Arms

[CNovaJason]

I just have a question for guys with longer arms and legs. I am 6'2", 195-200lbs fluctuating at the moment. How do you guys get yourselves bigger? I am starting to eat more and I'm sure that will help but I can't get any of my exercises to add mass to my arms or even shoulders. I do standing curls, preacher curls, dumbell curls (seated), for triceps I do pushdowns, overhead french press, cable kickbacks, close grip bench, or skullcrushers......I use heavier weight in the last couple of sets instead of in the beginning but I can't seem to gain size there. Also, my biceps suck b/c I feel like I'm using more of my forearms then my biceps when I do curls. So what's the deal? How do you isolate that problem.......any help will be appreciated, thanks guys.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Your arms will most likely get bigger at the same rate as your "important" muscles- if your back and legs grow, your arms will grow too. Get stronger on rows, benching, overhead pressing and I promise your arms will grow too. If anything I'd advise less direct arm work than what's listed and more focus on the core movements (squat, bench, row, deads, pullups, overhead press, and the like).

Of course you gotta eat a lot too

 

[danaf1]

Your arms will most likely get bigger at the same rate as your "important" muscles- if your back and legs grow, your arms will grow too. Get stronger on rows, benching, overhead pressing and I promise your arms will grow too. If anything I'd advise less direct arm work than what's listed and more focus on the core movements (squat, bench, row, deads, pullups, overhead press, and the like).

Of course you gotta eat a lot too

Took the words right out of my mouth.

 

[kiosk]

man, I have exact same problem as you....I am 6'2'' now at 210lbs, long legs and arms and small shoulders that wont grow for shit....in comparison my chest, back and legs are much larger than my arms and shoulders.....so the "everything will grow together" deal doesnt seem to work for me, but neither has isolation.
I am told this is our frame type and we stuck with it.....and that we need to grow the shoulders before the arms will grow (ie. cant have a large branch hanging from a tiny tree trunk).
IF you have any luck let me know

 

[danaf1]

man, I have exact same problem as you....I am 6'2'' now at 210lbs, long legs and arms and small shoulders that wont grow for shit....in comparison my chest, back and legs are much larger than my arms and shoulders.....so the "everything will grow together" deal doesnt seem to work for me, but neither has isolation.
I am told this is our frame type and we stuck with it.....and that we need to grow the shoulders before the arms will grow (ie. cant have a large branch hanging from a tiny tree trunk).
IF you have any luck let me know

I'm a little over 6'5 and compound movements work best for me. Isolation works as well but not nearly as quickly. Mix it up by hitting higher reps(10) and lower reps(3-4) on these, especially deadlifts. If you do dl correctly your bi's and forearms will grow. Same with tri's on the bench. Hope it helps.

 

[JL_204]

Im 6'3 and ive always hated my arm size, until i got better at pressing and rowing. I barely ever do any direct arm work anymore. When I do its barbell curls and close grip bench.

Also when i diet down my arms appear larger becuase they have more definition.

 

[thelion2005]

Your arms will most likely get bigger at the same rate as your "important" muscles- if your back and legs grow, your arms will grow too. Get stronger on rows, benching, overhead pressing and I promise your arms will grow too. If anything I'd advise less direct arm work than what's listed and more focus on the core movements (squat, bench, row, deads, pullups, overhead press, and the like).

Of course you gotta eat a lot too

Yes.

And try doing just one exercise for biceps and one for triceps.
I'd suggest a low incline curl and close grip
tricep pushdowns.

Those heavy basics will work the arms first and these two will finish them up.

Forearms get blasted by rows.

 

[swaptrex]

as far as the core workouts go, such as deads, are there any alternatives to deadlifts?

 

[Guinness5.0]

as far as the core workouts go, such as deads, are there any alternatives to deadlifts?

Yes. Being small

Seriously, why would you want to sub out the second best exercise ever?

BTW I'm 6 ft and just a tad lanky and my arms measure a shade over 17" cold. At 250 lbs they're not that impressive per se but hammering 'em with iso work didn't make 'em grow. They've grown as I've gotten stronger on the movements I listed but being lanky will generally mean small arms as compared to your torso

I suppose synthol is an option

 

[HaZaRDouZ]

if your form is perfect you're arms should REALLY be effected all that much unless you're doing a heavy ass weight routine like a 5x5 or less reps. All pro bodybuilders do exercises for bi's and tri's for a reason. when they row they use their BACK. when they bench they use their CHEST. work on you're form for lifts and hit you're arms with 3exercises 4sets, like a 12 10 8 6 or whatever.

