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  1. #1
    Matt's Avatar
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    Want big arms????

    For all those that want big arms.

    To get big arms, get yourself on a basic program that focuses on the leg, hip and back structure without neglecting the arms themselves. As you improve your squatting ability, for reps and say 100lbs, your curling poundage should readily come up by 30lbs or so if you work hard enough on curls. This will add size to your biceps. While adding 100lbs to your squat, you should be able to add 50-70lbs to your bench press, for reps. This assumes you've put together a sound program and have worked hard on bench. That will add size to your triceps.

    If your desperate to add a couple of inches to your upper arms you'll need to add 30lbs or more over your body, unless your arms are way behind the rest of you. Dont start thinking about 17inch arms or even 16inch arms so long as your bodyweight is 130, 140, 150, 160 or even 170lbs. Few people can get big arms without having a big body. Your unlikely to be one of the exceptions.

    15 sets of arm flexor exercises and 15 sets of isolation tricep exercises with a few squats, deadlifts and bench presses thrown in as an afterthought will give you a great pump and attack the arms from all angles. However, it wont make your arms grow much, if at all, unless your already squating and benching big poundages, or are genetically gifted.

    As your main structures come along in size and strenght (hip, thigh and back structure, and the pressing structure), the directly involved smaller body parts are brought along in size to. How can you bench press or dip impressive poundages without adding alot of size to your triceps? How can you deadlift the house and row big weights without having the arm flexors, not to mention the shoulders and the upper back to go with those lifts. How can you squat close to 2 times bodyweight, for plenty of reps without having alot of muscle all over your body.

    The greater the development and strenght of the main muscular structures of the body, the greater the size and strenght potential of the smaller areas of the body. Think it through. Suppose you can only squat and deadlift 200lbs, and your arms measure 13inches. Your unlikely to add any more than half an in inch or so on them no matter how much arm specialization you put in.

    However, put some real effort into the squat and deadlift, together with the bench press and a few other major basic movements. Build up the poundages by 50% or more, to the point where you can squat 300lbs for over 10 reps and pack on 30lbs of muscle . Then unless you have an unusual arm structure, you should be able to get your arms to around 17inches. If you want 18inch arms, plan on having to squat more than a few reps with around 2 times bodyweight.

    All of this arm development would have been achieved without a single concentration curl, without a single pushdown and without a single preacher curl. This lesson in priorities proves that the shortest distance between you and big arms is not a straight line to a curl bar.

    Good luck
    Last edited by Matt; 12-14-2008 at 02:57 PM.

  2. #2
    Gaspari1255 is offline Anabolic Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by MAD MATT View Post
    For all those that want big arms.

    To get big arms, get yourself on a basic program that focuses on the leg, hip and back structure without neglecting the arms themselves. As you improve your squatting ability, for reps and say 100lbs, your curling poundage should readily come up by 30lbs or so if you work hard enough on curls. This will add size to your biceps. While adding 100lbs to your squat, you should be able to add 50-70lbs to your bench press, for reps. This assumes you've put together a sound program and have worked hard on bench. That will add size to your triceps.

    If your desperate to add a couple of inches to your upper arms you'll need to add 30lbs or more over your body, unless your arms are way behind the rest of you. Dont start thinking about 17inch arms or even 16inch arms so long as your bodyweight is 130, 140, 150, 160 or even 170lbs. Few people can get big arms without having a big body. Your unlikely to be one of the exceptions.

    15 sets of arm flexor exercises and 15 sets of isolation tricep exercises with a few squats, deadlifts and bench presses thrown in as an afterthought will give you a great pump and attack the arms from all angles. However, it wont make your arms grow much, if at all, unless your already squating and benching big poundages, or are genetically gifted.

    As your main structures come along in size and strenght (hip, thigh and back structure, and the pressing structure), the directly involved smaller body parts are brought along in size to. How can you bench press or dip impressive poundages without adding alot of size to your triceps? How can you deadlift the house and row big weights without having the arm flexors, not to mention the shoulders and the upper back to go with those lifts. How can you squat close to 2 times bodyweight, for plenty of reps without having alot of muscle all over your body.

    The greater the development and strenght of the main muscular structures of the body, the greater the size and strenght potential of the smaller areas of the body. Think it through. Suppose you can only squat and deadlift 200lbs, and your arms measure 13inches. Your unlikely to add any more than half an in inch or so on them no matter how much arm specialization you put in.

    However, put some real effort into the squat and deadlift, together with the bench press and a few other major basic movements. Build up the poundages by 50% or more, to the point where you can squat 300lbs for over 10 reps and pack on 30lbs of muscle . Then unless you have an unusual arm structure, you should be able to get your arms to around 17inches. If you want 18inch arms, plan on having to squat more than a few reps with around 2 times bodyweight.

