Athletes who have problems developing arm muscles definitely haven't read McRobert Stewart's Arms of Titan. Well, speaking about creating big arms, I can’t help but mention this wonderful book, because I once read it avidly, trying to develop the strength and size of my biceps as quickly as possible. In my opinion, it contains comprehensive information on how to develop arm muscles in the shortest possible time. In addition, I tested the theory in practice when preparing for a bodybuilding competition. We will talk about the theory and practice of developing large hands in this article.
Interesting fact
The arm muscles are small in size and volume compared to other muscles in the human body.
In bodybuilding, as you know, in addition to the quality of muscles and their volume, proportions play an important role. At a time when bodybuilding was still aesthetic, not exaggerated and caricatured, when bodybuilders looked like the living embodiment of the Greek gods, and even surpassed them in aesthetics, the ideal proportions were those when the volume of the athlete’s biceps and triceps was identical (approximately) volume of the lower leg.
Why don't my biceps grow? 6 main reasons
So you want big, huge, monster biceps, but it doesn't seem like you can get them to grow. You are insecure because you have skinny arms. Although you should be confident in yourself in any case, unpleasant things like small hands can still seriously poison your mood. Powerful biceps are one of the first things people will notice about your body. So yes, if you consider yourself a bodybuilder and are trying to build up your arm muscles, then read today's post. However, the good news is that you are most likely making some mistakes that are preventing your biceps from growing. That’s why today I decided to make a list, I’ll call it the top - 6 reasons why biceps don’t grow. OK, let's go.
Reason number 1. Exercising too often
You think that the more often you train your biceps, the more they will grow. But no! If you're doing barbell curls every time you're in the gym, that's a huge mistake. Muscle growth will not happen for many reasons. At first you will probably get into a state of overtraining if you isolate them more than once a week and hammer them with any exercise 2 - 3 times a week, or even more often. Your arm muscles are heavily involved in most other exercises you do in the gym (such as back training). Therefore, performing special biceps exercises more than once a week can easily lead to severe overtraining of the arms. Remember: your muscles grow during rest, not during training. Even though they may start to look larger and swell during exercise, there will be no growth. But when you rest (mostly sleep) they begin to grow. By now it should be obvious that effectively training your arms once a week is the ideal frequency to train your biceps, of course, if you want them to grow.
Reason number 2. Not training intensely enough
You don't train other muscles intensely enough or don't train them at all. If you don't train your whole body, you won't be successful! Your biceps typically only grow along with the rest of your muscles. To make your hands bigger, you basically need to get bigger—everywhere! Yes, yes, and in the legs too.
Reason number 3. Poor nutrition
You're not eating well. The two most common reasons why muscles don't grow are that you're eating too few calories and training too hard! So make sure you eat like a bull to gain muscle mass, and train like a man, not a snot! Don't forget to eat healthy food! Don't forget about sports nutrition! Hands will not grow on chips and Coca-Cola!
Reason number 4. Incorrect technique
You are violating the technique of doing the exercises. Do you jerk your shoulders and back when doing bicep curls? If you find yourself rocking your body back and forth to control the weight, the equipment is too heavy. Most likely, you are wasting your time.
How to make your biceps grow? Quite simply, you must use good form and proper technique to reap the real benefits of exercise. Leave your ego at the door and only use weights you can control. You may need to contact a professional trainer or a more experienced friend to set the correct technique for doing the exercises! Nobody cares how much you do bicep curls! Believe me, many athletes have pumped up huge arms using very small weights.
Reason number 5. Monotony of exercises
You don't do any exercises other than regular barbell curls. There are several ways to pump your biceps. You should include at least 3 different exercises in your arm workout routine. For example, hammer curls, dumbbell curls, barbell curls, reverse grip pull-ups, cable curls, Scott bench curls. Variety is one of the key factors. Your muscles can adapt quickly, so try a variety of exercises. But you should only do 3-4 exercises in a single workout.