 

[bignate73]

pro bb'ers are not the norm. they haven't stumbled onto the holy grail of sets and reps. as a matter of fact, i've heard many instances of them being lazy in the gym and let their cocktail do the work.

people benching don't lift with their chest, they lift with their chest, lats, shoulders, triceps. thats what makes the movement. people rowing dont use their "backs", they row with their lats, teres, rhomboids, biceps, rear delts. these are compound movements that allow for a longer, safer amount of overload. form is the key but so is load, and overload.

endless amounts of arm work at very submaximal intensities....is taking the long way, basically.

you can work really hard to move a big rock...or you can break it down into really small pieces and move it bit by bit. it just depends on how efficient you want to be, and when you want to get finished.

follow?

 

[1_more_rep]

I'm a little over 6'5 and compound movements work best for me. Isolation works as well but not nearly as quickly. Mix it up by hitting higher reps(10) and lower reps(3-4) on these, especially deadlifts. If you do dl correctly your bi's and forearms will grow. Same with tri's on the bench. Hope it helps.

i have really long arms and i haven't found the best solution to make my biceps cut and look great but my triceps are getting really toned n defined from benching 3x/week on the 5x5 routine + doing some dips

 

[JIMguy]

All pro bodybuilders do exercises for bi's and tri's for a reason. .

Yea, Reason being most do not know shit about proper training and take a shitload of AAS, I definetly dont model my own training after any kind of routine found in flex magazine.

 

[danaf1]

i have really long arms and i haven't found the best solution to make my biceps cut and look great but my triceps are getting really toned n defined from benching 3x/week on the 5x5 routine + doing some dips

Have you tried DL with a supinated grip? They hit your bi's better than with an overhand grip. Some people do the DL with a powerlifting grip but you need to do even sets on this approach to get equal work out of both arms. The supinated grip requires a lighter load for most people but it will shock your bi's if you haven't tried it.

 

[rbtrout]

Try doing the 5X5. I just finished it. On Tuesdays and Thursdays, I did a bit of tri work and a bit (4 sets, maybe) of bi work. I put on 1/2" on my arms. Don't get rid of the deads; that's like saying I want to have a big chest but won't bench. I'd concentrate on the core exercises and on the off days do a few sets of bis and tris. Doing the core exercises hits most other muscles (see bignate's post).

 

[1_more_rep]

Have you tried DL with a supinated grip? They hit your bi's better than with an overhand grip. Some people do the DL with a powerlifting grip but you need to do even sets on this approach to get equal work out of both arms. The supinated grip requires a lighter load for most people but it will shock your bi's if you haven't tried it.

actually no i haven't tried the DL with supinated grip - just been doing standard overhand - if it's true that it'll work the hell out of my bis i will try them ASAP

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

I have the same problem.

I am an ectomorph with long limbs at about 5'9, 150lbs, and the size of my arms are completely disproportionate to the rest of my body. I have no trouble seeing gains in my chest and back and am starting to see some gains in my legs, but my arms just won't grow.

I just did some measurements - my chest is 39.5 inches, my arm flexed just hits 13 inches but hanging straight down my side is only 11.5 inches around. My calves are over 14 inches.

I am doing the single factor 5 x 5 program so I am pressing three times a week, deadlifting once a week, squatting three times week and rowing twice a week.

The only direct arm work I do is three sets of curls once a week and three sets of weighted dips and/or cable pushdowns once a week. I have always been told that the body gains muscle as a system, and that it is very hard to isolate growth in one particular body part.

Having big 'guns' is the greatest craze these days that you always see skinny kids spending half of their workout doing curls, when really they should be doing squats or deads.

I am unsure whether I will benefit from doing any more direct arm work or whether I am doing enough with all the pulling and pressing and one direct exercise per week... Is there anyone who can give solid advice who used to have small arms but somehow got them to grow in proportion to the rest of their body?

