Arnold foreshadows his future career as an action movie star by flexing while holding a can of whoop ass… [Read more…]
New Arm Mass: Stretch vs. Contraction
Researcher Chris Beardsley recently observed that the elbow flexors do not display as much potential for stretch-mediated hypertrophy as the elbow extensors. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 107: Larry Scott’s Awesome Arms
He was the very first Mr. Olympia, and while his entire physique was excellent, it was Larry Scott’s awesome arms that had people shaking their heads in disbelief… [Read more…]
Weird Exercise for Massive Tri’s
Q: I was browsing through old training articles on your site and noticed that you guys sometimes include dumbbell pullovers in your triceps routine. What’s up with that?!
A: While the dumbbell pullover is an excellent stretch-position move for the lats in Positions-of-Flexion mass training, it’s also one of the best exercises for the long head of the triceps. That’s the section that really fills out the back of the upper arm and gives it that eye-popping sweep when it’s down by your side or up flexing your peak. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 58: Arnold’s Polo Shirt Flex
Even fully clothed, Arnold could throw his arm up into a flex and make jaws drop. What a peak! And it was no accident… [Read more…]
Arm Specialization for Size Creation
Q: I want to specialize on my arms now [while I’m training at home] so they look much more impressive. I’m hoping to really shock people the first time I wear a tank outside. My question is, using your arm-specialization programs [listed in X-traordinary Arms], is it okay to mix up the exercises. What I mean by that is do a biceps-peak exercise for midrange, then the stretch move followed by a contracted-position biceps exercise for width. I like the idea of training for width and peak/sweep at every workout rather than emphasizing one over the other at alternating workouts.
A: We always applaud experimentation. We believe it’s necessary for anyone interested in gaining the most muscle possible as quickly as possible. Your idea has merit because no matter what arm exercise you choose, you’ll affect all heads of the muscle to some degree. In other words, you can’t work the inner biceps head while the outer head takes a nap or vice versa; however, you can stress one over the other, as we explain in X-traordinary Arms. [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 40: Rich Gaspari Guns for the Girls
Rich Gaspari was an impressive pro bodybuilder in the ’80s—but he will be the first to admit that his genetics were not ideal… [Read more…]
Curls for the Girls: Size Matters!
Q: I’ve been dating someone for about six months, so my training has been off and on. My arms shrink the fastest, but I’m starting to wonder if muscles even matter. I’ve been at this smaller size since I met her, and she says she’d rather I not work out and spend more time with her. Should I just train every so often to maintain what little size I have left? Any insight?
A: Not to sound like sexist pigs, but sometimes (most of the time) women don’t say what they mean—or maybe they just say what they think is nicer for your to hear. When it comes to girls and muscles, Steve has a story that’s similar to yours—but with a surprising end that may help you with your dilemma… [Read more…]
Grow Gargantuan Guns!
Q: Your Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0 [with Super TORQ] is the most riveting bodybuilding e-book I’ve read lately. I tried Super TORQ, and my pump was off the charts, with a lot of new soreness. I’m hoping it will add mass to my lagging arms, which brings me to my question: The workout split in that e-book, and 4X as well, has arm training only once a week (Wednesday). Can I add an arm day on Saturday? I don’t mind training five days a week if my arms grow.
A: You could try that. It would mean your arms get hit directly on Wednesday and Saturday, with indirect work from chest and back on Monday and Friday (like Week 1 below but with an added arm day on Saturday). [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 27: Arnold’s Secret
In our Zen 3 newsletter, we talked about Arnold’s biceps peak and his full-range workout (POF: standing curls, incline curls, concentration curls).
But Arnold’s secret to eye-popping bi’s: He trained his brachialis muscles directly. Those lengthy muscles snake under the biceps and connect down on the forearm. When the brachialis are beefed up underneath, they push the biceps higher when flexed—sky-high peaks. [Read more…]