Help with new arms routine.

[Rod555]

Im staring a new arms programe in the new year and i wanted some advice on which excerceise to do. At the moment Ive been doing 5 excercises of 3 sets for bis and the same for tris. Alternating between excersises each week.

Now ive decided to try three exercises with 4 sets and do the same excersises for at least 3 months to try and make some real progress with each exercise, and see how I get on with that.

I was thinking barbell curl, hammer curls and incline dumbell curls for bis.

And Close grip, skull crushers and dips for tris? Or should i substitute one for a pulldown?

Would anyone suggest a different selection of exercises?

Karma for responses.

 

[gymtime]

12 sets for arms is high for my taste. If you want to do three different excercises, fine. But I'd emphasize the first one (preferably close-grips, weighted dips for tris) with more sets, say 4. Then do two additional excercises of maybe 2 sets each.

If you use challenging weight and good form, this should be plenty, imo.

 

[view]

it appears you've done your homework. good luck with the routine.

 

[Rod555]

12 sets for arms is high for my taste. If you want to do three different excercises, fine. But I'd emphasize the first one (preferably close-grips, weighted dips for tris) with more sets, say 4. Then do two additional excercises of maybe 2 sets each.

If you use challenging weight and good form, this should be plenty, imo.

You think the 12 is still too high? I only do each body part once a week though so i dont want to under work them.

I think ive definatly been overworking them in the pass few months then. Doing 17-18 sets over 5 excersises. So i think its time to try a "less is more" approach seeing as how theyre only small muscles, hopefully i'll respond a bit to this method!

 

[kansasfarmman]

Keep it simple. Perhaps you can do one basic compound exercise and one isolation exercise. Muscles of the arms are small so don't overtrain them.

 

[gymtime]

You think the 12 is still too high? I only do each body part once a week though so i dont want to under work them.

I think ive definatly been overworking them in the pass few months then. Doing 17-18 sets over 5 excersises. So i think its time to try a "less is more" approach seeing as how theyre only small muscles, hopefully i'll respond a bit to this method!

For arms, yes. Keep in mind how much you work your arms on things like bench and rows. Some will say that rows work your bis more than curls do. True or no, you're doing more direct arm work during the week than just the isolation stuff.

 

[BlondBomber]

I am from the low volume camp. Your selection of exercises are on the money. I will offer some alternatives also.

For triceps, I would recommend alternating between close-grip benches and floor presses as your primary movement. Floor presses and heavy board presses are what first built my triceps, but board presses are spotter intensive, so I would omit them. Hit skullcrushers next is good, I would alternate between the Olympic bar, EZ-curl bar and DB's. Try incline DB ext. for variety, I did recently and they hit the triceps hard. Finishing with dips could work, as long as you have enough gas left. I would normally recommend to finish with rope pushdowns to really tax the fuck out of your triceps, but I am also a poor dipper. Bench dips is something worth trying also. I have lately been doing pushdowns first, but your post has made me rethink this.

For biceps, BB curls, incline DB curls and hammers would hit your biceps well. I would recommend experimenting with the order you do them in. Sometimes I will do inclines first, then hit BB curls, which really taxex my biceps. Hammers will add to your brachs, along with reverse BB curls. Do you plan on doing any isolation work? If you do, try some concentration curls or one-arm cable curls, I have found both are good at finishing off a biceps workout.

Additionally, you have considered doing any direct forearm work? I just do hammers and reverse BB curls becuase I think my forearms get a lot of work from back training. If you do, try some reverse curls, wrist curls and behind-the-back wrist curls.

Best of luck.