Please Scroll Down to See Forums Below
Arms need some help
- Thread starter AdamM
- Start date
strongsmartsexy
New member
Try 3 sets of 21s on your bi's for 3 - 4 weeks. If you don't feel it, then put some real weight on it. 
Omegasox
New member
strongsmartsexy said:Try 3 sets of 21s on your bi's for 3 - 4 weeks. If you don't feel it, then put some real weight on it.
I absolutely love 21's. I always end my workout with this. I throw 20 on each side, do them nice and controlled, take 5 off, repeat, take 5 off and done. No rest in between except time to take the weight off. My arms are throbbing after this.
strongsmartsexy
New member
Omegasox said:
Don't you just LOVE that feeling of someone splitting your biceps open with a knife after a good hard set?
strongsmartsexy
New member
wtlftr said:
Heavy incline skull crushers for growth. Cable tri presses for the gym pansies.
Aerojaxx
New member
Mainly...listen to your body....muscles do not lie...they know, you know when you have worked them....
Decide if you are building or cutting and set your rep counts accordingly.....
When it comes to arms I never set a "Routine" or a certain rep count....When in a bulking mode I do 3-4 different exercises with a weight I know is right for me....."heavy"
The "exercise" if done properly doesn't really matter, it is the "effort" exerted that is important....
It sounds like to me your arms are very accustomed to what your doing....simply doing more of what your muslcles are use to will not give you the desired result....
Decide if you are building or cutting and set your rep counts accordingly.....
When it comes to arms I never set a "Routine" or a certain rep count....When in a bulking mode I do 3-4 different exercises with a weight I know is right for me....."heavy"
The "exercise" if done properly doesn't really matter, it is the "effort" exerted that is important....
It sounds like to me your arms are very accustomed to what your doing....simply doing more of what your muslcles are use to will not give you the desired result....
strongsmartsexy
New member
aerowana said:
I use them for 3 - 4 weeks when it seem that they're not responding. I've also used negatives on a preacher bench to do the same thing.
Aerojaxx
New member
tzan I disagree with you.....5 sets of 10 does not work a muscles remotely close to the way 5 sets of 5 does.....that being said, lift heavy bench press all of the time, get all of the cardio you want, eat right and you will not have the stamina and endurance needed to do a set of 20 reps proportinate to your one rep max.......
however, chest, bench press and the pec deck are hardly comparable to the subject at hand.....Arms...
however, chest, bench press and the pec deck are hardly comparable to the subject at hand.....Arms...
Sammy Sosa
New member
I say drop all the volume work. Hit them 2-3 times a week, with one exercise each of 2-3 sets. IMO high frequency is the best way to bring up a lagging group.
aerojaxx said:
Makes more sense now that you clarified yourself al ittle. However, I still don't agree with you about lifting different when cutting. If I'm understanding you correctly, you are assocciating endurance with cutting, which doen't have to be the case. If your lifting for endurance, then obviusly your going to want to go lighter with more reps, but that doesn't really have anything to do with cutting.
Bulldog_10
New member
Weighted Pull-ups (supinated grip) and dips. Nuff said.
Bulldog_10
New member
aerojaxx said:
It's not even close to as clear cut as that. More like this:
Heavy weight - low reps = strength
Light weight - high reps = endurance
Like tzan said...it's not exactly your strength training routine that determines whether you will add or lose weight, it's more diet and cardio (again, not as clear cut as that...as nothing ever is).
One more point, you really shouldn't do a 5x5 routine strictly for arms. For example, you shouldn't really be lifting a weight that you can only do for five reps on barbell curls...it places too much stress on the elbow joint. You shouldn't really go below 7-8 reps in assistance exercises.
D
Debaser
Guest
Bulldog_10 said:
Bingo.
And there's a lot of misinformation on the first page of this thread.
strongsmartsexy
New member
Bulldog_10 said:
I love these two excersizes! They never leave my routine. Something about doing dips that makes my chest and arms SING!
majutsu
Well-known member
b.s. aerojaxx
a muscle doesn't give a crap how many reps you do, or sets; it doesn't have a counter you know. What do you think is the difference between 2 sets of 10 and a 20-rep rest-pause set? Ans. There is none. The muscle only knows a harder workload than its seen before, the mechanotransducers start a chemical cascade to make the muscle increase its cross-sectional area (CSA) so that doesn't happen again . . . Admittedly, it tends to be easier to overload a muscle in a shorter time with heavier weight. But that is not a law. Serge used to do 10sets of 20rep bench as his chest workout, and my avatar proves that builds mass . . . There are a hundred other pro- examples. There are also guys who work real heavy 1 set each exercise: Mentzner, Yates . . . That old "law" is a completely, scientifically disproven old myth. However, probably 90+% of athletes at our level on this board, were we to use light weight 20-rep sets, would probably tire aerobically before our muscles got a significant work overload to induce growth. So for me -- heavy is better. And you too I guess. But its not a law just our experience/temperment/metabolism, some only grow with over 12 rep sets. Go figure.
a muscle doesn't give a crap how many reps you do, or sets; it doesn't have a counter you know. What do you think is the difference between 2 sets of 10 and a 20-rep rest-pause set? Ans. There is none. The muscle only knows a harder workload than its seen before, the mechanotransducers start a chemical cascade to make the muscle increase its cross-sectional area (CSA) so that doesn't happen again . . . Admittedly, it tends to be easier to overload a muscle in a shorter time with heavier weight. But that is not a law. Serge used to do 10sets of 20rep bench as his chest workout, and my avatar proves that builds mass . . . There are a hundred other pro- examples. There are also guys who work real heavy 1 set each exercise: Mentzner, Yates . . . That old "law" is a completely, scientifically disproven old myth. However, probably 90+% of athletes at our level on this board, were we to use light weight 20-rep sets, would probably tire aerobically before our muscles got a significant work overload to induce growth. So for me -- heavy is better. And you too I guess. But its not a law just our experience/temperment/metabolism, some only grow with over 12 rep sets. Go figure.
