Trying to shock my arms into growing

[programdude]

Hey all- I've been lifting since 16(22 now) and have made a good amount of progress but my arms are extremely stubborn. I have phenomenal bicep peaks but lack any substantial mass. Even when I have dirty bulked and blasted them my routines just haven't cut it. Any tips?

[Java Man]

Are you eating enough?

[EasyDoesIt]

What type of exercises combo's etc. are you doing for bi-tri's? How many times per week are you working arms included in major muscle groups and or not included with major muscle groups?

[Brett N]

Bigger triceps = bigger arms. Triceps will affect the looks of your arm size more than your biceps will. Start hitting your tris with some heavy weight and they will start growing. I prefer weight heavy enough to do 3 sets of 6-8 reps. Then you can either do a drop or find some other way to exhaust them. I do this after my bench because that is more my focus and I don't want to bench with dead triceps. To finish my workout (exhausted) I will do dips with my feet parallel to the ground. That gives me that last little bit that completely wipes out my arms.

Then, rest the triceps until next week when I do it again.

[EasyDoesIt]

Yup triceps are a larger muscle than bi's, but why not hit bi's harder if your arms are not up to satisfaction? Symmetry is Key. Nothing worse than seeing a guy with huge arms and no delts, especially rear delt, it loses the separation between the delt and the arm.

[programdude]

My symmetry is pretty good, but my arms are proportionally really long and hard to stack the weight on. I'm trying to up my calories as well to achieve decent size.

[EasyDoesIt]

My symmetry is pretty good, but my arms are proportionally really long and hard to stack the weight on. I'm trying to up my calories as well to achieve decent size.

But you did state your arms do not grow as well as other body parts from what i understand. Gaining size through diet is key, but you do not spot gain. If your arms are a challenging area for growth, i will go back to my first question of :
"What type of exercises combo's etc. are you doing for bi-tri's? How many times per week are you working arms included in major muscle groups and or not included with major muscle groups?"
it may take some different techniques than you are using to spark growth in your arms. One of the most frequent questions i am asked from people that workout and other trainers is that they can not get there biceps sore. So many people utilize to much forearm when doing BI'S due to improper technique. Some people have enough mass in there arms that just doing their major muscle groups hits there arms enough, but my arms are a challenge for me also and once a week is not enough for arms. But overtraining them can be detrimental also.

[Sgt. Hartman]

What is your current arm routine?

[programdude]

I usually do triceps after chest
3 sets of skullcrushers to failure
3 sets of dumbell extensions
In conjunction with chest workout they are usually finished

Biceps I do
3 sets of dumbell curls to fail
either 3 sets of seated machine preachers or straight barbell curls to fail
hammers 3 sets to fail

[Sgt. Hartman]

I don't think you're doing enough for tris (which make up the majority by far of the muscle mass in your arms) but you asked about bis so....

Make sure that you're really concentrating on the mind muscle connection and supinate and flex hard at the top. Imagine a huge peaking bicep at the top of the contraction of each rep. You say you're going to failure but if you're not growing then go beyond failure by doing forced reps, rest pause, or drop sets. Straight barbell curls are the best for building mass IMO, and the dumbbell curls are fine too but I'd swap the hammers for some type of concentration curl where again you squeeze hard and really peak your bicep at the top. I love ending bis with a big drop set of concentration curls each set to absolute failure.

[EasyDoesIt]

I usually do triceps after chest
3 sets of skullcrushers to failure
3 sets of dumbell extensions
In conjunction with chest workout they are usually finished

Biceps I do
3 sets of dumbell curls to fail
either 3 sets of seated machine preachers or straight barbell curls to fail
hammers 3 sets to fail

So are you just doing arms once a week?
If you are i would do them twice.
Also on one of your bicep days do them after back. I do pullups as first back exercise as i am freshest and they are hardest to do. I also do variations. Try doing pullups at 4 or 5 sets whatever reps you can do to failure. Add 3 additional sets of negatives.
Negatives Description: Jump up to have your chin to bar and lower slowly with control so as not to swing body. Do to failure. Do 3 sets
Add 3 sets negative chin ups to failure.
Complete your back workout. Your biceps will be hurting and no need to warm up for curls. Do your bicep routine, but start switching routines. Your biceps will be trashed. Try extending your wrist back through all curl movements and do not keep them even with wrist or curl forward towards end it just takes stress off bi's.
So you will do a bi and a tri on each of major muscle group day and then add a day where super setting bi and tri together with no major muscle group work. Maybe an ab routine that day also or nothing else.
Look into variety on switching up your bi and tri routines. Dips are good for tri but they have to be done differently than chest. Completely different and it's hard to explain bud.
Without trying to teach technique in a post or specific exercises that would be a starter. I have to run so i hope i was clear enough. Any questions leave a comment.

[programdude]

Thanks for the advice. I can try to squeeze back in with biceps. I always felt they were too sore to properly perform after back but I can give it a shot.