Building arms

[hittman]

I've been doing some research on arm building lately and I've found some sources, often which i cannot determine which are true and which aren't, due to the wide range of contradictions and different beliefs.

So far I've found some ways of building up the arms are to do many reps in sets with light weight, whereas others say heavy weight less reps. The former suggests that doing this makes the arms toned, and the latter builds mass.

I'm not focussing heavily on the forearm, but any tips as to how to increase both size and tone of the arms would be greatly appreciated. Keep in mind at the tender age of 16 I naturally am unable to lift trucks like you guys. As a reference, I usually barbell about 15 kilos, not much, but hey, it's a start.

 

[musketeer]

Seated Incline Dumbell Curls 2 * 8-10 to failure

Barbell Preacher Curls 2 * 8-10 to failure

Try to add a little weight or reps each workout.

High reps will increase your nervous link with a muscle and will make it more efficent at contracting but will not increase size very much. Using heavy weight (more than it can handle for 6-10 reps) will cause the muscle to overcompensate/ grow.

Muscles fullfil their function. Powerlifters are huge, marathon runners are tiny.

 

[nikolai_bolkov]

Keep lifting the heaviest weights you can complete 3 sets with 6-8 reps with. I.e. for the first set do 8 reps. You should not be able to do another rep. Rest, then do another set. This time you probably will only be do 6 or 7 reps. Rest, then do another set where you'd only be able to do 6 reps.

There is no such thing as toning the muscle, once you have muscle it will show.

 

[hittman]

thanks musketeer

 

[Mikeygun]

im also interested. How did guys like sergio, arnold and all the other guys from back in the day have these HUGE arms?....from what i understand they didnt use insane amounts of steriods like the pro's do today, no hgh or slin and their arms, if not their whole body looks a millions times better than any pro out there today. Anyone know how they trained arms or what kind of diet they had?

 

[musketeer]

I think that the older competitors look better standing next to each other than they do in comparison to the 25% bigger and much more ripped, athletes of today. Bodybuilders of the 60's and 70's had smaler waists, torsos, thighs and even delts which make their arms look bigger in comparison. However, it is true to say that their development was amazing given their low reliance on drugs.

 

[gsxr1000]

................ Powerlifters are huge, marathon runners are tiny.

You can't always use that analogy though. Powerlifters aren't always huge, typically they are short and stocky. The strength advantage they have typically is a result of short limbs and tendons and greater leverage than it is gigantic muscles.
Bodybuilders train to increase their muscle size, by trying to achieve a pump and effectively fatigue the muscle as much as possible.
Powerlifters train to move the most amount of weight they can for very low reps (1-3). Compare a bodybuilder to a powerlifter, which would you say has the larger fuller muscle bellies., I'd say the bodybuilder.

In essence everyone is different and their bodies respond as such. Some people's bodies respond better to higher volume and higher reps to grow (myself included) as opposed to lower volume and reps. Basically, it's trial and error, you have to find what wroks best for you.

 

[hittman]

This isn't that relevant to the HUGE ranks of Arnold etc. but Bruce Lee was quite a fit man in his day (some say overfitness caused his death). He could hold 150lbs extended out in front of him standing up. He may not have been huge, but his somewhat extraordinary strength (1 finger pushups) and perfectly sculpted and defined body certainly made up for it. I think he was a perfect example of mind over matter. Anyway, he drank milkshakes which contained ice cream, eggs, eggshells!, bananas, flour (some weird type i've not heard of before), and soy milk. His wife talked of him CONSTANTLY lifting dumbells while he was eating breakfast, dinner etc. His workout was huge and i can't remember it exactly, but this is what i recollect:

He usually rode full speed - 35 to 40 miles an hour continuously for 45 minutes to an hour (cardio warm-up), and skipped

Shoulders
Clean and presses: 2 sets, 8 reps

Lats
Barbell pullovers: 2 sets, 8 reps

Biceps
Barbell curls: 2 sets, 8 reps

Chest
Bench-presses: 2 sets, 6 reps

Lower Back/Glutes/Hams
*Good mornings: 2 sets, 8 reps

Quads
Squats: 2 sets, 12 reps

Abs
Waist Twists: 4 sets, 90 repetitions
Sit up Twist: 4 sets, 20 repetitions
Leg Raises: 4 sets, 20 repetitions
Leaning Twist: 4 sets, 50 repetitions

* Position like a squat, only bring the legs closer together. Then, bend forward facing forward, until you reach a right angled triangle, where from your head to your feet is the longest angle. Slowly return back to an upright position.
Make sure you DO NOT OVER EXERT THIS LIFT. Warm up before attempting it also.

