I hate my arms

I am not so fond of my arms either. I have gotten stronger with a variety of exercises with rep ranges usually between 6-12 normally but also some higher reps as well. I train everything to failure.

Currently, I am doing FST-7 training. Its more geared toward training weaker areas. Arms and calves its theorized can be trainer more often...so I am. And growing.
 
Future said:
I am not so fond of my arms either. I have gotten stronger with a variety of exercises with rep ranges usually between 6-12 normally but also some higher reps as well. I train everything to failure.

Currently, I am doing FST-7 training. Its more geared toward training weaker areas. Arms and calves its theorized can be trainer more often...so I am. And growing.
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If thats you in your avi then yes you have some tiny arms:smileeek:
 
Fiber Damage/Fiber SAturation

soseg said:
Explain this Saturation thing?
Also does anybody have any detailed articles on this style of TUT training? I tried some of this TUT for my bicep workout a few days ago, lowered the weight by a good 25lbs, and did it slow, form was easier to maintain, and lowered the weight slowly and the burn... kicked in hard. Did a certain weight twice, then used another barbell 11lbs less... worked my way down till I did about 6 or so sets... trying to keep the tension in as logn as possible... I think i got down to curling something like 55lbs barbell... but the burn/pump was amazing... unlike any bicep workout I've felt before (except this one time I was high on energy and was finding chin-ups easy so I did them MEGA slow and my biceps felt like they were going to explode).

so if anyone has any details articles / info on this post away I want to read more into it! (also does this improve strength? Im asking because biceps dont really contribute much in terms of deads/squats/bench etc... so if TUT low weight works for gaining mass in the arms then why not... but I'm thinking of trying this for the tricep... but I dont want to have big+weak tri's either by doing this...)
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I actually found this through another thread. So here is a link. The methods are from Eric Broser, a natural bodybuilder who now has his own column on MD.

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/training-forum/85872-fiber-damage-fiber.html

Here is a sample from DatbTrues link:

"With FIBER DAMAGE/FIBER SATURATION TRAINING (FD/FS) the workout is basically broken into 2 phases.

In the first phase (fiber damage), the goal is to utilize training protocols known to cause significant micro-trauma in the muscle fibers...a necessary step to setting the growth process in motion. The techniques to be used in order to achieve this goal are:

1) Heavy Weights,
2) Eccentric Emphasis, and
3) Stretch Under Tension.
Once you have damaged the muscle fibers the goal is to now bathe them with as much nutrient/hormone-rich blood as humanly possible (fiber saturation)... to facilitate immediate repairs, and take advantage of the fact that during a workout (especially when high repetitions are involved) there is as much as five times the normal amount of blood flowing directly to the muscles than when at rest.

The techniques to be used in order to achieve this goal (FS) are:

1) Very High Repetitions,
2) Continuous Tension, and
3) Post Activation Supersets (compound movement followed by isolation movement).
The goal when performing FS sets is to use a "piston-like" tempo, where the weight is almost constantly moving. There is no time for "stretch and squeeze," as all we wish to do is force so much blood into the target muscle that it feels like it may burst. The muscle has already undergone the trauma necessary during FD, and now it is time to nourish it."
 
ive gotten mine to grow best with the following:
barbell curls: 1 set to failure(using a drop set or rest pause) then the doggcrapp stretch
overhead tricep dumbell extension things: same as above

i train them 3-4 times a week doing this. and currently the only excersize im doing for chest is dips in the same manner, done on a different day though. this has worked extremely well for me...
 
3-4 times a week doing arms? What do your legs and everything else look like?
 
Future said:
3-4 times a week doing arms? What do your legs and everything else look like?
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i do everything in that manner. i have 2 splits: chest back and shoulders, and legs and arms. i rotate between those 2. i take breaks between them 1 to 2 days each week and it has been working phenomenal for me. and btw, my legs and back are my strongest points.
 
Future said:
I am not so fond of my arms either. I have gotten stronger with a variety of exercises with rep ranges usually between 6-12 normally but also some higher reps as well. I train everything to failure.

Currently, I am doing FST-7 training. Its more geared toward training weaker areas. Arms and calves its theorized can be trainer more often...so I am. And growing.
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Yeah Ok Future.... I wouldn't be too fond of my arms if they looked like your either... LOL
 

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dont sweat man, my arms are 17, but i hate them too cuz i think theyre smaller than the rest of my body....but even tho theyre 17 i can only curl 100 with solid form for like 5 reps..
 
im waiting for someone to call Future a pencil-neck... haha

he would **** bricks if he had my girly arms

Tho I've been doing some slow, higher rep, lighter weight TUT styled workouts for my biceps recently... and calves as well for hte last few weeks... I'm definitely feeling the pump more and although its very early days I think I'm seeing some so far minor increases in size... I'll be sure to brag when my calves hit 16" and arms hit 15" and beyond! haha
 
Thanks for all your replies. I don't think my diet is the problem because I can gain weight. I think my training has been too strength-focused. I've been doing low TUT, high rest, high intensity, about 6-8 sets. But it seems you guys are recommending lower weight, high TUT, low rest, higher reps. I did try GVT 10x10 (90sec rest) last year and I got seriously weak on that. I'm of the belief you cant get bigger without getting stronger, that's why I gave up on GVT.

