When the journey of training for physical self improvement is embarked upon, the ideal goal is to develop a well rounded balanced physique. However, when the male ego enters the equation the rational recess of our brains is rarely consulted. In our heart of hearts all we really care about is sculpting a pair of sleeve splitting 44 caliber guns with an abdomen that can grate granite. Unlike developing abs, which can be an elusive arduous endeavor, creating an impressive set of arms is a comparatively simple process. The biceps and triceps are highly visual muscle groups conveying a sense of strength and power.
I love training arms, in fact if I were part of some fictional personal training sitcom my character would simply be known as the “gun smith”.
Gun day with Roar Fitness Directors
My think tank is literally busting with a multitude of great volume based routines that can be used for hypertrophy. Yet it’s only when I exposed my arms to a significant increase in load that I really noticed significant gains in size. Below is one of my favourite intensity based routines for the arms.
This is an intermediate strength training program. The technical name is 5×5, five sets of five reps. At the end of the program is one set of what is known as a tremor set. The logic behind the set is that the super slow movement through both the concentric and eccentric stages create tremors or shaking and lactate in the muscle. At a cellular level this causes the production and storage of two major hormones for growth, IGF-1 and Growth Hormone directly into the muscle cell.
| Order | Exercise | Reps | Tempo | Sets | Rest |
| A1 | Scott Curl | 5 | 5,0,1,0 | 5 | 90’s |
| A2 | Narrow Grip Bench Press | 5 | 5,0,1,0 | 5 | 90’s |
| B1 | 30 incline Db Hammer Curl | 5 | 5,0,1,0 | 5 | 90’s |
| B2 | Lying EZ Extension | 5 | 5,0,1,0 | 5 | 90’s |
| C1 | SS Grip Pull Up | 1 | 30,0,30,0 | 1 | 60’s |
| C2 | Dips | 1 | 30,0,30,0 | 1 | – |
Unlike some strength based programs this will also inflate the arms leaving you with the satisfying “pump” we all crave. The program allows you to expose the arms to a new stimulus and the strength gained will translate across to the next volume phase. This is an extremely effective routine and I would advise anyone in the training doldrums to give it a try.
Written by Roar Fitness Personal Trainer David Lewis
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