The quest for bigger, more muscular arms continues almost every gym in the land, yet appreciable results are few and far between. And with every variation of curl imaginable (usually done with questionable form) why is it that all but the already genetically gifted get the gains they desire?
To put it brutally most trainees are pissing in the wind when it comes to arm training. Too much isolation work and not enough resistance will slow your progress to a painfully slow crawl.
Sure, you can get results early on in your training by blasting biceps and triceps with isolation work, but truthfully when was the last time you gained any appreciable size on your arms? Remember that definition of insanity? If you are training insane but staying the same then it is time for a change!
Q. What will make your legs grow more? Squats or leg extensions? What will make your back grow more? Deadlifts or straight arm pull-downs? What will make your chest get bigger? Bench press or cable crossovers? A. The answer will be obvious to those who have been working out for a while… for the rest of you, I’ll give you a clue… it’s the one that sounds more like hard work! The compound, heavy hitting exercise- the first one in each case.
Now apply the same principle to your arms. Ask yourself "What will make my biceps bigger?" Weighted close grip chin-ups or incline dumbbell curls? "What will make my triceps bigger?" Close grip bench press or tricep kickbacks? Which of the above exercises will allow greater overload and hormonal response? Which are the easier options? Remember, avoid the easy options and work hard, heavy and precisely to maximise your gains.
Use compound exercises to keep adding size and strength to your body in its entirety (you will NOT gain anywhere unless you do this!) whilst emphasizing your arm and biceps development to start filling your shirt sleeves soon. Remember you need a whole body workout to start getting the gains you are after and a clear diet plan to back it up with. I recommend the ‘No Nonsense Muscle Building’ programme by Vince del Monte.
Remember, vegetarian bodybuilding operates under the same principles that apply to all bodybuilding. There's no substitute for hard work!