Too much arm work?

[flexfit]

Anyone else find that they may have been training arms with TOO MUCH volume?

On arm day I use like...7 exercises for each bis and tris. Think I overdo it.

I have a buddy whose arms are much larger than mine and he does not even do direct arm work, just some ancillary work at the end of back and chest days. However, I am stronger than him on nearly every exercise. Nonetheless, my arms seem to be lagging in comparison.

Thoughts?

 

[NurseGray]

I often use five variations each for bis and tris with four sets each one so no

 

[dbrock504]

I have seen countless threads on this exact subject and one thing always ends up being the common coincidence: Volume does not make arms grow. You answered your own concern with your comparison of your buddy. I am like your friend where I do chest/Tri back/bi with only a few exercises after my chest or back and my arms grow pretty well. Strength isn't everything when trying to build your body to meet a specific physique.

 

[dbrock504]

I have seen countless threads on this exact subject and one thing always ends up being the common coincidence: Volume does not make arms grow. You answered your own concern with your comparison of your buddy. I am like your friend where I do chest/Tri back/bi with only a few exercises after my chest or back and my arms grow pretty well. Strength isn't everything when trying to build your body to meet a specific physique.

 

[Abe Lincoln]

Focus on the squeezing the muscles and time under tension more than how heavy you are going. Also eat some food. Pretty sure I read somewhere that 10lbs = 1inch

 

[flexfit]

I eat lots of food lol. Growing is not my problem, nor is strength. It's just my arms in particular...which are by no means small (well over 18.5 with a pump flexed), but in comparison to how the rest of my body grows they seem to be lagging. Plus...doesn't everyone want cartoonishly large arms lol??

Focus on the squeezing the muscles and time under tension more than how heavy you are going. Also eat some food. Pretty sure I read somewhere that 10lbs = 1inch

 

[Abe Lincoln]

Well **** I'd like mine to be that size I wouldn't cry about 18inches haha how much you weigh OP?

 

[flexfit]

Lol.

I'm 5'8, about 208, 15% bf. Need to lean out for sure, but trying to put on some more size. I'm not fat or anything lol, just much softer around the mid section then when I'm all ripped up that's for sure.

Yourself?

 

[Abe Lincoln]

Lol, much smaller. Hovering at 163lbs 5'9, no idea on bf%. My ultimate goal is to be 180lbs at 10bf% as I want to compete in physique in a few years and possibly powerlifting.

 

[flexfit]

That's cool man. How are your lifts? You mentioned an interest in powerlifting...

 

[Abe Lincoln]

My lifts are pretty good I believe for my size, except for my deadlift.. Deads kill me haha. Squat: 500, Deadlift: 400, Bench: 300.. I haven't maxed out for a while but I do feel much stronger on my bench and squat.

 

[Abe Lincoln]

I swear by deadlifts and barbell hack squats for arm size. And a gallon of milk a day haha

 

[flexfit]

Pretty good numbers, especially for your weight man.

That's a lot of milk lol. I eat lots of whole foods, try to restrict my liquid meals to post workout shake and casein before bed.

 

[Abe Lincoln]

Pretty good numbers, especially for your weight man. That's a lot of milk lol. I eat lots of whole foods, try to restrict my liquid meals to post workout shake and casein before bed.

Thanks, I swear by milk if you really need to put on weight. I was weighing 138 last summer and needed to put on some weight so whole milk + squats. I don't drink that much anymore, though and i do the same. Post workout shake or milk.

 

[kjetil1234]

500 squat 400 DL? Something sounds off about that.

 

[liftandeat]

500 squat 400 DL? Something sounds off about that.

What I was thinking

 

[liftandeat]

And genetics is why your arms aren't as big as his

 

[dbrock504]

And genetics is why your arms aren't as big as his

Some love to go straight to this and I agree but only to a point. Genetics have only so much to do with development. How you train has a lot more to do with it. He said he's volume training while his friends are bigger who does not volume train.

Go to a gym and do nothing but upper body. Let's see if your genetics will magically grow you big legs.

 

[jaces]

500 squat 400 DL? Something sounds off about that.

Not all deadlift more than they squat , especialy shorter lifters

 

[jaces]

Some love to go straight to this and I agree but only to a point. Genetics have only so much to do with development. How you train has a lot more to do with it. He said he's volume training while his friends are bigger who does not volume train.

Go to a gym and do nothing but upper body. Let's see if your genetics will magically grow you big legs.