Reason number 6. Genetics
Ha-ha, you have bad genetics. No, not the bad biceps genetics you're thinking about now. The biceps, unlike the calf muscles, are initially approximately the same for everyone. I would say you most likely have poor genetics for working hard in the gym and a lack of discipline. Remember - not everyone can become a professional bodybuilder, but the average dude has good enough genes to not only think about how to build biceps, but actually increase them to impressive sizes! The real problem is discipline, dedication and even stubbornness. A lazy person who skips workouts and meals will never succeed in bodybuilding! For them, our sport is a hopeless cause that should be left alone!
Let's summarize: a clear training program, correct technique, quality nutrition, a variety of exercises, 100% discipline.
The principle of developing large hands
Of course, I won’t be able to put the entire book of McRobert Stewart “Hands of Titan” into one article, but I can put the essence that the author put into its lines.
The author claims that you need to pay attention to the arm muscles only when the shoulder volume is at least forty centimeters! The question immediately arises: “What should I do? After all, my biceps are 33 centimeters”? The answer is simple and I will give it in the form of a three-day training course, thanks to which the volume of the arms will rapidly increase, but first, let's look at the principle of creating titanium arms.
The first thing you need for rapid growth of shoulder muscles is the mobilization of the body's forces; this can only be achieved using basic multi-joint exercises. That is, the workout should consist of barbell presses, squats and lunges with free weights, deadlifts and other basic exercises. All options that isolate muscles are not suitable.
“Where are the exercises for training biceps and triceps”? - you think. As I already said, they are not needed at the initial stage. Training with free weights necessarily loads both triceps and biceps, and those whose “cans” do not have a volume of 40 centimeters do not need additional load.
Further, when the arms increase in volume, you will need to include exercises for the biceps and triceps, but even in this case they should not be isolating. Only free weights should be used.
An effective biceps workout
Don't get stuck on one exercise. Use your imagination and find where you feel your biceps best.
Reverse grip pull-ups
Technique:
- Grab the horizontal bar with your hands at a distance less than shoulder width with a reverse grip.
- With a powerful movement as you exhale, bend your elbows, pulling yourself up.
- Make a short movement by curling your arms, squeezing your biceps. There is no need to reach the bar with your chin to eliminate the back muscles from working.
- Lower yourself smoothly as you exhale.
Perform four sets of 10 reps. Rest between sets is a minute.
Lifting the bar
Technique:
- Grab the barbell with an underhand grip at shoulder-width distance.
- With a powerful exhalation, bend your elbows, lifting the barbell towards your body to an angle of 90°.
- The elbows are fixed in one position and pressed tightly to the body.
- As you exhale, gently lower the barbell to the starting position.
Perform four sets of 12 reps. Rest between sets is a minute.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Hammers
Technique:
- Hold the dumbbells so that your fists point to the sides.
- With a powerful exhalation, bend your elbows, lifting the dumbbells to an angle of 90°.
- The elbows are fixed in one position and pressed tightly to the body.
- As you exhale, gently lower the dumbbells to the starting position.
Perform four sets of 12 reps. Rest between sets is a minute.
Arm curl with a kettlebell on the palm
Technique:
- Place one kettlebell on your outstretched palm and wrap your fingers lightly, without straining your forearm. The second hand insures the weight.
- With a powerful exhalation, bend your arm at the elbow, lifting the weight to an angle of 110°.
- The elbow is fixed in one position and pressed tightly to the body.
- As you exhale, gently lower the weight to the starting position.
Perform four sets of 10 reps. Rest between sets is a minute.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Seated biceps curl with elastic band
Technique:
- Keep your back straight.
- With both hands, grab the elastic band so that your fists are pointing down.
- Elbows pressed to the body.
- Exhale and bend your arms to a 90° angle, holding for a second.
- Smoothly return your hands to the starting position.
Perform four sets of 12 reps. Rest between sets is a minute.
Perform 2-3 exercises from this complex twice a week and do not forget to consume enough proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
When will the effect be visible?
