While it’s true that arms can sometimes look smaller because of muscle neglect, the real culprit is usually more involved. If you’re not lifting heavy enough weights or doing other exercises that target your arms specifically, your muscles will likely be smaller than they could be. Many people believe that trying to develop bigger arms through training is a waste of time and energy. However, that does not mean it is not a great goal.
As a man, you may feel that your arms are on the smaller side. On the other hand, women often might want their arms to be smaller but with longer and lean muscles. Although specific exercises can help build these muscle groups, most people don’t need them as much as they think.
If you feel like your arms are not growing, don’t worry – it does not mean your arms will not succeed. You need to give them the attention they need to get bigger arms.
Most people would be better served by improving their strength on the squat, developing better mobility in their hips, driving up work capacity on the Prowler, or picking up new fitness models who work at the membership desk.
Yet, it is hard to beat the beach-ready look in a tight shirt or tank. Having two slabs of beef hanging down from your shoulders can make anyone feel like the king of kings.
Let’s look at three rules for arms training that you should add to your programs. There is no guarantee you’ll have Odin-size arms anytime soon, but it will give you the boost you need.Â
Rule 1: You Have To Specialize
Your first year of training should be spent learning movement patterns and building a foundation of strength. However, once you get past your beginner training phase and have a specific goal, you have to start programming your workouts around your particular goals.
If you want to have big arms, deadlift five plates, or get on stage with a tan, you’ll start training for your individual goal. General training will get mediocre results. Your time in the gym is best spent working towards the primary goal, but you’ll see results much more quickly than you might expect.
If you want to get freaky-deeky pipes, don’t be afraid to lay off the Olympic lifts and improve your mile time for a while. However, remember that this is only one aspect of training and that if you want genuinely sick pipes, you’ll need to invest in other types of exercise.
Rule 2: Volume Is The Name Of The Game
Have you ever gone to the gym and been bored doing curl variation? Or feeling so ridiculously sore the next day that you cannot shower properly. Well, guess what? To have BIG arms, that is what it takes.
For muscle growth to occur, you must keep your volume (the amount of work done) high. This causes the most damage and results in the most significant increase in size.
Rule 3: Don’t Forget About Time Under Tension
Time under tension (TUT) measures how long your muscles are moving a load during any given set. Muscle growth appears to occur most efficiently when sets are performed for a more extended period or under higher levels of TUT.
The set’s optimal time interval is typically around 30 to 50 seconds, with two different methods of hitting the mark.
The first step would be to set a timer for 40 seconds and then repeat the exercise until the alarm goes off. The second step would be to dictate the tempo of each repetition (for example, lower the bar for 4 seconds, lift for 1). This way, you’ll know that each rep lasts 5 seconds.
You are in good shape if you can knock out eight repetitions in the 40-second sweet spot.
Yes, there are more secrets to getting bigger arms. But trying to incorporate too many strategies at once can slow your progress.
