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Thread: Arms have platued during cycle.

  1. #1
    MMA_Influenced's Avatar
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    Arms have platued during cycle.

    Im on week 6 and have had incredible gains on my arms.. Last week i didnt get the amount of gain i was hoping for so i upped my arm sets by 1 for each arm exercise. Still not blown away by the results things seem to be slowing down big time.

    Any tips on how maybe you over came this and got to the next level? Thanks.

  2. #2
    InternalFire is offline Anabolic Member
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    its your first cycle after a long while if I recall right?

    You should not expect continuous explosive growth every workout, especially body adopts quickly to load/damage and grows accustom.

    Did you try to do dropsets and increase weight & intensity not reps? Change grip stance/exercises, use fat-grips and so on? sometimes recovery and longer rest time will yield greater gains than too-frequent pounding of the muscles
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  3. #3
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    If gains were non-stop on cycle there would be thousands or millions of IFBB pros....
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    Quote Originally Posted by MMA_Influenced View Post
    Im on week 6 and have had incredible gains on my arms.. Last week i didnt get the amount of gain i was hoping for so i upped my arm sets by 1 for each arm exercise. Still not blown away by the results things seem to be slowing down big time.

    Any tips on how maybe you over came this and got to the next level? Thanks.
    What's your traing look like for arms
    Various ways to increase the intensity. Sometimes it's just that one last forced rep till failure that you can't hardly get up or at all that will encourage growth
    Or. Rest times etc

    Sometimes I do multiple drop sets with a super set at the end of something.
    Try using weight you can only get up 2-3 reps but aims to get larger number of total reps by doing that heavy weight 2-3 reps then dropping weight and continue till you get your high volume with heavy weight etcetc. So many variations and combos
    Last edited by Marsoc; 09-22-2016 at 10:10 AM.

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    Quote Originally Posted by Mr.BB View Post
    If gains were non-stop on cycle there would be thousands or millions of IFBB pros....
    Lol.. god so helpful. All good though... obviously someone in my position should try and change something to reach the next level though.
    Last edited by MMA_Influenced; 09-22-2016 at 05:17 PM.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marsoc View Post

    What's your traing look like for arms
    Various ways to increase the intensity. Sometimes it's just that one last forced rep till failure that you can't hardly get up or at all that will encourage growth
    Or. Rest times etc

    Sometimes I do multiple drop sets with a super set at the end of something.
    Try using weight you can only get up 2-3 reps but aims to get larger number of total reps by doing that heavy weight 2-3 reps then dropping weight and continue till you get your high volume with heavy weight etcetc. So many variations and combos
    I work 1 body part a day and arm day is:

    3 sets hammer curls
    3 sets preacher curls
    3 sets standing curls
    3 sets pushdowns
    3 sets standing french press
    3 sets close grip bench press

    This week i pushed all of those to 4 sets each and didnt get much of a result. I may have to really up my intensity level or change some of the routine.. i dont know. Maybe even add more sets or another exercise for tris and a new one for bis?

    As the poster above said.. if gains were consistent everyone would be huge.. im just looking for that key to turn the lock to the next level right now.

  7. #7
    InternalFire is offline Anabolic Member
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    Youre not lacking endurance, so judging by this you got to learn and implement HIT principles and you won't need that many sets and you will begin to see the change. Positives static and negatives, all controlled and as long as 3-4 sec per motion will burn and activate your next level muscle growth.

    However if thats too much for you, then I at least recommend you up the weight so your rep range is no greater than 6-8 reps, and I mean max 8 reps, kicking and cheating wont help much to do an extra rep to hit 9 reps a set, and then add rest pause, and follow up with drop sets.

    And if you're extra bright, you will use both above principles in combination.

    Learn the pain and and don't be afraid to fail, use it as a driving factor, it will be the key you're looking for

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  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by MMA_Influenced View Post
    I work 1 body part a day and arm day is:

    3 sets hammer curls
    3 sets preacher curls
    3 sets standing curls
    3 sets pushdowns
    3 sets standing french press
    3 sets close grip bench press

    This week i pushed all of those to 4 sets each and didnt get much of a result. I may have to really up my intensity level or change some of the routine.. i dont know. Maybe even add more sets or another exercise for tris and a new one for bis?

