Strategy to make stubborn arms grow?

[Evom1]

My arms have stayed right around the same size for quite some time. With all arm training I try to focus on strict form, a hard squeeze on the contraction and controlled negative. 45 seconds rest usually.

I've tried a separate arm day, and both super setting bis and tris and also doing bis and then tris separate. I've also tried just doing bis on back day and tris on chest day. I can get a huge pump, but they down seem to grow.

Could the strict form actually be limiting my growth? I've been wondering if maybe I should force out a few cheat reps at the end of my sets just to take it beyond failure.

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

I dont do an Arm day
Lemme ask you a question?
How much can you barbell row bent over at close to 90° with strict form?
How much can you press? Either shoulder press or bench press?

Its not even so much of HOW MUCH you do in those exercises but they will play a HUGE role in how much power and size your arms carry.

Arm day? LOLZ

 

[CuriousGeorge247]

You could try something like this....just dont fucking do it in the squat rack.

 

[Evom1]

I dont do an Arm day
Lemme ask you a question?
How much can you barbell row bent over at close to 90° with strict form?
How much can you press? Either shoulder press or bench press?

Its not even so much of HOW MUCH you do in those exercises but they will play a HUGE role in how much power and size your arms carry.

Arm day? LOLZ

At I'd say 80* I can barbell row cleanly... I'd say 205-225 for 10, Yates style row would be heavier but that's never at 90*
I don't do a whole lot of flat bench, I generally stick to incline. But flat barbell would be 295x8, and incline db is 120s x10

I did struggle for quite some time with an impinged nerve in my left arms but that's been fixed for about 6-8 months now. And currently my left elbow has been having issues so truthfully I'm focusing on more time under tension with triceps than heavy weight at the moment.

 

[ErikR]

I dont do an Arm day
Lemme ask you a question?
How much can you barbell row bent over at close to 90° with strict form?
How much can you press? Either shoulder press or bench press?

Its not even so much of HOW MUCH you do in those exercises but they will play a HUGE role in how much power and size your arms carry.

Arm day? LOLZ

How many days to you rain arms? What are your stats?

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

How many days to you rain arms? What are your stats?

Ive never liked an "arm day" but i have used them in the past with small degress of success
The program im on now doesnt even have an arm day. So i just do them as secondary work after the main lifts are done.
I am throwing around the idea of doing arms everyday in a similar fashion as i do calves. Which is ED. Of course volume will be low. The extra frequent stress may be beneficial.

 

[ErikR]

Ive never liked an "arm day" but i have used them in the past with small degress of success
The program im on now doesnt even have an arm day. So i just do them as secondary work after the main lifts are done.
I am throwing around the idea of doing arms everyday in a similar fashion as i do calves. Which is ED. Of course volume will be low. The extra frequent stress may be beneficial.

Do you have long biceps ? I think the guys that can get away with not doing direct arm work are the ones that's long bi and long tri insertion. I have some where in the middle and if I don't work them they digress. Your one of the lucky ones.

 

[Rockclimber]

You should row what you press, if you press over 120 and only row 80 then you need to work on your back more.

 

[ErikR]

My arms have stayed right around the same size for quite some time. With all arm training I try to focus on strict form, a hard squeeze on the contraction and controlled negative. 45 seconds rest usually.

I've tried a separate arm day, and both super setting bis and tris and also doing bis and then tris separate. I've also tried just doing bis on back day and tris on chest day. I can get a huge pump, but they down seem to grow.

Could the strict form actually be limiting my growth? I've been wondering if maybe I should force out a few cheat reps at the end of my sets just to take it beyond failure.

You can try a higher frequency for your arms and maintainance for all other body parts. That might work. As for me my arms respond great to short rest periods. 40 sec. between sets.

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

You should row what you press, if you press over 120 and only row 80 then you need to work on your back more.

No, absolutely not
Your press will ALWAYS be stronger than your pull
Always easier to push than pull

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

Do you have long biceps ? I think the guys that can get away with not doing direct arm work are the ones that's long bi and long tri insertion. I have some where in the middle and if I don't work them they digress. Your one of the lucky ones.

I have mediocre arm genetics
My tricep is neither full nor long
My biceps are thin and do not extend to the crook of my arm
I certainly am NOT one of the lucky ones

 

[ErikR]

I have mediocre arm genetics
My tricep is neither full nor long
My biceps are thin and do not extend to the crook of my arm
I certainly am NOT one of the lucky ones

Well from your avi, wherever your doing, it's working.

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

Well from your avi, wherever your doing, it's working.

Look at it this way. In my original quote to the OP i asked him what his major compound lifts were and i did that for a reason. Cuz major compound work indirectly works tri's and bi's more efficiently than isolation work
Yes, they do
Iso work like a bicep curl focuses on the crook of the elbow as the fulcrum. Doing chin ups works at the fulcrum at the elbow and at the shoulder. Complete bicep development comes from heavy back work.

And since tri's are 2/3 of arm mass and bi's are split between the brachialis for the last 1/3 of total arm size it would be smart to train accordingly.

Bottom line? When my back and chest grow so do my bis and tris.
Like i said i am thinking of incorporating arms in ED in some sort of variant. Just havent put it all on paper yet.

 

[Evom1]

Look at it this way. In my original quote to the OP i asked him what his major compound lifts were and i did that for a reason. Cuz major compound work indirectly works tri's and bi's more efficiently than isolation work
Yes, they do
Iso work like a bicep curl focuses on the crook of the elbow as the fulcrum. Doing chin ups works at the fulcrum at the elbow and at the shoulder. Complete bicep development comes from heavy back work.

And since tri's are 2/3 of arm mass and bi's are split between the brachialis for the last 1/3 of total arm size it would be smart to train accordingly.

Bottom line? When my back and chest grow so do my bis and tris.
Like i said i am thinking of incorporating arms in ED in some sort of variant. Just havent put it all on paper yet.

Out of curiosity, what do your arms measure vs how tall are you?

 

[Jak3d]

Arms are all about getting a pump for me. Everyone is different so you need to find what works for you. I like to superset barbell curls light weight for 20 reps then rest 30 secs and another 20 reps preacher curl. For triceps I take the easy curl bar and do 20 skull crushers rest for 30 and then close grip press with the same bar till I burn them out. Lots of volume and kill the fuckers... Works for me at least.

Also for the love of God don't waste a day doing fucken arms for three hours like a teenage boy. Work them after back or chest

 

[gr8whitetrukker]

Out of curiosity, what do your arms measure vs how tall are you?

Im 6'1
And right now i have no idea

 

[Jak3d]

5'5" 16" cold. I killed them when I was younger and I never lost the size but I hardly work them anymore.

 

[GianT_SlayeR]

Like Arnold would go right from bench press to pull-ups after each set. Whatever excersizes I do for bi's I superset it with a tricep workout. This stretches the opposite muscle your flexing. There's plenty of benefits from this. I like working in the 8 rep range for some and 12-15 for others it depends on the excersize. Work different parts of each muscle, different angles, weight, constant tension vs free weight. Change it up. I murder my arms and it shows

 

[Savagesteve]

Im 6'1
And right now i have no idea

I have an idea, big af lol.