Tall/lean guys GTFIH!! Arm tips!

[6andaHalf]

Seriously... who doesn't want BIG ARMS? I have a good build finally and a big body. I'm 6'6" though and my long ass arms have just not kept pace with the rest of my body. They have gotten bigger and I've added some vascular aspects this year but I really want better progress.

Its not diet (I'll gain belly fat from overeating a clean diet before my arms grow). I was really thinking I need to do what seems practical, WORK MORE SETS. Been training for 3 years and have gone from 170- 210lbs all natty. I've recently completed the 4 weeks to big arms by T-nation (can't post link yet) ... some results.

I mostly need to come to terms that I don't have great arm genes and will probably never ever have 20" pipes but it won't stop me from trying. I'm sitting at 15" now and honestly look like I've come a long way (believe it or not @ 13.5") I bench about 250 1RM and squat that about 15x on a good day. I'm not entirely weak for being this tall and lean.

Just looking for input on things that have helped other people like me get bigger arms. Frequency? Sets? I'm ready to just hit arms 2x a week.... and hard. I have lots of compound movements in my routine.

[02sixxer]

I am in the same boat as not haveing bicep as big as I want, but my tris are pretty impressive. I really have seen some good growth in biceps. I started to use exerscise from Arnold's Bible. I start with slow preacher curls with Hammer Strength. I really feel the pull and it quickly blows them up. I then go to straight bar and superset dumbells. Inside 3 sets and outside 3 sets. Its a really good start. from there I vary my routine.

[6andaHalf]

Yea, it seems to me that all signs point to using more sets or longer sets (more TUT overall). It freaking hurts but I haven't gotten to that point where it has worked against me to add extra sets or time. It always scares me the way people talk about over-training and that ectos need more recovery time yada yada yada. I think I'm really going to start punishing my arms until I see more growth or signs that I should ease up.

As of now I mix chest with bis (Monday) and hit back with tris (Wednesday) and then hit arms on (Friday) in a more isolated sense. This gives me 2x a week for bis and tris. I can focus on a rough TUT arm day for my Friday workout and see what happens.


Other tips from really tall/lean killers would be much appreciated!!

[boogyman]

Yea, it seems to me that all signs point to using more sets or longer sets (more TUT overall). It freaking hurts but I haven't gotten to that point where it has worked against me to add extra sets or time. It always scares me the way people talk about over-training and that ectos need more recovery time yada yada yada. I think I'm really going to start punishing my arms until I see more growth or signs that I should ease up.

As of now I mix chest with bis (Monday) and hit back with tris (Wednesday) and then hit arms on (Friday) in a more isolated sense. This gives me 2x a week for bis and tris. I can focus on a rough TUT arm day for my Friday workout and see what happens.


Other tips from really tall/lean killers would be much appreciated!!

Gain 10lbs of muscle?

I read somewhere is takes an average 10 lean lbs to add an inch to your arm. At 210, your not light but being 6'6 thats a lot of "stretch". My generic suggestion to anyone wanting bigger arms is to add muscle mass.

[02sixxer]

10lbs of muscle would be nice.

[6andaHalf]

Gain 10lbs of muscle?

I read somewhere is takes an average 10 lean lbs to add an inch to your arm. At 210, your not light but being 6'6 thats a lot of "stretch". My generic suggestion to anyone wanting bigger arms is to add muscle mass.

I would think this more than anything directly relates to height. So an average guy 5'10" will add 1" every 10lbs.... Im probably at .7" for 10lbs then haha. Still good advice. Ive even tried squating like crazy to build a big body for big arms... my arms are getting better looking and stronger. I guess another few years and I may be happy. I guess the grass is always greener

[beastybean]

Go heavy on back exercises: deads, pulls, etc. workout bi/tris twice one week then just once the next to let them recover and repeat. Focus on brachialis exercises and outer tricep work to get some width. And of course it takes time, so be diligent and keep at it. Good luck.

[asooneyeonig]

Gain 10lbs of muscle?

I read somewhere is takes an average 10 lean lbs to add an inch to your arm. At 210, your not light but being 6'6 thats a lot of "stretch". My generic suggestion to anyone wanting bigger arms is to add muscle mass.

i have heard this before too. ive heard it takes up to 15lbs as well and that its just bodyweight and not just muscle. although im sure most people are going to want muscle and not just fat, lol.

[boogyman]

Well, from my own experience, I have gained a little over 15lbs since febuary, mostly muscle, with a bit of fat...but mostly lean weight. My arms have grown over an inch, and I do absolutely no direct arm work. I do pullups, dips and rows once a week each and thats the extent of the work my arms receive.

If its 10lbs, 15lbs, whatever (I am sure height and body type factor into this), pure weight gain seems to be the deciding factor in arm growth. Probably a newbie may have some gains in arm size without putting on weight.

[matt8483]

Go heavy on back exercises: deads, pulls, etc. workout bi/tris twice one week then just once the next to let them recover and repeat. Focus on brachialis exercises and outer tricep work to get some width. And of course it takes time, so be diligent and keep at it. Good luck.

