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Add 2 Inches to Your Arms in 12 Weeks
by Lee Labrada
Walk into any busy gym across America and you'll find dozens of bodybuilding trainees fervently performing their arm bodybuilding workouts in order to further develop the arm muscles. There they are, pumping out set after set of barbell curls. Why does it seem that in bodybuilding the arms are the most desirable muscle group to develop? It could be because a set of well-developed, muscular arms is arguably the most visible sign that you are strong and fit. It tells the world that you work out. And since you cant go out and buy a great set of arms, it also tells people that youve worked hard to get those arms. Theres a lot of personal satisfaction in that.
All men admire well-developed arms, whether their egos allow them to admit it or not. Women love feeling the power in their partners strong arms. And children feel safe when held by a father with strong arms. Lets face it, we love our strong, muscular arms!
Arms are not that difficult to build, yet there are many frustrated trainees out there that cant seem to get it right. It seems that no matter what they try, they cant get those arms to budge the tape measure. If you belong to this frustrated multitude, fret no longer. Once you understand the concepts behind building a great pair of arms, and have the right tools, its only a matter of time before wearing a tight polo shirt puts a smile on your face.
I am going to share my best arm training routine with you. You may be surprised to learn how simple it is, but its not unusual for even advanced trainees to put two or more inches on their arms with this powerful program. Sound interesting? Read on
The Basics of Arm Training
Training the arms can be broken primarily into triceps training, followed by biceps training. Well start with the triceps. Thats because the triceps are the larger of the two muscle groups. Finding someone with great development in the triceps muscle group is more difficult than finding someone with great biceps. Why?
Well for one thing, it takes focused concentration and near-perfect form to build truly powerful and massive triceps. And let's be honest, many people neglect their triceps in favor of the more "glamorous" biceps. And that's a big mistake. You see, the three muscles that make up your triceps compose a whopping two-thirds of the bulk of your upper arm. So if you really want to build impressive "guns," your best bet is to take your triceps training very seriously.
Now before I unveil my routine, lets look at the big picture. My entire workout schedule looks like this:
Workout frequency: 2 on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off
This means I workout two days in a row, followed by one day of rest. Then, I workout another day, followed by another day off. Then I repeat this sequence. I never train with weights more than two days in a row because I find that I build muscle faster if I allow one day in between in order to provide enough time to recuperate. On the day off, I will hit the cardio exercises to stimulate circulation, which in turn speeds up recuperation and growth. By the way, if you're not making steady gains with your current program, try adding a few extra rest days each week. You may actually gain more by training less!
Okay, Here's how my typical workout schedule looks:
Day #1: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Day #2: Back/Biceps/Abs
Day #3: Rest Day
Day #4: Quads/Hamstrings/Calves
Day #5: Rest Day
Then I repeat.
Now, you can certainly adapt this workout schedule to fit your specific needs. For example: If you want to take off the weekend from weight training (and many people do) then try 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off. Then repeat. This way you'll have Wednesday along with Saturday and Sunday off each week. (The extra day of rest may be good for you!)
Moving along, here are 10 things, which you must do to make this bodybuilding workout as effective as possible:
1. Keep track of your workouts using a training log. If you don??�t have a log, you can write on a wall calendar. Throw it in your workout bag.
2. Use as much weight as possible for the prescribed number of repetitions on each exercise. Strive to increase your training poundage by a little each week.
3. Perform each set to positive failure, the point at which you cannot perform another unassisted repetition. If you're going to complete failure, you will need to drop the weight by 10% after each set in order to get all the reps.
4. Take 1-2 minutes rest between sets.
5. The total length of your workout should not exceed 60 minutes, including initial warm-up. That works out to about 15-20 minutes per body part.
6. If you're a beginner, drop one set from each exercise and concentrate on form instead of going for the heavy poundage. (You'll thank me later!)
7. Use strict form on all exercises.
8. Minimize stress and try to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
9. The enemy of arm development is over-training. Doing too much will stunt your progress. Resist the temptation to do more.
