hey all, ive gotten to the point where my arms have a nice peak to them but they are thin width wise (if that makes sense) just wondering what alterations to my arm workouts i could do to thicken them up
Train the triceps, as they are the majority of your arm size.
For most people, I think dips, close drip pressing, and pushdowns work best. If you’re are benching heavy you really shouldn’t have to add that much into your routine (personal opinion of course). I’m not a bodybuilder, so for what it is worth.
thanks a lot
Add in some heavy Presses if not all ready especially with a close grip. Stay in higher volume say 10-15 rep range and do atleast one overhead triceps movement its really helped me alot.
x2 on working the triceps, especially working on building them up around the elbow. Scott extensions are particularly good…
Michael Gundill performs Triceps extension "Larry Scott' style" - YouTube
focusing on the brachialis when doing biceps work is also helpful
[quote]Forcesguy wrote:
hey all, ive gotten to the point where my arms have a nice peak to them but they are thin width wise (if that makes sense) just wondering what alterations to my arm workouts i could do to thicken them up[/quote]
Can I ask a silly question?
What does your training currently look like (not just arm training, but everything. Days, exercises, sets, and reps)?
[quote]Chris Colucci wrote:
[quote]Forcesguy wrote:
hey all, ive gotten to the point where my arms have a nice peak to them but they are thin width wise (if that makes sense) just wondering what alterations to my arm workouts i could do to thicken them up[/quote]
Can I ask a silly question?
What does your training currently look like (not just arm training, but everything. Days, exercises, sets, and reps)?[/quote]
Seconded.
It’s kind of hard to recommend “alterations to your arm workouts” when we don’t know what your arm workouts, or any of your workouts, are.
^your name cracks me up.
[quote]flipcollar wrote:
^your name cracks me up.[/quote]
Glad I can provide some comic relief, at least.
Story behind it in my log/intro thread: my college football coach saw me a few months after my senior season (I lost about 40 pounds from November 2007, the end of my senior season, to March 2008 - spring break baby! lol) and said I looked like an “activities guy” now. My father found this hilarious and the name has kinda stuck. It works, too, given my diverse fitness interests.
well to the training question, i usually train 5-6 days a week with sunday as my rest day.
for chest i do incline, decline,flat barbell benching, and then the same with dumbbells and some incline and flat dumbbell flies.
for back i do rows, standing bent rows, deadlifts, lat pulldowns, and not sure the proper term for it but basically reverse flies.
for arms i do tricep extentions and push downs, and bicep i do standing dumbbell curls, seated curls and preacher curls.
for shoulder i do front lateral raises, side lateral raises, over head press
for legs i do squats, leg extentions, leg curls, leg press and calf raises
for each of these excersises i usually do between 6-8 reps and as many sets as i can handle
and before anyone says anything, no my avi is not current
[quote]Forcesguy wrote:
for each of these excersises i usually do between 6-8 reps and as many sets as i can handle[/quote]
Have you considered simply implementing some different rep ranges and/or swapping some exercises? Not to say that any of the previous advice isn’t valid, but if you’re training everything with 6-8 reps and who-knows-how-many sets, there’s a very good chance your arms are basically just bored and have no reason to grow.
I’d pick two or three new bi exercises, making sure one is either neutral or reverse grip, and two or three new tri exercises, making sure one is an overhead movement. In both cases, I’d have at least one working somewhere in the 10-15 rep range.
Also, you didn’t ask, but your chest workout is insane. And I don’t mean that in a good way.
what other types of bi excercises is there? and how is it insane in a bad way? its the only way ive been able to stimulate any growth in my chest
[quote]Forcesguy wrote:
how is it insane in a bad way? its the only way ive been able to stimulate any growth in my chest[/quote]
What I think he’s saying:
If you need to do decline, incline, and flat bench press followed by decline, incline and flat bench AGAIN with dumbbells in the same workout, you are either not working hard enough on the first couple of exercises or you’re doing the last few sets in a very fatigued state. I certainly wouldn’t have enough juice to do 6 different bench variations in one workout, but I’m getting old, so perhaps my age is catching up to me.
Maybe I misunderstood and you’re not doing all of that in one workout.
[quote]Forcesguy wrote:
bicep i do standing dumbbell curls, seated curls and preacher curls.
[/quote]
[quote]Forcesguy wrote:
what other types of bi excercises is there?
[/quote]
A few, to wit:
Standing Barbell Curls
Hammer Curls (could be done with bar that allows a neutral grip or dumbbells)
Reverse Curls (preferably with an EZ-Curl Bar)
There are plenty of variations of “standing dumbbell curls” too. Are you doing them the same way every time? Do you do them one arm at a time or both together? Pinwheel style or keeping your palms pacing forwards the whole time?
one arm at a time and yes palms up, its worked so far, curling 65’s for 6
[quote]Forcesguy wrote:
one arm at a time and yes palms up, its worked so far, curling 65’s for 6[/quote]
Well, it’s sorta worked, but not as well as you hoped, otherwise you wouldn’t be making a thread asking what other exercises you could do for arm width.
While I’m normally in favor of minimalist “do less and do it better” approaches, you may need to add some variety. You obviously have identified a weak point. It’s likely that weak point came about because your current training neglects something. The next step is figuring out another bicep or tricep exercise that will create the right stimulus to eliminate your weak point.
true enough thanks a bunch
I personally really dig (for biceps) doing this lately:
Get db’s you can curl for like 8-10 reps, and curl them both at the same time, supinating as you come up and pronating as you go down until you think you can’t get another with good form.
Then do alternating hammer curls with them (across your body) for another 8-10 reps each arm. You can swing/shrug some to cheat near the end but it will light your bi’s/brachialis up.
Triceps my favorites are dips, and CGBP, but if you want some superset kinda stuff I really like the skullcrusher to close grip press combo (on a slightly inclined or flat bench) or a BW set of dips to failure followed by close grip pushups to failure.
Surprised no one has brought this up:
** Focus on the lateral triceps head. This adds width to your triceps. Pull up an arm anatomy chart and take a look at how the lateral head “pops out” on the side of the arm when developed.
Not only does it add actual size, but it really add to the ILLUSION of size. When you have a t-shirt with a well-developed lateral head, the chances are, you are going to remark “that dude has some big arms!”. The Long head actually add the size if you are building your arms for a tape measure, but for what you are seeking, hit that lateral head.
To hit the lateral head, any triceps extension with the elbows flared. Think rope extensions with a hard contraction at the end. Really flare those elbows and twist the rope and squeeze that peak contraction for a couple of seconds on each rep. 12-15 reps
You could also try cranking up both frequency and volume of arm work and using lighter weights.
It takes time x consistency, it has made a big difference in the thickness of my arms.
I couldn’t do 65 x 1, you are strong.