EDT Phase II Arm Volume

Does anyone who has embarked on Staley’s EDT Phase II workout find the volume for biceps and triceps too high? You’re basically doing just as much volume for arms as you are for say, chest and back. Im just wondering with all the pushing and pulling already in the program, if this is too much arm work. How have you guys modified it? I recall reading somewhere of someone who elimated arms completely and got great arm growth.

Chris, I think the key to this (and something I explain in my upcoming book) is that in order for muiscle to grow, you have to be in one of two modes all the time: intense training or intense resting. Nothing in-between. This is why a lot of guys can’t acheive shoulder mass? their delts are being trained all the time during rows and presses, and then they add in direct delt training after all that. So the volume in EDT may seem high, but the total duration is extremely minimal? that’s they key, and I hope this points you in the right direction…

It depends on what you’re after, and what you’ve been doing up to this point.


Most people (generally guys, and most especially newbies) train arms too much without putting much thought into how their program is set up. Since arms are also trained with virtually any chest or back movement, these people end up with too much volume for the relatively small muscles. For them, cuttting out direct arm work altogether will have a beneficial effect in that it eliminates the overtraining aspect.


However, there are some who, for whatever reason and despite training in an intelligent manner, decide that they need more arm growth. If they haven’t specialized in arms for a while, a specialization program may be just the thing for them.


This is what the EDT program is designed for. Remember, it’s a one month program, not something that you follow all year long. So even though the volume is heavy, it’s only for a month (and you’d probably be well-advised to lower your volume on your other bodyparts for that month as well, as I think Staley mentions in his article).


Clear?