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Arnold Schwarzenegger's Secrets
For Building Mind-Blowing Arms
For The Beginner And Advanced Bodybuilder
The undisputed King of Bodybuilding, the man known in iron circles as the Austrian Oak, Arnold Schwarzenegger, undoubtedly built one of the best physiques the world has ever seen, so much so that 28 years after he last set foot onstage, people still talk about his bodybuilding accomplishments in revered tones.
Although known for having an aesthetic body with muscle in all the right places, Arnold did have certain exceptional body parts. Indeed, what was particularly impressive about Arnold's amazing physique was his legendary arm development, clearly some of the best of all time regardless of era.
When it came to demonstrating the best arms of his era, Arnold was the perennial winner; there was no real competition for him in this area. Sure, some competitors had slightly better balance, others had greater fullness and a few had superior shape, but Arnold had all of these attributes in perfect measure, a significant reason why his front and rear double biceps poses are, according to many, the best of all time.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Arnold Was The Perennial Winner.
So how did Arnold build his own mini versions of Mt. Olympus? If you look at very early photos of Arnold flexing his arms, you can see that, although they did have reasonable shape and size for his age, they were far from perfect or what one might call genetically gifted.
To build the massive upper appendages that allowed him to win seven Olympia titles, Arnold had to employ every trick in the bodybuilding book. And there is one thing we all know about Arnold: he would move mountains, and occasionally envision his arms as such, as he sought to develop his body to perfection.
Training arms Arnold-style was not simply about hitting the gym and doing a few finishing sets, or limiting the intensity applied to them so as to not overdevelop this area and potentially throw his proportion off. Not Arnold.
He hit every body part with mind-numbing intensity and developed every muscle group to its maximum. Arms were no exception. As with all body parts, Arnold used a number of effective techniques to adequately stimulate his biceps, triceps and forearms.
What follows is a detailed look at exactly what arm-training techniques Arnold employed, what exercises he favoured and why, a program based on the Oak's methods and one he himself used along with principals that you can use to develop your own massive guns.
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Arnold's Arm Training Principals
The following principals should be applied to the basic and advanced arm-training programs (outlined shortly). When aiming to build his arms, Arnold would use the higher-thought component of his brain as much as sheer strength and instinct. He advises all who wish for similar development to do the same.
Aim For Equal Development:
Arnold always believed that since the arms can be seen from all poses and from every conceivable angle, they should be trained from all angles.
"You don't develop championship-winning arms simply by throwing around a heavy barbell doing curls or blasting out some reps for triceps," says the Oak 1. Clear visible development between all muscle of the arms with equally full muscle bellies and perfect balance is what Arnold constantly sought. And history shows us that is exactly what he achieved.
To achieve balance, proportion, size and shape in the arms, work all arm muscles with equal intensity. Break the individual "muscles of the arms down into separate categories" advised Arnold 1. And this is where planning your arm training routine is all-important.
RELATED POLL
Which Is The Most Important Part Of The Arm?
Biceps.
Triceps.
Forearms.
Not to worry, that part of the equation is in place for you, with the two complete programs, featured soon. Just be sure to never neglect any aspect of either of these programs. Do not become complacent and Arnold-style arms will be yours.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Do Not Become Complacent
And Arnold-Style Arms Will Be Yours.
Keep Things In Perspective:
Although Arnold advocates training biceps, triceps and forearms with equal intensity, he also recommends that you consider the fact that the triceps are the "larger, more complex muscle group" 1. After all, the biceps have two heads and the triceps have three and are a larger and therefore a stronger grouping by comparison.
As such, Arnold suggests viewing your arm as being one-third biceps and two-thirds triceps 1. In fact, Arnold says that while it is possible to hide your biceps in some poses, it is almost impossible to hide your triceps at any time 1. Therefore, he says, the triceps "need training from more angles" 1. When training the triceps, use a wider variety of exercises to hit all three heads to adequately target their larger size.
RELATED VIDEO
LiftRite Video Guide:
Triceps Training!
If you want shirt splitting guns then you definitely need to focus on fully developing all three heads of the triceps brachii!
Click The Play Button To Start The Video.
Or Download Here:
Video iPod (192 MB)
[ LiftRite Main Page ]
Focus:
Concentrating on each and every rep of every set is something Arnold did religiously. It is often said that once Arnold began to focus on his set, nothing could distract him, not even a bomb detonating in the next room.
After training Arnold was a light-hearted guy but once in the gym he was all business. And this was no more evident than when he trained his arms. Arnold would often take is mind-power to the next level and visualize what he wanted to achieve, and this would actually force gains in muscle size.
Says Arnold: "I also used a lot of visualization in biceps training. In my mind I saw my biceps as mountains, enormously huge, and I pictured myself lifting tremendous amounts of weight with these superhuman masses of muscle 1."
