Ultimate Guide to Arms Size
and Strength
By Charles R. Poliquin
The Strength Sensei
www.strengthsensei.com
Ultimate Guide to Arms Size
and Strength
By Charles R. Poliquin
The Strength Sensei
www.strengthsensei.com
Special Thanks to:
Bryan Krahn
Patrick Gagnon
Louis Gagné
Published by Strength Sensei © 2015
Disclaimer
Before beginning any exercise program, please consult with your
physician to make sure you are in good health. This ebook is not
meant to replace proper medical advice by a qualified health
practitioner. No liability is assumed by Charles R. Poliquin for any
of the information contained in this document.
Courses by coach Poliquin
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Table of Contents
Introduction
The Program
All 3 Heads
Month 1 - Accumulation - Tri-Sets
Month 2 - Intensification - High Threshold Motor Unit Training
Month 3 - Accumulation - Classic Hypertrophy + Triple Drop Sets
Month 4 - Intensification - Getting Strong the Doug Hepburn Way
Month 5 - Accumulation - Agonist Supersets
Month 6 - Intensification - The Value of Challenging Unilateral Work
Thank You To Our Sponsors!
The Author Would Like to Thank the Following Gyms for the Video Footage
Introduction
The sheer volume of arm training information published over the last 50 years is staggering.
I’ve offered my own take on the subject through countless articles and book chapters, even writing
two books on arm workouts – Winning the Arms Race and Bigger, Stronger Arms: The Poliquin
Way.
But even with so much quality arm training information readily available, I continue to hear from
bodybuilders looking for new ways to beef up their elbow flexors and extensors.
In many cases, a helpful tip or two is enough to get trainees growing again. But sometimes even good
advice is worthless if not taken in the proper context. In other words, even the “best” arm exercises
are useless if the workout setup is ripped from the pages of Muscle and Fiction.
That’s what this book will address. It’s six months of periodized arm workouts, designed to develop
significant gains in both size and strength in even the most seasoned trainee.
If your arms haven’t grown in years despite "trying everything," the answer isn’t to throw more
exercises at them at random and expect a result.
You need a well thought out plan. Let’s get started.
Charles R. Poliquin
The Program
The Ultimate Guide to Arms Size and Strength consists of six 30-day cycles. In each cycle you will
train the arms every five days using a specific training method. After six exposures to a particular
method you’ll then switch to the next routine.
Note: You may not switch the order, as each routine is designed build off the previous one to
produce further increases in size and strength. It’s best just to start at day one and take comfort in
knowing the next six months of arm training has been well taken care of.
To combine this program with your existing program, you first have to decide whether arms or legs
are a higher priority for you.
Five-Day Split, Arms are Priority
Day 1: Arms
Day 2: Legs, Abs
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Chest & Back
Day 5: Rest
Five-Day Split, Legs are Priority
Day 1: Legs, Abs
Day 2: Arms
Day 3: Rest
Day 4: Chest & Back
Day 5: Rest
Sets & Reps
To read the workouts, please note that “A1” and “A2” denote exercises performed in supersets.
Perform one set of exercise A1, rest the prescribed ret interval, and then perform one set of A2, again
taking the prescribed rest interval. Repeat until you have completed the prescribed number of sets for
each of the two exercises.
A tri-set, which is three exercises performed in consecutive sets, would be denoted as A1, A2, and
A3.
Tempo
The notation that I use for tempo consists of four numbers. The first number is the duration in seconds
of the eccentric or lowering phase.
The second number is the duration of the pause in the fully stretched position. The third number is the
duration of the concentric or lifting phase. Finally, the fourth number is the duration of the pause in the
fully contracted position.
For example, if you were to do a triceps dip with a 4010 tempo, you would take 4 seconds to lower
until the biceps meets the forearm, then immediately drive your body back up to the top, and then
begin the next rep without a pause at the top.
Whatever you do, do not overlook this crucial aspect of program design and exercise execution. If
you don’t control the tempo every workout, your reps mean nothing.
Progressive Overload
The body will not grow unless it has reason to. In order to elicit a favorable adaptation – namely
increases in size and strength -- it must be challenged. And the way to do this is through progressive
overload and changing the stimulus.