    All of this arm development would have been achieved without a single concentration curl, without a single pushdown and without a single preacher curl. This lesson in priorities proves that the shortest distance between you and big arms is not a straight line to a curl bar.

    Good luck
    I think I see the point you are trying to make but the guy that curls and does good tricep exersizes, along with everything else....is going to have bigger arms than the guy who just benches, squats, and deads.

  3. #3
    Matt's Avatar
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    Could i please ask people who add to this thread to read it all and not just the last paragraph. The first paragraph clearly explains the importance of doing your main lifts AND ARM EXERCISES.

    I must also add that this piece wasnt written by me but by a man who has published many articles on the matter. Many studies also back this. The aim of this thread was to show people that spending 5 days aweek doing arms isnt the best way to go. Thanks

  4. #4
    Amorphic's Avatar
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    source of the article?

  5. #5
    Matt's Avatar
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    Stuart McRoberts

  6. #6
    Gaspari1255 is offline Anabolic Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by MAD MATT View Post
    Could i please ask people who add to this thread to read it all and not just the last paragraph. The first paragraph clearly explains the importance of doing your main lifts AND ARM EXERCISES.

    I must also add that this piece wasnt written by me but by a man who has published many articles on the matter. Many studies also back this. The aim of this thread was to show people that spending 5 days aweek doing arms isnt the best way to go. Thanks
    I don't understand why you would post this thread first hand, as if you wrote it or something. It is an interesting read but it's not breaking news.

  7. #7
    Matt's Avatar
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    Eric Cressey and Lee Brown have also wrote similar articles.

  8. #8
    Matt's Avatar
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    No its not breaking news, its to help those that dont understand the importance of your main lifts. How many newbies on this board keep asking why their arms arnt growing, they post their program which almost always dosnt include squats, deadlifts ect, so for some i guess it is breaking news. Never did say i had wrote this.

  9. #9
    Ronnie Rowland's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by MAD MATT View Post
    . However, it wont make your arms grow much, if at all, unless your already squating and benching big poundages, or are genetically gifted.
    I understand what Stuart is saying. The term-"genetically gifted" plays a big factor with any body part. Those of you who have stubborn calves like myself know how frustrating it can be. Once again, the key to maxing out your genetic potential is with smart training. It's always taken both compound and isolation movements to excel as a bodybuilder. Short cuts to training sound great on paper but do not deliver the best of results.

  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ronnie Rowland View Post
    I understand what Stuart is saying. The term-"genetically gifted" plays a big factor with any body part. Those of you who have stubborn calves like myself know how frustrating it can be. Once again, the key to maxing out your genetic potential is with smart training. It's always taken both compound and isolation movements to excel as a bodybuilder. Short cuts to training sound great on paper but do not deliver the best of results.
    Oh and hasnt 35 years in the gym taught me that lesson the hard way !!!

  11. #11
    Matt's Avatar
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    Just to add to this. An experiment was performed by a group of scientists in Denmark. First the scientists tested the arm strenght of a group of subjects and, subsequently, divided the subjects into two groups: One group trained only their arms (arm group), and the other group trained their arms and their legs (armleg group). Both groups spent the same amount of time training their arms, however the armleg group performed additional leg exercises to increase the concentration of circulating anabolic hormones, that is testosterone and growth hormone .(The amount of anabolic hormones in the blood will increase more if a large amount of muscle is exercised). At the end of the experiment, the scientists found that the arm group increased their arm strenght by 9 percent, while the armleg group increased their arm strenght by 37 percent. This study clearly shows the importance of recruiting a large muscle mass during resistance exercise.

  12. #12
    boxer1's Avatar
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    the way i've always looked at it is big compound movements to build the mass and isolation movements to define and sculp that mass.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by MAD MATT View Post
    Could i please ask people who add to this thread to read it all and not just the last paragraph. The first paragraph clearly explains the importance of doing your main lifts AND ARM EXERCISES.

    I must also add that this piece wasnt written by me but by a man who has published many articles on the matter. Many studies also back this. The aim of this thread was to show people that spending 5 days aweek doing arms isnt the best way to go. Thanks
    I knew it wasnt written by you the moment I saw it. You would never type that much knowing it would only add one post to your account!!

    JK--Good read.

  14. #14
    DSM4Life's Avatar
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    ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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    Diamonds08 is offline Banned
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    My secret......do less. I try and tell all my buddies to do less for arms but they never listen cause they know it all. Yet, I'm the one with the 20 inch arms....ok 19 1/2!

    Do less, focus on intensity. I do around 6 sets for biceps after I do back and they are toasted!!! Same concept as the HIT training method. I do 1 set for chest on a HIT program and my shit is sore for 3-4 f-ing days. Oh well, they will learn the hard way....

  16. #16
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    Quote Originally Posted by Diamonds08 View Post
    My secret......do less. I try and tell all my buddies to do less for arms but they never listen cause they know it all. Yet, I'm the one with the 20 inch arms....ok 19 1/2!