10. Follow a proper nutrition and supplementation program. No workout program in the world is going to work unless you have the right nutritional support. In order to accomplish this, the use of MRPs, RTD's and protein bars in conjunction to three real meals per day is invaluable. I personally use Lean Body, at least three times per day myself and I promise you, it makes a huge difference. Plus it makes it extremely easy for me to get my six meals per day.
Triceps Exercises:
Do your triceps exercises following chest and shoulders. That warms up your triceps, and secondly, pre-fatigues them so that they can be pushed into the growth threshold with minimum work. Got it? Good. Now here come the "meat and potatoes" of my triceps workout
Exercise #1: Straight-Bar Triceps Pushdown:
* After warming up, perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions, or to failure, whichever comes first.
* On the last set, drop the weight about 10% and immediately perform another 5 reps without resting.
Tip: Take a palms-down grip with your thumbs "over" the bar. Keep your shoulders back and chest out. Fix your upper arms to the side of your torso.
Avoid: Don't allow your wrists to bend upwards during the movement as this puts unnecessary stress on the joint. Keep your wrists straight and fixed; and don't allow your elbows to flare-out. Keep them near your sides.
Exercise #2: Close Grip Bench Press: (One of the best mass developers for the triceps.)
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and do another 5 reps without rest.
Tips: Using a straight or EZ-curl bar, take a grip that is six inches wide between your hands. Lower the bar slowly to your lower chest while keeping your elbows near your sides. Then, push straight up to the starting position. Repeat.
Avoid: Bouncing the bar off of your chest. Always maintain control during the movement. Lower slowly.
Exercise #3: Upright, Overhead One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension:
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and do another 5 reps without rest.
Tips: While sitting on a bench with your arm straight above you, lower the dumbbell slowly to the base of your neck while keeping your upper arm and forearm at close to a 90 degree angle. Stretch the triceps muscle at the bottom of the movement then contract and return to the start position.
Avoid: Performing this movement too quickly and haphazardly. Doing so could result in injury to the neck and head. Don't let your wrists wobble with the weight; keep them fixed.
Please note that by training the triceps with these exercises, you effectively hit the triceps from three different angles. In the first exercise, the triceps pushdown, your upper arm points down, parallel to the line of your torso. In the second exercise, close grip bench presses, your upper arm is at a ninety-degree angle to your torso. In the last exercise, overhead triceps extension, your upper arm is once again parallel to the line of your torso, except that this time, it is 180 degrees opposite the angle formed by the first exercise. Get the picture?
On to Biceps
Because the biceps are a small muscle group relative to other muscles of the torso, I prefer to train them immediately following my back routine. The back training will not only warm the biceps up, but will also pre-fatigue them, making it easier for you to drive them into the growth threshold.
Biceps Exercises:
* As you curl, turn your wrists (supinate) inward. Look at your right hand. Make a fist. Now turn that fist clockwise. Thats supination. Ass for the left hand, you turn it counter-clockwise to supinate. Supinating makes for a harder contraction on your biceps!
* Work through the full range of motion. Never sacrifice range of motion to use heavier weights.
* Lower the weight slowly (eccentric phase) to keep stress on the biceps.
Exercise #1: Concentration Curls
No, this isn't a typo. I've found that starting my biceps routine with a one-arm-at-a-time isolation exercise really helps me stimulate this muscle because this strict movement forces the biceps to work with little assistance from any other muscle group.
* After warming up, perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and do another 5 reps without rest.
Tips: Place your elbow against the inside of the corresponding thigh. Keep your arm against your thigh throughout the movement. Curl the weight towards your shoulder in an arcing motion and squeeze at the top of the movement. Supinate your wrist to get a fuller contraction.
Avoid: Cheating or swinging throughout the movement or not working throughout the entire range of motion (especially the lower half).
Exercise #2: EZ-Bar Biceps Curl
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and do another 5 reps without rest.
Tips: Use a grip that's wide enough so that your hands are on the outsides of your thighs. Bend slightly forward at the waist. Curl the weight in an arcing motion while keeping your elbows fixed to your sides.
