Arm workouts anyone?

[Samurai Jack]

Alright so I was looking through some old workout logs and realized that my arms haven't been progressing the way the rest of me has over the last year or so. I want bigger guns! Anyone recommend any arm specific weight routines? I'm especially looking for something that I can work into an existing powerlifting style routine since I AM NOT (!) going to let my hard earned core strength in the Squat/Deadlift/Bench go down the tubes. Thanks for any suggestions.

[Jook Lum]

Hello!In your workout do you do any arm specific exercises or is only powerlifting exercises?Sounds like from your post it is only powerlifting exercises,i just wanted to make sure before i shoot my mouth off.Can you give a sample of your current routine?

[ewallace]

I threw in barbell/eazy-bar curls into a PTP bear cycle. Got pretty decent results too. I only did the routine 3 days a week because of the volume.

[Ford Prefect]

A good workout I developed that seems to pack on some mass is:

Biceps Superset:

-Platoon (21's) Straight-bar Preacher curls
-Strip sets of Concentration curls (down to 10 lbs dumbell)
-strip sets of Alternating Dumbbell Curls (down to 10 lbs db)
*do 2-3 sets of this superset

Triceps Superset:
-Platoon (21's) Skull crushers
-Strip set of Tricep Push-downs (down until weight stack)
-Tricep kickbacks x 12
*do 2-3 sets

The strip sets really increase the volume and help tax the energy system enough to cause growth. You can also start as heavy as you want, so you can work on maximal strength. I really don't hit my triceps as often as biceps because they get hit pretty hard on bench presses, overhead presses, dips, and push-ups as it is.

For forearms is use a thick-handled wrist roller and Ironmind's Captains of Crush grippers. The grip strength these have given have really helped my pull-ups and deadlift.

[Samurai Jack]

My old powerlifting routine looked like this:

(1xweek)
Bench Press 10x5
Squats10x5
Chins/Lat-pulldowns 5x5
Calf Raises 3x5

(1xweek)
Dumbell Bench, or Close Grip Bench 3x10
Good Mornings 5x6-15
Deadlift 5x5
Quad extensions 10x10 (supersetted with)
Hammy Curls 10x10

That went on for about ten months. Then I did about for months of Static Contraction Training (I wrote an entirely too long thread containing that routine and my results so I won't repeat it here).

I'm thinking about doing the old routine but mixing up the sets, reps, and maybe some of the exercises, but throwing in an arm/shoulder routine day. I got turned on to all of the delightful variations on overhead presses and like to do at least 2 or 3 once a week or so.

So Ford, are "platoons" and "21's" the same thing or are "platoon 21's" a whole new exercise?

[Shaolin-Do]

Curls have made my guns grow crazy good :)

Making your pecs bigger gives you an overall more "buff" look too. (butterfly press)

Variation on dips - When you dip down, bend your body forwards smoothly, making the dip kind of circular. It will put more weight on biceps and wrists, as well as upper forearms.
:)

[taijiquan_student]

'scuse my ignorance, but what's a butterfly press?

[Shaolin-Do]

Sitting up, arms out like you were reaching out straight to the sides, elbows bent up at 90 degree angle, bring elbows to the center and flex pectorals when arms touch or come close.

Free weights on your back - arms out to the sides, bring weights to middle even with your solar plexus about, keeping arms straight but not locked.

[Ford Prefect]

Platooning and 21's are the same thing. I was just using both terms in case somebody knew one but not the other.

[Shaolin-Do]

whats platooning?

[Ford Prefect]

Also called 21's because you do 21 reps.

You do 7 reps of the top half of the motion
Then do 7 reps of the full motion
Then do 7 reps of the lower part of the motion

For example, a bicep curl would be done:

7 reps with your arm bent at a 90 degree angle to the top of a curl position
7 reps of a full curl
7 reps of you arm at full extension and curl up so your arm is at a 90 degree angle

[Samurai Jack]

Thanks Ford. I like the name "platoon" better, but this's the first time I've heard it. Sorta like the difference between "overhead triceps extension" and "skullcrushers". One may be more discriptive, but when I tell my girlfriend "I just did a set of skullcrushers.", she get's all goo-goo eyed.
:D