Anyone Tried "4 Weeks to Big Arms" Program?

The programme:

So my next block i want to improve my arms. I’m actually done well on my last few programmes noticeably improving my shoulders, rear dealts and a few smaller areas. But i want bigger arms on my frame and I’m not doing anything about it in my current programming.

So following advice on here, looking to do a block of arms training.

So thinking of running this in the new year.

So questions, anyone tried this or any other arms block?

Second question, just a run this in a calorie surplus or maintenance?

Cheers all

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There’s an old recipe for arms where you tri to hit your bis and tris with “big” moves and you also make sure to get some work done in the Stretched position on the Shortened position.

This program uses those ideas, and has lifts that hit all those positions. I haven’t used this particular routine, like the lifts grouped this way, but I use most of these ideas and moves in on my arms. I believe this stuff “works.”

A cool thing about this routine is how it has some variety. Like a great move to hit biceps in the stretched position is the DB Incline Curl. But if you do that move endlessly it can beat up your elbow. So this program rotates in the Cable Curl and the Hammer Curl to get the same lengthened/stretched bicep motion without the repetitive abuse.

I don’t know that I would expect Big changes in one month, but even if it doesn’t produce huge results over night it would be a great way to try out and bunch of good arm stuff so you know how to use it going forward.

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All i see is a list of exercises done 3-4 sets of 8-10 reps.
I dont really “feel” the “science” behind it as i believe most men bombard their arms with the same amount of volume and exercise variety anyways, with no results.
As a fellow shitty arm owner, i believe its just genetics. If there was a list of exercises that could blow up anyones arms, a bit more people would have good ones.

P.S - also im butthurt about not being able to do 90% of arm exercises cuz they all fuck my elbows and/or give me tenis elbow, lol.

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I guess it’s more frequency and volume but if I’m honest I don’t know if an arm phase should focus more on the big lifts with a dedicated arm day.

Although I’ve no idea really so hoping for help lol.

I see no reason not to run it

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I have lately realized my arms did well (or better) with just other push/pull movements for bigger muscles (where bis/tris were agonistic muscles).

So, focus on chinups and presses first hand. Then maybe add additional isolation movements as needed.

My bis need significantly lower volume, than my tris. Tris obviously a bigger muscle, responding well to dips in my case.

As always, basic compound movements are the winners.

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I’m not disagreeing with your experience, at all, but will counter that my arms. tend to do best with 8-10 weekly sets of direct work. My arms are freaking huge, bro!

To be fair, my arms actually are big, so it’s likely just a genetic gift vs anything I’m actually doing.

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It’s not wise to argue with a person having your avatar’s arms! LOL Them arms are looking great!

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The real questions come with, is it your arm work or your strength developments on the big lifts (or both) that got them there.

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Just so the Important info isn’t lost in the shuffle.

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Honestly who knows. I’m not very strong, though, so that’s probably not it. I definitely don’t really buy into the “big 3 is all you need” thought process. I think sometimes people tend to get fatter to get stronger, think they’ve gotten bigger (which, I guess, they have), but then are pretty disappointed to see what’s still there when they get acceptably lean.

Just to keep disagreeing with myself, I absolutely do think compound lifts are where the majority of your time should be spent. I just think there’s some level of variety and volume we need for hypertrophy, and your arms won’t develop without some targeted work.

Anyway, to your original question (and you know I’m a bodybuilding/ volume queen!):

  1. I think the program looks fun
  2. I think the program will be effective, because it really is based on compound lifts
  3. I think ~8 sets is the direct arm work sweet spot for most people
  4. It’s only 4 weeks, so there’s absolutely no harm in doing it
  5. It’s only 4 weeks, so it’s unlikely to increase our arm size anyway!
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In order to derail this thread properly: I once worked with a guy who was a runner combined with lifting weights. He had tremendous arms right out of the box (especially bis - but runner’s legs). Here we have genetics on display again. I can’t recall him doing anything in particular for his bis, apart from but fairly often doing dumbbell dropsets on bicepcurls at the end of a workout! His bis appearantly liked volume.

It’s definitely interesting how many people answer in the negative to the question of “should I work my arms directly if I want them to get bigger?”

