Do you do your biceps trying to feel the contraction? (Triceps seem more difficult to feel the contraction for me.) I am not saying all sets need to focus on the contraction, just some of them. But I believe you should be trying to get a pump on most of the arm workouts before you stop the sets.
5 sets might not be sufficient to achieve a pump if you are also doing a “heavy” set. I liked to leave arms for the end of my workout so I could keep the pump (blood in the muscle) longer. You do know that when you start the next muscle group, blood is required for the next group of muscles being stimulated. And remember, with arms the size is more important than the strength. They have already been called on for the compound exercises, so they have had their “power” training. What is lacking (for most people) is the blood pump in the arms.
Opposite for me. I can feel the triceps at lockout pretty easily. Biceps I really have to focus and use light weight. I think I get front delts involved during my curls, unless I want to use very light weight.
I had a pretty good pump today, but I did my curls after 5 sets of weighted chin ups. I also finished my 5 sets with some 15 lb dumbbells right after the last set. I do these to failure and to get a good pump. Similar for triceps. I did them after incline bench press.
Does pump actually lead to much long term growth? I’ve always been skeptical on that. Just seems the muscle needs to get stronger to me. Could be wrong?
If pump does matter, I’d consider doing biceps and triceps three times instead of four, and I’d add sets to those days.
I’ve been working with a set timer lately. I think that helps with pump because I’d naturally rest a bit longer. It’s still a 2:15 rest period, but I’m basically going to failure on my sets (unless I want to use a lot of body English).
After the bicep and tricep work, I do cable rows and a machine overhead press. I’m feeling my arms doing these, but more so on the machine ohp.
Out of the 4 days I train arms, I’m doing two more high volume (sets between 12 and 15) and two heavier days (sets between 5 and 10). I’m going very close to failure on all sets. The first set or two there might be one or two reps in the tank. The latter sets have some body English involved.
I would think going to failure and frequent training are not good bed partners. Going to failure should require a longer recovery time. Why not run a 3 month trial where your arm sets have two or more reps in reserve?
I agree with this in general, but I was thinking arms were an exception. My thinking was based on something I’ve heard a lot. The biceps and triceps are small muscles and they recover quickly (compared to a muscles like the glutes especially). Basically what I’ve heard is the frequency and how hard a muscle is trained per session should be dependent on it’s size in relation to other muscles. Is it sound reasoning to think I can hit the arm muscles fairly hard 4X a week? I don’t know to be honest. I know I’ve heard of some guys doing arms every day (Ronnie Coleman apparently did this as a teenager).
Perhaps a middle ground is on the strength days (heavier for less reps), leave two in the tank for the beginning sets, and one in the tank for the latter sets? Then do the failure sets on the volume focused days.
Pre-high intensity Mentzer-like training, we did forced reps on exercises we were wanting most to improve either strength or size, or both. This method past failure by as many forced reps as you added. By and large, I didn’t feel I benefited much doing these, and it might be because I was over training.
The body part I improved the most from my first bodybuilding show until my last was thighs. I never trained them to failure intentionally. I credit squats and leg presses for the development I got (though there might have been more to it than those, I don’t know.)
The guy who had the best arms in the gym during my early 30’s never came close to what we would call heavy weight, and never close to failure. So, there is that.
I liked bi-lateral Scott Bench curls with dumbbells not allowing them to touch, which it seemed to take out much of the shoulder involvement. You must focus on keeping them apart. That seemed to reduce shoulder involvement and target the biceps better. (BTW, I always preferred bi-lateral movements and rarely did one arm at a time.) Also, I tried lifting the back of the Scott Bench with plates or a flat ended dumbbell to give me a steeper angle for the curl.
I’ve had mixed luck with stuff like this. I think it can work if it is something introduced as a novelty for a short period. It is likely to me that some of the size is fluid retention and inflammation though.
I have a goal of increasing my weighted chin ups and my presses too. I’ve just not gotten big arms at least from pressing it seems (I think I had 16" arms when I hit a 405 lb bench press).
Just my opinion, but a lot of it is genetics. I know a guy that I’ve never seen do a curl or isolation triceps exercises that has huge arms. Just does his presses and pulls, and it is enough for him.
I’ll give these a try and see how they feel for me.
I don’t know much about posing, but I did want to say that your vacuum is really good, and I think the pose with the vacuum, arms out, and fists turned down (0:29 in the original video) is really cool.
I started my cycle for the amateur classic physique competition.
My first administration of the deca was on Sunday, I’m feeling it already.
decided to start with 210mg testosterone and 210mg deca per week through the E4D administration schedule and 0.5mg arimidex E4D for now but I will make adjustments if necessary. with some anavar
This seems to be the consensus of the forum. My experiences with deca sure don’t suggest that. Just like every AAS I ever took, two weeks of being “off cycle” my strength began to tank. I should say that I considered “off cycle” for testosterone cypionate and deca started a week after the last injection.
I cannot not state when it began to work, but I never felt I was waiting to get results.
I understand your belief, I just have no experiences that validate that belief. I put all my confidence in feedback analysis.
I’ve ran it in many doses levels as well as the shorter ester. As have my friends. I’ve never noticed any injectable in 4 days especially Deca. Maybe a month earliest?
Edit: I’ve never taken “suspension” which I understand hits quick.
Just anecdotal, but I can tell with Test E if I take a big bolus shot (like a full 3cc shot, 750 mg). Nothing as far as being stronger in 4 days, but I can tell subtle things like being warmer, oily skin, and water retention / pumps in about 4 days.
I think you’re right about it being placebo with one shot of 210 mg. TBH, I think a lot of the strength gains in the first cycle are due to placebo effect.
