that and arms can increase 1/4 inch. I didnt really take many pumped measurements when I was at that size. The largest Ive measured my arms was 19" with a pump. I used to get an inch just from the pump. For some reason as my arms got larger the pump seemed to add less and less to the overall size. Most of the time I just measure them flexed without the pump. The only time I take a relaxed measurement is when I chart my measurements once a year. Not sure what exactly causes the difference. Probabally has something to do with the peak since it seems lifters without the peak are often the same flexed as relaxed or not much difference. Id be more interested to see what causes the flexed and pumped measuremement to be slightly larger/much larger then an arm thats just flexed. What causes some people to get a huge increase with a pump and others a smaller increase? I used to get over an inch from a pump, but eventually it was only 1/4 inch. Makes me wonder if this is a density increase, but I can only speculate.

 

[rbtrout]

I go from just over 15" to about 17.5" - not bad for an old guy (42 yrs). Since I started working out again, the difference for me has basically been about 2 inches (without the pump). There have been times (like on NO2) that I got nearly an inch with the pump, but that's not the norm.
Good Lord, Walking Beast! I wished I had the stats you show. How do you like doing the deadlifts? Do you feel that they really incrase your overall strength?

 

[camshaft]

i am 14 cold, 15.75-16 pumped.

 

[roidpuple]

cold hanging.. I am just under 14
flexed.. I am just over 15 1/2
I have a long tricep and a short biecep...
when pumped.. my arms will be from 3/4 of an inch to 1 inch. bigger when flexed..
compared to flexed without pump..

 

[TheOak84]

i thought cold meant relaxed...

anyway, cold, my right is 16 1/16, left is 15 5/8

pumped no idea...

 

[jwwpua]

i thought cold meant relaxed...

anyway, cold, my right is 16 1/16, left is 15 5/8

pumped no idea...

I've always thought cold just meant the opposite of pumped or recently worked. Anyone know what the real meaning is?

 

[roidpuple]

cold = unpumped

 

[musketeer]

OHMG

Cold means that you have not worked out and pumped the musclses full of blood.

Flexed means that you have bent your arm and are measuring the arm at it's greatest circumference.

When your muscles are pumped, the blood vessels are dialated, and the capiliaries are all full of blood. The flexing of a muscle will draw the myosyn sheaths closer together and they overlap. As the sheaths are stacking up, the muscle will decrease in length but as the tissues are gathered together, they will form a greater girth.

Although the actual mas of a properly balanced bicep is about 50% of a proportioned tricep group, the bicep wil stack up much more than the tricep and cause more of difference to tape measure ments in relation to it's size.

People with small triceps and a great biceps peak, may stretch the tape much further than somone who has genuinely more muscle but cannot "stack" the muscle as high.

With regards to strength, i havn't a clue...

 

[WalkingBeast]

I go from just over 15" to about 17.5" - not bad for an old guy (42 yrs). Since I started working out again, the difference for me has basically been about 2 inches (without the pump). There have been times (like on NO2) that I got nearly an inch with the pump, but that's not the norm.
Good Lord, Walking Beast! I wished I had the stats you show. How do you like doing the deadlifts? Do you feel that they really incrase your overall strength?

ThanX brother!! Much appreciated!! Right now my arms are around 17.5 also. Lost a good amount of size from these herniated disks! haha So recovery may take some time. Sounds like youve made some good progress. You have a similiar difference to me from flexed to relaxed also. Must be the bicep peak. I used to love deadlifts, but did them way too much, and too hard. I managed to herniated two disks in my mid back over time. I just kept injuring myself and pushing through it. Eventually the benching seemed to crush my disks. As fun as deadlifts and my own "beast lifts" were I would have been better off avoiding them all together. Did much more damage then good. Now I have a long road to recovery. Going to have to train differently for a while too. Probabally wont deadlift again. I couldve built more size doing weighted hyper extentions and heavy shrugs. Without all the damage they caused. My traps got slightly thicker from them and my waist measurement. No increases on my upper back or anywhere else. They were addictive but not too useful for me. As for increasing overall strength they may have helped somewhat, but I think they only increased mental strength really. The ability to focus more energy into a lift. They really werent needed though. KEEP KILLING THAT SHIT!!