 

[BiggT]

I agree. Focus your routine on compound movements. I am 5'11.....but I have a 76" wingspan, and most people at the gym doing set after set after set of every type of curl ever conceived tell me my arms are huge and ask what my arm routine looks like.....when I tell them there is no 'arm routine' except for maybe 3-5 sets of hammer or barbell curls at the end of the week, they think I am shitting them. My triceps I do some type of close-grip pressing and/or dips.

If you don't believe me, I can e-mail you a pic. I can't post them, as I am not a platinum member....Although I haven't measured in ages my arms are somewhere between 18-19 inches cold at 235lbs and I do little to no direct arm work and my goals have nothing to do with bodybuilding. I can also perfectly rack a clean, lol, which disproves the myth that guys with big arms can front squat with a clean grip. I am not saying there's not a whole lot of bigger , stronger. more knowledgable guys out there. i am just saying that big lifts and progressive resistance will get you bigger if you eat enough, simple as that.

If you do direct arm work, it is still progressive resistance.....pick a good core biceps movement, like barbell curls, do 4 sets of 8 with a weight, add 5 lbs the next time, do 4x8, add 5 lbs the next time, do 4x8.....forget "shocking" muscles, and super drop sets, and burnouts, and down the racks, biceps bombing....just because the guy in the pics next to the routine has 25" arms doesn't mean he does that routine.....and it doesn't mean you can do HIS routine and expect any results. Progressive resistance, cutting out needless BS and adding weight to the bar every workout will get anybody results.....sure genetics and drugs play a role in anything, but this type of training will get ANYONE progress.....not just the genetically gifted who abuse AAS. The reason more people don't get good results is human nature....nobody wants hard and boring, yet simple......

Like Nate said, you can use your whole body to move one big stone and develop everything......or you can waste your time breaking it into peices.

As far as pro BB's.....there are 3 reasons most can get away with training the way they do.....they are structural genetics, more discipline with diet than most people are capable of, and the one factor that makes it all possible, obscene amounts of gh and aas. However, the mags will have you belive that the crappy training programs they publish really do work, but it is YOUR fault because you don't buy enough of this supplement and take enough of that supplement.....if you just took cell tech, nitro-tech, nitro-tech night time, you WOULD get the results you want. It is a BS machine designed to drain your wallet, and keep you from getting results so you buy, buy, buy more, and when enough time elapses for people to realize that something doesn't work, something new and equally as crappy comes out....If people would just eat to grow and focus on progressively increasing big lifts, the Bb magazines and the supplement industry would go bankrupt......but people don't want simple, hard work, they want magic and gimmicks and cutting edge garbage........okay, lol, rant over.

No offense to the starter of the thread, he just asked for advice and i think he got pretty sound advice......I just want people to realize that it isn't the routine, the exercises, the sets/reps, the tempo.....it is the mindset, they theory, the practice of consistency and progressive resistance. if you grasp it, you can answer your own questions and you will only read BB mags to check out the girls and maybe get a good laugh.

 

[BiggT]

I will try and post the pics anyway.....

 

[BiggT]

hey, it worked.....my point is not that I think I look good or you should try to look like me, because if thats you in your avatar you have a hell of a physique and should be proud......however, most people do agree that my arms are pretty big.....and my point is I don't train with that goal....I am not a bodybuilder.....and I do 3-5 sets of either hammer or barbell curls at the end of my week and focus on progressive resistance and there are times when I do ZERO direct arm work....I train my body as a whole (no bodypart split)...I squat 2-3 times a week, I do deadlifts, SLDL's, cleans, snatches, and all their hybrids, rows, chins, inclines, push presses, jerks, dips.....thats what my routine is centered around....For my goals, I am happy with my arm development, and I think if I could get 18-19" arms, then most of the guys complaining of small arms could certainly attain that if they ate enough and simplified their stuff. Again, arm size is the least of the reasons I train and I honestly am not too concerned with it, but the main point is that I focus on heavy basics with no emphasis on biceps training, and I have built, what most people would consider to be big arms more or less as a side effect from my training, an added bonus so to speak.

Most people can relate to what I said since I don't consider myself a genetic specimen, I think all of my progress is attainable by anybody with proper training and eating enough, and I think anybody can get progress with old fashioned, boring, progressive resistance.

