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Add 1 Inch to Your Arms in a Week
by Gregg Gillies

I know... not another arm article! You’ve seen plenty of them in the past and most fail to deliver the goods. Take the time to read this article and apply what you learn and you’ll find that this time really is different.
Every guy who's ever picked up a weight wants the same thing: big arms. Almost every issue of every bodybuilding or fitness magazine you pick up has at least one arm training article. And yet, most people are still dissatisfied with their arm size.

There are a few reasons for this. Most people who want bigger arms focus on training their arms. Makes sense, right? The problem is that your body will only allow so much disproportionate growth. In other words, if you don't train your big muscles like you legs and back hard enough to make them grow, your arms will only get so big. So if you want big arms you need to train your legs and back hard.

There's another complication with focusing on your arm training. Most people end up overtraining and not only do their arms refuse to grow, they get smaller and weaker which is the total opposite of what we're trying to accomplish. Why does this happen? Most people, when trying to specialize on their arms, increase the volume and intensity of their arm training. The problem is that their biceps and triceps already get a lot of work via back, chest and shoulder training.

So how can we focus on our biceps and triceps without falling into the trap of overtraining? By training smarter and harder and not necessarily working longer. I'm always amazed at the arm training routines I see in the magazines; 5 or 6 exercises for the biceps and the same or more for the triceps, and a total of 15 to 20 sets of more. That's nuts!

In my last article (BodyTalk, Winter 2007) I talked about the importance of time under tension, as opposed to the number of reps you do in a set and how most people do not get enough tension time for their muscles with each set they do. This routine forces you to get a time under tension that you are not used to. It’s one of the keys to the success of this program.

Here's a great routine that can add an inch or more to your arms in a week. This routine is inspired by the likes of Arthur Jones, Mike Mentzer, Ellington Darden, etc. For this week, you'll do a full body routine, working your entire body three nonconsecutive days per week.

For example, training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
(Set totals don't include warm ups)

  1. SQUAT: 2 x 10 - 12
  2. PULLOVER: 1 x 10 - 12
  3. DUMBBELL FLYE: 1 x 10 - 12
  4. DUMBBELL UPRIGHT ROW: 1 x 10 - 12

Arm Specialization Routine:

  1. TRICEPS DIP: Bodyweight x 1 rep
  2. TRICEP PRESSDOWN: 1 x 10 - 12 (6)
  3. BICEPS PULL-UP: Bodyweight x 1 rep
  4. BARBELL CURL : - 1 x 10 - 12 (6)


That's it! Doesn't look like much, does it? Ah, but let me explain how you perform the arm specialization routine. For the dip and the pull-up, you perform the 1 rep in super slow. And I mean super slow. Perform the positive portion of the rep first and take 30 seconds to complete it. Then perform the negative and again take 30 seconds. The entire rep should take 60 seconds.

The next exercise (either the tricep pressdown or the barbell curl) is done in superset fashion. No rest for the wicked as they say, or those that want big arms. Do a set to failure, failing around 10 to 12 reps. Then, drop some weight and immediately do a drop set that gets you around another 6 reps. That's it. The work is very short but brutally intense.

Now, a lot of you may not be able to complete a 60 second rep on the pull up or the dip. That's fine, do what you can and try to extend the time in each of the next two workouts. For those of you that are super strong (or if you get strong enough and go back to this routine later) you can try the ultimate one rep dip or pullup.

In this version you start with the negative instead and you do the following:

  • Negative - 30 seconds
  • Positive - 30 seconds
  • Negative - 30 seconds

Now, some keys to making this work. Obviously, you have to be ready to work extremely hard. That shouldn't be a problem, as the routine is very, very short. If you've been working out hard for awhile, or doing very long workouts, you'll probably get the most out of this routine by staying out of the gym for at least a week. Not easy, I know. I just did this myself after going all out for about 13 weeks. It was tough but I knew I needed it.

You also have to get enough nutritious calories. Have a high carb, high protein drink right after your workout.

Minimize any other physical activity. Get 6 meals a day with lots of protein and calories.

Here are two emails I received about this routine from a couple of my newsletter subscribers (www.massbuildingtips.com):


Hey man,
Remember me? I followed your arm blasting routine last week. I was doing the ultimate one rep dip, but I had to do the regular one rep pull-up. The ultimate was just too much. So I just wanted to let you know I gained almost half an inch on my left arm, and half an inch on my right arm. Awesome! Thanks for the routine.

Thanks,
Juan


A half inch on each arm in only a week, from three pretty short workouts. I don't know about you, but I'll take weight training results like that anytime. What about you? Would you like a half inch of muscle on your arms in a week? So, did you put the arm blasting routine into full effect? If not, why not? You're working out anyway, right? So what do you have to lose by taking a shot at this muscle building routine?

Here's a recent email I got from Ian:

I must admit I was a bit skeptical about the workout when I first saw it but I tried it and I gained between 1/4 and 1/2 inch on each arm in one week which was great.


My results for the arm blasting program were 3/4 of an inch on each arm. I measured on a Sunday night, did the routine Monday, Wednesday and Friday and then measured again on Sunday night.

Good luck! I'd love to hear your results. Send me an email via my website at http://www.buildleanmuscle.com/about-me.html.

No BS, No Excuses!


Gregg Gillies is a personal trainer and fitness writer. You can grab a free copy of his special report "Fat Loss Secrets Revealed: Learn How to Boost Your Metabolism, Burn More Fat with Less Effort, And Lose All the Weight You Want…Fast!" available at www.FatLossSecretsRevealed.com.