bigger arms

[slider07]

i can notice changes in chest, back, legs, and everywhere except my arms. biceps and triceps arent changing...tips on how to get bigger and defined??

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

if you want to add mass you MUST do heavy compound movements

Biceps
straight BB curl
alt. DB curl
incline DB curl
weighted chinups (palms facing you)


Triceps
close grip bench
full ROM skull crushers (not to the head, but behind head)
press downs
french presses


if you want to give them more of a defined look you can play with reps in the 8-15 range and play aroiund with supersets/giantsets/rest pausing etc.

but for mass, you have to go heavy and bomb them hard. 4-6 reps. light enough to get 4, but heavy enough where 6 is hard but not impossible.

[vman]

I think supersetting my bi's really works a lot. Not all the time but maybe every other workout.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

I think supersetting my bi's really works a lot. Not all the time but maybe every other workout.
yea definitely. i find that rest-pausing works great for me. my biceps look so much fuller now since i've started

[snaf2k]

yeah bi's are really hard to train I stopped noticing difference a while ago, but then my friend recommended close grip barbell because it worksout the inner bicep and it feels great again ;)

[TheHipHopBillGates]

I've found that with biceps its not exactly what I do that's the most important, but just making sure that I squeeze the muscle with each rep instead of just going thru the motion that is most effective for me, I do like supersets for bi's too, but I think that's more a definition thing then a size thing...........

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

I've found that with biceps its not exactly what I do that's the most important, but just making sure that I squeeze the muscle with each rep instead of just going thru the motion that is most effective for me, I do like supersets for bi's too, but I think that's more a definition thing then a size thing...........
yup.


also, you do not need to bring the weight up the shoulder. doing so takes the stress off of the bicep and places it on the front delt. its best to come to about 45 degrees and squeeze and slowly bring it back down

[TheHipHopBillGates]

yup.


also, you do not need to bring the weight up the shoulder. doing so takes the stress off of the bicep and places it on the front delt. its best to come to about 45 degrees and squeeze and slowly bring it back down

exactly and like everything else constantly mix it up to keep your body off guard.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

exactly and like everything else constantly mix it up to keep your body off guard.
im on the fence with that statement, to be honest. the muscles dont know what exercises are being performed, they only know that they are working. the muscle doesn't know the difference between a barbell curl or a db curl, all it knows is that its working very hard. so as long as you keep the intensity up and constantly pushing yourself for either more weight/reps, i think you'll be fine.

but on the same side of the coin, changing it up once in a while is good to prevent stagnation and boredom.

[Studz]

The Key to big arms are bigger TRIS, your Tri will help shape your Bis.

First off if you work out alot and your arms are not growing its because you may be doing one of two things wrong.

1.Your form of the exercises is not proper - A misconception is that alot of people like to add on the weight and curl thinking that they are going to get bigger if they do so. Proper form is 70% and weight is 30% of the work out. Even if you think you have the form down it doesn't hurt to check with someone with some knowledge on form (even though books are good sometimes you need someone to show u exact form from time to time.)

or

2. You may be working out ur bis so much and neglecting your Tris cause you want big arms. You should make sure you work out both your bis and Tris equally don't work out one more than the other. And if your body is not built to handle a bigger frame and bigger arm you wont get any bigger so make sure you pay attention to every part of your body. Everything is interconnected believe it or not.

Whats been working for me is isolations i dedicate a muscle a day and it has helped me get substantially bigger.

Monday-Bis
Tuesday-Tris
Wed-Shoulders
Thursday Back
Friday-Chest
Saturday- Legs
Sunday- Rest day

and if your trying to lose weight add 20 minute run every other day. Also make sure ur protein intake is high and matches your body weight.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

The Key to big arms are bigger TRIS, your Tri will help shape your Bis.

First off if you work out alot and your arms are not growing its because you may be doing one of two things wrong.

1.Your form of the exercises is not proper - A misconception is that alot of people like to add on the weight and curl thinking that they are going to get bigger if they do so. Proper form is 70% and weight is 30% of the work out. Even if you think you have the form down it doesn't hurt to check with someone with some knowledge on form (even though books are good sometimes you need someone to show u exact form from time to time.)

or

2. You may be working out ur bis so much and neglecting your Tris cause you want big arms. You should make sure you work out both your bis and Tris equally don't work out one more than the other. And if your body is not built to handle a bigger frame and bigger arm you wont get any bigger so make sure you pay attention to every part of your body. Everything is interconnected believe it or not.

Whats been working for me is isolations i dedicate a muscle a day and it has helped me get substantially bigger.

Monday-Bis
Tuesday-Tris
Wed-Shoulders
Thursday Back
Friday-Chest
Saturday- Legs
Sunday- Rest day

and if your trying to lose weight add 20 minute run every other day. Also make sure ur protein intake is high and matches your body weight.
i agree with what you said for the most part, except for the part "TRIS WILL HELP SHAPE YOUR BIS"...which is not true

you dont think using a weight that is challenging when your form is good will add mass??

[Studz]

i agree with what you said for the most part, except for the part "TRIS WILL HELP SHAPE YOUR BIS"...which is not true

you dont think using a weight that is challenging when your form is good will add mass??

I agree but if your Tris cant support a bigger Bicep your bicep wont incerase in size, Your body has to be able to handle the added weight (shoulder and Tris shape will help tell your body that it can support bigger bis)

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

I agree but if your Tris cant support a bigger Bicep your bicep wont incerase in size, Your body has to be able to handle the added weight (shoulder and Tris shape will help tell your body that it can support bigger bis)
thats interesting. i've never heard that approach.


i feel you add mass by eating and by stretching the fascia, which will enable the muscle to grow. example : stuffing a large pillow into a small pillow case. it just wont fit. but if you stretch the pillow case (fascia), it will allow the large pillow(muscle) to fit nicely.

