Hi guys. My aim is to bulk up all round, but in particular I want to improve my arms. I posed my workout recently in another thread. Here it is again (The weights I'm lifting are the current levels, and should be increasing every week):


Monday: Chest and arms

Flat Bench Press: 4 sets of 22.5 kilo dumbells
Dips: Ideally 4 sets of 10, but I'm only able to do about 3 sets of 8 right now
Chest Push out thing: 12/10/8/6 reps: 120,130,140,150 lbs
Flies: 4 sets of 10: 10 kg dumbells
Triceps: Cable push down: 4 sets of 10 about 28 kgs
Biceps: 4 sets of 10, Bench incline, so I'm leaning back and doing a long curling motion: 14 kg dumbells
Triceps: 4 sets of 10 with 10 kg dumbell. Stand with dumbell behind neck and extend arm
Bicep: Ez Curl 30 kgs: Ideally 4 sets of 10, but am struggling by this point to do that

Wedenesday: Legs

Squats: 4 sets of 10 @ 75 kgs
Leg extension: 12/10/8/6 reps: @ 300/310/320/330 lbs
Hamstring machine: 3 sets of 10 @ whatever I can lift
Quads machine: 3 sets of 10 @ whatever I can lift
Calf raises: 4 sets of 15 - cant remember the weight but it's the highest the machine has.

(I often have time so do arms again - is this bad?)

Friday: Shoulders and Arms

Bench with straight back. Lift dumbells - 4 sets of 10 @ 16 kgs
Incline bench with dumbells: 4 sets of 10 @18 kgs.
Lateral pull down: 12/10/8/6 reps: @ 50/53/59/62 lbs
Pull ups: About 3 sets of 8 at the moment, aiming for this to improve.
Biceps: 4 sets of 10, Bench incline, so I'm leaning back and doing a long curling motion: 14 kg dumbells
Triceps: 4 sets of 10 with 10 kg dumbell. Stand with dumbell behind neck and extend arm
Bicep: Ez Curl 30 kgs: Ideally 4 sets of 10, but am struggling by this point to do that

I weigh 71 kgs. I take a whey protein shake when I get home (about 30 mins after workout), and have a bowl of cereal or tuna sandwich as well. I eat about 5 meals a day. I get 1 lb of protein per bodyweight a day.

Questions:

1) My main goal is to improve my arm size: Is my workout good for that? Am I overdoing/underdoing them? I'd like to have the ideal, most efficient arm workout

2) Is 300 sit ups (25 times 12 different exercises for all parts of the abs - like the 8-minute ab tape) everyday of the week good or overdoing/underdoing it?

3) Should I be doing deadlifts? My legs absolutely ache after a leg day, so surely I'm doing enough.... I'm worried about hurting my back, because I'm not sure how to do a deadlift.

4) Is there anything else you would change about this workout?

Thanks a lot guys.

Thanks for the post. I do like to read what other people are doing with their exercises. My arms aren't my focus anymore since I told myself once I got to 18" that I'd just use toning exercises. I figured I'd still like to fit into my shirts. :D I actually had to cut a few in the sleeves because my arms just don't fit. So considering all that, I figured I'd have some insight to arms.

I think it's just personal how you do your routines. Just keep things mixed up. One routine that I've hated/enjoyed, though I don't know the name, was a dumb bell raise. Usually you take weights 5 - 10 lbs less than you can curl and do this standing rountine. You do a semi curl with both dumb bells and hold. You let one arm drop down to your side and bring it back up to this holding position then you let the other arm down. Repeat as much as you can take. It's kind of like resistance training and strength training at once. You get pretty ripped this way.

Second piece of advice, leave your arm routines til the end. Looks like you do that though I don't know if its intentional. If you're lugging around free weights doing chest and other exercises, you're working your arms. Sometimes you can get to the end and not do as many exercises because you've been working them the whole time.

Biggest piece of advice, absolute biggest, use good form. Maybe I go to a junky gym, but 9 out of 10 people I see use bad form. They swing weights all over the place, or don't extend far enough downward or enough upward. Usually its the swing and not far enough down. That will turn you arms into looking like funnels, big near the shoulders and small near the elbow. Its classic "wanting to do more" syndrome. Take it easy on yourself, it takes time. If you need to use smaller weights do that. When you begin to swing, you either work out your top part of the arm or if you pull as well, your shoulders. I see people all the time on cable machine cross overs that pull with their shoulders but believe they can do like 70 lbs. They aren't very strong though. Just stick with working your arms. Use a mirror if there's one handy, that'll keep you from swinging and making sure you do your full extensions.

...One routine that I've hated/enjoyed, though I don't know the name, was a dumb bell raise. Usually you take weights 5 - 10 lbs less than you can curl and do this standing rountine. You do a semi curl with both dumb bells and hold. You let one arm drop down to your side and bring it back up to this holding position then you let the other arm down. Repeat as much as you can take.

Oh, this isn't a concentration curl though I suppose you could do it that way. It's a semi hammer curl. And I'd shoot for 3 set of 8 - 10

Make sure your eating right too, and make sure your warming and up stretching before doing your sets. Biggest thing I can say is to get lots of rest, your routine gives every muscle group good time to repair, I see nothing wrong there.

I could make a few corrections though. You might want to add some ab exercises and some cardio, some leg exercises and back exercises as well. You dont want to have uneven muscle form on your body.

Just switch your routine around a bit and throw in some extra exercises. Good for the legs is one legged squats ( standing on one leg lower your body until your almost touching the floor, and then try to stand up on your one leg), for back exercises you need mostly cables, though some websites might contain at-home ones too.

Also, remember to eat a high protein meal immediately after working out, the longer you wait after working out the more muscle you lose, your muscles go into a catabolic state after your done.

Keep at it and you'll get results, peace.

Just switch your routine around a bit and throw in some extra exercises. Good for the legs is one legged squats ( standing on one leg lower your body until your almost touching the floor, and then try to stand up on your one leg), for back exercises you need mostly cables, though some websites might contain at-home ones too.



Cables needed for back exercises? Bah. Deadlifts, bent over barbell rows, dumbell rows, and pullups or chinups. No cables needed there and your back will get huge.

Thanks guys. I'll try that bicep curt method, and work on my back too. I hate doing my back. It seems like such a waste of time, as you're never gonna notice muscle growth there, but I know it's necessary...

I hate doing my back. It seems like such a waste of time, as you're never gonna notice muscle growth there, but I know it's necessary...

I don't know...Bruce Lee had muscle growth on his back and you could see it if you ever watched any of his films. Especially "Return of the Dragon" when he's warming up before fighting Chuck Norris.