    As the poster above said.. if gains were consistent everyone would be huge.. im just looking for that key to turn the lock to the next level right now.
    Regular sets get novice after a while. Try adding the drop set variations I mentioned or super sets or combo of both. Or heavy weight high volume no rest Inbetween lifts. And maybe 30seconds rest between sets (doing a weight dropping weight and lifting again till your desired reps. Plus adding a super set of another workout that works the same muscle group. Could be a compound or isolation ..and that is considered one set. No rest Inbetween all them moves.

    Gota switch it up cuz that's where growth comes from. That new break down. And when something is broke down the same way the body gets used to it and doesn't respond because it's easy. I guess adding another set helps but you need to go way beyond failure. I do at least but I never cycled. I can't wait to see the results from that

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    Quote Originally Posted by InsaneMuscle View Post
    Youre not lacking endurance, so judging by this you got to learn and implement HIT principles and you won't need that many sets and you will begin to see the change. Positives static and negatives, all controlled and as long as 3-4 sec per motion will burn and activate your next level muscle growth.

    However if thats too much for you, then I at least recommend you up the weight so your rep range is no greater than 6-8 reps, and I mean max 8 reps, kicking and cheating wont help much to do an extra rep to hit 9 reps a set, and then add rest pause, and follow up with drop sets.

    And if you're extra bright, you will use both above principles in combination.

    Learn the pain and and don't be afraid to fail, use it as a driving factor, it will be the key you're looking for

    Sent from my eyePhone
    Right. Gota
    Lift big to get big as they say. Decent amount of volume along with heavy weight

  10. #10
    numbere is offline RETIRED- Knowledgeable member
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    Quote Originally Posted by MMA_Influenced View Post
    I work 1 body part a day and arm day is:

    3 sets hammer curls
    3 sets preacher curls
    3 sets standing curls
    3 sets pushdowns
    3 sets standing french press
    3 sets close grip bench press

    This week i pushed all of those to 4 sets each and didnt get much of a result. I may have to really up my intensity level or change some of the routine.. i dont know. Maybe even add more sets or another exercise for tris and a new one for bis?

    As the poster above said.. if gains were consistent everyone would be huge.. im just looking for that key to turn the lock to the next level right now.
    Besides using HIT like IM suggested you can swap you sculpting exercises for mass building exercises.

    BB curls, bent over non supported concentration curls, ez bar spider curls, preacher curls, and heavy cross body hammers.

    Close grip bench lying/incline , BB extensions lying/incline, skull crushers, and weighted dips
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  11. #11
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    So this is really interesting.. 2 weeks in a row i DID see growth. Not during arm day.. but during CHEST. The only growth ive seen in my arms at all happens during chest day.. now this is:

    Flat bench press 4 sets
    Incline 4 sets
    Declind 4 sets
    Flys 3 sets

    What Im starting to think and what im realizing is that on chest day im going to complete failure on almost every set (except the flys). On bis/tris day i go hard but i know when the failure rep is coming and i stop short of it almost every time.

    Im kinda suprised to say but i think hitting that struggling failure rep is really important whether you can do the rep or not. I never measured so much before being as how i wasnt on cycle but its funny being on cycle may infact be teaching me more about me body and how to exercise it.

    Im not 100 percent sure its the failure rep aspect but ill be sure to try it next workout and see how it effects things. If its not that its something else but i think theres definitely something going on when my arms only respond to chest day.. i assume its all tricep but still... a hell of a response being as how i focus on them on another day and get nothing.
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  12. #12
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    Quote Originally Posted by InsaneMuscle View Post
    Youre not lacking endurance, so judging by this you got to learn and implement HIT principles and you won't need that many sets and you will begin to see the change. Positives static and negatives, all controlled and as long as 3-4 sec per motion will burn and activate your next level muscle growth.

    However if thats too much for you, then I at least recommend you up the weight so your rep range is no greater than 6-8 reps, and I mean max 8 reps, kicking and cheating wont help much to do an extra rep to hit 9 reps a set, and then add rest pause, and follow up with drop sets.

    And if you're extra bright, you will use both above principles in combination.

    Learn the pain and and don't be afraid to fail, use it as a driving factor, it will be the key you're looking for

    Sent from my eyePhone
    I think your completely right.. i realized my chest day training is more intense and to failure than my bi/tri day (even though i leave with a serious pump on those days which makes me think i did good work). And low and behold.. my arms grew more on that day than when i was focused on them likely due to the fact i wasnt training with enough intensity.

