- Jun 25, 2006
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Big arms are what separate the men from the boys. Nothing demands more respect than thick, powerful pipes popping out of tight shirt sleeves. Girls love touching and grabbing them and guys envy them. Do you want massive arms? Then read ahead!
Building a set of large, impressive guns is difficult to do, especially if you have poor genetics. But don't fret! With time, dedication, and intelligence you, too, can build an awe inspiring set of arms!
When it comes to building big arms there are 3 major components: training, nutrition, and rest. I will go over all three in detail and give you extra tips along the way to maximize your arm gains that much more. So, let us begin.
TRAINING
To add slabs of lean mass to your arms you need to give your body a reason to; this means forcing your body to put on large amounts of muscle, especially if you have skinny genetics and have a very difficult time putting on muscle and an easy time losing it. How? you ask. Withy heavy, intense, high volume training. To really shock your arms and force them into new growth you should train your arms two times a week; the first session should be on Monday and the second session should be on Friday, allowing plenty of rest between sessions. The first session should be an all out session where you go as heavy, intense, and high volumed as possible. The second session a few days later should be slightly less heavy and intense with less volume to prevent overtraining. The first session should focus on mass building exercises for the arms; the second session should still include key mass building exercises but include more refining movements.
Here are what I consider to be the best mass building exercises for the arms:
- Barbell Curls (biceps)
- Close Grip Bench Press (triceps)
- Preacher Curls (biceps)
- Skullcrushers (triceps)
- DB Hammer Curls (biceps)
- One Arm DB Overhead Extensions (triceps)
- Reverse Barbell Curls (biceps)
- Dips (triceps)
Here are what I consider to be the best refining movements for arms, to help scult them and add more detail:
- DB Kickbacks (triceps)
- DB Concentration Curls (biceps)
- Cable Pushdowns (triceps)
- Barbell 21's (biceps)
Here is Monday's sample workout, in the following order:
Barbell Curls, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Close Grip Bench Press, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Preacher Curls, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Skullcrushers, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
DB Hammer Curls, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
One Arm DB Overhead Extensions, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Reverse Barbell Curls, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Dips, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Here is Friday's sample workout, in the following order:
Barbell 21's, 3 sets, 21 reps each set
Cable Pushdowns, 3 sets, 10-12 reps each set
DB Concentration Curls, 3 sets, 10-12 reps each set
DB Kickbacks, 3 sets, 10-12 reps each set
Rest throughout the weekend and repeat the cycle on Monday.
NUTRITION
When it comes to getting big arms, it can be said that nutrition is more important than training. Jay Cutler, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and 3 time Mr.Olympia, who has over 22 inch arms, once said: "Bodybuilding is 80 percent nutrition." And he is definitely right. You can't get big arms without eating big! Therefore, when one is trying to add inches to their arms they should be following a bulking diet. They shouldn't restrict essential muscle building carbohydrates and fats, nor should they stuff their faces recklessly with ice cream and pizza in order to add as much size to their arms as possible; you want big arms, but you don't want fatty arms, afterall. In order to get the best of both worlds when it comes to putting on arm size and still keeping your arms relatively lean, you should follow a smart, consistent, and effective bulking diet. Whether if you're cutting or bulking protein will always be the most important macronutrient when it comes to building muscle. Following in importance are carbohydrates and fats, respectively. As a general rule of thumb if you're bulking, you should get at least 1 - 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and 2 - 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight. Fats should be no higher than 0.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. The following is a sample bulking diet for a skinny 140 pound man who is around 5' 9" trying to add serious muscle to their arms and all over their body.
Meal One
50 grams of Whey Protein and 20 cashews/almonds.
Meal Two
2 cups of brown rice, 6 whole eggs, and 2 cups of orange juice.
(Train...)
Meal Three (Post Workout)
50 grams of Whey Protein and 100 grams of simple carbohydrates.
Meal Four
2 cups of brown rice, 8 oz. steak, and salad.
Meal Five
2 cups of brown rice, 8 oz. chicken, and salad.
Meal Six (before bed)
50 grams of Casein Protein and 20 cashews/almonds.
Total Calories: Approximately 4200
Protein: Approximately 330 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 442 grams
Fat: Approximately 124 grams
REST
Rest is the final piece to solving the elusive, seemingly unattainable puzzle that is big arms. It doesn't matter if you train like a wild animal or eat like a man who hasn't eaten in days, if you don't give your a body rest it will never have a chance to grow. You see, this is how muscle is built: you lift weights, which cause microtears to the muscle fibers; you consume protein; during rest the body utilizes this protein to repair the damaged muscle fibers so that they grow back bigger and stronger. As aforementioned, you should train your arms no more than twice a week. However, if you are following a traditional bodybuilding split which includes training all major muscle groups, you should train your arms only once a week. You should get at least 8 hours of pure, interrupted sleep each night to really help your muscles recover.
So, that's it, folks! The secret to big arms: heavy, intense, high volume training, a caloric surplus emphasizing high protein and intake of healthy fats and carbohydrates, and sufficient rest.
Now, go out there and train those puny 13 inch pipes! If you follow the above and give 110 percent, who knows?, maybe some day you'll be proudly strutting around a set of 20 inch guns.