Related Visualization Articles:
Using Visualization To Enhance Your Prowess! - By Kelly Baggett
The Power Of Visualization! - By Jonathan Stehlik
Visualizing Yourself: The Key To Success! - By Sean Quade
Visualization: Make Each Rep Count! - By Reform Mag
For anyone who wishes to gain boundless muscle size and shape, the power of the mind cannot be underestimated. It was Arnold's secret weapon in the fight for huge arms.
Click Image To Enlarge.
The Power Of The Mind Cannot Be Underestimated.
Shock The Muscles Into Change:
Arnold always believed that the body was amazingly adaptable and could "accustom itself to workloads that would fell a horse" 1. The primary variable Arnold used to shock his arms into new growth was change. Since they are one of the smaller body parts, are used often and are involved in almost everything we do, the arms, and especially the forearms, can be very stubborn and resistant to growth.
Even continuing to train at a very high intensity will likely elicit no new gains if that is all that is done in the same manner, during the same routine, day in and out.
RELATED ARTICLE
Intensity Building Technique Videos!
View our online videos for supersets, drop sets, and dozens more of the top intensity boosting techniques!
[ Click here to learn more. ]
Arnold advises shocking the arms by "training with more weight than usual, doing more reps and/or sets, speeding up your training (lifting becomes more forceful as a result), decreasing the rest between sets, doing unfamiliar exercises, doing your exercises in an unfamiliar order or using intensity techniques" 1.
For the workouts outlined in this article, it is suggested that each session is approached differently. Whether an additional set is done one workout, the tempo is increased for all sets for another, the exercises are switched around or the rest between sets is decreased one workout and increased the next, the overarching goal for each session is to avoid muscular resistance to growth and that means keeping the muscles constantly guessing as to what each new training stimulus will bring.
In this regard, the programs featured here are to be used as a foundation to be manipulated accordingly. It is suggested that each program be used "as is" one week with several of the aforementioned changes made over three subsequent weeks, before once again resuming the program in its basic state.
The intensity methods Arnold mentions, also to be used periodically over your three-week 'change' period are:
Forced Reps:
To be used very occasionally, forced reps are employed by having a training partner assist you with a final rep that would otherwise be impossible to achieve on your own. Again, a very high intensity way to shock the muscles that is to be used sparingly: perhaps once every second workout for one set per exercise.
VIDEO GUIDE
What Are Forced Reps?
A spotter is used to provide enough assistance for the trainer to be able to complete the rep.
Click The Play Button To Start The Video.
Or Download Here:
WMV (.7 MB) MPEG (5 MB) Video iPod (.7 MB)
Partial Reps:
With arm training, with the exclusion of lying triceps work, partial reps can be completed without the assistance of a partner and require a continuance of reps despite the onset of muscular fatigue. For example, upon completion of a set of barbell curls continue with partial (half or quarter reps) until the bar can no longer be moved even an inch. Again, use this technique sparingly.
VIDEO GUIDE
What Are Partial Reps?
This is simply moving the weight through a partial range of motion.
Click The Play Button To Start The Video.
Or Download Here:
WMV (.4 MB) MPEG (3.9 MB) Video iPod (.5 MB)
Negative Repetitions:
To shock the arm muscles these can be done two ways: the negative (or lowering aspect of the repetition) can be emphasized in the normal course of the workout rather than just to set up the contracting (or concentric) part, or a partner can assist a forced negative at the end of a hard set.
For partner assisted negatives, have someone assist you on the upward phase of the movement and complete the negative on your own: do two to three such reps and then have your partner rack the weight.
While emphasizing the negative can, and should, be done often, the forced negatives can be done every second or third arm workout to really stretch out the muscle fibers and assist new growth. Negatives will also build ligaments and tendons faster compared to conventional reps and, in the long run, this will enable the muscle to lift heavier weight, which will translate into new growth.
VIDEO GUIDE
What Are Negative Reps?
This technique focuses on the negative portion of muscle contraction (the eccentric or lowering phase).
Click The Play Button To Start The Video.
Or Download Here:
WMV (.6 MB) MPEG (4.4 MB) Video iPod (.6 MB)
Use Perfect Technique:
Aside from his patented controlled cheating (a shocking technique he would employ to stimulate his arms to exhaustion), Arnold was a stickler for perfect technique. Robotic in his actions and transfixed on completing all sets in the same manner each and every time, Arnold's training form was predictably perfect and ultra-effective.
Although he advocated occasional cheating for bicep curls (as a specific method in itself, to be explained shortly), Arnold also stipulated perfect form as a rule.
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To fully isolate the biceps muscle when curling, Arnold would advise newcomers to perform this movement with their backs against a wall. When doing strict curls he believed that the arms, and only the arms, were to do the work. Any other muscular involvement would dilute the isolating effect the exercise aimed to achieve.
"You also need to find the right groove, and do any curl movement through the longest range of motion," says Arnold 1. "When you do a curl you must bring your hand directly up to your shoulder. If you change that line an inch to the inside or the outside, you are taking the stress off the biceps and you won't get the same results 1." And the same thing applies to triceps and forearm training. Engage each rep through its full range of motion in a controlled fashion for optimal results.
