TIP 15

tip of the month archive

TIP # 15

Are Your Arms Growing?

Arms. Boy, do we ever love the arms! I've yet to meet a trainee, regardless of his/her overall goals, that could say, "yeah, my arms are right where I want them". We're never satisfied with our arm development.

This month, I'd like to discuss a couple of problems that keep us from being satisfied with our arm development.

First off, people fail to consider the stimulation the biceps and triceps receive due to their involvement in training other body parts. The various forms of rowing and pulling movements stimulate the biceps more than you'd think. And the pushing in chest and shoulder work really slap the triceps hard.

Your triceps, for example, don't know that your actually training the chest when you're pushing those heavy dumbbells during incline presses. All they know is that they're working hard, they're getting tired, and they're going to have to recover.

Unless you train your arms alone, you probably need to lower your arm training volume if you don't want to over train them. And even if you do work your upper arms separately, you still need to make sure they get adequate recuperation time. If your arms aren't growing, you're probably over-training them.

Another important consideration, is that the triceps should make up 2/3 of the upper arm's size. So why do you see trainees doing set after set of bicep work in the quest for great arms? You should concentrate on the triceps for the best 'big arm' results.

And since the long, inner head is the largest of the 3 triceps heads, it pays to use exercises that hit the long head hard. Lying Triceps Extensions, are great triceps long head builders. (For proper execution of this exercise, check out our Tips Archives)

Seated 2 Arm Dumbbell Triceps Extensions are another favorite of mine, as are Overhead Cable Extensions Off A Low Bench. Someday, we'll dissect these two great exercises.

Until then - train hard, but train smart!

- Poppa