Help, My Son Wants Bigger Arms

make sure he knows that when taking measurements that a 1/8" change is alot for the bicep.

I went from 179lbs to 188lbs and my arm size grew one inch; and that’s awesome in my opinion.

Squats and milk.

[quote]blazindave wrote:
Squats, rows, deadlifts, bench and milk.[/quote]

Fixed it for ya.

[quote]Westclock wrote:
blazindave wrote:
Squats, rows, deadlifts, bench, heavy incline curls and milk.

Fixed it for ya.[/quote]

x2

[quote]Aggro wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
Aggro wrote:
What I see pretty regularly in the gym from the younger guys is that when they do curls they bring the bar above their shoulder, and or use poor form. I’ve got a couple of them doing CT’s “Constant Tension Alternate Curl” and they love it.

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_article/sports_body_training_performance/mondays_with_thibaudeau_the_constant_tension_alternate_curl

thats how i always learned to do single arm curls, my highschool teacher taught me that back in 9th grade. really not a new concept.

I understand it might not be a new concept, but look around the gym next time and see what kind of form the younger guys are using for curls. Of course it could just be my gym, but if that’s the case then I guess the someone that “should” have shown them gets to be me. [/quote]

i didnt mean to sound like a prick, just thought its funny how this is getting circulated now when its probaly been around for decades.

starting strength is what you want.

http://www.T-Nation.com/free_online_forum/sports_body_training_performance_bodybuilding_beginner/starting_strength_the_guide

Get a bigger body.

Thanks for the input.

I don’t have much control over what he eats. He is with his mom most of the time but he eats like a pig when he is with me. And yes, it’s mostly clean.

He is making gains, just not fast enough. LOL

I’ll just keep working with him and be sure his form is correct.

Thanks again.

FWIW, I very, very rarely get DOMS in my biceps. About the only thing that will do it is 30 second weighted eccentrics in the chin-up on my last set.

Despite very rarely getting DOMS in my biceps, they still grow.

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i didnt mean to sound like a prick, just thought its funny how this is getting circulated now when its probaly been around for decades.[/quote]

Naw man, I didn’t take it that way, so no worries there. My point was that if you look around most gyms, a majority of the younger guys are doing some bullshit routine that they either read about in a magazine, or got from a friend.(who probably read about it in a magazine, and clusterfucked it up even more in the translation)

Showing them CT’s “oldschool” approach has improved their form and helped them “feel” the muscle that much more.

Then again it took about 2 weeks to convince some of them that benching and curling every day they come in, isn’t going to make them hyyuggge.

Basically what I’ve seen in these forums is that almost every “problem” can be answered with either: (or even both)

A. Fix your diet dummy.
B. Follow Starting Strength dummy.

[quote]Westclock wrote:
blazindave wrote:
Squats, rows, deadlifts, bench and milk.

Fixed it for ya.[/quote]

You forgot pullups.

Maybe some NO-Explode?

[quote]blazindave wrote:
Westclock wrote:
blazindave wrote:
Squats, rows, deadlifts, bench and milk.

Fixed it for ya.

You forgot pullups.[/quote]

Pullups…pullups…and more pullups…then do weighted pullups…then guess what more pullups…same goes for all the above…


I haven’t seen anyone mention triceps. The question was “bigger arms”. The tricep makes up about 2/3 rds of his upper arm. I’ve been training for 12 years and have trained many newbies - none of who realised the importance of getting big tri’s for overall arm size. I also do 3 types of exercises for tri’s in each arm workout.

Elbows beside ears - Overhead DB ext etc…
Elbows out front - Skull crushers etc…
Elbows at sides or behind - Dips etc

This works the 3 heads of the tricep. I would only do 2 bi exercises for these 3 tri exercises (any of the bi exercises in the above posts would suffice.

This is a before/after picture of my younger brother at 16 and now. He followed this exact routine for at least the first 2 years of training.

[quote]Aggro wrote:
LiveFromThe781 wrote:
i didnt mean to sound like a prick, just thought its funny how this is getting circulated now when its probaly been around for decades.

Naw man, I didn’t take it that way, so no worries there. My point was that if you look around most gyms, a majority of the younger guys are doing some bullshit routine that they either read about in a magazine, or got from a friend.(who probably read about it in a magazine, and clusterfucked it up even more in the translation)

Showing them CT’s “oldschool” approach has improved their form and helped them “feel” the muscle that much more.

Then again it took about 2 weeks to convince some of them that benching and curling every day they come in, isn’t going to make them hyyuggge.

Basically what I’ve seen in these forums is that almost every “problem” can be answered with either: (or even both)

A. Fix your diet dummy.
B. Follow Starting Strength dummy.

[/quote]

yeah i try to help people out at the gym with their bench and shit, get their arch up elbows in, teach them to explode etc.

theres some people i dont even want to help though, like this kid who comes in like an idiot, does shadowboxing infront of the bench then half reps 2 plates for 3 or something and smacks himself in the head like he just did something impressive lmao.

[quote]LiveFromThe781 wrote:
theres some people i dont even want to help though, like this kid who comes in like an idiot, does shadowboxing infront of the bench then half reps 2 plates for 3 or something and smacks himself in the head like he just did something impressive lmao. [/quote]

You could offer to help with the smacking part.

I’m 17 and been training since I was 15. Arm strength is easy, but actual arm growth can be difficult. I recommend standard curls for biceps and overhead extensions and other triceps exercises, for the upper arms. For larger forearms try doing curls, deadlifts, and barbell rows with a fat bar - two inches is a good start. Also try various grip tools.

Also, it’s very important to work to failure on a regular basis, but not every time, he’ll burn out. Work with weights he can consistently do 7 - 18 reps with. Do multiple sets, and push him further than he thinks he can go. Remember that size will come with strength and that the rest of his upper body will need to be strong enough to handle real weight if you want his arms to handle heavy weight. I’ve been training two years and have added in that time 140 lbs. to my bench press, 135 to my deadlift, 75 to my squat, and about 50 to my curls.

you added nearly twice as much weight to your bench as your squat.

We don’t like chicken legs round these parts.

[quote]zephead4747 wrote:
you added nearly twice as much weight to your bench as your squat.

We don’t like chicken legs round these parts.[/quote]

I have bad knees, I had to cut out the squats for nearly a year. So a few months ago I had to basically start from scratch. I also don’t have chicken legs, they’re fairly large, and plenty strong.

[quote]DemonSevere wrote:
zephead4747 wrote:
you added nearly twice as much weight to your bench as your squat.

We don’t like chicken legs round these parts.

I have bad knees, I had to cut out the squats for nearly a year. So a few months ago I had to basically start from scratch. I also don’t have chicken legs, they’re fairly large, and plenty strong.[/quote]

good to hear.

You had me scared there for a second.

Soreness isn’t a measure of success in the gym. Size and strength (or speed) are. So if he is getting stronger or bigger there you go and bigger is primarily diet.

I only get sore if I have taken an extended time off from the gym, that first week or two back will cripple me, but after that nothing at all makes me sore. Intensity, variety, new movement plane, nothing. But my weights go up, so who cares.