 

[Jim Ouini]

I can't view them being non-plat but from the thumbnails I think I get the point

Anyway, I really hate doing arms - not that I don't appreciate having the t-shirt sleeve being tight or that the pump, fleeting as it may be, isn't a nice feeling but even when I did 1 bodypart/day and had a designated arm day it was my most dreaded workout.

And now that I've been doing 5 x 5 the feeling is even moreso...I'm currently taking a break and have thrown some bicep curls and tricep extensions in and man are they boring....no fun at all, especially that damn burn.

What the hell maybe I'll just buy size small t-shirts from now on and carry the 20lb dumbells in the trunk of the car for those special occasions

 

[BiggT]

Jim, there is nothing wrong with size S t-shirts, as long as you buy them at Hollister and wear them to them gym following a cologne bath and detailed grooming of the side burns........lol

 

[blut wump]

Side burns are called 'bugger grips' over here.

 

[BiggT]

Side burns are called 'bugger grips' over here.

LOL....next time i am at the barber, I am gonna ask him to go over my bugger grips with a number 1 and see what he says....lol

 

[Jim Ouini]

I'm OK with the bugger grips but I draw the line at cologne.

Ironically, I was at the gym today and 2 ladies who are always working out together doing funky isolation exercises (they do them in tandem, kind of like the 'sport' of synchronized swimming) asked a PT how to 'isolate the tricep'.

They were thrilled when he told them to superset 3 different handles on the tricep pushdown - the rope, the v-bar and the underhand with the EZ bar. That way they could 'blast it from all angles'.

 

[|D_J^B_J|]

I agree. Focus your routine on compound movements. I am 5'11.....but I have a 76" wingspan, and most people at the gym doing set after set after set of every type of curl ever conceived tell me my arms are huge and ask what my arm routine looks like.....when I tell them there is no 'arm routine' except for maybe 3-5 sets of hammer or barbell curls at the end of the week, they think I am shitting them. My triceps I do some type of close-grip pressing and/or dips.

... [SNIP] ...

No offense to the starter of the thread, he just asked for advice and i think he got pretty sound advice......I just want people to realize that it isn't the routine, the exercises, the sets/reps, the tempo.....it is the mindset, they theory, the practice of consistency and progressive resistance. if you grasp it, you can answer your own questions and you will only read BB mags to check out the girls and maybe get a good laugh.

What you are saying makes sense, and I agree 100%.

But what advice would you give to people who have long limbs in proportion to the rest of their body, and find it hard to gain mass in their arms by doing all the important compound movements?

Will they always have to put up with having smaller arms in proportion to the rest of their body?

 

[blut wump]

Look at it this way: if you have more potential for growth than someone with shorter limbs and shorter muscles then it's going to take you longer to achieve your full potential than otherwise. It takes longer to fill a quart pot than a pint pot.

Look on it as a genetic boon and accept that it might take you much longer to have the same bulging look as someone with shorter limbs but when you do get there, you'll have more muscle mass to play with.

Everyone has some bodypart which breaks their symmetry and if you go the BB route then you'll have to work to disguise or rectify the imbalances. Powerlifters have similar problems as everyone's body has more and less favourable leverages making some better benchers and others better pullers or squatters.

 

[BiggT]

Look at it this way: if you have more potential for growth than someone with shorter limbs and shorter muscles then it's going to take you longer to achieve your full potential than otherwise. It takes longer to fill a quart pot than a pint pot.

Look on it as a genetic boon and accept that it might take you much longer to have the same bulging look as someone with shorter limbs but when you do get there, you'll have more muscle mass to play with.

Everyone has some bodypart which breaks their symmetry and if you go the BB route then you'll have to work to disguise or rectify the imbalances. Powerlifters have similar problems as everyone's body has more and less favourable leverages making some better benchers and others better pullers or squatters.

