Question for Fitness Gurus

[GSOYF]

Trying to "bulk up" upper body because arms are size of pretzel rods. I currently use all the nautilus (sp?) machines at my gym 4 times a week. My question is what is the best/safest way to gain mass without causing bodily injury, and if there is a quicker, more effective method please explain...

Thanks

-Straight butter

 

[vi edit]

There really is no way to bulk up quickly, while trying to avoid injury.

My best suggestion would be to do muscle group isolation using free weights along with a good dietary program with lots of low fat protien sources (legumes, fish, ect).

 

[Fausto]

Not to be rude, but there have been a ton of threads on this lately. There is one floating on the first page of OT as I type this. Give the search function a run and then post any specific questions that weren't answered by what you found.

Fausto

 

[SpecialEd]

hmm where to begin....

well... lifting is the obivious way to start bulking. I'm sure there will be people to give you more details on this, but all I want to say is that having good form is the best and safest to lift. If you are not used to lifting, start off with a weight you can easily lift and just concenrate on your form. Some gym have those silly little cards on proper weight lifting techniques, i'd recommend reading some on good form if they aren't like 60 years old. Also don't be afriad to ask questions on good form. People with bad form often quit lifting because they say their back hurts or their joins hurt. Play it safe and take you time with weights. You'll bulk up, just don't rush it.

 

[Spooner]

Masturbation is a great way to work out the wrists.

[the preceeding comment will only be found funny by all pre-pubescent ATOT readers]

 

[StageLeft]

1) Don't overtrain.
2) Stop with the machines. Just stop. Use free weights for your arms - the cable pressdown is good for triceps but otherwise use free weights with GOOD form. Don't swing or throw.
3) Realize that most of your arm size is triceps so don't only concentrate on bis. Nothing looks sillier than somebody with pissant tris and large biceps.

 

[b0mbrman]

<< Trying to "bulk up" upper body because arms are size of pretzel rods. I currently use all the nautilus (sp?) machines at my gym 4 times a week. My question is what is the best/safest way to gain mass without causing bodily injury, and if there is a quicker, more effective method please explain...
Thanks
-Straight butter >>



I switch things up...don't always do the same type of exercises

 

[GasX]

<< [the preceeding comment will only be found funny by all pre-pubescent ATOT readers] >>

that's only because post-pubescent readers know that you need to get the shoulder muscles involved to do it right!:|:Q

 

[Novgrod]

Dips, bench, cable pulls, standing rows, pullups, and (the name escapes me) horizontal rows, shoulder press.

If you have a gravitron, use that with dips until you can do 'em free.

Bench I assume you know.

Cable pull downs--keep your upper arms absolutely immobile; just move at the elbow. (this is the 'un with the little triangle bar)

Standing rows: hold a curl bar while you're standing up straight. Lift the bar up to your chin. Keep your elbows above the bar, bent out.

Pullups with gravitron too.

Horizontal rows are best accomplished by kneeling on a bench so your back is paralell to the floor, then lifting a weight up. It's like the inverse of bench.

Shoulder press is simple: sit on a chair with a back, start with dumbells below your ears and your elbows out, then lift.

Don't do an exercize the same way for more than six weeks. Do the multi-joint exercizes first. Don't work the same muscle in consecutive days.

 

[Rudee]

If you are a hard gainer, don't work out longer than 1 hour, and no more than 3 times per week. Get adequate amounts of protein throughout the day, and base the majority of your calories around complex carbohydrates. Train your muscle groups with basic exercises (squats, rows, curls, presses, dips, chins, etc). Basic exercises build the foundation of your genetic potential.

I've been bodybuilding since the mid 80's, and in my opinion, nothing builds mass better than basic exercises combined with reverse pyramid training, in which you start with your heaviest weight first, then reduce weight by approx 15% each set. Then again, I have excellent genetics and have never had any problems gaining mass.

 

[NetCadet]

To purely gain mass, I assume with the intent of focusing on specific muscle groups later, you should focus on the compound excersizes that are specifically done to build whole-body mass and to work multiple muscle groups. These include the bench press which of course works your pectorals and triceps, the deadlift which focuses on your back, and squats which work your quadriceps. Those three are the biggest mass-building excersizes out there, because they focus on your biggest (and potentially, heaviest) muscle groups.

If you want to bulk your arms, focus more on Triceps than Biceps, because the Triceps are much bigger and make up a much larger % of your arm's mass than your Biceps.

Try to eat about 1 gram of Protein per pound of body weight, and don't neglect complex carbohydrates. Protein represents the building blocks of muscle, while carbohydrates fuel the muscle-building process.

Including those excersizes in your routine and eating healthy, as well as most importantly being consistent with your workouts, should help you to put on mass quickly.

 

[MrChicken]

I was going to stay out of this, but NetCadet is right on the money. Bravo! You wont understand the aquat deadlift recommendations, but it is true that your upper body will get bigger faster than if you dont do them. There are a variety of theories about why this is true, such as they load on so many muscles increases testosterone production, and that your body will resist allowing any one part of body to get proportionally much stronger than other parts.

My 2 cents is to get lots of rest. Work out hard and fast (be done in less than an hour), get tons of rest, most people do the opposite and get skinny and sick because of that.