[Studz]

thats interesting. i've never heard that approach.


i feel you add mass by eating and by stretching the fascia, which will enable the muscle to grow. example : stuffing a large pillow into a small pillow case. it just wont fit. but if you stretch the pillow case (fascia), it will allow the large pillow(muscle) to fit nicely.

Your right but anatomically speaking, you can't isolate muscle groups in the first place. Imagine, for a moment, that you could strip the skin away from your muscles. You'd see clearly that they're interconnected, surrounding the body like a web. This is because all of your muscles are enclosed in a tough connective tissue (the fascia), And since fascia attaches to bone and other muscles, it creates "functional" relationships between seemingly separate muscle groups.

SO when you do "isolations" like i do. YOu focus MORE on that muscle but all the muscles are interconnected so if your body cant handle more mass no matter how much you work out, you wont grow beyond a point unless your body is ready for it (unless you juice which i think is cheating)

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

So, correct me if im wrong, but i think you are saying isolation movements are more effective than compounds?

[Studz]

So, correct me if im wrong, but i think you are saying isolation movements are more effective than compounds?

For building mass i like isolation more. But Compounds are also a good way to get size, But i feel like you gain more size with isolations. Not the RIGHT or WRONG way, since there is no right or wrong way to do this. But i have seen better results with isolations than i have using compound exercises. Just give it a try for a month and see how much more size and power you get if not than you can go back to your old routine no harm done. Its not like your going to lose size if you do isolations.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

For building mass i like isolation more. But Compounds are also a good way to get size, But i feel like you gain more size with isolations. Not the RIGHT or WRONG way, since there is no right or wrong way to do this. But i have seen better results with isolations than i have using compound exercises. Just give it a try for a month and see how much more size and power you get if not than you can go back to your old routine no harm done. Its not like your going to lose size if you do isolations.
I agree to disagree. Compounds have been proven to add more mass/muscle to a body frame than isolations alone.

I fail to see how tricep kickbacks can put more mass on a tricep than a close grip bench press. or how a cable pressdown can put more mass on the triceps than dips. the list goes on for me. i have tried isolations, when i was a newcomer to the fitness world and i can say from personal experience that they did little to nothing for me. the body is, and you also said this, is interconnected and made to work as a unit. so by using isolation movement, you limit the overload and you limit the amount of poundages needed to grow. You can do all the “small” lifts until you are blue in the face, but until you are moving big poundage’s in the big lifts you will remain small.

[Studz]

I agree to disagree. Compounds have been proven to add more mass/muscle to a body frame than isolations alone.

I fail to see how tricep kickbacks can put more mass on a tricep than a close grip bench press. or how a cable pressdown can put more mass on the triceps than dips. the list goes on for me. i have tried isolations, when i was a newcomer to the fitness world and i can say from personal experience that they did little to nothing for me. the body is, and you also said this, is interconnected and made to work as a unit. so by using isolation movement, you limit the overload and you limit the amount of poundages needed to grow. You can do all the “small” lifts until you are blue in the face, but until you are moving big poundage’s in the big lifts you will remain small.

I agree with the lifting heavy, But if your lifting heavy without the proper form your not helping urself. I agree the more weights the better and bigger your are. Again its a point of prefrence. So if someone has been using compounds and not getting where he wants to be at maybe he should try isolations. Each body responds diffrently but i think we should all agree the FORM is just as if not more important than lifting heavy.

[DEEPER KEMICAL]

I agree with the lifting heavy, But if your lifting heavy without the proper form your not helping urself. I agree the more weights the better and bigger your are. Again its a point of prefrence. So if someone has been using compounds and not getting where he wants to be at maybe he should try isolations. Each body responds diffrently but i think we should all agree the FORM is just as if not more important than lifting heavy.
100%, Form is key. but once form is in check, i dont see why adding on poundages should be any problem at all. dont get me wrong, isolation movements have their place in workouts, without a doubt. i feel they are good for shocking the body, but to base an entire routine around them to me, sounds like a double edged sword.

[Studz]

100%, Form is key. but once form is in check, i dont see why adding on poundages should be any problem at all. dont get me wrong, isolation movements have their place in workouts, without a doubt. i feel they are good for shocking the body, but to base an entire routine around them to me, sounds like a double edged sword.

Agreed adding poundage is good but one shouldnt rush to add pounds thats why i do isolations but i increase the weights i use in the isolation excersices every other week this helping keep the proper form isolate the muscle group and get big. Again this is what has been working for me, every person is different.

[MikeyB]

my bi's are my smallest body part--i doubt i will ever havea well developed cut bi cep

[Chris]

I agree but if your Tris cant support a bigger Bicep your bicep wont incerase in size, Your body has to be able to handle the added weight (shoulder and Tris shape will help tell your body that it can support bigger bis)

i agree, big arms are an elusive thing, most people think bigger arms mean bigger biceps when in truth your tricep makes up 2/3's of your arm size, so if you want bigger arms i say weighted dips. thats what blew out mine that and skull crushers.

[Chris]

Agreed adding poundage is good but one shouldnt rush to add pounds thats why i do isolations but i increase the weights i use in the isolation excersices every other week this helping keep the proper form isolate the muscle group and get big. Again this is what has been working for me, every person is different.

this is true, but what DK says is a known fact compounds will put size on everywhere, isolation excersices are honestly in my opinion a waste of time. not only do they only focus on that one small muscle they don't work the stabilizing muscles, nor do they usually grow tendons and ligaments stronger which in turn makes you injury prone eventually. compounds with a mixture of SOME isos once in a while in my opinion is the best way to go for size power and mass.