By switching the workout after every sixth exposure, the need to change the stimulus has been taken
care of. But the progressive overload is on you. As such, you must continually strive to use heavier
poundages.
A good rule of thumb is to try to add one rep per set each workout or roughly a 2.5-5% increase in
load. While subtle, these small increases add up to significant gains over time.
Why Such a Wide Repetition Range?
Varying the repetition range allows the lifter to stimulate a greater range of motor units. Low reps (<
6 reps) tend to recruit the high threshold motor units better known as fast twitch fibers. These fibers
are able to exert the greatest force and power but have little resistance to fatigue.
Higher reps (20+) tend to recruit the slow twitch motor units. These fibers can resist fatigue for a
longer time making valuable in activities where endurance is critical.
Reps falling between these extremes tend to recruit fiber types with characteristics that are a cross
between the two, hence the name intermediate fibers. Varying the reps will insure maximal loading of
all fiber types favoring faster and greater gains.
Why so many exercises?
If you come from the same genetic stock as Ronnie Coleman, you can just do a handful of arm
exercises and experience phenomenal gains in arm size and strength. For the rest of us non-mutants, a
variety of exercises are required to propel past plateaus in arm size and strength.
Even with above average genetics, you’ll still experience better results working with a wide
repertoire of exercises. The order of recruitment of motor units is fixed for a muscle during a specific
exercise. This means that certain motor units have a low recruitment threshold for one exercise and a
higher recruitment threshold for another exercise.
Changing exercises also allows you to target specific points along the strength curve.
For example, barbell curls target mainly the mid range of elbow flexion, while Scott curls target
primarily the beginning range, and incline DB curls the end range.
By intelligently selecting exercises you can ensure all points of the strength curve have been
adequately trained, resulting in superior development.
For these reasons, the exercises in the routines provided have been carefully selected. Though if you
need to make substitutions (due to equipment challenges for example) the following list should help
with choosing alternate movements.
Exercises For the Elbow Extensors
The triceps has three heads: the long head, the lateral head and the medial head. Because all three
heads of the triceps join at a common tendon to insert on the ulna (elbow bone), it’s impossible to
purely isolate one single head of the triceps.
However, by changing your body position to change the orientation of your upper arm in relation to
gravity and to your torso, you can affect the percentage of contribution of each muscle. The
association between the exercise selected and the targeted head comes from a variety of sources
emanating from the research of P.A. Tesch to the writings of Frédéric Delavier (shown below. Used
with permission from the author).
Front View
Rear View
Here are some specifics:
The Long Head: The farther away the arms are from the belly button, the more recruitment of the
long head of the triceps. Exercises that would fit this definition are triceps extensions performed on
an incline bench (incline position) and the overhead triceps extension (perpendicular position).
The Lateral Head: Performing triceps exercises on a flat bench will increase the contribution of the
lateral (and long head) of the triceps.
The Medial Head: As the arms get closer to the torso, such as during exercises performed on a
decline bench, there’s an increase in the contribution of the medial head of the triceps at the end of the
range of motion.
To make it easier, here’s a breakdown:
Long Head
Key Concept: It is involved in all overhead pressing work
Lying EZ Bar Extension
Overhead DB Triceps Extension with Reverse Grip
Pushdown with straight bar and narrow grip
Pullover with Narrow Grip and EZ bar
Medial Head
Key Concept: It is considered the workhorse of elbow extension, hence works in all exercises.
Standing Barbell French Press
One-Arm Triceps Pushdown, pronated
Narrow Grip Bench Press
Dumbbell Kickback
Press Behind Neck
Semi-supinated Standing DB Press
Lateral Head
Key Concept: The more the upper arm is internally rotated, the more the lateral head is activated.
Therefore, the Decline 10 degrees Elbows Out Narrow Grip Bench Press is the most bang for your
buck exercise for the lateral head.
