Arms won't grow

Ironman404

Member
Oct 1, 2016
343
1
Just seems like my bis and tris don't want to be big...

I typically train arms 1x/week.
.but am considering doubling the frequency. As far as volume goes, I typically go higher rep with arms...chase the pump. Perhaps I should go super heavy for a while?

It seems like the guys I know with the best arms train them really heavy and with shit form lol...cheating most reps. But here I am with lackluster arms in cmparioan lol...so!
 
If your used to going high rep low weight, I would try some heavier weight. I grow faster through the chest, back & shoulders, than I do my arms, so I hit my arms really hard when I work em!

I am going a little heavier at the moment with around 5 sets a movement, with a rep range something like 15, 8, 5, 5, 5 & a drop set after the last set. This is my gym workout lately. Sometimes I do workouts at home, but is usually not really heavy. I like drop sets on arms, especially when going heavy because it ends the set with an awesome pump. Just an idea, if your looking to change it up.
 
Last edited:
Just seems like my bis and tris don't want to be big...

I typically train arms 1x/week.
.but am considering doubling the frequency. As far as volume goes, I typically go higher rep with arms...chase the pump. Perhaps I should go super heavy for a while?

It seems like the guys I know with the best arms train them really heavy and with shit form lol...cheating most reps. But here I am with lackluster arms in cmparioan lol...so!
Try doing preacher curls on the cables using your knees as a support.... alternate to hammer curls standing up with 30lb weight... do as many sets As u can b4 failure everyday b4 u leave the gym... that's what I did to brake the plateau

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
Try doing preacher curls on the cables using your knees as a support.... alternate to hammer curls standing up with 30lb weight... do as many sets As u can b4 failure everyday b4 u leave the gym... that's what I did to brake the plateau

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

You got a link or vid to the way your describing to do preacher curls? Are you using the straight bar and facing away from weight stack and lifting the bar in between your legs?
 
Try doing preacher curls on the cables using your knees as a support.... alternate to hammer curls standing up with 30lb weight... do as many sets As u can b4 failure everyday b4 u leave the gym... that's what I did to brake the plateau

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk

Damn...so you're saying you hit arms EVERYDAY doing that?
 
You got a link or vid to the way your describing to do preacher curls? Are you using the straight bar and facing away from weight stack and lifting the bar in between your legs?

C587...that is the single greatest avatar that has ever existed lol. Great...now I'm horny.
 
You got a link or vid to the way your describing to do preacher curls? Are you using the straight bar and facing away from weight stack and lifting the bar in between your legs?

You can put the easy bar on the seated row machine, then put your elbows just above your knees.
 
Had thus issue when I first started, and when someone took me under there wing, we were training arms 3 times a week and blasting the fuck out of them, and I sware on spot injecting everything!! To this day I do arms twice a week and kill them with high reps, my arms are sore as hell after every workout! I gauge my soreness if I hit it hard enough!!
 
For me I find high reps and a bunch of sets stimulates my arms the best. But remember first and foremost, nutrition is the single most important aspect of growth. You can pin and train till you’re blue in the face but if you aren’t eating right you are wasting your time.
 
Recovery brother. Arms don't need crazy volume or frequency. Just a few hard sets to failure after hitting chest or back, or in my case after an upper body or full body workout. The work from compounds contributes alot to the overall volume your arms are getting. I think alot of guys overtrain the crap out of their arms and wonder why they won't grow past 15.5". Arms aren't a large muscle group and are usually fast twitch dominant which means low to moderate volume with heavier weights for 8-10 reps with controlled negatives should blow them up, it works for me.
 
Recovery brother. Arms don't need crazy volume or frequency. Just a few hard sets to failure after hitting chest or back, or in my case after an upper body or full body workout. The work from compounds contributes alot to the overall volume your arms are getting. I think alot of guys overtrain the crap out of their arms and wonder why they won't grow past 15.5". Arms aren't a large muscle group and are usually fast twitch dominant which means low to moderate volume with heavier weights for 8-10 reps with controlled negatives should blow them up, it works for me.

Yea I was actually thinking about this today man. Just scrapping "arm day" and just hitting each body part 2x/week, lower volume heavier weight...just throwing in bis after back and tris and chest or shoulders.

My arms are just under 18", but as I'm leaning out they are losing size lol...they just don't have that wow factor.
 
Yea I was actually thinking about this today man. Just scrapping "arm day" and just hitting each body part 2x/week, lower volume heavier weight...just throwing in bis after back and tris and chest or shoulders.

My arms are just under 18", but as I'm leaning out they are losing size lol...they just don't have that wow factor.

Ah shit bro, 18"? That's pretty big. I thought you had small arms, lol.. Mine are 17" and they look pretty big on my ecto frame, but I'm only 190lbs. I'm more worried about my legs than arms..lol
 
Ah shit bro, 18"? That's pretty big. I thought you had small arms, lol.. Mine are 17" and they look pretty big on my ecto frame, but I'm only 190lbs. I'm more worried about my legs than arms..lol

Lol yea mine are like just shy of 18" at the moment...I'm down from 220 lbs to 205 lbs. My quads are pretty good. Hamstrings are another story lol! With this herniated disc it is really hard to hit hamstrings and glutes effectively right now.
 
Actually I think I caused my arms to shrink some over the past few months...once I started cutting I started chasing insane pumps...all giant sets and stupid volume. Should have gone heavier and lower volume.
 
Actually I think I caused my arms to shrink some over the past few months...once I started cutting I started chasing insane pumps...all giant sets and stupid volume. Should have gone heavier and lower volume.

Yeah if it's a pump in the form of lighter weights than you are capable of then you might lose size over time. I get a sick pump from doing endless reps of resistance band curls but it doesn't make my arms grow at all. I see alot of guys raving about the pumps they get from cycles they're on or orals but you rarely see them saying that this drug made me gain 5 reps on a lift or go from 40-45 curls for the same reps. That's what matters most, not how great of a pump you get. If your lifting right you'll get an adequate pump to facilitate hypertrophy, you don't need to do a bunch of extra light drop sets or backoff sets to ensure this.
 
It all boils down to what works for you. For me high weight in the 8-10 rep range with a few working sets leaves my growth stagnant. I measured at 19 the other day. I have no problem going heavy to mix it up but for me my arms don’t look as good when I stick to a heavy routine.
 
It all boils down to what works for you. For me high weight in the 8-10 rep range with a few working sets leaves my growth stagnant. I measured at 19 the other day. I have no problem going heavy to mix it up but for me my arms don’t look as good when I stick to a heavy routine.

I'm sure it's a different story once you've got that kind of size. At that point you are likely pushing genetic boundaries. What kind of set/rep method do you use to get them that size?
 
I'm sure it's a different story once you've got that kind of size. At that point you are likely pushing genetic boundaries. What kind of set/rep method do you use to get them that size?

Honestly heavier when I was younger but for many years I was forced into using light weight. I had an issue if I used heavy weight especially on the preacher curls I couldn’t straighten out my arms to set the weight down because it hurt so bad. I also train triceps like a beast. In the winter when I’m laid off I train them three times a week with tons of volume. Most people advise against it but I get great results from it.
 
You got a link or vid to the way your describing to do preacher curls? Are you using the straight bar and facing away from weight stack and lifting the bar in between your legs?
Facing the weight stack in a crouching position with your elbows on your knees...

Sent from my SM-G892A using Tapatalk
 
Back
Top
[FOX] Ultimate Translator
Translate