Getting Bigger Arms!

[Primal]

Greeting CB! Arms are by far one of my biggest lagging body parts. Everyone always states that the triceps make up 2/3 of the arm blah-blah (heard it so many times before) but in all honesty, my arms are so long and lanky that even when I flex them (front double bi), it looks like I hardly hit them. My biceps make up most of the girth but even they are quite small. My question is, what exercises do you guys do for your arms? This is what I do, tell me if I'm doing anything wrong and I will change it up!

For biceps I am really trying to focus on the long head so I'm doing a semi-pronated grip on the EZ-bar for 4 sets. This is on the same day as back so my biceps get worked a lot before hand.
Set 1: 2-3 reps
Set 2: 3-5 reps
Set 3: 5-7 reps
Set 4: 8 reps
Should I use a straight bar with a full pronated grip? I find this works my forearm and bicep better but it hurts my wrists a lot, especially when I'm curling the 80's and 70's...

'Brachial Rope Curls' (Arm out in front of body, feet turned inwards. Use rope, attach onto lowest setting on cables. Start fully extended and bring rope up to forehead. Unilateral movement):
Set 1: 2-3 reps
Set 2: 3-5 reps
Set 3: 5-7 reps
I feel this really isolates the long head better than a hammer curl and also destroys your brachialis m.

For triceps, I am really focusing on the medial head and lateral head (or am trying to at least)... I also do this after I hit chest so the triceps get worked as an accessory.
Bench Dips: (2-3 45's on me if I have my spotter)
Set 1: 2-3 reps
Set 2: 3-5 reps
Set 3: 5-7 reps

Overhead tricep extension: (I would do skull crushers but it hurts my wrist some days)
Set 1: 3-5 reps
Set 2: 5-7 reps
Set 3: 6-8 reps

Triceps Push down: (Elbows flared outwards to to really target the medial head. I use my body weight at the end sometimes to get a few cheat reps in).
Set 1: 3-5 reps
Set 2: 5-7 reps
Set 3: 6-8 reps

Do you guys think that I'm this alright? Prae, I know that I have been lifting heavy for a very short period of time, and I tried to tailor the rep ranges to get the heavier sets in first. Tell me what you think and if I need any improvements! Thanks for reading this everybody!

-Primal

[TT Eric]

Personally I don't think the one hand rope curls will do much, neither the push down, and dips on a bench are a no-no in my book, no good for shoulders, no good for wrists.

I would stick to basics, dips, BP close-grips, overhead triceps extension is good if your elbows can handle it. Biceps = heavy curls, heavy DB curls and hammer curls and include some reverse-grip chin-ups and/or neutral grip when you do back. Those are the one that pays big buck, the more time you spend doing them, the better you'll become at focusing at them and the stronger and bigger you'll become.

Also I find that arms respond better to high frequency then high volume, when I work them 3x per week, they grow much better, I hit them hard, but short.

Personally my arms have always been my lagging part also, I have no room for error. But now it's almost in par with the rest of the body.

Eric

[Primal]

Personally I don't think the one hand rope curls will do much, neither the push down, and dips on a bench are a no-no in my book, no good for shoulders, no good for wrists.

I would stick to basics, dips, BP close-grips, overhead triceps extension is good if your elbows can handle it. Biceps = heavy curls, heavy DB curls and hammer curls and include some reverse-grip chin-ups and/or neutral grip when you do back. Those are the one that pays big buck, the more time you spend doing them, the better you'll become at focusing at them and the stronger and bigger you'll become.

Also I find that arms respond better to high frequency then high volume, when I work them 3x per week, they grow much better, I hit them hard, but short.

Personally my arms have always been my lagging part also, I have no room for error. But now it's almost in par with the rest of the body.

Eric

Hmm, yes I was thinking about switching the rope curls for something else but to be honest, I haven't found anything that targets the my arm that good. I don't really get why, but hammer curls don't really induce much growth on me. I can hardly feel anything when I do them (even when I do them heavy). My gym is really old school so we have the regular dip bars, but I find that this really hurts my wrist a lot when I go down. Plus, we don't have one of those belts that you can attach the weight onto so it is really hard getting up there with a 30 in between your legs... I also feel it a lot better overall when I do the bench dips, once again I don't know why.

LOL I hate to say it, but 70-80 lbs curls are decently heavy for me. Good point about the reverse-grip chin-ups. Will definitely contribute a few sets to that! I have tried hitting them 2 times a week, but maybe my arms will responds like yours and will grow if I hit them 3 times a week. I'll give it a shot!

Thanks Eric!

-Primal

[Praetorian]

Biceps heavy barbell curls...straight or EZ...aim for 200-225lbs for reps. Dumbbell curls go lighter and more strict.

Triceps...dips and close grip benches....strap a 120-150lb dumbell to your waist and do reps....close grip 315 for reps.

