So you want big guns? Well you're not going to get them by sitting on your lazy ass or doing a couple barbell curls every now and then. The only way to get big guns is to train your balls off. But training your balls off doesn't mean pounding the hell out of them every day either. It means starting by asking yourself this simple question: "Do I have the discipline, dedication, and desire it takes to build massive arms?" Let me tell you something, if you don't have the three D's in you, then don't even waste your time. In fact stop reading this article. It's not as simple as training your arms with some weights, taking supplements or injecting some anabolics. It takes a brain, proper nutrition, adequate rest, food, and a couple of large, animal-sized balls.

First Things First

The first thing you need to know about growing huge arms is this: Doing the same thing all the time will slow your progress. Your body is an adaptive biological organism that only responds to stimulus when it comes to building muscle tissue. If you do the same routine all the time, your body will adapt, and this will not create a stimulus. In other words, your body gets used to the same old shit and stops responding. It's that simple. This stimulus is not just caused by the routine, but also by the reps performed, the weight used, the exercises you choose, and the intensity. That's right. You need to push those muscles to failure. You need to train balls-to-the-wall.



Now some lifters may complain about the pain or the burn, but I've already told you pussies to stop reading this article. Hardcore is not for you so go back to your "fitness centers" and spas. For the rest of us, pushing to failure is a way of life. But it's not just about the pain. It's also using your brain to decide when it makes sense to go to failure or not. Warming up properly is job number one before taking any exercise to failure. Those of you who have experienced a few injuries know all about warming up properly. So bottom line, your first two sets should not go to failure unless you are already primed to pump.

Attitude is everything. Every time you step into the gym, you should be ready for a war. You got to let it all hang out, no excuses. Those who truly want to grow should understand that every workout counts, every single rep matters. So don't just show up because it's part of your schedule. You got to look forward to your workout. You got to want to crush the weights. Because each and every workout brings you that much closer to your goals.

Now let's talk about arm training. Like the abs and calves, the arms are a small enough muscle group that you can hit them twice a week for better gains—once directly and once indirectly. What I mean by indirectly is that you get a good amount of bicep work with training back. So training arms once by themselves opposite back would be a direct way of hitting biceps. Inexperienced lifters should only train their arms once a week and I would recommend training biceps with back for the first three months. The same applies for triceps.

Triceps are indirectly worked when training chest and shoulders during pressing movements. This means that you could add a second triceps workout opposite chest and shoulders.

Adding the second direct arm workout has a few important benefits for the experienced lifter. First, by training them alone, opposite major body parts, you will have more strength. This translates into bigger gains. Second, by pumping blood into the biceps and triceps during the same workout the muscle fascia is forced to expand, allowing for greater gains in muscle size. Lastly, training arms on a separate day allows for greater concentration during each movement. The body is not pre-exhausted from training a larger muscle group before training arms, the smaller muscle group.

Pay attention to strict form. Keep your elbows in at the side of your body without moving them up or forward while performing bicep exercises. Forward or upward movement of the elbow brings the front delts into the exercise. The same applies for tricep training. Keep your elbows in place and don't swing or jerk the weight to complete the movement. Here are two different sets of arm workouts. Use each one for three weeks before changing the workout.

Arm Routines

Bicep Routine 1
1
Barbell Curl
3 sets, 6-12 reps
+ 3 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

Tricep Routine 1
1
Feet-elevated bench dip
3 sets, 6-12 reps
+ 3 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

Bicep Routine 2
1
Reverse-grip barbell curl
3 sets, 6-12 reps
+ 3 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

Tricep Routine 2
1
Close-grip bench press
3 sets, 6-12 reps
+ 3 more exercises

BodyFit

$6.99/month
  • 2,500+ expert-created single workouts
  • 3,500+ how-to exercise videos
  • Detailed workout instruction
  • Step-by-step workout tips
  • Training at gym or at home
  • Access to Workout Plans
  • Access to Bodyfit App
  • Store Discounts

What comes with BodyFit?

  • Instructional Videos
  • Don't risk doing a workout improperly! Avoid injury and keep your form in check with in-depth instructional videos.

  • How-to Images
  • View our enormous library of workout photos and see exactly how each exercise should be done before you give it a shot.

  • Step-by-Step Instructions
  • Quickly read through our step-by-step directions to ensure you're doing each workout correctly the first time, every time.

After three weeks, try supersetting Bicep Routine 1 with Tricep Routine 1. Next, try changing to Routine 2 for both biceps and triceps. Now get out there and train like an animal. Train like you got balls.



About the Author

Animal

Animal

Universal Nutrition and Animalpak.com has teamed up with Bodybuilding.com to bring the viewers hardcore training!

View all articles by this author