Lying DB Triceps Extensions
Standing BB French Press
Pushdown, straight bar and narrow grip
One-arm triceps pressdown, pronated
Overhead, bent forward, rope extensions
Narrow Grip Bench Press (adding bands or chains, makes this exercise even more
effective)
Press Behind Neck
DB kickback
Seated Semi-supinated DB press
Casey Viator
All 3 Heads
Key Concept: Adding chains or bands matches the strength curve and further activates a greater
percentage of the cross-section.
Decline EZ Triceps Extension
Overhead DB Triceps Extension, neutral grip
Overhead DB Triceps Extension, with rotation
Rope Triceps Pressdown
One-Arm triceps pressdown, supinated
Parallel bar Dips
Bench Dips
Exercises For the Elbow Flexors
The elbow flexors are actually composed of four main muscles: the biceps brachii, brachialis,
brachioradialis, and pronator teres. However, due to simple ignorance of anatomy most authors group
all elbow flexors under “biceps”. To maximize hypertrophy, you need to train all four elbow flexors
with the exercises and training methods best suited to do the job.
Short Head of the Biceps: To work the short head of the biceps brachii, all curls where the elbow
are forward to the body, such as concentration curls or Scott curls will do the job.
Long Head of the Biceps: For the long head of the biceps, exercises where the elbows are behind
the body, such as all the various forms of supine incline curls will do the job. The long head of the
biceps also responds very well to higher velocity movements.
Brachialis and Pronator Teres: As for the brachialis and the pronator teres, many bodybuilders
neglect these muscles. This prevents them from attaining their full potential as the brachialis muscle in
particular makes up roughly half of the upper arm elbow flexor mass.
The brachialis is known in the biomechanics world as the workhorse of elbow flexion. That is, it
works in all elbow flexions movements whether the forearm is pronated, supinated, or in between.
When the forearm is supinated (palms-up grip), the biceps have an effective line of pull, however,
when the forearm is pronated (palms-down grip), the biceps checks out and the brachialis lifts most
of the load.
This is why you commonly see trainees handle 35% less in reverse curls than they do in barbell curls.
However if one trains the elbows flexors properly, that difference should be in the area of 18%. So if
you can curl 100 lbs, then you should be able to reverse curl 82 lbs.
If you don't already do one of the various forms of reverse curls or hammer curls as part of your
workout, the addition of some concentrated brachialis work could easily result in a half inch to a full
inch of arm growth in a month's time.
If you isometrically pause for two seconds at any point before reaching 90 degrees of elbow flexion,
you’ll further activate the brachialis. The brachialis and pronator teres also respond favorably to low
velocity movements and isometric pauses.
To recap, here’s a breakdown:
Biceps (Short Head)
Key concepts: All curls with elbows in front of body and especially when done with a narrow grip
Scott Curls
Concentration Curls
Face-Down Incline Curls (chest against bench)
Lying overhead pulley curls
Biceps (Long Head)
Key concepts: All curls with elbows in line with body or moved towards the rear, especially when
elbows are turned outward:
Standing Supinated Barbell Curls
Standing Supinated Pulley Curls
Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls
Seated Incline Hammer Curls
Elbows Behind Back Twin Pulley Curls
Curls on various machine brands, where the elbows are behind the torso: Atlantis,
DAVID, etc..
Brachialis & Pronator Teres
Reverse Curls (EZ bar, Barbell, or Pulley)
Seated Zottmann Curls
Scott Zottmann Curls
Hammer Curls
Scott Reverse Curls
Don’t Forget the Forearms
The role of the forearms in achieving maximal size is tragically unappreciated. As any kinesiologist
will tell you, forearm action contributes to elbow flexion. Therefore, increased forearm
strength will allow you to use higher loads in elbow flexion exercises thus creating more tension, and
more muscle growth.
Other bonuses of forearm training include decreased risk of elbow flexors tendonitis, as well as
better aesthetics and symmetry. An 18-inch arm above a 13-inch forearm looks grotesque, and only
genetic mutants like Casey Viator can sport huge arms and forearms without direct forearm work.
Use Thick Bars and Handles
Trainees often experienced renewed growth in their upper arms and forearms by training with thick
grip training implements. These implements have oversized handles (2-3 inches in diameter) resulting
in arm movements with a more open grip, leading to faster strength gains.