Avoid: Stopping the movement at the top or bottom of the exercise. Keep a steady motion.
Exercise #3: Preacher Curls
Because this exercise restricts movement of the upper arm at the bottom of the exercise, it's a great "thickening" movement for the lower biceps. Use this exercise in lieu of barbell curls, alternating every other workout. (In other words, barbell curls or preacher curls, but not both in the same workout.
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and perform another 4 reps without rest.
Tips: Keep your armpits against the pad and focus on pulling with your biceps and not your deltoid or back muscles.
Avoid: Rocking excessively or leaning forward during the movement. Also, don't hyperextend your elbows at the bottom of the exercise; stop just short of locking out. Lower slowly! To do otherwise is to risk a severe injury.
Exercise #4: Hammer Curls
Many body builders mistakenly overlook this exercise. "Hammers" really help to build the thickness of the biceps muscle group and top of the forearm by working the brachialis and brachio-radialus muscles.
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and perform another 4 reps without rest.
Tips: Perform in an alternate fashion while keeping the face of the dumbbell forward (upwards) at all times. Raise and lower slowly, using constant tension.
Avoid: Swaying or rocking during this movement. So there it is! Rip this article out take it with you to the gym next time you're training arms! I'm confident that you will start seeing nice gains in your arm development! Leave the spaghetti arms at home once and for all.
This arm workout is guaranteed to pump you up and make your arms explode with growth. If it doesn't sound like much, then it's because it truly isn't! By now you might be thinking, Great Lee, youve told us the program, but why does it work Heres why it works:
Over the years, I have observed that the number one problem facing trainees with a seeming inability to develop their arms is over-training. Too much stimulation can be just as bad as too little. This particular arm workout is just the right amount. Try it and you'll see. Follow this program along with my quality nutrition and supplementation program and you'll be well on your way to building thick and powerful arms!
by Lee Labrada
Walk into any busy gym across America and you'll find dozens of bodybuilding trainees fervently performing their arm bodybuilding workouts in order to further develop the arm muscles. There they are, pumping out set after set of barbell curls. Why does it seem that in bodybuilding the arms are the most desirable muscle group to develop? It could be because a set of well-developed, muscular arms is arguably the most visible sign that you are strong and fit. It tells the world that you work out. And since you cant go out and buy a great set of arms, it also tells people that youve worked hard to get those arms. Theres a lot of personal satisfaction in that.
All men admire well-developed arms, whether their egos allow them to admit it or not. Women love feeling the power in their partners strong arms. And children feel safe when held by a father with strong arms. Lets face it, we love our strong, muscular arms!
Arms are not that difficult to build, yet there are many frustrated trainees out there that cant seem to get it right. It seems that no matter what they try, they cant get those arms to budge the tape measure. If you belong to this frustrated multitude, fret no longer. Once you understand the concepts behind building a great pair of arms, and have the right tools, its only a matter of time before wearing a tight polo shirt puts a smile on your face.
I am going to share my best arm training routine with you. You may be surprised to learn how simple it is, but its not unusual for even advanced trainees to put two or more inches on their arms with this powerful program. Sound interesting? Read on
The Basics of Arm Training
Training the arms can be broken primarily into triceps training, followed by biceps training. Well start with the triceps. Thats because the triceps are the larger of the two muscle groups. Finding someone with great development in the triceps muscle group is more difficult than finding someone with great biceps. Why?
Well for one thing, it takes focused concentration and near-perfect form to build truly powerful and massive triceps. And let's be honest, many people neglect their triceps in favor of the more "glamorous" biceps. And that's a big mistake. You see, the three muscles that make up your triceps compose a whopping two-thirds of the bulk of your upper arm. So if you really want to build impressive "guns," your best bet is to take your triceps training very seriously.