I can curl 100x8 and the first 6 reps are strict form (no swaying) although that's with a 1sec/1.5sec up/down tempo. The last couple of reps, I do cheat slightly because I want to train to failure and do slow neg's. I do 6-8 sets like this, decreasing the weight and reps (due to fatigue) until the final set where I can do about 85x5. Each set with a 3 min rest.

So does my training suck for hypertrophy? starting to sound like it huh
 
6 reps is good for strength gains, and 8-12 is better for mass. something you may want to try is to figure out something you can curl 6-8 times, then do a dropset with 5 lbs less and shoot for 10-12 reps. that way you're getting in a little bit of both strength and mass.

another thing i used to do, is find something i can do 6 reps of. when i hit failure, i did partials till i hit failure on that. next workout session, i tried for 7 reps, etc. once i got to 10 reps, i added some weight, and dropped down to 6 reps again.
 
You're concerned about strength losses in the biceps?
seriously... who cares?
Biceps arent a muscle that are really used... or at least, that need to be powerful like the triceps...

You dont need strong biceps in deadlifts, squats, bench, etc... to open jars or to arm wrestle... train them for size...

Personally... I've switched my curling to lower weight in the last few weeks from reading this forum... literally halved the weigh if not more... (pyramid sets)... I do maybe 5-6 reps on a heavy weight full form for 2 sets, then lower it 11lbs, go again till close failure, more reps obviously, and keep working my way down for about 8-10sets (depending how i am on time) till I'm curling 15-20kg barbells (yes... very light... but I keep the elbows back, lower the weight VERY slow and then alternate between lifting it up fast and slow.. and believe me the pump I get from it is amazing... my arms feel like theyre about to rip open and bleed everywhere...)

same thing works for calf raises (powerlifters i talk to say they dont train them so no point in having strong ones as apparently squatting gives them whatever they need to help with that exercise)... so low weight/high rep... Im starting to see better results than higher weight
 
stop caring about curling your body weight a million times, and concentrate on using weight that gives your bi's a pump,...and a good workout. If you are rubbing your bis right after a set,... and they are burning.. you know you did a good set.

Stop caring about if the weight is more than your friends', or comparable. I remember reading an article interviewing Evan centropeni, commenting on his arms routine. He stated he never did anything on a barbell more than 135lbs, yet he has like 21inch arms or larger.
 
brk_nemesis said:
stop caring about curling your body weight a million times, and concentrate on using weight that gives your bi's a pump,...and a good workout. If you are rubbing your bis right after a set,... and they are burning.. you know you did a good set.

Stop caring about if the weight is more than your friends', or comparable. I remember reading an article interviewing Evan centropeni, commenting on his arms routine. He stated he never did anything on a barbell more than 135lbs, yet he has like 21inch arms or larger.
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Great advice, people get too caught up in how much weight they are doing. I can barbell curl 135lbs for a good number of reps, but I don't. The reason being is I get a much better pump/burn by using only 90lbs.
 
mildsauce said:
I'm a bit frustrated here. My arms are my weak link. Does it seem disproportionate that I can curl 100x9 yet my arms are only 14.25" cold flexed? I ask that because I've seen guys who can only do 135x5 with 16"+ arms. That's only 25 lbs better than me (adjusted for 1RM).
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There are also guys like me that curl 60 lbs with 15.5" arms.

It's more about form and proper eating, IMO.
 
15" here... well getting there... I'd struggle bb curling above 80lbs lmao... but 40-50lbs... full slow SLOW SLOW SLOW perfect form.. the pump... is like sex!

I 100% agree with what the guys above me said (even tho my arms are small I might not have credibility here) but I can say as of the last month nearly my arm workouts have felt a lot better doing lighter weights than heavy... and I think I may have added 1/4th an inch so far!
 
i dont think it should always be strict perfect form all the time. i like to switch it. sometimes ill do 135 for 5 or 6 with some swing, but other times ill do 95 or 115 for 10 or so controlled reps.
 
dg806 said:
I always say trying to build just biceps is like spot reducing. You can't do it. If you want big arms, stick to all your basic compound movements (Bench, squats, deadlifts) and don't neglect any body part. As your WHOLE body grows, so will your arms.
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I'm amazed that this post seems to have been overlooked. :jaw:
 
