arms!

[Dan]

Arms have always been a weak point for me; after a year and a half of serious training I have managed to add a decent amount of mass to my chest, lats, legs, and shoulders, yet I've barley put an inch on my arm measurements. I've tried everything from high volume to low volume to high reps to low reps and nothing seems to produce a noticeable change. It seems like I've done everything I can with my training to try and get em growing faster, which leaves my diet as my only other variable. However, my other bodyparts seem to be growing on my current diet, so what gives? I'm open to suggestions.

 

[Cardinal]

Have you tried training the other bodyparts at maintenance (lower volume, not trying to increase weight etc.) while specifically ramping up training for arms (weighted dips,jm presses, floors boards, chins/rows/curls, isolation tricep work). Just an idea. My thoughts being mainly that in that instance if anything would be likely to grow it would be arms. Take with grain of salt as I have little experience actually bringing up lagging parts so a lot is speculation.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

In my experience exercise selection and time under tension plays a big role in muscle growth. For example when I first started working out my legs grew like weeds and nothing else did compared to my legs. I was squatting allot of legs but using mostly machines and isolation exercises for the rest of my body. I later noticed that my biceps were growing pretty well but my triceps weren't. At that point I was doing allot of barbell curls but for triceps mainly push downs. Try doing close grip bench, dips, skull crushers, barbell curls, hammer curls, with some reverse curls. Make sure you use strict form as is it is pretty easy to cheat with many arm exercises. Make sure the eccentric portion of the rep is a slower and controlled.

 

[hypo]

If you do isolations mainly, you should switch to compound exercises. The heavy bench, JM press, and weighted pullups and dips are all good mass packers as they use many muscles in coordination compared to one muscle by itself. Like VanillaGorilla I also like barbell curls and hammer curls for my bicep exercises.

 

[supersoldier]

Here's a thought

Don't train your arms directly. Just rely on your compound movements for back, chest, and shoulders to build your arms. May sound silly but I go through months without peforming curls, pressdowns, skull crushes, ect., and my arms have always been proportional to the rest of my body.

My logic is that if you do chest on one day, shoulders on another, and arms on yet another, that's hitting tri's 3 times in one week. IMO overtraining the arms.

The only time I include an arm day is if I do back and chest on the same day. That hits bi's and tri's on one day. Then about 3-4 days later I'll do shoulders, bi's and tri's. This hit's the arms only twice a week. And I only configure my split like this when I'm on cycle. I know, I know... When is SS ever not on cycle? hahahaha :rofl:

 

[jminis]

I agree with SS here. The problem may lie in your split. If your seperating back and bi's, chest and tri's, etc.... then your hitting those muscle more then once a week. You may not be recovering hence the lack of progression. What's your split look like bro?

 

[Dan]

Thanks for the input guys....
Right now I'm using DC training with lower frequency since I don't use anabolics. So, i train each bodypart once every 4 days on a 2 day split, back/chest/delts/tris together, and bi's/quads/hams/calves together. I use 2 sets for larger bodyparts (legs, back, chest) and one set for the others, rest pausing most sets.

 

[IHateGymMorons]

Here's a thought

Don't train your arms directly. Just rely on your compound movements for back, chest, and shoulders to build your arms. May sound silly but I go through months without peforming curls, pressdowns, skull crushes, ect., and my arms have always been proportional to the rest of my body.

My logic is that if you do chest on one day, shoulders on another, and arms on yet another, that's hitting tri's 3 times in one week. IMO overtraining the arms.

The only time I include an arm day is if I do back and chest on the same day. That hits bi's and tri's on one day. Then about 3-4 days later I'll do shoulders, bi's and tri's. This hit's the arms only twice a week. And I only configure my split like this when I'm on cycle. I know, I know... When is SS ever not on cycle? hahahaha :rofl:

This is a good technique to try, especially if you've been blasting your arms for years. It works for awhile if you're intense with the other compound movements. You can't do this forever though, you should eventually go back to training arms directly after a period of time.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Thanks for the input guys....
Right now I'm using DC training with lower frequency since I don't use anabolics. So, i train each bodypart once every 4 days on a 2 day split, back/chest/delts/tris together, and bi's/quads/hams/calves together. I use 2 sets for larger bodyparts (legs, back, chest) and one set for the others, rest pausing most sets.

Have you been doing that for a while or just started? I have never liked the HIT training protocol. I think it's better suited for a short period of time after doing an extreme high volume program or to fight off over training. Try it for 2 to 3 weeks then do something else.

 

[TheManGuy]

I've been using DC training for the last year or so. It works! I'm gonna switch to more volume on my next ps cycle, since a freind told me higher volume is better when on.

When recovering or bulking DC training rules though.

 

[Dan]

I've been using DC training for about two months now. It seems to work fine for my other bodyparts. Honestly, I have never done any other type of training other than some sort of HIT variant (ie. I have never used a program where sets are not taken to failure).

 

[jminis]

I've been using DC training for about two months now. It seems to work fine for my other bodyparts. Honestly, I have never done any other type of training other than some sort of HIT variant (ie. I have never used a program where sets are not taken to failure).

Well maybe you should try it then. Here's what I would do and am doing right now. I'm going 8 sets for biceps and using 2sec positives and 5 second negatives. Slow down your rep speed especially on the negative because thats when the tears happen. Your 40% stronger on the negative bro. Also incorporate some hammer curls in your bicep routine. Working the brachialis lifts the bicep up making it appear larger.

 

[Dan]

Also incorporate some hammer curls in your bicep routine. Working the brachialis lifts the bicep up making it appear larger.

Funny you should say that, because I have always done hammers or reverse curls after my bicep exercise, and my brachialis actually seems to be developing faster than my biceps.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Dan if you have been on that training program it's time to change it up.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Have you guys who have been on DC's program been using steroids with it or just going natural?

 

[Dan]

I haven't even been using DC training for 2 months now, plus I took a week off because I had a nasty cold. It's working very well for my large bodyparts.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

In my experience you need to change up your routine once ever 3 to 4 weeks if you are after hypertrophy.

 

[VanillaGorilla]

Try this program

http://www.charlespoliquin.net/Arti...cfm?ArticleID=7

 

[Dan]

Try this program

http://www.charlespoliquin.net/Arti...cfm?ArticleID=7

The link doesn't work so I went and found the article myself... Looks interesting, although I fail to understand his reasoning behind the lack of shoulder work. Also, since the load is so low, wouldn't this programs stim sarcoplasmic hyperhrophy moreso than anything else?

 

[VanillaGorilla]

I think his reasoning on little shoulder training is that your front delts are getting allot of work with exercises like bench press and incline bench press.If arm size is your main concern right now wouldn't you want sarcoplasmic hypertrophy to occur? Try the program for a month or so then change to a program that causes more Myofibrillar Hypertrophy. Just remember to stick with basic exercises when you are on it. Also make sure your post work out nutrition is good as well.

 

[size]

Post the article please. I can't seem to view anything on that website since I am not a member.

 

[Dan]

Its GVT, Size.

 

[kelsey]

try this :
http://anabolicminds.com/forum/showthread.php?t=20702