Now before I unveil my routine, lets look at the big picture. My entire workout schedule looks like this:
Workout frequency: 2 on, 1 off, 1 on, 1 off
This means I workout two days in a row, followed by one day of rest. Then, I workout another day, followed by another day off. Then I repeat this sequence. I never train with weights more than two days in a row because I find that I build muscle faster if I allow one day in between in order to provide enough time to recuperate. On the day off, I will hit the cardio exercises to stimulate circulation, which in turn speeds up recuperation and growth. By the way, if you're not making steady gains with your current program, try adding a few extra rest days each week. You may actually gain more by training less!
Okay, Here's how my typical workout schedule looks:
Day #1: Chest/Shoulders/Triceps
Day #2: Back/Biceps/Abs
Day #3: Rest Day
Day #4: Quads/Hamstrings/Calves
Day #5: Rest Day
Then I repeat.
Now, you can certainly adapt this workout schedule to fit your specific needs. For example: If you want to take off the weekend from weight training (and many people do) then try 2 on, 1 off, 2 on, 2 off. Then repeat. This way you'll have Wednesday along with Saturday and Sunday off each week. (The extra day of rest may be good for you!)
Moving along, here are 10 things, which you must do to make this bodybuilding workout as effective as possible:
1. Keep track of your workouts using a training log. If you don??�t have a log, you can write on a wall calendar. Throw it in your workout bag.
2. Use as much weight as possible for the prescribed number of repetitions on each exercise. Strive to increase your training poundage by a little each week.
3. Perform each set to positive failure, the point at which you cannot perform another unassisted repetition. If you're going to complete failure, you will need to drop the weight by 10% after each set in order to get all the reps.
4. Take 1-2 minutes rest between sets.
5. The total length of your workout should not exceed 60 minutes, including initial warm-up. That works out to about 15-20 minutes per body part.
6. If you're a beginner, drop one set from each exercise and concentrate on form instead of going for the heavy poundage. (You'll thank me later!)
7. Use strict form on all exercises.
8. Minimize stress and try to get 8 to 9 hours of sleep each night.
9. The enemy of arm development is over-training. Doing too much will stunt your progress. Resist the temptation to do more.
10. Follow a proper nutrition and supplementation program. No workout program in the world is going to work unless you have the right nutritional support. In order to accomplish this, the use of MRPs, RTD's and protein bars in conjunction to three real meals per day is invaluable. I personally use Lean Body, at least three times per day myself and I promise you, it makes a huge difference. Plus it makes it extremely easy for me to get my six meals per day.
Triceps Exercises:
Do your triceps exercises following chest and shoulders. That warms up your triceps, and secondly, pre-fatigues them so that they can be pushed into the growth threshold with minimum work. Got it? Good. Now here come the "meat and potatoes" of my triceps workout
Exercise #1: Straight-Bar Triceps Pushdown:
* After warming up, perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions, or to failure, whichever comes first.
* On the last set, drop the weight about 10% and immediately perform another 5 reps without resting.
Tip: Take a palms-down grip with your thumbs "over" the bar. Keep your shoulders back and chest out. Fix your upper arms to the side of your torso.
Avoid: Don't allow your wrists to bend upwards during the movement as this puts unnecessary stress on the joint. Keep your wrists straight and fixed; and don't allow your elbows to flare-out. Keep them near your sides.
Exercise #2: Close Grip Bench Press: (One of the best mass developers for the triceps.)
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and do another 5 reps without rest.
Tips: Using a straight or EZ-curl bar, take a grip that is six inches wide between your hands. Lower the bar slowly to your lower chest while keeping your elbows near your sides. Then, push straight up to the starting position. Repeat.
Avoid: Bouncing the bar off of your chest. Always maintain control during the movement. Lower slowly.
Exercise #3: Upright, Overhead One-Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extension:
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and do another 5 reps without rest.
Tips: While sitting on a bench with your arm straight above you, lower the dumbbell slowly to the base of your neck while keeping your upper arm and forearm at close to a 90 degree angle. Stretch the triceps muscle at the bottom of the movement then contract and return to the start position.