Excellent advise. Everyone is going to have their strengths and weaknesses. No matter your height/proportions, you can develop your body though. You can't tell too good from the pics, but my arms are long for my height. I'm 5'11" but my wingspan is 76 " or 6'4", 5" longer than I am tall.......If you feel your arms need isolation, try barbell curls (just don't do them in the squat racks, lol). Pick a weight you can do 4 sets of 8 with, add five pounds to that weight every week and your arms will grow. If you don't like barbell curls do dumbell curls or dubbell hammer curls ....just something basic, and don't overdo the exercises, and stay away from 'foo foo' stuff like concentration curls and cables and machines......just stay basic, keep increasing the weight you use for the same number of sets and reps and eat enough and you will get a response from your body.

If this helps with examples.....look at pro strongmen, those guys generally very tall and long-limbed, but they have huge proportions....offensive and defensive linemen in football are much more sought after with a long wingspan....Jevon Kearse, a d-end for the Eagles is 6'4" and has a 7' wingspan and he is jacked.......I've seen Hulk Hogan in person, and while the phythons aren't 24", they're damn big and he looked to be about 6'4 or so.....As far as bodybuilding, I met Greg Kovacs at an autograph signing at a nutrition store a few years back, he was tall....I am 5'11, and I'd estimate him at a legit 6'1".....long-limbed guy, looked tall....and his arms probably were 24" legitimately.......Not to get carried away with nonsense......but just trying to show that just becaue a limb is long doesn't mean you can't build it up. Think of it this way.....the taller/longer you are.....the more mass and bodyweight you can functionally carry.

 

[CNovaJason]

Sorry for the delayed response bros. But thank you all very much for the responses. I will do the increased 5lbs every week and see where that gets me. I'll lay off but maybe 1 or 2 exercises for bicep and tricep. I'll keep updating on what happens. Thanks again bros. And I'll also try the heavier core lifts as well.

 

[Guinness5.0]

Sorry for the delayed response bros. But thank you all very much for the responses. I will do the increased 5lbs every week and see where that gets me. I'll lay off but maybe 1 or 2 exercises for bicep and tricep. I'll keep updating on what happens. Thanks again bros. And I'll also try the heavier core lifts as well.

Make sure you eat. You won't grow if you don't eat above your maintanence calorie needs. Based on your first post I'm assuming you're trying to bulk, right?

 

[CNovaJason]

Yes I am trying to bulk up, but am looking at throwing some dbol or something into the mix......I'm straight right now.

 

[Micker]

My arms are my best body feature. Some people just don't seem to have the muscle bellies in their arms. I always had a bicep, even though I was a skinny kid, but some peoples arms seem to have little muscle on them. I am not sure how much arms rely on genetics, but I will tell you what works for me. Remember triceps make up almost 2/3 of your arm mass.

The KEY to getting the right muscles working is concentration. No not concentration curls, but really focusing on the muscle you are working and concentrating on using that muscle throught the lift. Its easy to use shoulders/back in curling exercises and even in triceps. Focus on squeezing that muscle and adjust whatever you have to, to envoke that muscle 100%.

Main exercises are nothing fancy:
EZ-Curl - I do one set with inside grip and two with outer grip. Sometimes I switch grips around and do two inside.

Straight BB curls - I do a couple sets of these and move my hand by about an inch or so from the first and second set.

Preacher curls - Usually 2 sets, sometimes i'll do one set with ez-curl inside grip and the other with dumbells. Be careful not to bounce the weight at the bottom, you can really do some damage. When you can't do anymore full reps, do half reps to really get the blood flowing.

You can throw in some cable curls on the preacher, or seated concentration curls in there. I don't do much else. Oh yeah, Use cheating to squeez out some extra reps!!!! The word cheat makes it sound like its something bad, well it isn't!! I see people do curls and they stop at the last rep they can do with perfect form. Thats bullshit!! I almost always will do one or two more reps by cheating as little as I can and still do the rep(arching your back, using momentum etc..), this is how I get the good pumps. If anyone tells you not to do that, tell them to take their arms and go clean out someones teeth. You have to be careful not to hurt yourself, but I never had a problem yet. I just can't stress enough on how important those last cheat reps are. If there is a secret I have to good biceps, thats it.

 

[Slyder190]

as far as the core workouts go, such as deads, are there any alternatives to deadlifts?

Personally I like Rack Deads. I feel squats take care of the legs and the deadlift is a back exercise foremost, and that lifting the weight from the beginning position of below the knees around the ankles hits my back just as well, without my hams and glutes still sore come squat day.