bigger arms

i have been training for a few years now and have made good gains everywhere except my arms. my biceps, in particular, don't want to grow. typically for my bicep workout i do standing barbell curls, seated dumbell curls, preacher curls, reverse curls and some sort of finisher. i usually go as heavy as possible but also do some higher reps. why won't my arms grow?

I would attribute most of it to genetics, but do not worry I'm sure there is still hope for you!

Are you performing all of those exercises in one bicep work-out? If so, you are overtraining them. Remember your biceps get hit pretty hard during your back work-out.

Post a sample bicep work-out you do.

sample wokout...

standing barbell 1 X 12 (warmup), 3 X 6-8
inclined sitting dumbells 3 X 6-8
preacher curls 3 X 6-10
single arm cable curls 3 X 10

i switch it up to include reverse curls, a curl machine, or standing dumbells

thanks.

Chachi...you are overtraining...I do no more than 6-7 sets for my biceps once per week and my arms are now at the 19" mark. Cut back on sets and you will begin to grow. Also...vary your exercises and reps every few workouts.

I agree with gopro.

That is too much for a small muscle like the bicep.

I only use one exercise and around 6 hard/heavy sets for biceps, once per week.

try the 6,1 technique that i posted a while ago

thanks for the tips. i will give it a shot.

you should also take into concideration that your tricep makes up 2/3 of you arm, you might need to alter both your bi and tri routine to see good gains.

What jack says is true...the biggest arms in the world are owned by guys with BIG TRICEPS. It is the tri's that give the arm a look of size when it is in the normal, hanging position. I suggest about 2-3 extra sets for the tri's than for bi's.

Chachi,

I would also recommend isolating bis to their own day if you haven't already.

what I like to do:

1. alternating standing barbell 3x15

2. standing barbell 3x10 (I use a 2/3rds slow motion to isolate the muscle)

3. across the body standing barbell (not sure on the correct name for this one, but a trainer showed me it a while back and I've been hooked. Do one arm at a time, start with the weight positioned at your side and curl the weight across your chest. This will give you the definition on the side of the arm.)


I'm hesitant to do 4 biceps moves in a single day. I'll typically alternate weeks and rotate the standing barbell out with a standing preacher curl with my back against a wall. That really makes them burn!

I also like to punch the bags for 10-15 during a good cardio workout. That will tighten up the arms as well.

I've got fairly big arms using this system, relative to other areas of my body. The absolute key is isolation. The bicep is one of the most difficult muscles to isolate in my experience, in that other regions will try to help out such as the lower back. That is why I always do preacher curls with my back against a wall to completely isolate the muscle.

And I do this with fairly light weight. It's common for people to be worried about getting stared at for using light weight, particularly if you are a guy. But it isn't about the weight, and anyone that knows what they are doing understands this.