Arms(read)

[D Animal]

How many reps is better for arm growth lower with high weight or higher reps with low weight...I see a good amount of people in the gym doing higher sets(such as 15-12). but for arms I usually do like 10 8 6.. Or should you stay heavy when bulking then ligther with higher reps for cutting....Let me know >thanks!

 

[xcelbeyond]

For size, I believe that HEAVY "coumpound" movements develop arms more than "specialized/direct" exercises - Bench Press for triceps and Bent-over Rows/Deads for biceps. I like the 5-8 rep range.

 

[Trulyhuge]

Compound movements will thicken the arms too which is why I don't do a lot of arm work.

TH

 

[Tom]

Something I noticed

Alot of the olympic gymnasts have tremendous arm and shoulder development and the majority of them probably don't weight train. All they use is bodyweight and train much more frequently and longer than us. This gives me the impression it is not necessary to use heavy weights to make muscle grow. I have been looking better since I started using more moderate poundages in my training.

Tom

 

[xcelbeyond]

Alot of the olympic gymnasts have tremendous arm and shoulder development and the majority of them probably don't weight train. All they use is bodyweight and train much more frequently and longer than us. This gives me the impression it is not necessary to use heavy weights to make muscle grow. I have been looking better since I started using more moderate poundages in my training.

IMHO olympic gymnast look great but most are not very big. They're lean and have a very good shape small waist to shoulder ratio. Have them stand next to a bb'er and they'll be dwarfed. There was one American gymnast on the team that was DEFINATELY bigger, but he really wasn't "that good" of a gymnasts compared to the smaller guys.

The question was how do I make muscles grow - not how do I look like a gymnast

Trulyhuge: what do you mean by "thicker"?

 

[BigBoyJ]

True Excel, gymnasts are generally tiny little dudes. Most of the bicep development gymnasts have comes from massive amounts of pull-ups. Really though, other than the delts and biceps, gymnasts kind of like skinny little kids. Their quads are usually TINY. Of course gymnasts have to keep body weight low to be able to perform in that sport.

Damn it Tom, what were you thinking bringing scrawny little gymnast training styles onto the best BODYBUILDING message board. Shame on you.....shame.

Anyway, to answer the question, I have found that doing a few sets as heavy as my body will allow for about 6-7 reps, followed by 1-2 sets of 15-20 reps seems to give me the best results.

 

[Hypertrophyguy]

Not to steer this further off topic but Gymnasts do A LOT of weight training. It is purely strength and power focused but they do lift a lot. So those arms aren't built from just swinging around.

 

[Trulyhuge]

i didn't mean much but was stating they will add nice thickness to your arms whereas if all you were to do was cable rows..etc.

TH

 

[Tom]

BBJ my point was

not to say we should train like gymnasts but that muscle development could be attained by using nothing more than bodyweight. In regards to the question, that translates to yes arm size can be accomplished by moderate weights with high reps....did I get out of that one ok?

Tom

 

[D Animal]

Do you all think that reps from like 20 -15 are more for endurance and not really for muscle growth? I see a good amount of people doing like barbel curls with light weight for like 15 reps and they have great arm delevepment but that could be just cause of low body fight....Reps always seem 2 confuse me.....I like 2 stay between 12-6 sometimes go as low as 4.

 

[BigBoyJ]

In other words, anything works better than nothing. Right, Tom.

 

[Trulyhuge]

Big weights=big guys...period!

TH

 

[Maverick]

Well for me I certainly try to go for failure when I am bulking and dieting but for me I know that when I am trying to add serious mass the 6-8 rep range works well wioth me and I try to use 70-85% of my one rep max. If I can only get 5 repss thats okay I still count it but I will drop the weight 5-10 pounds so I can get a solid 8 reps. When I am dieting I don't usuall do anything under 12 reps and i usually go moderate weight. Every once and a while I will shock the S**t out of my muscle and go heavy but thats once and a while when I diet.


Maverick

 

[Tom]

Gotta disagree BBJ

I tried those beer can curls you mentioned in the rep/speed thread and I just didn't seem to get the same pump as when I tried an iron cross!!! LOL
Good to see you haven't changed my friend. It's been awhile, I hope all is going well for you.

Tom

 

[BigBoyJ]

That's because you have to leave the beer in the can, Tom. QUIT DRINKING IT!!

Good to see you too, old fart.

 

[D Animal]

Well for me I certainly try to go for failure when I am bulking and dieting but for me I know that when I am trying to add serious mass the 6-8 rep range works well wioth me and I try to use 70-85% of my one rep max. If I can only get 5 repss thats okay I still count it but I will drop the weight 5-10 pounds so I can get a solid 8 reps. When I am dieting I don't usuall do anything under 12 reps and i usually go moderate weight. Every once and a while I will shock the S**t out of my muscle and go heavy but thats once and a while when I diet.


Maverick

why do you use higher reps when you diet>? I always thought you lift the same weight but then it makes sense cause when your dieting you feel more week....but what would you say the reason is bro?

 

[TooPowerful4u]

Do exactly 4 sets of 8-15-25-90 reps then go right to the.... lol jk

this is Bodybuilding, which means its not about what works for everyone else, its about finding what works for YOU. Thats the best advice iv been given, and its proven itself to me over and over. Im still figuring out a lot of what works for me, but when i do find somethng i try to stick with it. One thing i will say, variety definatly helps. One day preacher curls will feel GREAT and give an amazing pump... i go back to it 5 days later and its just not there so i might go do cable curls which will feel GREAT. Change it up, try new things, experiment, stick with what works.

 

[Vander_V]

you wanna build arms



TAX THE FUCKING MUSCLE


the end

 

[MikeS]

The bicep muscles respond like most muscles (except calves; and abs which you dont want to get 'big'). Made of mostly Type II white fiber-which is the component of the muscle most responsive to growth. The growth is stimulated by using heavy weights for 4-8reps. You also have Type I red fiber muscle, which dont respond to growth as well, and are used in oxidative (aerobic-high rep) training. BUT they do respond to growth to an extent, just not the degree that Type II fibers do.

So, I used to always train heavy only-hardcore and hardheaded. Now I do both-It has improved my development a great deal. I notice some muscles do respond to reps pretty well. So to be safe and sure-here is what Id do. Train heavy first while you have energy and glycogen stores built up-to stimulate the Type II/white fibers that respond best. THEN do reps sets 15-30 reps (stimulating Type I/red fibers) for complete development.

And a nice pump to strut around with for a while.

 

[lionel]

Anybody has ideas to take out or minimize shoulder involvement during bicep exercises? I can't seem to find the bullseye while doing curls and stuff. I always feel that either my forearms or shoulders are doing the work, not my biceps. I've heard all those keep elbows back etc but i still can't feel it. Any suggestions? Thanks a lot!