There is not a exact correlation between strength and muscle size. No way to say x strength level will = y level of muscle size automatically.
@bulldog9899 makes a good point–expect to gain about 10-15# of ‘good’ mass per inch of arm size.
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If that’s the case, I’m at a loss as to why any of us would bother doing any other exercise. (I’m also wondering why someone so seemingly knowledgeable is posting in the Beginners section.)
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I’ll do you want to do you one better… why do guys come in claiming they want input from experienced guys and turns around and want to debate things.
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I want to get to 16 inches, but I don’t want to end up with 16 inch arms and the rest of my body ending up looking disproportionate. I want my whole body looking proportionate. That’s why I don’t really want to focus on accessory work.
Ok thanks for the adivce, how long will it take me to gain 20 to 30lbs of lean muscle mass if I’m bulking like a powerlifter?
Imagine we’ve got two trainees
One did:
- Squats: 3 x 5
- Bench Press: 5 x 5
- Chin-Ups: 4 x 8
And one did:
- Squats: 3 x 5
- Bench Press: 5 x 5
- Chin-Ups: 4 x 8
- Curls: 2 x 12
- Skullcrushers: 2 x 15
Which one had the greater arm stimulus?
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Get the bulk notion out of your head… eat to cover recovery and growth. How long have you been lifting? Whats your age? Whats the average size of men in your family… .
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… choses a program notorious for building big asses and noodle arms
I wish it was that easy to accidentally grow my arms to make the rest of my body look un proportioned
Impossible to say how strong you will have to be.
It will take longer than one year.
With your current program and attitude, indefinite. I.e. you won’t ever get 16" arms.
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I have disproportionately big arms - yep, I’m the one guy on the planet - and I always did direct arm work. I never tried it the other way, so I have no control group, but I’m pretty sold on the idea that arm work is a good idea to improve arms.
You also have to think, even if you kept sets and reps the same (which nobody actually does) for everything, 8 reps with 315 on squat is still a lot more work than 8 reps with 95 for curls. Human limitation is going to take care of this proportion fear.
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My training partner is about your size: 6’0" & 185ish lbs and quite lean. His arms are right around 15-16 inches. Yours being only 13.6 it seems to me you’re either lower body dominant or carrying a bit of fat.
At 6’1.5" and 233 lbs myself, also a little pudgy as my abs aren’t very visible: have just about 18" arms.
We both do arm work; in fact we have a day just for arms. If you want to grow/build a muscle group you need to stimulate it directly.
Conversely I have a friend who is a competitive powerlifter in the 74kg class and has virtually no calves, because he doesn’t train them directly. But he has a good squat and deadlift.
What I don’t understand is that your training and mindset are geared towards strength increases, so why do you care how big your arms are?
My only concern is building a large-ish aesthetic physique, and as such don’t care about how much I can flat barbell bench… which I don’t even do anyways since it doesn’t contribute to my goals the way other exercises do for the pecs. I also currently don’t do back squats or traditional deadlifts.
Not saying you can’t be big and strong, but I’m just not getting why, if you want big arms, you refuse to train them directly.
You don’t know anything about madcow 5x5, that’s purely due to genetics.
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What are your 1RM or closest to 1RM on the 4 lifts I mentioned?
It’s a 5x5, 3 squat day per week program. Thus…
Your arms are not going to get bigger from doing one ramped up set on upper body pressing each session + barbell rows
He’s telling you this is not a relevant question for the goal, so it’s likely not data he has mined.
Bruh
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I don’t know.