    Its embaressing but looking back on it I definitely dont go to failure on arm day.. i just hit a point where i feel its enough for the set and stop. Anyway ill know for sure after next work out

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by MMA_Influenced View Post
    So this is really interesting.. 2 weeks in a row i DID see growth. Not during arm day.. but during CHEST. The only growth ive seen in my arms at all happens during chest day.. now this is:

    Flat bench press 4 sets
    Incline 4 sets
    Declind 4 sets
    Flys 3 sets

    What Im starting to think and what im realizing is that on chest day im going to complete failure on almost every set (except the flys). On bis/tris day i go hard but i know when the failure rep is coming and i stop short of it almost every time.

    Im kinda suprised to say but i think hitting that struggling failure rep is really important whether you can do the rep or not. I never measured so much before being as how i wasnt on cycle but its funny being on cycle may infact be teaching me more about me body and how to exercise it.

    Im not 100 percent sure its the failure rep aspect but ill be sure to try it next workout and see how it effects things. If its not that its something else but i think theres definitely something going on when my arms only respond to chest day.. i assume its all tricep but still... a hell of a response being as how i focus on them on another day and get nothing.
    You're learning how to train to failure and beyond. This is good.
    There are 3 loves in my life: my wife, my English mastiffs, and my weightlifting....Man, my wife gets really pissed when I get the 3 confused...
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    Quote Originally Posted by MMA_Influenced View Post
    So this is really interesting.. 2 weeks in a row i DID see growth. Not during arm day.. but during CHEST. The only growth ive seen in my arms at all happens during chest day.. now this is:

    Flat bench press 4 sets
    Incline 4 sets
    Declind 4 sets
    Flys 3 sets

    What Im starting to think and what im realizing is that on chest day im going to complete failure on almost every set (except the flys). On bis/tris day i go hard but i know when the failure rep is coming and i stop short of it almost every time.

    Im kinda suprised to say but i think hitting that struggling failure rep is really important whether you can do the rep or not. I never measured so much before being as how i wasnt on cycle but its funny being on cycle may infact be teaching me more about me body and how to exercise it.

    Im not 100 percent sure its the failure rep aspect but ill be sure to try it next workout and see how it effects things. If its not that its something else but i think theres definitely something going on when my arms only respond to chest day.. i assume its all tricep but still... a hell of a response being as how i focus on them on another day and get nothing.
    It's that failure rep that is the only rep that will make them gains. Aside from all the other reps that brought you to that point of failure. Ok they all are important but that one rep when you fail is when your muscle is taken to that place it's n get been. I.e it had to grow bigger and stronger to withstand that punishment nextime or you will die. Lol maybe not die but our bodies are built for survival and they adapt. Same in the gym

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    Sometimes it's hard going to absolute failure. Like actually knowing it's coming and instead of stopping when you think it's enough. Instead keep pushing until u al,lost get it up or you do. You'll find you have a little more in you then you thought. Sometimes may be able to do a few more.
    I like beyond failure moves because it give me a mental break from the punishment of that last set. Cuz I'm going right into a different workout to pump a few more out. And still going opposed to have going to failure and stopping. It's a mental thing.

  16. #16
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    High intensity was the answer.. i made sure to not only push to failure but also focus on that failure rep as much as i could. The gains are incredible.. no more plateau.. thats for damn sure. Thanks guys.

    Its amazing.. all those years training natural im learning more about my body on gear in this short time than i have in a long time. Because i can see noticable effects in short term Im able to see whats working and whats not versus natty it would take much longer to see the results. On gear there is no doubt you can literally measure the effects on a week to week basis. Thanks guys.
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  17. #17
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    Gains are not linear. The body has to stop and regroup before it can progress. You may even lose some before you blast past where you are. If you feel your training is good then look at diet and water intake. Hydration is often overlooked. You have to eat to grow.

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    Quote Originally Posted by 600@50 View Post
    Gains are not linear. The body has to stop and regroup before it can progress. You may even lose some before you blast past where you are. If you feel your training is good then look at diet and water intake. Hydration is often overlooked. You have to eat to grow.
    And sleep.

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