Still on the subject of curling (the secret to Arnold's phenomenal biceps development) Arnold believes that handgrip is all-important. "Another mistake I see all the time is starting off a curl movent with a wrist curl - bending the wrist back, then curling it up just before engaging the biceps," says Arnold 1. "All this does is take stress away from the bicep by using forearm strength rather than biceps strength, and the result will be huge forearms and mediocre biceps 1."
Click Image To Enlarge.
Arnold Was A Stickler For Perfect Technique.
Cheating:
A seeming contradiction to the previous principal stipulating perfect technique, cheating is nevertheless an effective way to fully tax the muscles and is especially efficacious when applied to arm training. In fact Arnold was one of the first advocates for cheating and his mentor, Joe Weider, standardized it as one of his Weider training principals.
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Arnold's specific brand of cheating was controlled and this "controlled cheating" term is far from oxymoronic. Says Arnold: "Cheating is used to make the exercise harder, not easier 1." For barbell curls (featured in the programs outlined in this article) cheating is applied in the following manner, as explained by Arnold:
"Say you are doing a heavy barbell curl. You curl the weight up five or six times, and then find you are too tired to continue to do strict reps. At this point you begin to use you shoulders and back to help you in the lift slightly so that you can do another four or five reps. But you cheat just enough so that you can continue the set, and your biceps continue to work as hard as they can.
By cheating you have forced the biceps to do more work than they could have done without help from the other muscles, so you have to put more stress on them, not less 1."
The cheating method can also be applied to dumbbell curls and other curling variations.
7-Time Mr. O, Arnold Schwarzenegger!
Arnold Won His First Mr. Olympia At Age 23!
Photo Courtesy Of Robert Nailon.
Week #110 - 4/29/2008
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480x640 - 320x240 - 240x320 - 160x160 - 160x120 - 128x128
Use Supersets:
Always a big believer in maximizing his time in the most effective way possible, Arnold often employed supersets in his bodybuilding training 1. He was especially noted for using this method to build his superior arms. In fact, the second of two arm workouts featured in this article (Arnold's advanced arm workout) is comprised primarily of supersets to maximally stimulate the biceps and triceps.
Supersets (for the purposes of this article and in keeping with Arnold's specific training methods, agonist/antagonist, or opposite muscle grouping sets (biceps/triceps)) work to shock the muscles by compounding the stress the entire muscle grouping receives therefore forcing as much blood as is humanly possible into target area for superior growth.
VIDEO GUIDE
What Is A Superset?
Supersetting involves doing two exercises with no rest in between.
Superset.
Click The Play Button To Start The Video.
Or Download Here:
WMV (7.9 MB) MPEG (6.2 MB) Video iPod (.8 MB)
Priority Train:
If you have a body part that is especially lagging, Arnold advises priority training. This principal, when applied to arm training, is most often used by those with severely underdeveloped forearms, which are often a result of a genetic weakness more than anything else.
Related Lagging Body Part Articles:
Target Different Muscles! - By Shannon Clark
Daily Specialization Training. - By Nick Nilsson
Training Weaknesses. - By Curtis Dennis Jr.
Other Lagging Body Part Articles...
To prioritize weak forearms, Arnold suggests training them "by themselves when you are rested and strong" 1. This can be done either before training any other arm muscle or on a separate day on their own. Alternatively, Arnold suggests, training lagging forearms "on leg days when your arms are rested" 1.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Arnold Advises Priority Training.
Address Weak Points:
Arnold stresses that even though you may do everything to plan and execute his suggestions perfectly, there may still be weak points that need specific attention, and should be trained accordingly. For biceps, triceps and forearms Arnold recommends targeting weak points in several ways.
1. Focus:
First, using dumbbells one arm at a time instead of barbells (which, for the uninitiated, employ two arms) will allow a greater degree of focus to be applied on each side of the body, therefore helping to bring out the best in each individual set of muscles. Says Arnold: "Doing an entire set with just one arm at a time allows for maximum concentration and intensity, and ensures that each arm works to its maximum 1."
It is not hard to see that if each arm is worked individually, greater stress will reach the muscle that requires additional work. Indeed, with multilateral movements such as barbell curls and two-handed triceps press-downs, the stronger area will always predominate, which will exacerbate an existing imbalance and create further distortion of one's symmetry. One-arm movements will negate this.
2. Working Harder:
Secondly, training the weak point first (as in prioritizing a particular muscle) will allow this muscle to work harder as it will be fresher and more receptive to working all-out.
3. Technique:
Thirdly, Arnold once again recommends perfect technique, this time for those aiming to address weak muscle groups. Using correct form is even harder for a weak muscle group, as it will not often have sufficient strength to allow the weight to follow the correct movement arch. Therefore special emphasis must be placed on technique when training weak groupings.
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Posing:
One memorable scene from Pumping Iron shows Arnold flexing and posing his muscles between sets, when they are pumped to the limit. Arnold believes that posing between sets will allow you to gain mastery over the muscles you are training to better enhance your posing ability and lengthen the individual muscles for more complete development.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Arnold Believes That Posing Between Sets
Will Allow You To Gain Mastery Over Your Muscles.