If you follow a program consisting of two workouts per week for biceps, following all the above recommendations, the result will be visible after six to eight weeks of training. It is very important to evaluate your proportions so as not to create a caricatured appearance and not confirm the stereotype of a jock - with a hypertrophied torso and thin legs. Remember that in classical bodybuilding during the “golden era” the volume of the biceps was compared with the volume of the lower leg, which should have been as equal as possible.
How to pump up biceps quickly
There is one rule in bodybuilding:
The growth of small muscle groups directly depends on the growth of large muscles.
In order for the arm volume to increase by 2 centimeters, the total muscle mass must increase by 5 kg!
Want to build up your biceps quickly? This means you need to increase your total body weight! It is impossible to have an arm volume of 50 cm and weigh 70 kg.
You can learn more about how to gain muscle mass here.
All these patterns apply to beginners and intermediate athletes. Experienced bodybuilders have their own laws for pumping up biceps. But more on that later.
How is the training going?
Training takes place online in the form of webinars and online meetings with a mentor. You can listen to the lectures live and ask questions or watch them recorded.
In three weeks there will be:
- three live broadcasts;
- three meetings with a mentor;
- After each lesson, an assignment is given;
- each task is checked personally by the trainer;
- After each task you will receive an assessment and analysis of all errors.
At the end of the course, you will correct your mistakes in training and nutrition. Put the “Size/Quarter” rules into practice.
You can submit a preliminary application for the COURSE >> HERE >>
Tips for quick results
- Use free weights (dumbbells and barbells).
- Take sports nutrition to improve hypertrophy.
- Perform no more than two biceps workouts per week, taking into account those muscle groups that actively involve it in work, for example, in back training.
- In a mixed workout, such as biceps-back, you need to use two to three biceps exercises, and in a biceps-only workout, you need to use four to five exercises.
- The weight of the weight should be 70-80% of one repetition maximum.
Course program
Lesson 1.
Drawing up a set of strength exercises (for home, gym or street) and choosing the type of cardio training. Fundamentals of rigorous strength training techniques. Selecting a load of strength exercises and cardio training. Mastering a food diary. Mastering the cardio training app.
Lesson 2.
Analysis of mistakes in strength training techniques. Assessing the choice of strength exercise load and cardio training. Analysis of power errors.
Lesson 3.
Evaluation of the first week of training and nutrition. Drawing up a training plan for the second week, taking into account the results of the first.
Lesson 4.
Compare two weeks of training and evaluate mouse growth and fat burning rates. Finding nutrition and training mistakes. Correction of the nutrition and training plan, taking into account the mistakes of the second week.
The cost of the course is 500 rubles.
The number of participants is limited. There are no more than 20 people in the group. Start of a new stream EVERY 1st Monday of the new month. You can submit a preliminary application for the COURSE >> HERE
Is it possible to pump up biceps at home?
Many famous bodybuilders began their journey with home workouts. For example, the legendary Lou Ferigno, whose biceps reached 58 cm.
If you are a beginner, you can safely practice at home using any weights - dumbbells, kettlebells, bar, rubber bands, expanders.
Beginners have a very high level of muscle responsiveness to the training load. And any forceful impact will provoke muscle growth.
But over time, the body adapts and progress stops. This usually happens after 1.5 - 3 months of regular classes.
In order for your biceps to grow further, you need to increase the working weights.
For home training, this is the first limiting factor. Inability to use heavier weights.
Therefore, if you want really big muscles, sooner or later you will have to go to the gym. This is exactly what the famous bodybuilders did, starting their journey with home workouts.
Biceps muscle anatomy
The biceps brachii muscle consists of two muscle heads: long and short. Hence the name. “Bi” means two.
Function: bending the arm at the elbow joint and rotating the palm outward.
Many beginners, in pursuit of big biceps, only pump them up, while often forgetting to train another muscle group - triceps. And this is a grave mistake!
The biceps are only 30% of the arm's volume, and the triceps account for 70%. Therefore, its training should not be neglected either.
