Nothing grabs the average passerby ’ s attention more than a great set of guns . Arms that fill out a T-shirt are the desire of almost everyone who has ever touched a weight and yearned to pack on muscle . Summer is here , and it ’ s time to strip off the bulky outerwear and show off your hard work for all to see .
The cold months are over , and hopefully you ’ ve done your homework . You ’ ve most likely focused on the big , compound lifts for gains in strength and bulky size . When it ’ s time to define , develop , and shred , you want your arms to shine . But what if after all that toil in the gym you find that your guns are more like squirt guns than cannons ? What if you ’ ve curled away and performed every pressdown in the book but still have less than impressive artillery to show for it ?
Curling For Days Most lifters live and die by the biceps curl . Additionally , they normally finish an arm day with a few sets of cable pressdowns thrown in at the end . Barbell , dumbbell , concentration , and preacher curls will all make an appearance at some point on your arm-lifting docket along with rope , V-bar , overhead , and reverse-grip cable pressdowns .
Set after set and rep after rep you strain , squeeze , and pummel your arms into submission without much added muscle . Something ’ s amiss . You definitely need a new approach to training your biceps and triceps . Let ’ s take a look at a completely different ( but not so new ) perspective on arm growth .
Do Your Homework Right The first order of business is to make sure you ’ re using the big , compound lifts for chest , back , and shoulder work . Lifting big weight and focusing on strength , at least temporarily , will add size naturally to your arms . Ask yourself : Have you ever seen someone perform countless pull-ups and row a ton of weight with tiny biceps ? How about those who bench press or shoulder press big numbers ? Do they have wimpy triceps ? You need to concentrate on the big lifts so that your arms will be passively exposed to intense loads .
Secondly , let ’ s ditch the ultra-focused arm training for the time being and cut down on the volume of work . Scared ? Don ’ t be . You won ’ t shrink overnight . If anything , you ’ ll give your overworked biceps and triceps and little breather while exposing them to new , growth-inducing stimulation .
Alternative Exercises Arm curls and triceps cable work are wonderful things — they just need to be thought of as finishers rather than major lifts . Think of it this way : After multiple sets of bench presses , pull-ups , and rows your arms are spent . Do you think they need a heavy day all to themselves full of isolation exercises , or do they simply need some additional moves to finish off an already stimulating workout ?
Following are four alternative biceps and triceps exercises to add to your arm arsenal without the mindless curling and pressdowns that have given you little-to-nothing in return . IM
The Workout Below is a sample alternative arm program you can put to instant use . Perform each workout once per week for a total of two arm workouts every seven days .
The Workout 1
Superset : Rack Curl and Rack Triceps Press
Superset : Kettlebell Static Hold and Plate-Loaded Triceps Bench Dip
The Workout 2
Superset : Biceps Pull-Up and Suspension Trainer Triceps Press
Superset : Rope Pull and Weighted Triceps Parallel Dip With One-And-A-Half Reps
3-4 sets of as many reps as possible
3-4 sets of 30 seconds for static hold and 10-15 reps for dips
3-4 sets of as many reps as possible
3-4 sets of 30 seconds for static hold and 10-15 reps for dips
60
60
60
60
KAI SPENCER
AGE : 33 LIVES : Los Angeles , CA PROFESSION : Kaiser Permanente Communications Operator LIKES : Reading , the gym DISLIKES : Arrogant people FAVORITE DRINK : Diet Coke or sugar-free Red Bull Favorite Movie : 300 ULTIMATE VACATION : Costa Rica WHO WOULD YOU CAST TO PLAY YOURSELF IN A MOVIE ? Will Smith DESERT ISLAND EXERCISES : Overhead skull crushers , bench presses , squats FAVORITE CHARITY OR CAUSE : Anything with dogs SPONSORS : Darc Sport , SteelFit
INSTAGRAM : kai _ spencer _
EXERCISE WORKING SETS REST AFTER EACH SUPERSET
EXERCISE WORKING SETS REST AFTER EACH SUPERSET
46 JUNE 2017 | ironmanmagazine . com