Best way to get bigger arms?

[Eric1987]

Well I went to the gym with a friend the other day. We did 30 pull ups 30 dips and 30 curls. Not sure the weight on the curls. Then we did some bench ( was too tired to do much weight at all) and then some sit ups. I am sore as fuck. My pecs are sore which I cannot explain...And my abs. I've never had that feeling in the abs before.

 

[Varga]

Let me dismiss this once it for all that Squats and deads will not do much for arm size period! The reason I did them was to achieve overall symetry and not look like a dork. Arms however will grow as a secondary effect of doing back/chest/shoulders and with the help of legs/squats in terms of increased hormons. BUT if you keep over doing the legs/squats/deads shit... it will kill all the momentum you might have, especially if you go heavy! Basically run into over training.
If you want to have bigger arms do legs in moderation and go heavy on shoulders presses, back and chest. When I say heavy dont do 3-5 reps your second set IT WILL NOT GROW JACK SHIT in 99% of ppl!! LOL Devote an workout for arms only shoulders/tris/bis and work out within reason. A 5x5 routine is a sure way to overtraing if you dont know what you doing. Stick with 10-12 rep range.
There is dude at the gym who is into power lifting and shit and he squats, benches and deadlifts most time I've seen him. His arms SUCK ASS. As a matter of fact when I was doing heavy Squats and deads I was so freak in tired that I couldn't even work my upper body properly and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone saying this. I didn't start to have success untill I started doing heavy curls/back and chest/Tris and medium legs all 10-12 rep range.For example, heavy curls should start with BB curl at 50% of body weight and look to hit 75% or higher for 10 reps. I once thought that 75% of body weight would be imposible but it is not .
I mean most here are saying the right thing to work this and that...compound movements etc..and I agree, but is the direct arm workouts that will yield the most size for your arms if this is what you are looking for. Compound movements will have a secondary effect on arms but will put on mainly body weight.

 

[Gawd]

Let me dismiss this once it for all that Squats and deads will not do much for arm size period! The reason I did them was to achieve overall symetry and not look like a dork. Arms however will grow as a secondary effect of doing back/chest/shoulders and with the help of legs/squats in terms of increased hormons. BUT if you keep over doing the legs/squats/deads shit... it will kill all the momentum you might have, especially if you go heavy! Basically run into over training.
If you want to have bigger arms do legs in moderation and go heavy on shoulders presses, back and chest. When I say heavy dont do 3-5 reps your second set IT WILL NOT GROW JACK SHIT in 99% of ppl!! LOL Devote an workout for arms only shoulders/tris/bis and work out within reason. A 5x5 routine is a sure way to overtraing if you dont know what you doing. Stick with 10-12 rep range.
There is dude at the gym who is into power lifting and shit and he squats, benches and deadlifts most time I've seen him. His arms SUCK ASS. As a matter of fact when I was doing heavy Squats and deads I was so freak in tired that I couldn't even work my upper body properly and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone saying this. I didn't start to have success untill I started doing heavy curls/back and chest/Tris and medium legs all 10-12 rep range.For example, heavy curls should start with BB curl at 50% of body weight and look to hit 75% or higher for 10 reps. I once thought that 75% of body weight would be imposible but it is not .
I mean most here are saying the right thing to work this and that...compound movements etc..and I agree, but is the direct arm workouts that will yield the most size for your arms if this is what you are looking for. Compound movements will have a secondary effect on arms but will put on mainly body weight.

I'm on my 3rd week of doing a 5x5 routine and I can already see my bi's and tri's getting considerably bigger and harder. Compared to when I was doing higher reps with compound & isolation exercises. 5x5 Seems to be working well for me.