This^^ and of course eat lots..

[FL3X MAGNUM]

I'm 6'5" at 220 and its taken me two years to get my arms to 17.5" from 16".

Here is what I do to try and grow arms:
Dead lifts, heavy biceps (3 rep max) included with my arm work, do biceps on back day, and focus a lot on triceps too. Triceps add a lot of arm size.

[02sixxer]

I'm 6'5" at 220 and its taken me two years to get my arms to 17.5" from 16".

Here is what I do to try and grow arms:
Dead lifts, heavy biceps (3 rep max) included with my arm work, do biceps on back day, and focus a lot on triceps too. Triceps add a lot of arm size.

Agreed that tri's have so much to do with arm size. I get tols all the time my arms are massive, but what non bodybuilders dont know is it more tri then bi. I actually have undersized bi's and very nice tri's. I would love another inch. My size when at 5% bf is 17" when at 12% the are 17.75-18" but my tri's are very big.

[6andaHalf]

Agreed that tri's have so much to do with arm size. I get tols all the time my arms are massive, but what non bodybuilders dont know is it more tri then bi. I actually have undersized bi's and very nice tri's. I would love another inch. My size when at 5% bf is 17" when at 12% the are 17.75-18" but my tri's are very big.

Sadly, genetics may never allow that for me. Im at 15 after 3 years. 16-17 in the next 3 years and Im happy as shat.

[bla55]

I've enjoyed Doggcrapp a lot for arm size. The compound movements and then a specific day for arms really helped my case. I went from 15.75 (I work on cm so forgive my conversion) to 17.71 in roughly 8 months with Doggcrapp, and I used to have a lot of problems previous to this. Now I look much more in line and at my ideal weight (~225 at 6'4'') I look proportional.

I think the killer for my arms to grow were the widowmaker sets that go along with DC (doing 20 rep lift after you're done with that muscle group and then extreme stretching it) and I have been pretty happy with it, specially considering I didn't quite put on a whole lot of weight, I just redistributed it it seems.

And totally offtopic, but can we talk about how at first I thought 6andaHalf was a nifty way to spell "Gandalf"? And I promptly thought "wtf is this, god damn world of warcraft?!"

Aaaanyways, I would give widowmakers a shot, they've helped me out a lot.

[6andaHalf]

That 20 rep post workout set sounds painful. TUT at its best I guess...

What worries me genetically is that im starting to get a great bicep shape.... but proportionally small. I feel the better the shape, the closer someone is to their genetic ceiling.

I got size the first 2 years it seems... now vascular and shape, but still only 15 and SLOWLY widening. Sooooo slow.

[bla55]

That 20 rep post workout set sounds painful. TUT at its best I guess...

What worries me genetically is that im starting to get a great bicep shape.... but proportionally small. I feel the better the shape, the closer someone is to their genetic ceiling.

I got size the first 2 years it seems... now vascular and shape, but still only 15 and SLOWLY widening. Sooooo slow.

It's not easy by any stretch, but then again, DC only has 1 set per muscle group till failure so it makes sense.

Give a youtube on widowmakers and it will give you a little taste. It will be hard to move your arm after, but goesb ack to the old saying; no pain no gain. It does give you a feeling of satisfaction once you're through with it.

[6andaHalf]

It's not easy by any stretch, but then again, DC only has 1 set per muscle group till failure so it makes sense.

Give a youtube on widowmakers and it will give you a little taste. It will be hard to move your arm after, but goesb ack to the old saying; no pain no gain. It does give you a feeling of satisfaction once you're through with it.

Try everything once... gotta find new growth.

[dmmcclair]

Look into dtp, that's a bodybuilding routine put together by kris gethin, and I know some people are against bbing buy I experienced great gains in size using it. It's intense and really high reps though

[6andaHalf]

Look into dtp, that's a bodybuilding routine put together by kris gethin, and I know some people are against bbing buy I experienced great gains in size using it. It's intense and really high reps though

I actually gave this a test run today, supersetting chest/back. Rough... the one downfall was that my delts were on FIRE before I felt my chest burn. Had to cut it short a few times. Could be the leverage on them from my height and huge ROM . I was considering starting a bit heavier at 40, 30, 20, 10, 5, and back up. Maybe even 35 to start.
Not sure...

[uvawahoowa]

Go heavy on back exercises: deads, pulls, etc. workout bi/tris twice one week then just once the next to let them recover and repeat. Focus on brachialis exercises and outer tricep work to get some width. And of course it takes time, so be diligent and keep at it. Good luck.

This right here, especially on the deads
And no offense but I highly doubt at 6'6" youre going deep enough doing 250x15 on squats. Make sure you're going below parallel with good form. Hit your heavy squats and deads, and everything will grow. There's a reason 99% of guys with big arms have big backs, legs, etc. Keep putting on muscle and you'll see your arms grow.