Dg's got it right - you need to keep training with compounds and you'll gain mass and size my man! Keep workin, eatin, sleepin, and repeatin
 
well now i dont have to worry about strength; it obviously hasnt had too much of an impact for people on here lol. still a little strength does help with density, and i could use that. any more luck on your arms soseq?? good luck keepin it up
 
too early to tell its an uber slow process
but keep trauling the forums ill definite put up a progress update maybe mid year or end of year
ive only been goiing light weight for a while and i definitely feel more pump, and im getting more shape coming out even tho the size is the same... maybe half a cm added...so who knows

trial and error, everyone responds differently
 
Australian made said:
i was curling 115lbs when i was in highschool with 14 inch arms. Now my arms are up to 17.5inches and its been years since ive ever even attempted to curl more then 100. form is everything. I can only imagine what i looked like back then.

Barbell curls, dumbell curls, CG bench and Dips..........you need to remember that triceps take up more room on your arm then your biceps do. In other words if you tri's grow then your arms will be bigger then trying to make your bi's grow. Stronger tri's = bigger bench, shoulder presses = bigger upperbody all over.
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^^^good post^^^

I would have girly arms without my tricepts. Make sure you're trying to add size there too, not just the bi's.
Also adding mass to my shoulders made my arms look much more impressive, regardless of their size.
 
I doubt I'll get any back-up for this, but I love training biceps on leg days...right after heavy squats and leg presses when the HGH and test. levels are sky-rocketed, I personally feel they grow better. And I don't do heavy weights on bicep exercises except for rope hammer curls. My Favorite:)
 
bubbachew said:
I doubt I'll get any back-up for this, but I love training biceps on leg days...right after heavy squats and leg presses when the HGH and test. levels are sky-rocketed, I personally feel they grow better. And I don't do heavy weights on bicep exercises except for rope hammer curls. My Favorite:)
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It sounds like an interesting concept tho I'm wondering how much more effective it would be to do arms right after high test workout like squats... or if you did it a day later or day prior etc
 
bubbachew said:
I doubt I'll get any back-up for this, but I love training biceps on leg days...right after heavy squats and leg presses when the HGH and test. levels are sky-rocketed, I personally feel they grow better. And I don't do heavy weights on bicep exercises except for rope hammer curls. My Favorite:)
Click to expand...

i train my arms right after legs. its been working well for me. i do go heavy though, and i use techniques such as drop sets and rest pause etc.
 
Necroticism said:
i train my arms right after legs. its been working well for me. i do go heavy though, and i use techniques such as drop sets and rest pause etc.
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You train arms right after legs? So, therefore, you train tri's and bi's? I wouldn't do that. But, as long as it's working for you, go for it. I personally, just like training bi's on leg days. Tri's on back days. To each their own.
 
bubbachew said:
You train arms right after legs? So, therefore, you train tri's and bi's? I wouldn't do that. But, as long as it's working for you, go for it. I personally, just like training bi's on leg days. Tri's on back days. To each their own.
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my volume is very low, so it works out that way. i don't do a typical split. it worked for me for years, but recently hasn't so i decided to drastically change what im doing, and this is working very well for me.
 
Mildsauce, I skipped ahead since most of the conversation has been focused on the bicep. What are you doing about your tirceps? Arm size includes the tricep, and from what I've read in books the tricep makes up a large portion of the overall arm size. Perhaps you're neglecting your triceps...

I have small arms too, so I feel your pain, and mine are smaller than yours :)
 
B5150 said:
When doing bicep work I never focus on curling weight. I focus on lowering weight. Do a 2 to 3 second eccentric and a 2 to 3 second concentric with strict form for 12 to 15 repetitions then tell me how much weight you use. ;)

I have 17.5" arms and never curl more than 60-70lbs. Weight does not make you big, time under tension does.

Triceps make up 2/3 or more of the mass of your arms. Arm size is not just about the bicep.
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Good advice!
 
I also didnt see my arms start gaining significant , noticeable size every couple months til I reevaluated my tri workouts. Tri's make up 2/3's of the arm, and I think way too many people think that the fastest way to get big arms is by changing their Bi program. LOL your not gonna get 19" arms or bigger benching 250LBS max,.....lol, KILL your tri's too!
 
The workout that gave me a boost on my arms was one that I found in a Magazine back in the 90's. The title was "Mini Arm Blast" and a blast it was/is. The work is as follows:

3sets dumbell curls: 25lbs x 8, 30lbs x 8,35lbs x 8
3sets lying dumbell extensions: 25lbs x 8, 30lbs x 8,35lbs x 8

But the trick is 1set of curls then 1set of extenions without rest for all three sets. Those were the weights that I started with and believe me your arms will be so freaking pumped. You can only do this routine once a week otherwise you'll over do it. Good Luck if choose to do it.
 
sigmachiagg11 said:
I actually found this through another thread. So here is a link. The methods are from Eric Broser, a natural bodybuilder who now has his own column on MD.

http://anabolicminds.com/forum/training-forum/85872-fiber-damage-fiber.html

Here is a sample from DatbTrues link:

"With FIBER DAMAGE/FIBER SATURATION TRAINING (FD/FS) the workout is basically broken into 2 phases.

