My gf asked me to do more for my arms. I do basically vanilla SS and I love it - however my arms are pretty tiny. I included dumbbell curls in the 10 rep range but I am not sure this will get me anywhere.

It's just that working out "for my arms" bores me to death compared to my regular lifting. Any recommendations for efficient arm exercises?

farvacola

United States18826 Posts

March 20 2014 14:11 GMT

#882

Dips and rows beat isolation work for big arms any day.

mordek

United States12704 Posts

March 20 2014 14:11 GMT

#883

You're not working out "for your arms" it's "for your gf" at that point

could still be boring though. I'm pretty comfortable with my arm size (subjective, there are plenty more swole ppl here! by that I mean proportionally my arms are good

) and I just do chins and one arm dumbbell rows in the 10 rep range.

Osmoses

Sweden5302 Posts

March 20 2014 14:19 GMT

#884

On March 20 2014 23:11 farvacola wrote:
Dips and rows beat isolation work for big arms any day.

I dunno about that. Dips/rows/chins/pullups will make you stronger sure, but for size I always hear bodybuilders recommend hypertrophy, which is supposedly attained through isolation work to exhaustion, in other words curl pyramids.

Amirite?

hjhy

7 Posts

March 20 2014 14:23 GMT

#885

On the subject of bulking/cutting, how much fat can you lose without cutting or cutting much?
I'm currently 85kg at ~1m90, recently got here after bulking for several months (my weight was ~70kg in october when I started oly lifting), I eat well so I didn't put on too much fat but It'd be nice to see abs without flexing and whatnot.
Is it a reasonable goal to get that without cutting? 85kg is still quite light for my height and I was hoping to get up to 94 over the summer so cutting obviously wouldn't help that :p

farvacola

United States18826 Posts

March 20 2014 14:26 GMT

#886

Contrary to popular belief, bodybuilders are not the best source when it comes to training tips; their experience is usually highly unique given their genetics, access to hormones, and scrupulous training programs. Generally, if one does their heavy compounds (particularly rows, dips, ups, and pulls) with enough intensity, regularity, and volume, the big arms will follow much more quickly than if one shifted focus onto isolation movements like curls. Isolation work tends to provide the biggest payout once one is already big.

zatic

Zurich15328 Posts

March 20 2014 14:34 GMT

#887

On March 20 2014 23:26 farvacola wrote:
Contrary to popular belief, bodybuilders are not the best source when it comes to training tips; their experience is usually highly unique given their genetics, access to hormones, and scrupulous training programs. Generally, if one does their heavy compounds (particularly rows, dips, ups, and pulls) with enough intensity, regularity, and volume, the big arms will follow much more quickly than if one shifted focus onto isolation movements like curls. Isolation work tends to provide the biggest payout once one is already big.

Well... I am doing pretty heavy dips, and I am doing pull-ups and chins (although should do more here). However aren't those more back anyway? Plus all the SS lifts. And my arms have always been small compared to the rest; might just be genetics.

Might include rows though. Are we talking standing barbell rows?

farvacola

United States18826 Posts

March 20 2014 14:40 GMT

#888

If you wanna really up the ante on your arm progress, add in some slightly wide grip supinated rows. Going slightly wide will recruit a lot of back muscle that is oftentimes forgotten, and doing them underhand will really put your grip strength to the test. Furthermore, consider adding heavy face pulls; basically any exercise in which your arms and hands perform the function of integral chain link is going to put mass on them given proper intensity and progression.

Edit: I should add that I'm not suggesting ignoring isolation work entirely, only that it should be usually come second to compound work in terms of focus. Curl wise, spiders/preachers and heavy hammers are what is recommend. But yeah, to answer your question, most variations of the standing barbell row will do the trick, I just have a soft spot for underhand work.

MtlGuitarist97

United States1539 Posts

March 20 2014 15:31 GMT

#889

I figured out a brutal hamstring stretch that I can do at my desk. I lie down on the floor, get close to the desk's edge and then lift my leg up and put my foot on the edge. Then, I load my hamstring in a position that's far past my normal range of motion by just forcing my leg to straighten out. I can only hold it for a few seconds, but it's so effective and takes almost zero effort/mobility to do correctly.

Also, my back is killing me. I tweaked something by my shoulder blade and my lumbar spine is all messed up too

GoTuNk!

Chile4591 Posts

March 20 2014 18:36 GMT

#890

I think bigger arms (unless going for really huge arms) come more from tricep development than anything. Try to do closer grip benches (like 15-30cm closer than regular grip) and finishing your workouts with tricep push down/hammer curl supersets. You can do the later on top of starting strength pretty easily.

NeedsmoreCELLTECH

Netherlands1242 Posts

March 20 2014 18:39 GMT

#891

My arms exploded in size since I started training as a BBer: For the technique look at Ben Pakulski's youtube videos on triceps and biceps, mindblowing stuff. Secondly, volume volume volume. I hit arms directly twice a week, 8 sets biceps and 8 sets triceps on one way, 4 sets bis and 4 sets tris on the other day. Pump the shit out of them and they'll grow. 40 secs rest is all you need between sets. Imo doing semi-compounds like underhand BB rows and close grip bench is not comparable to direct isolation. I was definately full T-rex mode after SS and 5/3/1, it took me ages to have them catch up. My legs/back are still my strongpoints, but they are getting there.

farvacola

United States18826 Posts

March 20 2014 19:28 GMT

#892

Have you ever done higher volume compound work? I've found that a lot of intermediate to advanced lifters make the mistake of moving too far away from compounds in an attempt to fight T-Rex Syndrome when their overall strength and size would be better served by varying up volume and grip/widths instead of focusing on isolation. This is not to say that isolation exercises are worthless, as movements like tricep pull downs and curls will always have their place. At the end of the day, the guys who can free handed row 135x12, 185x12, and then 225x12 are going to have big fuckin arms, and they will almost always be stronger overall than their isolation minded counterparts.

mordek

United States12704 Posts

March 20 2014 19:44 GMT

#893

What does "free handed" row mean? Couldn't find on google

doh. I've never heard that term used like that but it sure makes sense...

farvacola

United States18826 Posts

March 20 2014 19:48 GMT

#894

Well that just means without straps lol

IgnE

United States7681 Posts

March 21 2014 01:59 GMT

#895

If you can't deadlift 400 lbs you shouldn't be worried about the relative size of your arms.

n.DieJokes

United States3443 Posts

March 21 2014 04:08 GMT

#896

^ Fuck that, if you want big arms hit arms. No one gives a shit how much you dead

Jerubaal

United States7684 Posts

March 21 2014 04:38 GMT

#897

Some might retort with the adage that you "can't shoot a cannon out of a canoe", but that could just be demon sorcery.

decafchicken

United States20019 Posts

March 21 2014 04:47 GMT

#898

On March 21 2014 13:08 n.DieJokes wrote:
^ Fuck that, if you want big arms hit arms. No one gives a shit how much you dead

That's a damn lie. When you develop the musculature to move serious weight EVERYONE notices you, not just the occasional girl glancing at your arms when you have your shirt off. It's the difference between having a flashy watch versus a $4000 tailored suit.