 

[SaiBoT]

Let me dismiss this once it for all that Squats and deads will not do much for arm size period! The reason I did them was to achieve overall symetry and not look like a dork. Arms however will grow as a secondary effect of doing back/chest/shoulders and with the help of legs/squats in terms of increased hormons. BUT if you keep over doing the legs/squats/deads shit... it will kill all the momentum you might have, especially if you go heavy! Basically run into over training.
If you want to have bigger arms do legs in moderation and go heavy on shoulders presses, back and chest. When I say heavy dont do 3-5 reps your second set IT WILL NOT GROW JACK SHIT in 99% of ppl!! LOL Devote an workout for arms only shoulders/tris/bis and work out within reason. A 5x5 routine is a sure way to overtraing if you dont know what you doing. Stick with 10-12 rep range.
There is dude at the gym who is into power lifting and shit and he squats, benches and deadlifts most time I've seen him. His arms SUCK ASS. As a matter of fact when I was doing heavy Squats and deads I was so freak in tired that I couldn't even work my upper body properly and I'm pretty sure I'm not alone saying this. I didn't start to have success untill I started doing heavy curls/back and chest/Tris and medium legs all 10-12 rep range.For example, heavy curls should start with BB curl at 50% of body weight and look to hit 75% or higher for 10 reps. I once thought that 75% of body weight would be imposible but it is not .
I mean most here are saying the right thing to work this and that...compound movements etc..and I agree, but is the direct arm workouts that will yield the most size for your arms if this is what you are looking for. Compound movements will have a secondary effect on arms but will put on mainly body weight.

Yeah that's what is being said for some long, pump on bis and forearms while doing deadlifts for reps is awesome and sure everybody here is saying that some direct work on arms is a valuable addiction to a nice program coumpound program.

 

[FunFun]

For example, heavy curls should start with BB curl at 50% of body weight and look to hit 75% or higher for 10 reps. I once thought that 75% of body weight would be imposible but it is not .

Deciding the correct weight to use on curls as a percentage of bodyweight makes no sense at all. It's totally irrelevant.

Using your criteria I'd have to start at 125lbs and work up to 190 lb (or higher) for 10 reps.

Use what you can in good form and don't worry about the bodyweight percentage. Pushing curl weight up to high will probably result in some kind of reverse powercleans for many.

 

[the_alcatraz]

The conventional advice of doing compounds doesn't work for everyone though IMO for their arms.

My father was in his prime 75kg, <10% bf, only 5'6, and a top judo player.

Could bench more than double his bodyweight; do chins and dips with his entire weight attached; dead lift over 200kg, and yet (I'm basing this on photos of him at that time and what he's told me) never had large arms, training them maybe one exercise after his compounds

Had massive shoulders, chest, back, and decent legs (for a 5'6 natty 75kg person) but quite small arms.

Unfortunately this compound failing to stimulate arms problem appears heridatory lol - although I'd need to gain 5kg of LBM to get to his former size

It works with more than 90% of bodybuilders....that number may be a little inflated, but compound major movements build up everything...they are the basics

Genetics also plays a major role...

Sometimes you need to hit some super-strict bi/tri exercises that why i recommend the ones that you can lift heavy with, like narrow grip bench, french press, skull crushers, cheat curls and heavy dumbell curls

 

[Varga]

I'm on my 3rd week of doing a 5x5 routine and I can already see my bi's and tri's getting considerably bigger and harder. Compared to when I was doing higher reps with compound & isolation exercises. 5x5 Seems to be working well for me.

I didnt say it doesnt work but from experience is easy to over train on it. You only on 3rd week, you got more to go but change is good sometimes.
Good luck

 

[Gawd]

I didnt say it doesnt work but from experience is easy to over train on it. You only on 3rd week, you got more to go but change is good sometimes.
Good luck

Hey, Yea I know. Was just sharing my experience with it so far.

 

[Varga]

Deciding the correct weight to use on curls as a percentage of bodyweight makes no sense at all. It's totally irrelevant.

Using your criteria I'd have to start at 125lbs and work up to 190 lb (or higher) for 10 reps.

Use what you can in good form and don't worry about the bodyweight percentage. Pushing curl weight up to high will probably result in some kind of reverse powercleans for many.

The percentage is a goal to challange yourself to attain. Doing what you can in good form is all good but at some point you need to increase the weight to produce more growth. If you just allow your body to do what is comfortable with is not going to produce much growth
And BTW, I never had much success with doing what I could in good form. I always pushed for the weights I couldnt do untill I could...

 

[Varga]

Hey, Yea I know. Was just sharing my experience with it so far.

I hear you, its all good. Like I said change is good and shocking your body once in a while is not all that bad with a diferent routine. I can def tell you that I personally dont like 5x5 as a long term routine...brutal on the joints but short term is good