    Do less, focus on intensity. I do around 6 sets for biceps after I do back and they are toasted!!! Same concept as the HIT training method. I do 1 set for chest on a HIT program and my shit is sore for 3-4 f-ing days. Oh well, they will learn the hard way....
    I have given HIT a try for the past month or so and i am still continuing to make gains every trip to the gym, i am a believer.

    Less is more.

  17. #17
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    Quote Originally Posted by DSM4Life View Post
    I have given HIT a try for the past month or so and i am still continuing to make gains every trip to the gym, i am a believer.

    Less is more.
    Yeah, I followed the Ironman HIT routine to the "T" for a while a few years back. I liked it but I seemed to plateau really quick on that program. I got bigger and got strong as hell. I still preach that routine to everyone. I may go back to it after my next cycle.

    I like your approach though. Get them legs big and the rest will follow.

  18. #18
    Matt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by FireGuy1 View Post
    I knew it wasnt written by you the moment I saw it. You would never type that much knowing it would only add one post to your account!!

    JK--Good read.
    You got me FireGuy.... I put another one about bulking in the diet forum, thought that was a good raed aswell lol...

  19. #19
    vic1778 is offline Junior Member
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    Quote Originally Posted by DSM4Life View Post
    ehhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh


    Gross, two men Kissing..........EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKk.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by vic1778 View Post
    Gross, two men Kissing..........EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKk.
    Where at , i wanna join in ?!

  21. #21
    Matt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by vic1778 View Post
    Gross, two men Kissing..........EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKk.
    Stay out of my thread, idiot...

  22. #22
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    Quote Originally Posted by MAD MATT View Post
    Stay out of my thread, idiot...

  23. #23
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    yes, less IS more, if you know what intensity is.

  24. #24
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    Quote Originally Posted by MAD MATT View Post
    No its not breaking news, its to help those that dont understand the importance of your main lifts. How many newbies on this board keep asking why their arms arnt growing, they post their program which almost always dosnt include squats, deadlifts ect, so for some i guess it is breaking news. Never did say i had wrote this.
    I remember reading this stuff back in the 80s & your right it needs to be adressed, newbies can easily miss this information & it helps when info like this is refreashed & brought to their attention.

  25. #25
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    Nice post MAD MATT.

  26. #26
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    this need a Bump GO MM.

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    I have to say I mostly agree with this. Some might not agree but a lot of times I don't even work biceps. Guys ask me what I do for arms all the time, my answer is pullups and heavy deadlifts or power cleans. There isn't any science behind it, when I do work biceps, its after my back workout, and I'll only do 2 exercises at the most. Heavy compound movements build more overall muscle!

  28. #28
    Matt's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by A2thej2008 View Post
    this need a Bump GO MM.
    Thanks lol, but again its only something ive studied a little, but imo very important..

  29. #29
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    I found i made more gains when changed my program to 5x5, the post made total sense to me and think great post for a newbie

  30. #30
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    Just do synthol... duh.

  31. #31
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    Very good info matt. Once in a while we all need a rehash on info like this.

    Quote Originally Posted by vic1778 View Post
    Gross, two men Kissing..........EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEKk.
    How old are we again?

    Just do synthol... duh.
    Good idea...

  32. #32
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    Quote Originally Posted by ironmaiden708 View Post
    Very good info matt. Once in a while we all need a rehash on info like this.


    How old are we again?

    Good idea...
    I've seen that picture before. Is that for real or what?

  33. #33
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    No way it's real. If it is, that looks so awful.

  34. #34
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    what i cant beleive is that these people do synthrol and dont know how and when it comes out looking like the above pic they think it looks good must be a mental defect. I agree with the original point of this thread.

  35. #35
    Matt's Avatar
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    What i cant believe is that my thread has turned into a synthrol one!!

  36. #36
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    Good read MAD MATT! If you had another thread on how to get bigger chest. that would make my day



    Quote Originally Posted by xnotoriousx View Post
    No way it's real. If it is, that looks so awful.
    It looks fake to me. Photoshop job?

  37. #37
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    Yeah, totally fake. You've obviously never Greg Valentino. He's photoshopped too. Not real at all... /sarcasm off.

    Yes, there are idiots that really do that to their bodies...

  38. #38
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    Quote Originally Posted by Overhaulz View Post
    Yeah, totally fake. You've obviously never Greg Valentino. He's photoshopped too. Not real at all... /sarcasm off.

    Yes, there are idiots that really do that to their bodies...
    I've seen the Greg Valintino bio, but his arms didn't look nowhere near that awful. That's just sick! Looks like a 100 y/o fat ladies leg or something

  39. #39
    johnnybigguns is offline Banned
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    I got alittle over 17 inch arms and I still feel tiny
    I wanna see 20 atleast

  40. #40
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    I'm not sure I agree with this, or similarly-themed articles.

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