I’ll throw my hat in with the “just go do it and report” people. In isolation work, besides exercise selection (tricep kickbacks suck), mind-muscle connection is everything, and it’s okay to save the heavy loading for big exercises.

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As the proud owner of a pair of shitty arms (17.5" at 220lbs), i can confidently say that you should look at what every gym newbie is doing for biceps/triceps, and NOT do that.

I can’t speak to the efficacy of this program, but as @hankthetank89 said, this sounds a lot like what a regular dude’s arm workout would look like anyways.

The only things i found capable of making my arms actually looking decent were probably what you’d already expect…
Biceps

  • cheat curls with negative emphasis (literally add 20+lbs to your normal curl weight)
  • Peak contraction/iso hold work
  • Incline curls (for the stretch)
  • Targeting the brachialis

Triceps

  • literally doing any exercise that looks hard as fuck. Dips, heavy ass Close grip bench, etc.

I also found that increasing frequency helps, I do PPL so that hits biceps and triceps twice a week, each. Still, my arms are shit, and i imagine my body dismorphia will always tell me my arms are shit too. As others have said as well - it doesn’t hurt to try this program out… the worst that happens is your arms stay their same size and it only took 4 weeks

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I have never liked incline bicep curls. They feel uncomfortable and it doesn’t really follow the biceps strength curve. I will offer that i love the feel of curls with an Olympic bar loaded heavy, pinwheel curls, Preacher curls with an EZ Bar, and hammer curls with either a hammer Curl bar or the EZ bar with hammer grooves in it.

I like feeding the arms a ton of work throughout the week. I work them on both of my upper days and a dedicated arm day. Like @trainforpain my arms overpower the rest of my physique, but it’s a look that I really like.

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Heavy ez bar curls and weighted chins gave me the best results. Also, one arm preacher cables by putting an incline bench at 45 degrees with the seat right in front of the cable handle and kneeling behind the bench, with my armpit over the top where your head would go and my arm using the backrest as an anchor point is my favorite finisher.

And for triceps, dips, close grip bench, diamond pushups, and PJR pullovers.

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Whoa! I said my arms were big, not that the rest of me is small! How dare you, sir???
I’m just kidding by the way.

It’s kind of funny we’re finding multiple ways to skin a cat, as we always do, but I think we do agree you have to work something directly if you want significant growth there.

I agree with you about incline curls and @flappinit it about kickbacks: I hate them both.

For my top 3:
Biceps:

  1. Cross-body hammer curls
  2. EZ curls
  3. Preacher curls if the angle is really steep. The angle hurts my elbows as it gets closer to horizontal.

Triceps:

  1. Rope pressdowns - love them
  2. Close-grip push-ups
  3. Any kind of extensions that don’t hurt my elbows. I like doing dumbbells dead stop to the floor.

I also think you cover a lot of your bases if you’re doing like chin-ups and floor presses, as mentioned above. Triceps seem to grow from compound work more than biceps, for me.

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That’s why I love my single arm cable curl with the incline bench - you can raise or lower the cable handle, or even the bench, to accommodate whatever angle you want.

And yeah, I should have mentioned- I hate incline curls right along with you and @davemccright. It’s funny because I love training muscles in a stretched loaded position but doing it to the bicep just feels awful.

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I also agree on the incline bicep curl - it just doesn’t feel right to me. It’s something about the leverage - Too weak in the stretched position, imho. My favourite is the machine preacher curl. If the cam is smooth it delivers a constant tension on the biceps. I will try the one hand version @flappinit talks about!

Re triceps I never got anything out of the beloved pushdown/pressdown. I read some years ago it was supposed to be the best excercise for triceps (according to investigations incl EMG). Personally, I find the overhead one dumbbell raise better though my favorite is weighted dips.

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Hey I’m not saying the rest of me is small either lol just my arms are my best body part. And I totally agree about the kick backs! For Triceps I really like using Overhead movements to focus on the long head of the Triceps so skull crushers, French Press, Overhead Dumbbell Tricep Extension. They get work with presses like Bench and Overhead Press but those don’t really target the long head, and that’s a big reason why I think compounds alone aren’t enough for growing Triceps to their Max size.

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