In the first phase (fiber damage), the goal is to utilize training protocols known to cause significant micro-trauma in the muscle fibers...a necessary step to setting the growth process in motion. The techniques to be used in order to achieve this goal are:

1) Heavy Weights,
2) Eccentric Emphasis, and
3) Stretch Under Tension.
Once you have damaged the muscle fibers the goal is to now bathe them with as much nutrient/hormone-rich blood as humanly possible (fiber saturation)... to facilitate immediate repairs, and take advantage of the fact that during a workout (especially when high repetitions are involved) there is as much as five times the normal amount of blood flowing directly to the muscles than when at rest.

The techniques to be used in order to achieve this goal (FS) are:

1) Very High Repetitions,
2) Continuous Tension, and
3) Post Activation Supersets (compound movement followed by isolation movement).
The goal when performing FS sets is to use a "piston-like" tempo, where the weight is almost constantly moving. There is no time for "stretch and squeeze," as all we wish to do is force so much blood into the target muscle that it feels like it may burst. The muscle has already undergone the trauma necessary during FD, and now it is time to nourish it."
Click to expand...


This is the most useful piece of all around advice I have seen in a long time.
 
aries70 said:
The workout that gave me a boost on my arms was one that I found in a Magazine back in the 90's. The title was "Mini Arm Blast" and a blast it was/is. The work is as follows:

3sets dumbell curls: 25lbs x 8, 30lbs x 8,35lbs x 8
3sets lying dumbell extensions: 25lbs x 8, 30lbs x 8,35lbs x 8

But the trick is 1set of curls then 1set of extenions without rest for all three sets. Those were the weights that I started with and believe me your arms will be so freaking pumped. You can only do this routine once a week otherwise you'll over do it. Good Luck if choose to do it.
Click to expand...

So, supersetting between curls and extensions. I've done a modified version of this, and I agree that the pump leaves you unable to bend your arms.

I know Aries 70 personally, and I can vouch for the fact that he has some pretty big guns.
 
Hey meng, It really is mainly just a diet issue. I had 15 inch guns when i was 14 but could easily curl a buck thirty. Guys that were much bigger than me could not. I started pounding the food when I was 16. My arms went up to 18 and I gained roughly 60-70 pounds of solid muscle In a few years, no drugs, just food. I hit my peak around 19.5 inches, sticking mainly with heavy weight curls, deadlifts and pull ups for size.
Then I got married and now three years later I've reduced the clingingness That I can train again my arms are still 17.5 in What I believe is a diet high in protein and muscle that is there for good from heavy compound excercises and barbell curls.
Lift heavy, Eat big and soon you will be too.
 
TEAR57 said:
This is the most useful piece of all around advice I have seen in a long time.
Click to expand...


Thanks man. I really found it helpful for producing really good gains in my arms and back. I stopped this a while back, and now that I have gotten such great gains on my back I have noticed my chest has responded much better to regular training in itself. I highly recommend trying this.
 
yah i got problem too 16.5in arms :( everything else is huge like NPC level. anyways nutthin like some DS to "equal" out the genetics
 
I find training arms with heavy low numbered sets and reps works well. For instance in the 4-8 rep range with 6-8 sets per muscle. I pick certain excercises too that are all about size.
For bis standing barbell curls-preacher curls(barbell) or leaning cable curls-arnold curls or spider curls and pinwheels at the end. (A good tip for the brachialis muscle as well is to sit in front of a over head cable machine with your elbows above your head and your bis tight to the sides of your head and curl down without moving your elbow. Working that muscle kind of pokes your bis up like a tent pole, learned that from a larry scott video, worked for me)
For triceps Close grip bench press 6-8 inches apart(i like 6 personally) close grip military press(standing) either with the ez curl bar or a barbell. Then finish with wide grip pressdowns then narrow grip pressdowns.
Vary your sets and reps to where your doing heavy forceful reps , push yourself and don't worry about getting a "pump" You want big muscles that stick around , not deflate after a short while. I also love using grips for forearms at the end since my mind muscle contraction is already there. Alot of people overtrain their arms, and they stay small. Try this out balls to the wall and let me know how it works for you.
 
imo, bb curls and skull crushers are the alpha and omega of arm lifts. i superset heavy to light, every set, my arms are just over 19. oh i also love close grip bench for tri.
 
A great man wonce said BBing is not about how how much ya lift but about how much ya look like ya lift.

True story!

Lol

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