Running through the basic compulsory poses, ones that employ to a large extent the arms, and holding each pose for a minimum of three seconds, is one way to further peak contract them and flush them with blood.
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Change Hand Position:
Further addressing Arnold's proclivity for changing his workouts around to continually stimulate the muscles is his concept of changing his hand spacing "to completely stimulate all the different areas 1" of a muscle.
This can be applied to biceps, triceps and forearms training as a further way to shock the muscles into new growth. For example, biceps and wrist curls and pressdowns can be done with a wide, narrow, reverse or medium grip.
Arnold's Recommended Arm Exercises
Biceps:
For Height (Or Peak):
Dumbbell concentration curls
Arnold (Dumbbell) Curls
(to perform, begin movement with knuckles facing forward. Simultaneously curl the weight while turning hand into a supinated position - with little fingers facing outer arms - and end with a peak contraction). Performance key: Always supinate the wrist: with each rep on concentration or Arnold curls, turn the little finger outward (toward outer forearm) for a peak contraction.
RELATED VIDEO
Arnold Dumbbell Curls!
Click The Play Button To Start The Video.
Or Download Here:
WMV (.8 MB)
[ Video Main Page ]
For Overall Mass With An Emphasis On Outer Thickness:
Close-grip barbell curls
For Overall Mass With An Emphasis On Inner Thickness:
Standing barbell curls
Hammer curls
Wide-grip preacher curls
Incline dumbbell curls
Alternate dumbbell curls
Triceps:
For Overall Mass
Close-grip barbell presses
Weighted dips
Lying triceps extensions
Bench dips (old school Arnold exercise: to perform, place hands (palms down) on one bench while balancing heels on a bench running parallel - dip down and use triceps strength to press back up. Weight can be placed on upper thighs to add resistance if needed).
For Overall Mass With An Emphasis On Upper Triceps
Cable pressdowns (overhand and reverse grip)
Kneeling extensions
Kickbacks
For Overall Mass With An Emphasis On Lower Triceps
Weighted dips
Behind back dips (performed by doing partial reps, going all the way down and only three quarters the way up - without locking out - to keep the lower aspect of the triceps under stress the entire time).
Forearms:
For Upper Forearms (Or Wrist Extensor Muscles)
Barbell reverse curls
Hammer curls
Reverse wrist curls
For Inner Forearms (Or Wrist Flexor Muscles)
Barbell wrist curls
Behind the back wrist curls
Putting It All Together
The Arnold Arm Workouts
Arnold's Basic Arm Workout:
Basic arm routine based on Arnold's arm training methods and recommended exercises (to be completed on its own)
The following basic routine is not as complex or extensive as Arnold's superset routine (to follow). It is intended to lay the foundation for the additional separation and refining (and further mass building) targeted in his advanced routine.
Training Frequency
Once a week for non-drug assisted
Every five days for drug assisted
Workout Duration
Around 30 minutes
Training Objectives
To build muscle mass and address weak points (to address weak points follow guidelines set out in Arnold's training principals section).
Barbell cheat-curls - 2 sets, 8 to 12 reps
Incline dumbbell curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Concentration curls - 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Close-grip barbell presses - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Weighted dips - 3 sets of 8 to 10
Regular cable press-downs - 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Barbell reverse curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Barbell wrist curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Arnold's Basic Arm Workout.
Arnold's Advanced Arm Workout (For Experienced Lifters)
Training Frequency
Once a week for non-drug assisted.
Every five days for drug assisted and/or professional bodybuilder.
Workout Duration
Around 30 minutes (depending on training tempo used and/or rest between sets duration)
Training Objectives
Further build mass while refining shape and targeting muscle separation.
The following workout is one that Arnold actually used during his peak years (early to mid-'70s). As mentioned earlier it is comprised primarily of supersets for maximum stimulation.
Due to its intensity it will need to be completed by itself - as part of a training-split (first or second session of a daily split) or on a separate day by itself. Arnold's superset-routine encourages the ultimate in muscle separation while further building mass and enhancing shape. The basic routine targets the achievement of separation to a lesser extent while emphasizing mass development.
This workout is prescribed on the assumption that forearm training is done, as Arnold suggests, on a separate training day to prioritize this stubborn grouping.
If you so wish, forearms can be scheduled after this workout but due to its intense nature, not before. If they are trained on arms day, they must be attacked with an equal level of ferocity. If energy reserves are inadequate they can be trained on leg day (before legs), abs day or in their own separate workout. Forearm program to be used follows:
Advanced Arnold Forearm Workout:
Barbell wrist curls - 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Barbell reverse curls - 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Behind the back wrist curls - 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Advanced Arnold Forearm Workout.
