Guns, Canons, Pipes, Pythons are all euphemisms for big arms.

Since Arms are such a naturally exposed body part is it easy to push spring and summer a bit to wear a T shirt or tank. When T shirt weather hits, heads turn when you are resting your veiny guns on the table at a restaurant or squeezing the gas nozzle at the local Exxon station. It just looks good and feels good and the attention boosts me to work that much harder next time in the gym.

We love arms. We love to work arms.

We'd rather assault the Arms 3 times a week than do legs even once. Right? We compare Arms as if it is a mark of masculinity. How often do you read in a bodybuilding magazine the size of a guy's arm? Even the average person will ask you how big your arm is long before he pays attention to the size of your legs.

Okay so how do you get baseball biceps and beef hanging triceps?

Before I jump right to the routine, here are some fundamentals:

• Arms are a small muscle group and do not require as long a routine as larger muscle groups. I know we all like to train them but at a certain point more is better.
• Adjust sets and reps. Arms are often worked as part of other muscle groups. Biceps are worked while doing Back. Triceps are worked while doing Chest and Shoulders. Adjust your routine down if you work your arms on the same day after one of these respective major body parts.
• Allow adequate rest. If you work you Chest on Monday and Triceps on Tuesday, you may have over trained your Triceps. Allow a days rest for arms if a major body part has used those muscles the day before.
• Watch the order of training. While it is acceptable to train Biceps after Back and Triceps after Chest and Shoulder on the same day, do train in reverse order. Training Biceps before Back or Triceps before Chest or Shoulder will zap the strength of these small arm muscles and prevent you from working the larger Chest Shoulder and Back muscle groups to their fullest.
• Work Fast. I prefer to have very little break in training arms. Work a set a hard. Rest 15-20 seconds then hit another set. Ever watch a sprinter run a 50 yard dash. They have mammoth thighs. Well the same can be accomplished with arms. Sprint, rest, sprint and then watch how your arms pump.

Baseball Biceps

Amazing Biceps of Chris Bennett

Barbell Curl on Scott Bench: The Scott bench prevents body movement and therefore any swinging/cheating the weight up.

Barbell Curl on Scott Bench

I do however use this bench backwards. That means instead of resting by arms on the angled pad, I rest my chest on this pad and extend my arm vertically toward the floor. This gives me full range of movement and doesn't aggravate the tendons in fold of my arm. I rarely see other do this technique until I introduce it at the gym. It is a winning position.

• Set 1- Warm up- 45 lbs- 12-16 reps
• Set 2- 55 lbs- 10-12 reps
• Set 3- 75 lbs- 7-10 reps
• Set 4- 95lbs- 5-7 reps
• Set 5- 95 lbs- 4-5 reps
• Set 6- 75 lbs- 5-8 reps
• Set 7- Fun Set- optional.

(This routine is my weight schedule. Adjust the weight to suit you for all sets)

Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curls

• Set 1- 35 lbs dumbbells- 10 reps/arm
• Set 2- 40 lbs- 8 reps
• Set 3- 45 lbs- 5-8 reps
• Set 4- 40 lbs- 8 reps
• Set 5- 35 lbs- 8 reps

Machine Curls. (Pin/Plate Load)

• Set 1- 100 lbs- 8 reps
• Set 2- 120 lbs- 5 reps
• Set 3- 150 lbs- 3-4 reps
• Set 4- Drop Sets 100 lbs à80 lbs à 60lbs à 40 lbs à 20 lbs - Burn each set to failure. (Feel the pump on this set)

 

Beef Hanging Triceps

Unbelievable Tricep Development of Kris Dim

Skull Crushers (Old school is Lying French Presses or Lying Tricep Extension) This is a fundamental exercise that is my mind is a must to develop massive Tri's. If you want horse shaped meat hanging Triceps, start hitting it here. Skull Crushers are a tough exercise and a must to be done to failure. By the way, failure means smacking yourself in the head if you don't have a spotter. Get a spotter for both safety and heavy weights to adds pounds of beef to your arms.

Tips on Doing Skull Crushers for Maximum Gains

• Get a flat bench, EZ curl bar and barbell weight.
• Lying on the bench, have your partner hand you the bar. Grab the bar on the inside angles of the bar. The angle puts the little finger higher in elevation than the index finger.
• Hold the bar above your chest much like a bench press but lower forearm toward your skull. The upper arm stays vertical.
• Keep your upper arms parallel to each other. In other words try not to point your elbows outward. It is natural to want to separate the arms from parallel, so keep an eye on your form here.

Skull Crusher Routine using EZ Curl Bar that weighs 25lbs

• Set 1- 50 lbs (plus bar weight)- Warm up- 12-15 reps
• Set 2- 70 lbs- 8-10 reps to failure
• Set 3- 90 lbs- 6-8 reps to failure
• Set 4- 110 lbs- 3-4 reps to failure
• Set 5- 70lbs- 8 -10 reps to failure

Dips on Parallel Bars or Dip Machine- Another fundamental and great mass builder for Triceps. I prefer a machine that allows me to use a weight lower than my body weight. I also feel like a machine isolates my triceps better than dips. However many bodybuilders wouldn't trade dips on parallel bars. So it is your choice. If you dip on bars, keep the head looking up so it will keep the body vertical to isolate the Tri's. If you look down the body begins to lean and you will be engaging the Chest muscle. This is improper form for Triceps.

• Set 1- 180 lbs net weight- 10-15 reps
• Set 2- 230 lbs net weight- 8-10 reps
• Set 3- 250 lbs net weight- 4-6 reps
• Set 4- 230 lbs net weight- 8-10 reps
• Set 5- 200 lbs net weight- 10-15 reps to feel the pump
• Set 6- Optional- Fun Set

Tricep Cable Pushdown- This is a polishing exercise more for cuts than mass. Sprint, rest briefly and sprint again. This exercise is done on the machine where the pulley for the cable is above the head. Many use an angle handle. I prefer a straight bar. With your hands on the bar, upper arms vertical and parallel to your side, press the handle down to full extension. Lock the triceps at the bottom to get full benefit. Raise the weight stopping at bottom of your chest. Forearms should approximately parallel to floor. No movement occurs at the shoulder. All rotation is at the elbow extending the triceps.

• Set 1- 100 lbs- 8-10 reps
• Set 2- 100 lbs- 8-10 reps
• Set 3- 110 lbs- 6-8 reps
• Set 4- 120 lbs- 4-6 reps
• Set 5- 100 lbs- 8-10
• Set 6- 80 lbs- 10-12

 

Triceps Kickbacks- Burn baby burn. Do this exercise to flush the blood for the ultimate pump into the muscle. Grab a light dumbbell and bend over at the waist so your torso is horizontal to floor. Place upper Arm along side your torso also horizontal to floor. Your forearms are 90 degrees to upper arm, so your hands with dumbbell are hanging toward the floor. You look like skier pushing off. Rotating at your elbow, straighten out arm. Now the entire arm is horizontal to floor. LOCK the triceps. I do 3 to 4 sets with 15 lb dumbbells.

Okay go pump those arms in the gym and start packing on slabs of beef. Make your T shirt scream for relief as you push size to limits. You just see if someone doesn't say "How big are your guns?" You gotta love it!

 

Sweat eventually hardens to Muscle".....Scott

This article is property of Bodybuilding Program Zone and may not be reproduced without written permission from Scott Jameson. Besides it wouldn't be right....Scott