Wish I could give you a ****ing beer and a firm handshake for saying this ,,. Ok so what I find to work for me is heavy db curls for low reps and 1 or 2 'pump' exercises with 12-15 reps thats it for bis ,, triceps I do dips and overhead db ext for heavy reps followed by a pump exercise like kickbacks or pushdowns and this works beter than a lot of volume ,,,, remember quality over quantity

 

[dbrock504]

Wish I could give you a ****ing beer and a firm handshake for saying this ,,. Ok so what I find to work for me is heavy db curls for low reps and 1 or 2 'pump' exercises with 12-15 reps thats it for bis ,, triceps I do dips and overhead db ext for heavy reps followed by a pump exercise like kickbacks or pushdowns and this works beter than a lot of volume ,,,, remember quality over quantity

I do the same Tricep workout. Weighted Dips, heavy skullcrushers, tricep cable push downs, kickbacks w/ light weight for 15 reps. Arms have grown 1/2" in the last 6 months.

 

[Sean1332]

500 squat 400 DL? Something sounds off about that.

100lb difference here as well between squat and deadlift, squat being the bigger of the two.

 

[flexfit]

Same. I deadlift just under 600, squat 500

 

[Abe Lincoln]

The 100lb difference? I hear it happens because of body frame, like short arms/long arms and long torso/short torso

 

[flexfit]

So, as I suspected, it sounds like I have been using too much volume for my arms. I will try less sets with heavier weights.

 

[jaces]

The 100lb difference? I hear it happens because of body frame, like short arms/long arms and long torso/short torso

Yes ,, tall lifters will most probably have a big deadlift ,good squat and a ****y bench

 

[jaces]

So, as I suspected, it sounds like I have been using too much volume for my arms. I will try less sets with heavier weights.

Yes ,, 2 exercises of heavy sets and 1 pump exercise wil be enough ,, a little momentum isnt a bad thing now and then

 

[jaces]

You could also try a periodization type aprouch of 2 weeks low volume heavy work and 1 high volume 'pump' work

 

[liftandeat]

Gain weight and your arms will grow. If you do so much volume and it isn't working then change it up. Less volume and more food.

 

[flexfit]

I think you missed the point of my post lol. I know how to gain weight...and I don't have small arms, I'm just saying I want them bigger and I feel like they don't respond as well as my larger muscle groups. Thanks though.

 

[liftandeat]

I think you missed the point of my post lol. I know how to gain weight...and I don't have small arms, I'm just saying I want them bigger and I feel like they don't respond as well as my larger muscle groups. Thanks though.

Isn't that genetics then? Lol

I'm sure more people are going to tell you different exercises and variations of them to get bigger arms and you could try them all and I'm sure you have tried many different things already and you will end up the same. Orrr you could just say F the arms and just train for pure strength, gain more weight and see what happens.

 

[jaces]

Isn't that genetics then? Lol

I'm sure more people are going to tell you different exercises and variations of them to get bigger arms and you could try them all and I'm sure you have tried many different things already and you will end up the same. Orrr you could just say F the arms and just train for pure strength, gain more weight and see what happens.

Why pure strength??

 

[liftandeat]

why not train for strength?

if you get stronger you know your body has changed. IMO strength=gains.

you can only build up so much sarcoplasmic fluid in your muscles before you need to build real muscle. thats what alot of beginner bodybuilders dont get, they focus so much on curls and tricep extensions but they dont have a good bench, squat, or deadlift.

 

[liftandeat]

all im saying is when in doubt train for strength

 

[dbrock504]

Gain weight and your arms will grow. If you do so much volume and it isn't working then change it up. Less volume and more food.

Bro you're a moron. I try not to bash on AM but come on... You're advice is vague and irrelevant to the OP. He clearly knows how to eat with ~18.5" arms. Train for strength when in doubt? Dude, read more, post less.

 

[Abe Lincoln]

Inject oil into your arms /thread. Lol. OP ever on anabolics or totally natty?

 

[B5150]

Bro you're a moron. I try not to bash on AM but come on... You're advice is vague and irrelevant to the OP. He clearly knows how to eat with ~18.5" arms. Train for strength when in doubt? Dude, read more, post less.

Moron? Really? No one in this thread has presented anything but anecdotal reports, yourself included. Because someone has desired results means nothing regarding the physiological efficacy of the activity.

 

[jaces]

why not train for strength?

if you get stronger you know your body has changed. IMO strength=gains.

you can only build up so much sarcoplasmic fluid in your muscles before you need to build real muscle. thats what alot of beginner bodybuilders dont get, they focus so much on curls and tricep extensions but they dont have a good bench, squat, or deadlift.

You do now that strength is more of neurological adaption ?? Your body gets beter at doing a movement thus it can use activate more motor units to lift the weight

 

[hooah47]

You do now that strength is more of neurological adaption ?? Your body gets beter at doing a movement thus it can use activate more motor units to lift the weight

This is true.. however, the greater the overload, the greater the growth on account of increased muscle fiber activation.