Advanced Arnold Biceps And Triceps Workout 2
Superset one: Barbell curls superset with lying triceps extensions
4 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each superset (combination of two exercises) without rest, or at the very least, minimal rest
Superset two: Alternate dumbbell curls superset with pushdowns (either variety)
4 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each superset
Superset three: Seated incline curls superset with kneeling extensions
4 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each superset
Superset four: Concentration curls superset with one-arm triceps extensions
4 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each superset
Bench Dips - 2 sets of 26 reps
Bodybuilding.com - Arnold Schwarzenegger's Secrets For Building Mind-Blowing Arms!
For Building Mind-Blowing Arms
For The Beginner And Advanced Bodybuilder
The undisputed King of Bodybuilding, the man known in iron circles as the Austrian Oak, Arnold Schwarzenegger, undoubtedly built one of the best physiques the world has ever seen, so much so that 28 years after he last set foot onstage, people still talk about his bodybuilding accomplishments in revered tones.
Although known for having an aesthetic body with muscle in all the right places, Arnold did have certain exceptional body parts. Indeed, what was particularly impressive about Arnold's amazing physique was his legendary arm development, clearly some of the best of all time regardless of era.
When it came to demonstrating the best arms of his era, Arnold was the perennial winner; there was no real competition for him in this area. Sure, some competitors had slightly better balance, others had greater fullness and a few had superior shape, but Arnold had all of these attributes in perfect measure, a significant reason why his front and rear double biceps poses are, according to many, the best of all time.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Arnold Was The Perennial Winner.
So how did Arnold build his own mini versions of Mt. Olympus? If you look at very early photos of Arnold flexing his arms, you can see that, although they did have reasonable shape and size for his age, they were far from perfect or what one might call genetically gifted.
To build the massive upper appendages that allowed him to win seven Olympia titles, Arnold had to employ every trick in the bodybuilding book. And there is one thing we all know about Arnold: he would move mountains, and occasionally envision his arms as such, as he sought to develop his body to perfection.
Training arms Arnold-style was not simply about hitting the gym and doing a few finishing sets, or limiting the intensity applied to them so as to not overdevelop this area and potentially throw his proportion off. Not Arnold.
He hit every body part with mind-numbing intensity and developed every muscle group to its maximum. Arms were no exception. As with all body parts, Arnold used a number of effective techniques to adequately stimulate his biceps, triceps and forearms.
What follows is a detailed look at exactly what arm-training techniques Arnold employed, what exercises he favoured and why, a program based on the Oak's methods and one he himself used along with principals that you can use to develop your own massive guns.
RELATED ARTICLE
[ Click here to learn more. ] A Tribute Fit For A King.
While you may not be hungry first thing in the morning, forcing yourself to eat or drink something is one of the most beneficial things you can do...
Author:
Matt Weik
Arnold's Arm Training Principals
The following principals should be applied to the basic and advanced arm-training programs (outlined shortly). When aiming to build his arms, Arnold would use the higher-thought component of his brain as much as sheer strength and instinct. He advises all who wish for similar development to do the same.
Aim For Equal Development:
Arnold always believed that since the arms can be seen from all poses and from every conceivable angle, they should be trained from all angles.
"You don't develop championship-winning arms simply by throwing around a heavy barbell doing curls or blasting out some reps for triceps," says the Oak 1. Clear visible development between all muscle of the arms with equally full muscle bellies and perfect balance is what Arnold constantly sought. And history shows us that is exactly what he achieved.
To achieve balance, proportion, size and shape in the arms, work all arm muscles with equal intensity. Break the individual "muscles of the arms down into separate categories" advised Arnold 1. And this is where planning your arm training routine is all-important.
RELATED POLL
Which Is The Most Important Part Of The Arm?
Biceps.
Triceps.
Forearms.
Not to worry, that part of the equation is in place for you, with the two complete programs, featured soon. Just be sure to never neglect any aspect of either of these programs. Do not become complacent and Arnold-style arms will be yours.
Click Image To Enlarge.
Do Not Become Complacent
And Arnold-Style Arms Will Be Yours.
Keep Things In Perspective:
Although Arnold advocates training biceps, triceps and forearms with equal intensity, he also recommends that you consider the fact that the triceps are the "larger, more complex muscle group" 1. After all, the biceps have two heads and the triceps have three and are a larger and therefore a stronger grouping by comparison.
As such, Arnold suggests viewing your arm as being one-third biceps and two-thirds triceps 1. In fact, Arnold says that while it is possible to hide your biceps in some poses, it is almost impossible to hide your triceps at any time 1. Therefore, he says, the triceps "need training from more angles" 1. When training the triceps, use a wider variety of exercises to hit all three heads to adequately target their larger size.
RELATED VIDEO
LiftRite Video Guide:
Triceps Training!
If you want shirt splitting guns then you definitely need to focus on fully developing all three heads of the triceps brachii!
Click The Play Button To Start The Video.
Or Download Here:
Video iPod (192 MB)
[ LiftRite Main Page ]
Focus:
Concentrating on each and every rep of every set is something Arnold did religiously. It is often said that once Arnold began to focus on his set, nothing could distract him, not even a bomb detonating in the next room.
