So I have been doing the same routine of chest and arm workouts rotating between bench and dumbells three times a week for awhile now and I saw results at first but now it seems like im starting to take a step back on my bench, and my arms never got that big. Also just switched about 2 months ago from using pro complex weight gainer to optium nutrition whey protein So I was wondering if you all had any good tips to get my arms bigger and help get my bench back up, not looking to blow up and be huge just lean and cut. Some details... im 5'10'' 180, about 17-20% body fat i want to get down to 10 so i can see my abs lol, workout tues.(reg. bench, dumbell inline/decline, various biceps/tripes machines & traps) thurs(bench inline/decline, dumbell bench, various biceps/tripes machines & traps), and sat(alternate tues/thurs workouts), and i try to run a mile or two 3 to 4 x a week. Thanks so much for everyone's help and opinions
Sometimes your muscles just can't get any bigger. I have a friend who can bench 325 lbs but his arms still look flabby to say it nicely. It''s weird. BTW, those anyone know any workouts that can broaden the shoulders, or at least give the appearance of broader shoulders?
you may be over training your pecs, it also sounds like you've hit a plateau. there are many many other exercises that you can do for variation, but you may want to take some time off to give your muscles a chance to recover.
You need to switch up your routine. If your body gets used to the same excersizes, no matter how much you do, it won't really help. Surprise your body--throw in something new. Also, you're not going to listen to me at all on this point because nobody really does (it's something you have to learn for yourself IMO), but in order to get more cut everywhere its a big deal to work out your entire body (back, chest, shoulders, legs, etc) and not just arms and chest. Your body will produce more testostorone and you will see more results in other areas. And don't make the rookie mistake of working too much on your biceps and triceps. Most of the lifting you do for your core body part will work on your biceps and triceps as well (benching and pushups are great for this), so spending too much time on those can really be a waste of time. Don't forget diet--don't depend on protein shakes as your only source of protein. I have a very similar body type as you--two years ago I was a 140 pound twig. I've since put on 23 or so pounds of muscle and while I'm not huge by any means, it has made a huge, huge difference. I don't even recognize myself sometimes. Just keep at it man.
I agree with jello77 in that you should be working out your whole body. I didn't see you mention legs at all, as this is a very important part in relation to helping the upper body grow. Also you seem to have forgotten about lats, deltoids and forearms as these are also essential muscles. What is your current bench and what is your goal on the bench?
Not to be an ass, but your routine is a joke. If you deadlift and row hard enough, you will see growth on your arms without even touching them.
Lots of good info here. You're definitely not giving the muscles enough time to recover. Do you know why muscles grow in the first place? Also, some shoulder and back exercises are decent arm exercises on their own, so it's a good idea to mix those in for your 3rd workout. You need to do everything, not just arms. Get enough protein from different sources. Get enough sleep. Cut down to twice a week, lift heavier but with less reps. Lots of people say they don't want to get huge but trust me, you're in no danger to say the least.
you might want to cut down on how many machines you use for biceps/triceps. If you go free-weights, you'll probably have to reduce the weight you lift, but it'll get better results. For biceps, this seems to work pretty well for me 3 Alternate sets of barbell curls (10 reps) and hammer curls (10 reps). You dont need too much weight to get your arms aching 3 sets up chinups(5-10 reps) be CAREFUL not to overtrain, or you wont see any results For nutrition, you could try muscle milk (expensive). ON whey aint bad either
What jello said was excellent advice. However, sometimes it is all in genetics. A good friend of mine used to always wonder why my arms were bigger than his despite the fact that he kills me on the bench. It's just that he was blessed to develop his chest muscles a lot better than me and I was blessed to develop my arms better than him.
listen to jello...to suprise your body you should do negatives at lesat once a week for chest and biceps do 3 sets of bench, 3 of incline, and triceps on the pullies......and negatives once a week. for biceps do dumbbells and bicep negatives
i change my workout up every 8-10 weeks. currently i'm doing this - which is great for arms and chest: http://www.wannabebig.com/article.php?articleid=25&pageid=3
SUPERSETS Combine 4 different excersises, and rotate through them all doing a bit less weight and high reps The key is to not rest until you make a full rotation through them. You know you are doing it right based on the amount of sweat you have showing through your shirt Try this: Push Ups - 15 reps Incline Dumbell Press - 10-12 reps Assisted Dips - 15 reps Military Press - 10-12 reps (aka Shoulder press) Rest, then do these same 4 three more times, only resting inbetween the supersets
You don't need weights or the gym to work out your arms. You can also work out other parts of your body. You won't sweat. Chest: Hold your hands against each other in a "praying" position in front of your chest. Press them together. You will feel your chest muscles (pectorals group) work. Legs: While sitting on your chair, sit comfortably with your back straight. Extend one leg while leaving the other on the floor. Hold the leg stretched for about 10 seconds, then switch to the other leg. Increase hold time to about 30 seconds when comfortable. There are more exercises I do while sitting on my rump in the office.
I agree with Jello77...I'm 5'11" 210 with about 19% body fat...I'm more lean than I want to be and want to get bigger...I actually did the opposite of you and switch to procomplex from 100% whey as its my understading the latter is to stay lean, not get big... I can understand how guys want to focus on arms and chest, as this is what the ladies like, however, all your muscles work together so don't forget the others...I'm in the same boat as I'm trying to do/find new exercises to "shock" my body...