Bulldog_10
New member
aerojaxx said:
World's Strongest Man competitors - eat alot, don't do cardio
Marathon runner - Eat less, lots of cardio.
Don't be so one dimensional bro.
psychedout
New member
wtlftr said:
IMO pushdowns (and cable variations) are a great worthwhile exercise for triceps.
Wheres AAP when I need him? He uses a lot of cables for tris...
Bulldog_10
New member
psychedout said:
I think the point he was trying to make is that you'll grow a hell of a lot more doing compound exercises as opposed to isolation exercises.
psychedout
New member
IMO, bottom line is you need both. Too many people are set in stone with dips and narrow grip bench and will never touch a cable.
The person who uses both compounds and cables will grow more.
The person who uses both compounds and cables will grow more.
Bulldog_10
New member
psychedout said:
In my opinion, isolation exercises are not necessary MOST of the time. Of course, they're good to throw in there every once in a while, but only one per session. I try to stay away from all isolations by doing push/pull workouts instead of concentrating on one muscle group at a time like most people do.
psychedout
New member
I would never suggest anyone base a routine around isolation exercises, but I just think too many people discredit them.
To each his own though... some people have genetic structures that are such that pushdowns will benefit them more than db externsions for example.
To each his own though... some people have genetic structures that are such that pushdowns will benefit them more than db externsions for example.
Aerojaxx
New member
We have two complete different ways of thinking.....training...which have produced results for us all....bottom line what I do works for me and has very well for many years....but this is very good, I am learning...many ideas......
majatsu - very good post...your argument against me really makes sense...however, I still disagree.......muscles do have a memory....
majatsu - very good post...your argument against me really makes sense...however, I still disagree.......muscles do have a memory....
Last edited:
D
Debaser
Guest
aerojaxx said:
I'm not sure why everyone seems to think of muscle as "intelligent." Muscles are in fact very simple.
Aerojaxx
New member
Bottom line for me...if I want strength/mass, I have to lift the heavy weight ...I think what is different for me is I have trained many years for strength.....that is the way my training has evolved...
Strong man competitor picks up cars - not hotwheels -builds ridiculous Mass and Strength....
Strong man competitor picks up cars - not hotwheels -builds ridiculous Mass and Strength....
So aerojaxx I guess ur muscle endurance is not good then. U cant do 20 reps proportional to ur 1RM? Just a thought, if we train for muscle endurance on off days, will that affect the recovery of the muscles? Since we are kinda like using different fiber types. And also, isn't it better if both types get worked on so that their sizes combine to give more mass?
Bulldog_10
New member
aerowana said:
During heavy strength training all fiber types are worked. They get recruited in order: Type I, Type IIa, Type IIx, Type IIb
So doing endurance work doesn't stimulate any new fibers.
Also, doing cardio might actually DECREASE the size of your slow twitch (type I) fibers. This is why people say that cardio may hinder strength gains.
Aerojaxx
New member
I never said that I could not do a 20 rep set equivalent to my 1 rep max....actually I can....in fact my endurance level currently is better than my 1 rep max....
For example I can Bench Press 235 X 20....but I am still working on the heavy Bench due to recovering from a shoulder injury....my one rep max is currently 335 lbs.....with the chest workout I had Monday repping 295 for 2 different sets of 5 and 315 X 3 times....it should be higher.....
To push heavy weight.....YOU MUST push heavy weight....
Prior to injury I have benched 425......
When it comes to the arms....which this post originally focused on....I can hammer curl 80 for low reps.....or I could do 5 sets of 10 with the 50's...heavy weight low reps being much more benefitial for creating mass and strength...
I agreee you need both...thus the superset.....
For example I can Bench Press 235 X 20....but I am still working on the heavy Bench due to recovering from a shoulder injury....my one rep max is currently 335 lbs.....with the chest workout I had Monday repping 295 for 2 different sets of 5 and 315 X 3 times....it should be higher.....
To push heavy weight.....YOU MUST push heavy weight....
Prior to injury I have benched 425......
When it comes to the arms....which this post originally focused on....I can hammer curl 80 for low reps.....or I could do 5 sets of 10 with the 50's...heavy weight low reps being much more benefitial for creating mass and strength...
I agreee you need both...thus the superset.....
jayjuicer9
New member
Im guessing your arms are burning when your doing to sets...Right? If not, simple answer..your not training hard enough. With the amount of protien you should be taking, and the fact you have been training a while, the pain wont really be there any longer, you should still feel tight though. Take a week or two off the arms and start over. Im sure you will feel it the next day or two after that.
Similar threads
