Michael

As long as I can remember, my arms have always been my weakest bodypart. Compared to my other bodyparts, especially my back and chest, my arms are really lacking. I have very thin wrists and forearms, as well as my biceps and triceps. I have tried many different things for arms, compounds, isolations, high reps, low reps, I even tried giving them their own day. Still, out of all my other bodyparts, they are growing extremely slow (I only added about an inch and a half since I started training.) So, does anyone have any tips how I can finally bring them up?

Malley

Stop training them directly for a while, see what happens. You maybe overtraining them!

Michael

Don't really know about that Malley... I only do 1 direct arm exercise per workout and they're never sore (they should be if they're overtrained, right?)

Malley

Soreness doesnt mean anything. Check T-Nation for planned overtraining routine! It looks pretty good!

Malley

T-Nation.com | Super-Accumulation Program

Its not just for arms, but entire body.

Striker

I'm testing out not doing arm work directly right now, I'll let you know if that works for me.

1quick1

Dips is my answer and I'm sticking to it. Once you can do like 20 unweighted dips. Heavy weighted dips.

Michael

That's some sick ass shit Malley...

Sens

Awww, does diddums feel bad about my awesome photo :P

I saw this bloke doing weighted dips yesterday, I swear he just spent his life doing weighted chinups and weighted dips. He was a really decent size.

I'd love to start doing dips, but I can't even do 1, so I don't think i'd fit an entire set in somehow :P

Critical Mass

I also consider my arms to be a weak point. It looks like you and I have shoulders that overpower your arms.

Skullcrushers
Weighted Dips
Close Grip Bench Press
Standing Barbell Curls
Standing Hammer Curls

These exercises have been paramount to my arm developement. Skullcrushers work the entire bicep from the elbow to the shoulder...... but yields great results in building the upper part of your tricep, near the rear delt. Close grips with give good mass around the horseshoe, and dips with yield thickness at the bottom, right behind and above the elbow. Of course, barbell curls will build the belly of the bicep and hammer curls will build the outter bicep and top of the forearm.

Now, ask yourself how much weight you've gained. To put it in perspective...... I have gained 30 pounds since lifting serious weight when I went back to the gym in 1999. However, My arms have only grown about an inch and a half like yours. To remedy this, I try to go intense and heavy...... with about 4-5 sets of each exercise. I sympathize with you, but I really don't have much of an answer for you other than to do my routine and be patient. But your arms will grow in proportion to how much weight you gain.

Condor

No shame in cheating a bit (not form, just weight) to get yourself to the 1 dip mark bud...I'd say do some assisted dips--If they have the machine for it great, if not, use your legs just a little bit to ease some of the weight...Make it a goal to rep 1 full, well-formed dip...Guess what the next goal would be? 2...3...4...

Sens

Yeah, not wanting to steal Michaels thread but I'll definitely be trying them condor. Thanks for the tip. I used to do assisted dips at my old gym and they ROCKED my triceps.

Michael, I always found that my arm muscles never responded until I did sets until I couldn't lift my arms. I don't know about you, but unless I work my arms until they're COMPLETELY fried, they never seem to respond. But I suppose that's a personal thing, you might be different.

Michael

Well... you and me have almos the same body type and stats, so what's working for you may just work me too. I'll definitely have to try training the living hell out of my arms in the future and see how they respond.

Condor

I know this is kind of old advice by now, but the big arm builders for me were the compounds...including deadlifts and squats--you just can't get that kind of GH release from curls, pressdowns, etc...I will do an arm day on occasion to mix up my routine and try to give them the isolation that they deserve from time to time, but for the most part my arms really took off when I traded arm workouts for more compound movements.