What's the best way to get arm strength?

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C

cremator

Senior member
Sep 21, 2001
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I was down at my friends house today and he has a work out bench. I'm a pretty big guy, but seemingly mostly fat. I benched his current setup which was 135lbs.

He was telling me how he worked for a few weeks just to lift that much, so I felt pretty impressed having no practice, and I'm extremely lazy. I put 2 more 10s on his bar and lifted that once. So I can do 155 as of now, but I'd rather drop it down so I don't push myself too hard.

Any ripped guys or brute strenth people out there, whats the best way to get huge arms and gain a lot of strength? Would it be better to do 100 pounds like 10 times a day?
 
C

cremator

Senior member
Sep 21, 2001
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Don't crap the thread man. I really want to know. Steroids aren't a good substitute.
 
pray4mojo

pray4mojo

Diamond Member
Mar 8, 2003
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Put as much weight on the bar that'll allow you to do about 8 reps. Do about 3-4 sets and rest about 2-3 minutes in between.
 
N

Nab

Senior member
May 13, 2002
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if you do a lot of reps you'll get tone

if you do less reps and more weight you'll look better

i'd go for tone
 
kage69

kage69

Lifer
Jul 17, 2003
31,305
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Combination free-weights and BowFlex. Drink lots of water, go easy on the dairy.
 
B

blackdogdeek

Lifer
Mar 14, 2003
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as another poster said, bench press is more chest strength.

if you want pure arm strength, go for barbell/dumbell curls for biceps and dumbell overhead raises for triceps.

do 8-10 reps per set, with whatever weight you can just manage to do that number of reps(when you can do more, increase the weight).

wait between 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

do 5-6 sets.

don't work the same muscles for 48 hours so they can recover properly.
 
H

Hankerton

Golden Member
Apr 11, 2003
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I used to lift competitively, and the best way to improve strength is to lift very heavy with low reps. As far as arm strength, it's also important to do exercises like Crazy 8's (use google to find out more detail on the exercise).

I'm somewhat of a success story. When I was 16 I lost like 85 pounds but still weak as hell. As the years went by I got more and more into it.

By 2002 I was able to bench 400 lbs. while I was only around 190 lbs. Unfortunately, after just recently finishing college last June, I haven't been as disciplined. Can put up around 375 lbs. and I'm around 215. Getting back into it now though. It's a great feeling to get stronger.

Good luck!
 
DougK62

DougK62

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2001
8,035
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Originally posted by: blackdogdeek
as another poster said, bench press is more chest strength.

if you want pure arm strength, go for barbell/dumbell curls for biceps and dumbell overhead raises for triceps.

do 8-10 reps per set, with whatever weight you can just manage to do that number of reps(when you can do more, increase the weight).

wait between 1 to 2 minutes between sets.

do 5-6 sets.

don't work the same muscles for 48 hours so they can recover properly.
Click to expand...

This is good advice. I'd suggest even doing less reps per set - more like 4 to 6.

 
DougK62

DougK62

Diamond Member
Mar 28, 2001
8,035
6
81
Originally posted by: Hankerton
I used to lift competitively, and the best way to improve strength is to lift very heavy with low reps. As far as arm strength, it's also important to do exercises like Crazy 8's (use google to find out more detail on the exercise).

I'm somewhat of a success story. When I was 16 I lost like 85 pounds but still weak as hell. As the years went by I got more and more into it.

By 2002 I was able to bench 400 lbs. while I was only around 190 lbs. Unfortunately, after just recently finishing college last June, I haven't been as disciplined. Can put up around 375 lbs. and I'm around 215. Getting back into it now though. It's a great feeling to get stronger.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

:shocked: I feel weird asking, but pics of your chest?

 
Amused

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,347
19,505
146
The best way to arm strength is to work out your upper body. Your arms cannot get much bigger than they are without the rest of your upper body.

Bench presses, military presses, rows, pull ups. These will all work your body AND arms.

Let me put it this way: I do very little direct arm work, yet my arms, when flexed, are 18.5 inches at the bicep.

I see lots of skinny little guys in the gym who furiously work out their arms and get no where. I do no more than 4-8 sets of direct arm work a week (depending on what routine I'm doing).

 
Amused

Amused

Elite Member
Apr 14, 2001
57,347
19,505
146
Originally posted by: TipsyMcStagger
benching has more to do with chest and shoulders. Some triceps if your grip is closer
Click to expand...

Normal grip benches hit the triceps quite hard. Close grip simply isolates them a bit more.

The fact is, the best way to put on size and strength is to stick to basic, compound movements. Isolation exercises are simply NOT as effective. They should be kept to a minimum.
 
H

Hankerton

Golden Member
Apr 11, 2003
1,814
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Originally posted by: DougK62
Originally posted by: Hankerton
I used to lift competitively, and the best way to improve strength is to lift very heavy with low reps. As far as arm strength, it's also important to do exercises like Crazy 8's (use google to find out more detail on the exercise).

I'm somewhat of a success story. When I was 16 I lost like 85 pounds but still weak as hell. As the years went by I got more and more into it.

By 2002 I was able to bench 400 lbs. while I was only around 190 lbs. Unfortunately, after just recently finishing college last June, I haven't been as disciplined. Can put up around 375 lbs. and I'm around 215. Getting back into it now though. It's a great feeling to get stronger.

Good luck!
Click to expand...

:shocked: I feel weird asking, but pics of your chest?
Click to expand...

haha, sorry but I don't think so. I'm at work. I'm somewhere around 50"

Plus, aren't you a guy?
 
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