 

[HIT4ME]

I agree with reducing your volume and I agree with training for strength. People put too much emphasis on strength vs. hypertrophy. You won't find anyone squatting 500 pounds with tiny legs. Sure, you can gain strength through neurological improvements, and you can gain muscle size without gaining strength. But you can only carry either side of that coin so far. You aren't going to build Arnold's biceps curling 75 pounds and you aren't going to be puny curling 200 pounds. Again, I will give variation - maybe one person curling 200 pounds will have a bigger arm than another curling 200 pounds....but both will have bigger arms then they did when they were curling 100 pounds. Anyone thinking differently is believing in magic.

Many threads on here have some of the biggest, most accomplished lifters revealing that after many years of training they no longer do any direct arm work. Pulling and pressing with big weight will give some great stimulus....

 

[dbrock504]

Moron? Really? No one in this thread has presented anything but anecdotal reports, yourself included. Because someone has desired results means nothing regarding the physiological efficacy of the activity.

Apparently you missed the point I was trying to make to the other fella. The guy made a handful of comments and none of them were truly helpful in any way. Of course my reply was anecdotal. I never acknowledged it as fact. In fact, I started my reply with something like, "one thing that seems to be a common coincidence amongst these exact arm threads here on AM is people going for volume and not much growth". He told a guy who has a pretty nice lat spread as his avi and says he has 18.5" arms to eat more... So again, irrelevant info to the OP. Even the OP acknowledged that comment as irrelevant as well.

 

[Abe Lincoln]

So true hit, I stopped all my direct arm work and my arms still grew perfectly fine..

 

[jaces]

This is true.. however, the greater the overload, the greater the growth on account of increased muscle fiber activation.

But wouldnt you agree that a "squeeze" aprouch is a beter option for the most muscle fiber activation??

 

[B5150]

Apparently you missed the point I was trying to make to the other fella.

Clearly you missed my point. As soon as you start name calling your point is not worth listening to. Intelligent people don't communicate like that even when they have a great point to make. Get it?

 

[Rodja]

But wouldnt you agree that a "squeeze" aprouch is a beter option for the most muscle fiber activation??

You're creating a false dichotomy there, but you're also ignoring the importance of overload and the role of the CNS. Improved neural drive is going to make you more efficient and harness more of your existing motor units. You can still have fantastic M-M connection even at lower reps

 

[jaces]

You're creating a false dichotomy there, but you're also ignoring the importance of overload and the role of the CNS. Improved neural drive is going to make you more efficient and harness more of your existing motor units. You can still have fantastic M-M connection even at lower reps

True but with pure strength training you arent/wont get benefits of lactic acid or increased blood flow and be honest most guys in the gym wont be able to focus on contraction in a heavy triple ? They would most probably just focus on getting it up

 

[HIT4ME]

Apparently you missed the point I was trying to make to the other fella. The guy made a handful of comments and none of them were truly helpful in any way. Of course my reply was anecdotal. I never acknowledged it as fact. In fact, I started my reply with something like, "one thing that seems to be a common coincidence amongst these exact arm threads here on AM is people going for volume and not much growth". He told a guy who has a pretty nice lat spread as his avi and says he has 18.5" arms to eat more... So again, irrelevant info to the OP. Even the OP acknowledged that comment as irrelevant as well.

You may be right on this...but you got a little carried away. It is a message board and the guy was just trying to help to the best of his ability. And, he wasn't "wrong"...it is good, basic advice. You are probably right that the OP probably has some of this in check.....on the other hand....

sometimes the things that seem so obvious they are stupid, are actually so obvious they are overlooked.

 

[Rodja]

True but with pure strength training you arent/wont get benefits of lactic acid or increased blood flow and be honest most guys in the gym wont be able to focus on contraction in a heavy triple ? They would most probably just focus on getting it up

Bad technique is going to ruin any set regardless of the rep range. What does lactic acid have to do with anything regarding this? Bloodflow is going to come with a M-M connection. Again, you're presuming that someone interested in pure strength only trains in low reps, which is 100% false.

 

[jaces]

Bad technique is going to ruin any set regardless of the rep range. What does lactic acid have to do with anything regarding this? Bloodflow is going to come with a M-M connection. Again, you're presuming that someone interested in pure strength only trains in low reps, which is 100% false.

Lactic acid causes muscle damage ,, and ofcoarse they train in reps lower than 10?? And they do the rep as fast as possible so they are missing out on TUT as well?

 

[jaces]

Bad technique is going to ruin any set regardless of the rep range. What does lactic acid have to do with anything regarding this? Bloodflow is going to come with a M-M connection. Again, you're presuming that someone interested in pure strength only trains in low reps, which is 100% false.

And I didnt say bad technique I said focusing on the muscle you want to work , wich with pure strength training is not a concern because you want to use every muscle in the chain to generate maximum power