By bojanglesk8
Building a set of large, impressive guns is difficult to do, especially if you have poor genetics. But don't fret! With time, dedication, and intelligence you, too, can build an awe inspiring set of arms!
When it comes to building big arms there are 3 major components: training, nutrition, and rest. I will go over all three in detail and give you extra tips along the way to maximize your arm gains that much more. So, let us begin.
TRAINING
To add slabs of lean mass to your arms you need to give your body a reason to; this means forcing your body to put on large amounts of muscle, especially if you have skinny genetics and have a very difficult time putting on muscle and an easy time losing it. How? you ask. Withy heavy, intense, high volume training. To really shock your arms and force them into new growth you should train your arms two times a week; the first session should be on Monday and the second session should be on Friday, allowing plenty of rest between sessions. The first session should be an all out session where you go as heavy, intense, and high volumed as possible. The second session a few days later should be slightly less heavy and intense with less volume to prevent overtraining. The first session should focus on mass building exercises for the arms; the second session should still include key mass building exercises but include more refining movements.
Here are what I consider to be the best mass building exercises for the arms:
- Barbell Curls (biceps)
- Close Grip Bench Press (triceps)
- Preacher Curls (biceps)
- Skullcrushers (triceps)
- DB Hammer Curls (biceps)
- One Arm DB Overhead Extensions (triceps)
- Reverse Barbell Curls (biceps)
- Dips (triceps)
Here are what I consider to be the best refining movements for arms, to help scult them and add more detail:
- DB Kickbacks (triceps)
- DB Concentration Curls (biceps)
- Cable Pushdowns (triceps)
- Barbell 21's (biceps)
Here is Monday's sample workout, in the following order:
Barbell Curls, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Close Grip Bench Press, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Preacher Curls, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Skullcrushers, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
DB Hammer Curls, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
One Arm DB Overhead Extensions, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Reverse Barbell Curls, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Dips, 3 sets, 6-8 reps each set
Here is Friday's sample workout, in the following order:
Barbell 21's, 3 sets, 21 reps each set
Cable Pushdowns, 3 sets, 10-12 reps each set
DB Concentration Curls, 3 sets, 10-12 reps each set
DB Kickbacks, 3 sets, 10-12 reps each set
Rest throughout the weekend and repeat the cycle on Monday.
NUTRITION
When it comes to getting big arms, it can be said that nutrition is more important than training. Jay Cutler, IFBB Pro Bodybuilder and 3 time Mr.Olympia, who has over 22 inch arms, once said: "Bodybuilding is 80 percent nutrition." And he is definitely right. You can't get big arms without eating big! Therefore, when one is trying to add inches to their arms they should be following a bulking diet. They shouldn't restrict essential muscle building carbohydrates and fats, nor should they stuff their faces recklessly with ice cream and pizza in order to add as much size to their arms as possible; you want big arms, but you don't want fatty arms, afterall. In order to get the best of both worlds when it comes to putting on arm size and still keeping your arms relatively lean, you should follow a smart, consistent, and effective bulking diet. Whether if you're cutting or bulking protein will always be the most important macronutrient when it comes to building muscle. Following in importance are carbohydrates and fats, respectively. As a general rule of thumb if you're bulking, you should get at least 1 - 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight and 2 - 3 grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight. Fats should be no higher than 0.5 grams per pound of bodyweight. The following is a sample bulking diet for a skinny 140 pound man who is around 5' 9" trying to add serious muscle to their arms and all over their body.
Meal One
50 grams of Whey Protein and 20 cashews/almonds.
Meal Two
2 cups of brown rice, 6 whole eggs, and 2 cups of orange juice.
(Train...)
Meal Three (Post Workout)
50 grams of Whey Protein and 100 grams of simple carbohydrates.
Meal Four
2 cups of brown rice, 8 oz. steak, and salad.
Meal Five
2 cups of brown rice, 8 oz. chicken, and salad.
Meal Six (before bed)
50 grams of Casein Protein and 20 cashews/almonds.
Total Calories: Approximately 4200
Protein: Approximately 330 grams
Carbohydrates: Approximately 442 grams
Fat: Approximately 124 grams
REST
Rest is the final piece to solving the elusive, seemingly unattainable puzzle that is big arms. It doesn't matter if you train like a wild animal or eat like a man who hasn't eaten in days, if you don't give your a body rest it will never have a chance to grow. You see, this is how muscle is built: you lift weights, which cause microtears to the muscle fibers; you consume protein; during rest the body utilizes this protein to repair the damaged muscle fibers so that they grow back bigger and stronger. As aforementioned, you should train your arms no more than twice a week. However, if you are following a traditional bodybuilding split which includes training all major muscle groups, you should train your arms only once a week. You should get at least 8 hours of pure, interrupted sleep each night to really help your muscles recover.
So, that's it, folks! The secret to big arms: heavy, intense, high volume training, a caloric surplus emphasizing high protein and intake of healthy fats and carbohydrates, and sufficient rest.
Now, go out there and train those puny 13 inch pipes! If you follow the above and give 110 percent, who knows?, maybe some day you'll be proudly strutting around a set of 20 inch guns.
By bojanglesk8