Hope this sort of helped.

 

[Zyglamail]

low reps with heavy weights work CNS much more than mid to high reps. Low to mid reps cause more hypertrophy and high reps simply build endurance and bloat muscle cells so they store more energy.

High reps will increase your nervous link with a muscle and will make it more efficent at contracting but will not increase size very much. Using heavy weight (more than it can handle for 6-10 reps) will cause the muscle to overcompensate/ grow.

If high reps increased muscle fiber recruitment dont you think thats what power lifter would be using? Powerlifters core training involved low reps because it develops CNS and increases their ability to recruite more muscle fibers for lifting.

 

[gsxr1000]

low reps with heavy weights work CNS much more than mid to high reps. Low to mid reps cause more hypertrophy and high reps simply build endurance and bloat muscle cells so they store more energy.

If high reps increased muscle fiber recruitment dont you think thats what power lifter would be using? Powerlifters core training involved low reps because it develops CNS and increases their ability to recruite more muscle fibers for lifting.

Indeed, but the training regimen of a powerlifter and a bodybuilder is different, and don't their physiques reflect that. Bodybuilders tend to train in the midrange of rep #'s, and as such I'd say their physiques look fuller and bigger, and hittman was inquiring about building bigger arms, not stronger arms per se.

 

[Zyglamail]

Indeed, but the training regimen of a powerlifter and a bodybuilder is different, and don't their physiques reflect that. Bodybuilders tend to train in the midrange of rep #'s, and as such I'd say their physiques look fuller and bigger, and hittman was inquiring about building bigger arms, not stronger arms per se.

If you notice the section of text I quoted, it stats "High reps will increase your nervous link with a muscle and will make it more efficent at contracting but will not increase size very much. ". This is the statement I was refuting.

On a side note, its not so much rep range that build (ie causes hypertrophy) but a combination of sufficient stress AND fatigue. If you work with a heavy enough wieght with lots of rest between sets you will primarily work CNS and hypertrophy will be second. However, if you work heavy weights with a short rest you bring fatigue into the equation and can accomplish just as much, if not more hypertrophy than mid range reps can. So many people think that rep range is the determining factor for muscle growth but everyone overlooks the aspect of fatigue. As long as the stimulation AND fatigue is sufficient you can gain mass and this can be done either in low rep or mid rep workouts. High rep workouts can surely cause enough fatigue but simply cant stress the muscle enough.

 

[gsxr1000]

 

[HGH man--Chargeback]

You should work the forearms too. 1 or 2 sets a week would be fine . Try doing reverse curls on the S-bar . Start out slowly and work your way up. Remember that the forearms seem to grow slowly but in a couple of months of doing that you'll be glad you did. Your friends should be asking you how the fuck did you get your forearms so big! Eat plenty too.

 

[tprop]

I've built respectable arms with a basic routine.

Standing Barbell Curls 1-5 Sets x 4-6 Reps
Dips w/ Elbows in 1-5 Sets x 4-6 Reps

When I first started lifting many years ago I found that one set to failure was enough to grow. Through the years I have had to increase the sets to continue to grow. I am now up to 5 sets per exercise, but it took years to get there, so don't increase the sets until you're absolutely ready. I also do an occational higher rep range to switch things up, but I have never chaged the exercises since I found them to work the best for me. I also cheat on the last couple reps and sometimes do pause sets. Best tip though is to be consistant. Good luck.

 

[gsxr1000]

You should work the forearms too. 1 or 2 sets a week would be fine . Try doing reverse curls on the S-bar . Start out slowly and work your way up. Remember that the forearms seem to grow slowly but in a couple of months of doing that you'll be glad you did. Your friends should be asking you how the fuck did you get your forearms so big! Eat plenty too.

Really? only 1-2 sets. I read Lee Priest recommending that forearms need really high volume to grow. I usualy do like 6 sets for forearms, and they still hardly grow.

 

[tprop]

Forearm work isn't needed if you're doing pull ups and dead lifts without straps. At least for me.

 

[Zyglamail]

Forearm work isn't needed if you're doing pull ups and dead lifts without straps. At least for me.