Avoid: Performing this movement too quickly and haphazardly. Doing so could result in injury to the neck and head. Don't let your wrists wobble with the weight; keep them fixed.
Please note that by training the triceps with these exercises, you effectively hit the triceps from three different angles. In the first exercise, the triceps pushdown, your upper arm points down, parallel to the line of your torso. In the second exercise, close grip bench presses, your upper arm is at a ninety-degree angle to your torso. In the last exercise, overhead triceps extension, your upper arm is once again parallel to the line of your torso, except that this time, it is 180 degrees opposite the angle formed by the first exercise. Get the picture?
On to Biceps
Because the biceps are a small muscle group relative to other muscles of the torso, I prefer to train them immediately following my back routine. The back training will not only warm the biceps up, but will also pre-fatigue them, making it easier for you to drive them into the growth threshold.
Biceps Exercises:
* As you curl, turn your wrists (supinate) inward. Look at your right hand. Make a fist. Now turn that fist clockwise. Thats supination. Ass for the left hand, you turn it counter-clockwise to supinate. Supinating makes for a harder contraction on your biceps!
* Work through the full range of motion. Never sacrifice range of motion to use heavier weights.
* Lower the weight slowly (eccentric phase) to keep stress on the biceps.
Exercise #1: Concentration Curls
No, this isn't a typo. I've found that starting my biceps routine with a one-arm-at-a-time isolation exercise really helps me stimulate this muscle because this strict movement forces the biceps to work with little assistance from any other muscle group.
* After warming up, perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and do another 5 reps without rest.
Tips: Place your elbow against the inside of the corresponding thigh. Keep your arm against your thigh throughout the movement. Curl the weight towards your shoulder in an arcing motion and squeeze at the top of the movement. Supinate your wrist to get a fuller contraction.
Avoid: Cheating or swinging throughout the movement or not working throughout the entire range of motion (especially the lower half).
Exercise #2: EZ-Bar Biceps Curl
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and do another 5 reps without rest.
Tips: Use a grip that's wide enough so that your hands are on the outsides of your thighs. Bend slightly forward at the waist. Curl the weight in an arcing motion while keeping your elbows fixed to your sides.
Avoid: Stopping the movement at the top or bottom of the exercise. Keep a steady motion.
Exercise #3: Preacher Curls
Because this exercise restricts movement of the upper arm at the bottom of the exercise, it's a great "thickening" movement for the lower biceps. Use this exercise in lieu of barbell curls, alternating every other workout. (In other words, barbell curls or preacher curls, but not both in the same workout.
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and perform another 4 reps without rest.
Tips: Keep your armpits against the pad and focus on pulling with your biceps and not your deltoid or back muscles.
Avoid: Rocking excessively or leaning forward during the movement. Also, don't hyperextend your elbows at the bottom of the exercise; stop just short of locking out. Lower slowly! To do otherwise is to risk a severe injury.
Exercise #4: Hammer Curls
Many body builders mistakenly overlook this exercise. "Hammers" really help to build the thickness of the biceps muscle group and top of the forearm by working the brachialis and brachio-radialus muscles.
* Perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions.
* On the last set, drop the weight and perform another 4 reps without rest.
Tips: Perform in an alternate fashion while keeping the face of the dumbbell forward (upwards) at all times. Raise and lower slowly, using constant tension.
Avoid: Swaying or rocking during this movement. So there it is! Rip this article out take it with you to the gym next time you're training arms! I'm confident that you will start seeing nice gains in your arm development! Leave the spaghetti arms at home once and for all.
This arm workout is guaranteed to pump you up and make your arms explode with growth. If it doesn't sound like much, then it's because it truly isn't! By now you might be thinking, Great Lee, youve told us the program, but why does it work Heres why it works:
Over the years, I have observed that the number one problem facing trainees with a seeming inability to develop their arms is over-training. Too much stimulation can be just as bad as too little. This particular arm workout is just the right amount. Try it and you'll see. Follow this program along with my quality nutrition and supplementation program and you'll be well on your way to building thick and powerful arms!
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