These are the most efficient exercises do them first then move on to ropes or cables or extensions.

P

[Hosehead]

Too many sets , regardless of your choice to go low rep. And use the exercises Prae suggests. Ectomorphs respond best to fewer sets and once a week per bodypart routines. I think I recall you being leaning towards ecto ? One , maybe two all out 8 rep working sets. Use a drop set for the second set. I'm growing at age 45 without gear by using this method.

[Primal]

Hahaha! Uhm, I'm my strength is nowhere close to the number you are putting out their Prae, but I do get the gist. Is it ok if I do the bench dips? I know Eric was against them but in all honesty the dip bars really hurt my wrist! If you think that the dip bars work better then I'll just invest in some wrist wraps and stop complaining. Thanks Prae!

@Hosehead, thanks for remembering! Yes I am basically the complete definition of ectomorph. Hmm interesting, you say that the less volume once a week works best for my body type. I would have thought that more frequency would help more... But that's why I'm asking you guys! Are you and ectomorph too Hosehead?

[Hosehead]

Hahaha! Uhm, I'm my strength is nowhere close to the number you are putting out their Prae, but I do get the gist. Is it ok if I do the bench dips? I know Eric was against them but in all honesty the dip bars really hurt my wrist! If you think that the dip bars work better then I'll just invest in some wrist wraps and stop complaining. Thanks Prae!

@Hosehead, thanks for remembering! Yes I am basically the complete definition of ectomorph. Hmm interesting, you say that the less volume once a week works best for my body type. I would have thought that more frequency would help more... But that's why I'm asking you guys! Are you and ectomorph too Hosehead?

I am not an extreme ecto but my pre trained body type leaned towards it. I always had a thin , narrow rib cage , long arms , small hips BUT wide shoulders and thick wrists. So a little bit meso too. I never got too far by training bodyparts more than once a week. Looking back on my 20's I trained waaay too much. I figured it out in my early 30's and if you looked at my build now you'd have a hard time believing I'm an ecto. I warm up properly now and get acclimated to where my two working sets are all that I can handle for 8-12 reps. Some weeks 8 , some 10 and some 12. Unlike many guys , my legs DO NOT respond to high rep sets. I must stay between 8-12 and heavy just to maintain. Because I now have a 7 month old at home and trips to the gym are limited I do as follows :

Monday : chest and legs , abs
Wednesday : back and shoulders
Friday : arms , calves , abs

Once in a while I will will do chest on a Sunday at home , so I am fresh for legs, whioch idealy I would train on their own.

Here's a sample week for chest and legs

Monday - flat bench - 1 working drop set (8 reps at max weight. drop 15% of load for x reps, drop another 15% of load for x reps, static hold.
incline - 1 working drop set
flat flyes - 1 working drop set
following week I will reverse order of flat and incline
this takes 20 minutes tops

legs - leg press 2 working sets at 8 reps , second set a drop set.
leg extension 2 working sets of 8 reps , second set drop set
back squats 2 working sets 8 reps no drop sets (lower back gives out)
lying hammy curls 4 working sets 12 reps
I do additional hammy work on Wednesday when I do heavy straight leg deads to finish back off

Don't ask about diet , I don't count macros but I should. I ballpark my protein , fat and carb intake and adjust accordingly. My build would be much better if I did .
But that's how I'm able to maintain and add mass as an old ectomprhpic ****.

[Primal]

Wow, I noticed that your volume is waaaay down low. But whatever works for you I guess. What do you mean that you 'trained too much' in your 20's? Did you go to the gym everyday? That's how I get my all my body parts in.
Monday: Legs and Calves + abs
Tuesday: Chest and Tris+ abs
Wednesday: Shoulders and Traps
Thursday: Back and Bi's +abs
Friday: Calves, Forearms and abs
Saturday: Chest and Tris (sometimes bi's too)
Sundays: Rest

I do the same amount of volume that mentioned above on my arm day for each. Do you think I'm doing too much?

-Primal

[Praetorian]

Hahaha! Uhm, I'm my strength is nowhere close to the number you are putting out their Prae, but I do get the gist. Is it ok if I do the bench dips? I know Eric was against them but in all honesty the dip bars really hurt my wrist! If you think that the dip bars work better then I'll just invest in some wrist wraps and stop complaining. Thanks Prae!

@Hosehead, thanks for remembering! Yes I am basically the complete definition of ectomorph. Hmm interesting, you say that the less volume once a week works best for my body type. I would have thought that more frequency would help more... But that's why I'm asking you guys! Are you and ectomorph too Hosehead?

Bench dips are for girls...if you want big triceps use the bars with bodyweight and add more weight. Wrap your wrists if you have issues.

P

[Primal]

Bench dips are for girls...if you want big triceps use the bars with bodyweight and add more weight. Wrap your wrists if you have issues.

P

LOL purchasing some at the moment....

-Primal