I view forarms as I veiw calves, largely genetics plays a role in how they look and how they need to be trained. I have fairly respectable calves (18") and I only do 2-3 sets for them once a week.

 

[da big thinker]

http://www.rippedcanadians.ca/training/biroutine.html

here a routine that i posted on www.rippedcanadians.ca where i moderate...this routine gave me some excellent results...i beleive that the bi's and tri's can handle alot more volume than the bigger muscles...enjoy...i'll see if i can post the tri routine as well...---fyi

 

[JKD]

finally a good thread. Some good stratedgy and info on mass building.

 

[MrRTTB]

Try this: work bi's and tri's the same day. Take 1-2 days off after. Bump calories +500 from the usuall intake on the workout day + 2 days after. Try not working Chest, shoulders or back the day before the arm day, because the involvment of tris with the chest and shoulders and biceps when your woking out the back.

Try the 5x5 program, and start heavy for triceps like Dips or narrow bench press, for bic use BB curls or DB curls.

Like this:
Triceps: 5x5 DIPS
Triceps: Scull crucher 2x8
some other one 1-2x8

Biceps: BB curl 5x5
Hammer curls: 2x6-8
Some other one: 1x8

After that, High GI carbs as soon as possible, also a big Whey protein Shake. Meal two after 1 hour or so.

Do not just drink whey shakes, use real foods with a slower protein. Whey is very fast, so If protein comes mainly from Whey eat some fibers/oatmeal with it, or fruits it will slow protein down.

Eat sleap and grow

It's all about calories and timing the meals. Also never overdo the arms. Remember you use them when doing chest/shoulders and back a lot

 

[icelandic]

Bro forearms are easy as hell to build. Go to ironmind (just got their latest catalog yesterday ) and get a number one and number two gripper. Do a couple of sets of five two or three times a week with em and your forearems will blow up.

Also I don't realy agree with your rep schemes. My philosophy regarding training is when in doubt, keep it simple. My arms never really wanted to go until I started using big weights in the standing curl (with strict form of course). If you are only doing curls twice a week following a 5x5 rep scheme, as your working weight increases so will muscle mass. Just about any strength gain besides that of a 1 rep max is gonna result in some hypertrophy.

I just don't buy the 'low reps only stimulate the cns' theory. Look at the old-time super freaks, guys like John Davis and Doug Hepburn were the some of the strongest and most massive men who ever lived (before there was even dianabol too). These guys trained primarily on basic compound and olympic movements using big weights for low reps. Paul Anderson squated 1000 pounds before fred hatfield ever stepped foot into a gym. Granted these guys were all genetic supermen, the fact that most of us as genetic mere mortals train completely opposite of their time-tested methods shows the somewhere along the lines of time real world training theory AND ART got replaced by the moronic ramblings of pencil necked excercise physiologists and kinesiologists.

Sorry about the rant, I drank too much coffee over the last 24 hours, but I still feel that too many people make weight training overly complex. Get a copy of dinosaur training, and look at some the records set in mid 50's. It's really sobering to see how much weight these guys were puuting up before steroids were common, contrast that to today were you see 170lb kids juicing just to be able to squat 300lbs and tell me what the fuck went wrong????

 

[Zyglamail]

I just don't buy the 'low reps only stimulate the cns' theory. Look at the old-time super freaks, guys like John Davis and Doug Hepburn were the some of the strongest and most massive men who ever lived (before there was even dianabol too). These guys trained primarily on basic compound and olympic movements using big weights for low reps. Paul Anderson squated 1000 pounds before fred hatfield ever stepped foot into a gym. Granted these guys were all genetic supermen, the fact that most of us as genetic mere mortals train completely opposite of their time-tested methods shows the somewhere along the lines of time real world training theory AND ART got replaced by the moronic ramblings of pencil necked excercise physiologists and kinesiologists.

Thats what I was getting at above. Low reps can be used not only for CNS but also for hypertrophy, the deciding factor is fatigue. If you do low reps with lot of rest between sets you will primarily work CNS. That does not mean hypertrophy doesnt occure just that its not optimal for hypertrophy. If you shorten rest period between low rep/heavy sets you add fatigue into the equation which will enhance hypertorphy.

 

[icelandic]

True but when you shorten rest periods, the amount of weight able to be used per set is also going to decrease. At the end of the day, big weight = big muscles, in my opinion.