After training Arnold was a light-hearted guy but once in the gym he was all business. And this was no more evident than when he trained his arms. Arnold would often take is mind-power to the next level and visualize what he wanted to achieve, and this would actually force gains in muscle size.
Says Arnold: "I also used a lot of visualization in biceps training. In my mind I saw my biceps as mountains, enormously huge, and I pictured myself lifting tremendous amounts of weight with these superhuman masses of muscle 1."
Related Visualization Articles:
Using Visualization To Enhance Your Prowess! - By Kelly Baggett
The Power Of Visualization! - By Jonathan Stehlik
Visualizing Yourself: The Key To Success! - By Sean Quade
Visualization: Make Each Rep Count! - By Reform Mag
For anyone who wishes to gain boundless muscle size and shape, the power of the mind cannot be underestimated. It was Arnold's secret weapon in the fight for huge arms.
Click Image To Enlarge.
The Power Of The Mind Cannot Be Underestimated.
Shock The Muscles Into Change:
Arnold always believed that the body was amazingly adaptable and could "accustom itself to workloads that would fell a horse" 1. The primary variable Arnold used to shock his arms into new growth was change. Since they are one of the smaller body parts, are used often and are involved in almost everything we do, the arms, and especially the forearms, can be very stubborn and resistant to growth.
Even continuing to train at a very high intensity will likely elicit no new gains if that is all that is done in the same manner, during the same routine, day in and out.
RELATED ARTICLE
Intensity Building Technique Videos!
View our online videos for supersets, drop sets, and dozens more of the top intensity boosting techniques!
[ Click here to learn more. ]
Arnold advises shocking the arms by "training with more weight than usual, doing more reps and/or sets, speeding up your training (lifting becomes more forceful as a result), decreasing the rest between sets, doing unfamiliar exercises, doing your exercises in an unfamiliar order or using intensity techniques" 1.
For the workouts outlined in this article, it is suggested that each session is approached differently. Whether an additional set is done one workout, the tempo is increased for all sets for another, the exercises are switched around or the rest between sets is decreased one workout and increased the next, the overarching goal for each session is to avoid muscular resistance to growth and that means keeping the muscles constantly guessing as to what each new training stimulus will bring.
In this regard, the programs featured here are to be used as a foundation to be manipulated accordingly. It is suggested that each program be used "as is" one week with several of the aforementioned changes made over three subsequent weeks, before once again resuming the program in its basic state.
The intensity methods Arnold mentions, also to be used periodically over your three-week 'change' period are:
Forced Reps:
To be used very occasionally, forced reps are employed by having a training partner assist you with a final rep that would otherwise be impossible to achieve on your own. Again, a very high intensity way to shock the muscles that is to be used sparingly: perhaps once every second workout for one set per exercise.
VIDEO GUIDE
What Are Forced Reps?
A spotter is used to provide enough assistance for the trainer to be able to complete the rep.
Click The Play Button To Start The Video.
Or Download Here:
WMV (.7 MB) MPEG (5 MB) Video iPod (.7 MB)
Partial Reps:
With arm training, with the exclusion of lying triceps work, partial reps can be completed without the assistance of a partner and require a continuance of reps despite the onset of muscular fatigue. For example, upon completion of a set of barbell curls continue with partial (half or quarter reps) until the bar can no longer be moved even an inch. Again, use this technique sparingly.
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What Are Partial Reps?
This is simply moving the weight through a partial range of motion.
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Negative Repetitions:
To shock the arm muscles these can be done two ways: the negative (or lowering aspect of the repetition) can be emphasized in the normal course of the workout rather than just to set up the contracting (or concentric) part, or a partner can assist a forced negative at the end of a hard set.
For partner assisted negatives, have someone assist you on the upward phase of the movement and complete the negative on your own: do two to three such reps and then have your partner rack the weight.
While emphasizing the negative can, and should, be done often, the forced negatives can be done every second or third arm workout to really stretch out the muscle fibers and assist new growth. Negatives will also build ligaments and tendons faster compared to conventional reps and, in the long run, this will enable the muscle to lift heavier weight, which will translate into new growth.
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What Are Negative Reps?
This technique focuses on the negative portion of muscle contraction (the eccentric or lowering phase).
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Use Perfect Technique:
Aside from his patented controlled cheating (a shocking technique he would employ to stimulate his arms to exhaustion), Arnold was a stickler for perfect technique. Robotic in his actions and transfixed on completing all sets in the same manner each and every time, Arnold's training form was predictably perfect and ultra-effective.
Although he advocated occasional cheating for bicep curls (as a specific method in itself, to be explained shortly), Arnold also stipulated perfect form as a rule.
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To fully isolate the biceps muscle when curling, Arnold would advise newcomers to perform this movement with their backs against a wall. When doing strict curls he believed that the arms, and only the arms, were to do the work. Any other muscular involvement would dilute the isolating effect the exercise aimed to achieve.
