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Focus on compound movements. They key to big arms is NOT to do direct arm work. My arms hit the 16.5 inch barrier 3 weeks ago.

+ eat more.

Sigh.... How many times do i have to say this. You can try whatever gym routine you want, but if the diet sucks, forget about gaining mass.

Do NOT do direct arm work until after maybe 2 to 3 year of SERIOUS training. How many people do you see at the gym who keep doing curls and pressdowns for biceps and triceps respectively buit still stay the same size all the time? Do you see a connection here?

My arms are nearing 17 inches and i still do not do direct arm work but do heavy compound pulling and pushing movements. You won't get big arms if you don't increase your overall lean body mass. And when i say lean body mass, i don't mean pure muscle but some fat too. When bulking, gaining a bit of fat with muscle is inevitable. That's why there are bulking and cutting cycles in bodybuilding.

What's the point of trying to shape your biceps or get a peak when your arms are a skinny 14 or 15 inches?? Get them bigger first, get overall muscle mass by doing compounds, then think about specializing an arm routine.

That enough?

This post has been edited by darklight79: Mar 30 2006, 02:03 PM

Don't worry about it. I'm talking skinny in relation to more hardcore bodybuilding standards.

20 inches for upper arms are well nigh impossible for the genetically average people and without any drug assistance. It is the illusion of size that matters sometimes.

Both measurements are feasible. Most bodybuilders measure in flexed and relaxed states.

Yeah, that's good. I see too many idiots doing just endless sets of curls in the gym for biceps and neglect everything else.

Hammer curls eh? Yeah, those are good. They work the brachialis to give illusion of peak. I've got pretty lousy genetics for bi's but hammers have helped a lot.

If you're looking to develop it for aesthetics, do wrist curls. But they won't help you much in the big compound lifts for the back like deadlifts, pull ups, chins, etc because it's not functional strength you're developing.
Go for static holds, pinch grips, Farmer's walk, etc.

Lol. Jackie Chan, i guess you need to show him a pic of you doing it. I don't get it either.

Hmmm... isn't that a form of static contraction?

^^^^^^^^^^

Yeap. Good post. That's what i keep telling people. Everyone's looking for a magic formula for big arms but there's no such thing.
Compound pushing works tris, compound pulling works bis. It's really that simple.

Actually, no. Lol. My workouts don't last more than an hour. Heh...

idk, for dips, if you lean forward and go lower, the chest in emphasized, but not too low because it can damage the rotator cuffs.
If you stay more upright, and do slightly less range of motion, the tris are emphasized.
I do the weighted variety, had to import this dip belt form the UK but it's worth it. See pic.



But yeah, they're a great compound exercise and far more effective than the flat bench press for building mass. It was quoted as the upper body squat by Mike Mentzer, Arnold and Dorian Yates.