There are a number of American companies that produce thickened bars and pulley accessories.
However your local welder can add extra sleeves to thicken your dumbbells, barbells, and
attachments at a fraction of the cost.
If your gym does not have the thick grip bars and dumbbells option, the solution is to buy thick grip
handles. Those are handles you place on the bar or dumbbells and they augment the circumference of
your implements’ regular handle, making them thick grip. My recommended handles are the Fat
Gripz™
With Curls, Bend the Wrists Backwards
Cocking the wrists is an effective way to maximize loading on the elbow flexors. Keeping the wrists
extended down during the flexing portion of the curl diminishes the involvement of the forearm
flexors, thereby increasing the loading on the elbow flexors.
You will have to temporarily reduce your curling poundages, but the rewards in terms of biceps
growth are appreciable.
Another advantage of using this trick is that if you’re stuck in the middle of a rep, you can do a forced
rep on your own simply by flexing the wrist and improving leverage to the point where you can
overcome the sticking point.
Another variation, called curls à la Poliquin, consists of curling the wrists in towards you in the
concentric range, and extending them away from you during the stronger eccentric range. Try it and
see if you can brush your teeth the next day without cursing me.
Feel The Muscle, Not The Weight
Many aspiring train their arms too heavy. You must learn to control the weight; the weight should not
control you, and many trainees have experienced renewed growth simply by slowing down their
movements. By keeping the duration of the set between 40 and 60 seconds per set, one will insure the
optimal time under tension to stimulate hypertrophy.
Verify Neck Alignment
Finally, your efforts in the gym can be wasted if the neural conduction to the muscles is sub-par. If
you’re stuck in an arm size or strength plateau, an impingement of cervical nerves from the vertebraes
C5 and C6 may be impairing neural drive to these specific muscles. Consult a qualified health
practitioner and get this issue treated. I often have found over the years that trainees who get great soft
tissue work on the anterior muscles of the neck instantly increase poundages, especially if neck work
for the extensors is added to the mix. I have the best results with Active Release Technique, Rolfing,
and fascial abrasion techniques.
Month 1 - Accumulation - Tri-Sets
Those familiar with my views on periodization will know that I am a firm believer in alternating
between accumulation and intensification phases. The origin of this training concept takes its roots
from Eastern Europe.
An accumulation phase emphasizes volume, determined by how much work is performed. These
phases will typically feature higher repetitions performed with relatively lighter weights.
An intensification phase on the other hand emphasizes intensity, which is how much weight is lifted.
Workouts in this phase will usually feature lower reps performed with heavier weights.
When it comes to arm training, most lifters tend to favor higher volume “pump” work, which
somewhat resembles accumulation-type workout design. However, an effective accumulation phase
for the biceps and triceps is a lot more nuanced than just banging-out high rep sets of your favorite
arm exercises.
To get the most out of accumulation training, other variables like eccentric and concentric tempo, the
rest interval, and the biomechanics of each exercise must be considered to stimulate the most muscle
units and increase the total time under tension for the associated muscle fibers.
With that in mind, your introduction to accumulation training is with the tri-sets method.
I was still in school when I first learned of tri-sets. It was in an Iron Man magazine article written by
the late bodybuilding journalist Don “The Ripper” Ross, whom I was a big fan of, and documented
the arm training of Swedish bodybuilding champion Ehrling Wahlgren.
I remember being hypnotized by the overwhelming mass of the big Swedes arms and couldn’t wait to
try the methods outlined in the books. However, because my English was so basic, I had to look up
many of the words in the English-French dictionary to fully understand the methodology.
The reason tri-sets are so effective for hypertrophy training – Mr. Olympia winner Larry Scott was
also a big fan -- is because they affect two powerful growth-producing stimuli.
Tri-sets:
•Increase the time under tension
•Involve a larger pool of motor units
Simply put, tri-sets work more muscle fibers for a longer duration.
The methodology originally practiced by Don Ross used three different exercises for the same muscle
group performed back to back, with no rest between sets.
