Ever notice someone
with a great physique in a crowded store or walking down a busy sidewalk.
People notice. Heads turn in attention as people look on with admiring
glances. And then the whispered comment follows.
"Did you see
the arms on that guy?"
It's as inevitable
as the sunrise. A quality physique is a well earned trophy that you can carry
with you everywhere you go but its large muscular arms that steal the show.
Where do you fit
into this picture? Are you the one with the bulging bicep or the one who looks
on with envy? If you are the one who is looking on with envy then this article
is for you. I'm going to tell you how to fill out your shirt sleeves like a
snake that has just swallowed a cow.
To increase your
arm size in the shortest time possible it is important that you stick to the
basics. By basics I mean the lifts that will give you the most return on your
investment. Don't waste your time on non-productive movements like 90 percent
of the other people in the gym. These are the same people who have little or
no gains to show for the time that they spend there. Then, when they see how
well you are doing they will accuse you of being on steroids. Just accept it
as a complement and keep lifting.
The first basic
lift that you will need to focus on is the standing barbell curl. This can be
preformed with either an easy-curl bar or a straight bar. While the easy-curl
bar has angled grips to emphasize bicep peak, either bar is fine. Standing
with your feet shoulder width apart, grab the bar with a grip that is slightly
less than shoulder width. Begin with a weight that you can comfortably move
for 12 to 15 repetitions. Start with the weight lowered nearly to your legs
but do not let your arms hang straight down. To fully lock out the arms will
create too much stress on your joints. Now, with a steady and controlled
motion, bring the weight up until your biceps are in a fully contracted
position. Do not swing the weight or arch your back. While swinging the weight
is a form of cheating that will allow you to lift heavier weights, it will
only increase the size of your ego, not your arms. Therefore, use proper form
at all times. Now, lower the weight in a controlled motion until your arms are
nearly down to your hips but not fully locked out. Repeat this movement for
the required 12 to 15 repetitions. If this is too difficult to do, reduce the
amount of weight so that you can complete the entire number of reps. If it is
too easy,
don't cheat yourself,
increase the weight. While this is a warm up set, the last few reps should
still be challenging.
After you have
completed this set, rack the weight and get a drink of water. Actually, you
should have a bottle of water with you. You need to take about a minuet to a
minuet and a half to rest before beginning your next set. This allows time for
your muscles to replenish their glycogen reserves in order to have energy for
the next set. Use this time to load more weights on the bar. For this next
set, you want an amount of weight that you can perform for 8 to 12
repetitions. Once again, form is critical. You will build muscle faster and
have fewer injuries while using proper form. This is true for any exercise.
Get to know your limits. For this set you will use a closer grip on the bar
with your hands approximately 6 inches apart. As above, adjust the amount of
weight as necessary to make this a truly challenging set. After you have
completed your 8 to 12 reps, rack the weight, take a sip of water if desired
and begin to set the bar up for your third set. This next set will be heavier
than the last using an amount of weight that you can lift for only 5 to 8
repetitions. For this set, you will return to the shoulder width grip. Are you
serious about getting massive arms? Then be sure that you are reaching
positive failure before you rack the weight. Positive failure means that you
simply cannot perform another repetition of the exercise with good form
without assistance. Many people give up on a set long before they have reached
failure and wonder why they cannot make gains. Read this carefully and
understand it. Few things of value come without effort. You have to work
for this. The important thing is that when you do this correctly, you will
be making gains while others around you are simply going through the motions.
Now, after you have
completed the third set, rack the weight and reduce the amount of weight on
the bar by approximately 40%. On this last set, return to the close grip with
your hands about 6" apart. With this new, lighter weight, perform one last set
to absolute failure. Move the weight somewhat faster than before while
deliberately flexing the bicep as much as possible during every rep. The
number of repetitions preformed here is not as important as reaching absolute
positive failure. When you are done, rack the weight. By now you should have a
serious burn starting in you biceps. Your vascularity should be somewhat
enhanced and your muscles should be full and pumped.
Ladies and
gentlemen, this is just the beginning.
Using proper gym
etiquette, take care of the weights and get ready for your next movement.
Some people would
be satisfied at this point and call it a day on their biceps. While they're
heading to the locker room, you will be reaching for the dumbbells. You're
reading this because you want impressive arms, right?
Well no one
is going to give them to you, you have to earn them so let's keep going.
Using
the principals that we have outlined above, the rest of the workout will look
like this.
1st set 12
to 15 repsShoulder
width grip
2nd set8
to 12 repsClose
grip
3rd set5
to 8 repsShoulder
width grip
4th setUntil
failureClose grip
Note: drop weight
by 40% for last set
1st set12
to 15 repsAlternating
each side
2nd set8
to 12 repsAlternating
each side
3rd set5
to 8 repsAlternating
each side
4th setUntil
failureAlternating
each side
Note: drop weight
by 40% for last set
1st set10
to 12 repsSeated,
as pictured
2nd set8
to 10 repsSeated,
as pictured
3rd setUntil
failureSeated, as
pictured
Note: drop weight
by 40% for last set
Tricep Pushdowns
1st set12t
to 15 reps Close grip
2nd set8
to 12 repsClose
grip
3rd set5
to 8 reps Close
grip
4th setUntil
failure Close
grip
Note: drop weight
by 40% for last set
Note: drop weight
by 40% for last set
If you're serious
about building your arms then don't stop here, you need to read the rest of
this article.
While this program
emphasizes the biceps, we have included the triceps as well. Think about it.
There are three heads to the triceps and together they make up the majority of
the bulk in your upper arm. It is possible to have large biceps and still have
small arms. In bodybuilding, symmetry is critical so be sure to balance out
each body part. Next, perform the above workout no more than twice a week. For
instance, after you have completed the workout above, wait at least two days
before doing it again.
While weight
training provides the catalyst for muscle growth, actual growth itself takes
place during the rest period between workouts.
Do not make the mistake of thinking that more is better. Overtraining the same
muscle before it has had a chance to recover is extremely counterproductive.
A word about
nutrition.
In bodybuilding,
nutrition is every bit as important as weight training. You can lift weights
until the sun goes down but if you do not feed your muscles properly they will
never grow. All successful bodybuilders consume large amounts of protein. It
is the building material that our muscles use to repair themselves and create
new muscle tissue. Most bodybuilders will consume a minimum of 2.2 grams of
protein for every kilogram of body weight. This should be divided into 5 to 6
small meals consumed throughout the day.
Last Word:
The above program
is only part of an overall fitness plan. In the months ahead we will discuss
other body parts as well as how to develop your overall physique. At surface
level, bodybuilding appears to be a simple pursuit. After all, how much
intelligence does it take to lift weight? The answer is that it takes a lot if
you plan to be successful at it.
Train Hard and
don't take Fitness Lightly,
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