What if you have these genetics? That’s going to be a big factor in how fast you get your 16 inches.
Transformation Challenge is less than two months away. Why not see what you can do by June?
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This is what needs to be said. I once bought into the squats / deads with benching / rowing would build the arms enough. I benched 365 with 16.5" arms and the guys with the 18s are struggling with 275 lbs. Do direct arm work if you want big arms. Add in a few sets for the biceps and triceps each training day, or add a whole separate day for arms.
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You don’t know anything about madcow.
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Nailed it!
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I know that for many in the circles of starting strength, strong lifts, madcow (really anything that involves doing sets of 5) that direct arm work is seen as unnecessary. At some point that bro science seemed to really stick with the people running these programs (myself at one time).
Another point for OP, sets higher and lower than 5 also work. Not sure if he is on that bandwagon, but the venn diagram for doing only sets of 5 and not doing arms involves two concentric circles.
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You
Don’t
Know
Anything
About
Madcow
YDKAAM, bro.
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Iam a beginner, still. … so maybe my view are wrong.
I never work my arms because i was lazy, and a lot of time i training with a full body, maybe i work a bit my triceps for sure (because dips/bench press) but now, my arms are very late, i have long arms so…
Maybe if u are not so tall, iam not but if u are a bit “little” ur arms will growth just with ur program but iam really not sure, even if i do a full body i will take a day arms just for work them more .
Why are u afraid that your arms start to be to much bigger and no in Harmony with the rest of ur body ? If u see that they progress to much u can just stop or training a bit ur arms… I don’t really understand ur fear, even the chest or back will be still more bigger than ur arms if u training them good
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I hate deadlifts so much. Someone here told me “it’s a full body exercise bro, it’ll work everything.” Well great, now my head is the size of a pumpkin and I get weird looks in public. Thanks a lot T Nation.
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How your head start to be bigger Oo?
I just heard that this exercice use a lot ur system nervous so it is not so good to do all of the time deadlift, i prefer just stiff legged deadlift. U have a lot of way for work correctly ur body, god exercices doesn’t exist i guess
FWIW, the best arm growth I have ever gotten was on a Darden program (Big Arms in 6 Weeks). Now my arms were smaller at the time, which makes progress easier, but IIRC, I put about .5" on them with that program. Now I don’t think I would make hardly any progress at this point in my lifting career, but it did work then. I think his stuff is better than the average training program for a beginner. I think someone who is developed is going to struggle on it though.
I’ve heard his new tricep program is amazing as
Well! I plan to give it a shot. My comment was more directed at some of the wild posters in his section, vs him himself, if that makes sense. Like the planet health guy.
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Madcow = MadgainZ
Side note: I thought MadgainZ would be an excellent name for a program and sure enough, there is one out there!
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Absolutely hilarious
Your timing on this was hilariously accurate.
I couldn’t have been the only one who felt a disturbance in the force?
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I noticed a high post count on the topic a couple days ago, but figured I’d wait to see how it played out.
These dudes never disappoint ! 
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I’ve been watching quite a few guys in my gym that do mainly squat, DL, bench for 2 years now. They do decent amounts of weight, up to 415-475 in squat/DL and 275-300 bench. I’m almost 68 yrs old and my arms are bigger than theirs @ 16.5" and I don’t do any of those lifts. Really, if you looked at those guys’ arms you wouldn’t even think they lifted. I can’t flat bench, OH press or squat anymore to do severe arthritis and I never did do much DL’ing but I can I do incline press, barbell rows or pullups, seated cable rows, leg press and I do lots of heavy arm isolation esp. triceps. For shoulders I can do OH press with a slight incline and I do tons of lateral raises. I started when I was 25 and it took me years to figure shit out. IME in order to get big arms you’ve got to hammer triceps and use heavy rows and/or pullups with a moderate amount of bicep isolation, and, you’ve got to gain weight which means eat. Eating was my biggest mistake in my early years along with exercise selection/rep range. It was literally 12 years after I started that I finally got my arms to a point where people commented.
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I remember at some point a dude was reviewing a Leroy Colbert program and really questioned how it would build arms with something like 4X10 BB curls. Well Leroy’s warm up had 5X10 chins (I think with added weight).
I think compound and isolation is a solid approach for a balance of performance and size.
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