"You also need to find the right groove, and do any curl movement through the longest range of motion," says Arnold 1. "When you do a curl you must bring your hand directly up to your shoulder. If you change that line an inch to the inside or the outside, you are taking the stress off the biceps and you won't get the same results 1." And the same thing applies to triceps and forearm training. Engage each rep through its full range of motion in a controlled fashion for optimal results.
Still on the subject of curling (the secret to Arnold's phenomenal biceps development) Arnold believes that handgrip is all-important. "Another mistake I see all the time is starting off a curl movent with a wrist curl - bending the wrist back, then curling it up just before engaging the biceps," says Arnold 1. "All this does is take stress away from the bicep by using forearm strength rather than biceps strength, and the result will be huge forearms and mediocre biceps 1."
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Arnold Was A Stickler For Perfect Technique.
Cheating:
A seeming contradiction to the previous principal stipulating perfect technique, cheating is nevertheless an effective way to fully tax the muscles and is especially efficacious when applied to arm training. In fact Arnold was one of the first advocates for cheating and his mentor, Joe Weider, standardized it as one of his Weider training principals.
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Arnold's specific brand of cheating was controlled and this "controlled cheating" term is far from oxymoronic. Says Arnold: "Cheating is used to make the exercise harder, not easier 1." For barbell curls (featured in the programs outlined in this article) cheating is applied in the following manner, as explained by Arnold:
"Say you are doing a heavy barbell curl. You curl the weight up five or six times, and then find you are too tired to continue to do strict reps. At this point you begin to use you shoulders and back to help you in the lift slightly so that you can do another four or five reps. But you cheat just enough so that you can continue the set, and your biceps continue to work as hard as they can.
By cheating you have forced the biceps to do more work than they could have done without help from the other muscles, so you have to put more stress on them, not less 1."
The cheating method can also be applied to dumbbell curls and other curling variations.
7-Time Mr. O, Arnold Schwarzenegger!
Arnold Won His First Mr. Olympia At Age 23!
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Use Supersets:
Always a big believer in maximizing his time in the most effective way possible, Arnold often employed supersets in his bodybuilding training 1. He was especially noted for using this method to build his superior arms. In fact, the second of two arm workouts featured in this article (Arnold's advanced arm workout) is comprised primarily of supersets to maximally stimulate the biceps and triceps.
Supersets (for the purposes of this article and in keeping with Arnold's specific training methods, agonist/antagonist, or opposite muscle grouping sets (biceps/triceps)) work to shock the muscles by compounding the stress the entire muscle grouping receives therefore forcing as much blood as is humanly possible into target area for superior growth.
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What Is A Superset?
Supersetting involves doing two exercises with no rest in between.
Superset.
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Priority Train:
If you have a body part that is especially lagging, Arnold advises priority training. This principal, when applied to arm training, is most often used by those with severely underdeveloped forearms, which are often a result of a genetic weakness more than anything else.
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Training Weaknesses. - By Curtis Dennis Jr.
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To prioritize weak forearms, Arnold suggests training them "by themselves when you are rested and strong" 1. This can be done either before training any other arm muscle or on a separate day on their own. Alternatively, Arnold suggests, training lagging forearms "on leg days when your arms are rested" 1.
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Arnold Advises Priority Training.
Address Weak Points:
Arnold stresses that even though you may do everything to plan and execute his suggestions perfectly, there may still be weak points that need specific attention, and should be trained accordingly. For biceps, triceps and forearms Arnold recommends targeting weak points in several ways.
1. Focus:
First, using dumbbells one arm at a time instead of barbells (which, for the uninitiated, employ two arms) will allow a greater degree of focus to be applied on each side of the body, therefore helping to bring out the best in each individual set of muscles. Says Arnold: "Doing an entire set with just one arm at a time allows for maximum concentration and intensity, and ensures that each arm works to its maximum 1."
It is not hard to see that if each arm is worked individually, greater stress will reach the muscle that requires additional work. Indeed, with multilateral movements such as barbell curls and two-handed triceps press-downs, the stronger area will always predominate, which will exacerbate an existing imbalance and create further distortion of one's symmetry. One-arm movements will negate this.
2. Working Harder:
Secondly, training the weak point first (as in prioritizing a particular muscle) will allow this muscle to work harder as it will be fresher and more receptive to working all-out.
3. Technique:
Thirdly, Arnold once again recommends perfect technique, this time for those aiming to address weak muscle groups. Using correct form is even harder for a weak muscle group, as it will not often have sufficient strength to allow the weight to follow the correct movement arch. Therefore special emphasis must be placed on technique when training weak groupings.
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Posing:
One memorable scene from Pumping Iron shows Arnold flexing and posing his muscles between sets, when they are pumped to the limit. Arnold believes that posing between sets will allow you to gain mastery over the muscles you are training to better enhance your posing ability and lengthen the individual muscles for more complete development.
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Arnold Believes That Posing Between Sets
Will Allow You To Gain Mastery Over Your Muscles.
Running through the basic compulsory poses, ones that employ to a large extent the arms, and holding each pose for a minimum of three seconds, is one way to further peak contract them and flush them with blood.
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Change Hand Position:
Further addressing Arnold's proclivity for changing his workouts around to continually stimulate the muscles is his concept of changing his hand spacing "to completely stimulate all the different areas 1" of a muscle.
This can be applied to biceps, triceps and forearms training as a further way to shock the muscles into new growth. For example, biceps and wrist curls and pressdowns can be done with a wide, narrow, reverse or medium grip.
Arnold's Recommended Arm Exercises
Biceps:
For Height (Or Peak):
Dumbbell concentration curls
Arnold (Dumbbell) Curls
(to perform, begin movement with knuckles facing forward. Simultaneously curl the weight while turning hand into a supinated position - with little fingers facing outer arms - and end with a peak contraction). Performance key: Always supinate the wrist: with each rep on concentration or Arnold curls, turn the little finger outward (toward outer forearm) for a peak contraction.
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For Overall Mass With An Emphasis On Outer Thickness:
Close-grip barbell curls
For Overall Mass With An Emphasis On Inner Thickness:
Standing barbell curls
Hammer curls
Wide-grip preacher curls
Incline dumbbell curls
Alternate dumbbell curls
Triceps:
For Overall Mass
Close-grip barbell presses
Weighted dips
Lying triceps extensions
Bench dips (old school Arnold exercise: to perform, place hands (palms down) on one bench while balancing heels on a bench running parallel - dip down and use triceps strength to press back up. Weight can be placed on upper thighs to add resistance if needed).
For Overall Mass With An Emphasis On Upper Triceps
Cable pressdowns (overhand and reverse grip)
Kneeling extensions
Kickbacks
For Overall Mass With An Emphasis On Lower Triceps
Weighted dips
Behind back dips (performed by doing partial reps, going all the way down and only three quarters the way up - without locking out - to keep the lower aspect of the triceps under stress the entire time).
Forearms:
For Upper Forearms (Or Wrist Extensor Muscles)
Barbell reverse curls
Hammer curls
Reverse wrist curls
For Inner Forearms (Or Wrist Flexor Muscles)
Barbell wrist curls
Behind the back wrist curls
Putting It All Together
The Arnold Arm Workouts
Arnold's Basic Arm Workout:
Basic arm routine based on Arnold's arm training methods and recommended exercises (to be completed on its own)
The following basic routine is not as complex or extensive as Arnold's superset routine (to follow). It is intended to lay the foundation for the additional separation and refining (and further mass building) targeted in his advanced routine.
Training Frequency
Once a week for non-drug assisted
Every five days for drug assisted
Workout Duration
Around 30 minutes
Training Objectives
To build muscle mass and address weak points (to address weak points follow guidelines set out in Arnold's training principals section).
Barbell cheat-curls - 2 sets, 8 to 12 reps
Incline dumbbell curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Concentration curls - 2 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Close-grip barbell presses - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Weighted dips - 3 sets of 8 to 10
Regular cable press-downs - 3 sets of 8 to 10 reps
Barbell reverse curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Barbell wrist curls - 3 sets of 8 to 12
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Arnold's Basic Arm Workout.
Arnold's Advanced Arm Workout (For Experienced Lifters)
Training Frequency
Once a week for non-drug assisted.
Every five days for drug assisted and/or professional bodybuilder.
Workout Duration
Around 30 minutes (depending on training tempo used and/or rest between sets duration)
Training Objectives
Further build mass while refining shape and targeting muscle separation.
The following workout is one that Arnold actually used during his peak years (early to mid-'70s). As mentioned earlier it is comprised primarily of supersets for maximum stimulation.
Due to its intensity it will need to be completed by itself - as part of a training-split (first or second session of a daily split) or on a separate day by itself. Arnold's superset-routine encourages the ultimate in muscle separation while further building mass and enhancing shape. The basic routine targets the achievement of separation to a lesser extent while emphasizing mass development.
This workout is prescribed on the assumption that forearm training is done, as Arnold suggests, on a separate training day to prioritize this stubborn grouping.
If you so wish, forearms can be scheduled after this workout but due to its intense nature, not before. If they are trained on arms day, they must be attacked with an equal level of ferocity. If energy reserves are inadequate they can be trained on leg day (before legs), abs day or in their own separate workout. Forearm program to be used follows:
Advanced Arnold Forearm Workout:
Barbell wrist curls - 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Barbell reverse curls - 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Behind the back wrist curls - 4 sets of 8 to 12 reps
Click Here For A Printable Log Of Advanced Arnold Forearm Workout.
Advanced Arnold Biceps And Triceps Workout 2
Superset one: Barbell curls superset with lying triceps extensions
4 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each superset (combination of two exercises) without rest, or at the very least, minimal rest
Superset two: Alternate dumbbell curls superset with pushdowns (either variety)
4 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each superset
Superset three: Seated incline curls superset with kneeling extensions
4 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each superset
Superset four: Concentration curls superset with one-arm triceps extensions
4 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each superset
Bench Dips - 2 sets of 26 reps
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