Since then I’ve drawn upon experience and my background in exercise physiology to make a subtle
but significant improvement to the protocol. Simply adding 10 seconds of rest between exercises
makes a huge difference in terms of the result achieved.
The short rest greatly improves to neural recovery, allowing you to use significantly greater loads
than if no rest were taken, thereby increasing valuable tension on the muscles.
Considering hypertrophy is determined in large part by both the time under tension and load, the
reduced loads that must be used when moving immediately from one exercise to another produces a
sub-optimal training effect.
Once a tri-set is done, I like to give the trainee a full two minutes rest. Despite the ample recovery
period, expect to have to drop the weight by 5 to 7% following each tri-set.
To ratchet up the effectiveness of tri-sets even further, I’ve added another of Don Ross's favorite
recommendations: the 6-12-25 protocol.
With this method the first exercise in the tri-set is done for 6 reps, to tap into the high threshold motor
units.
After a 10 second rest – again, this rest is key -- a second, slightly different exercise (to tap different
motor units from the pool) is performed for higher reps (12) to hit mid-threshold motor units.
Finally after another 10 seconds rest, 25 reps of a third exercise are perform -- enough to pulverize
any muscle fiber still standing!
Don’t be surprised if the soreness is so bad that you can’t raise your arms overhead to wash your hair
for three days. That’s what baseball caps are for.
Don “The Ripper” Ross
Larry Scott
Month 2 - Intensification - High Threshold Motor Unit Training
To build big arms fast, you’d best get accustomed to the idea of getting stronger by lifting heavier
loads.
Chuck Sipes, an elite bodybuilder from the 1960’s, was known for two things: the size of his arms
and the massive weights he used in curling exercises.
While extremely heavy arm training has since fallen out of fashion, most bodybuilders in a growth
slump would benefit by drawing inspiration from Sipes and cranking up the weights they use.
Yes, performing 6-12 reps with heavy weights is an effective hypertrophy method. However, using 6
to 12 reps exclusively in your training simply won’t teach you to handle the very heavy loads
required.
The bottom line is you need to include phases where you chase heavier poundages. These phases are
called intensification phases.
As you’re coming off a month of extended set accumulation work, you’re primed for a switch to
lower reps, higher intensity work. Your first intensification phase draws inspiration from both Sipes
and old-time Canadian strongman Doug Hepburn.
Hepburn, despite being born with a number of physical limitations including a club foot, was a
strength training pioneer. He was the first man to bench press 500 pounds, drug-free, and also push
pressed 500 pounds, military pressed 420 pounds, and deadlifted over 800 pounds
Hepburn was a staunch believer in using only a few big, basic exercises, but working them extremely
hard and for low reps. This philosophy is well represented in the upcoming workout.
The biggest mistake trainees make when performing low rep work is not doing enough sets to achieve
the optimal training stimulus.
To that end, you’ll notice that more sets are performed in this phase. This compensates for the loss in
time under tension (TUT), conforming to the principle that there should be an inverse relationship
between the number of sets and reps.
In this program the A1 and A2 exercises are done for 8 sets each, including:
1 set of 8
2 sets of 3
7 sets of 2
From experience, the first set of 8 reps seems to activate or "potentiate" the nervous system's ability
to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers for the rest of the set/workout. In effect, you’ll be stronger for the
entire workout than if you’d simply started off with sets of 2 reps.
This seems to hold particularly true for elbow flexor training, something that countless hours of
coaching and record keeping has shown to be true.
To round out the day, the B1 and B2 exercises are done for 4 sets of 4-8 reps. This serves to add a
functional hypertrophy stimulus to the already recruited high threshold motor units. Chuck Sipes
would be proud!
Chuck Sipes
Month 3 - Accumulation - Classic Hypertrophy + Triple Drop Sets
When I first started weight training, I bought almost anything I could find on strength and hypertrophy
training. While much of the information available back then left much to be desired (at least what was
published in English), one effective set and rep protocol that became highly recommended for gaining
mass was the 10,8,6,6,15 system. In this system, the trainee increases the load each set to a top set of
6 reps, and then finishes off with a back-off set of 15 excruciating reps.
Champion bodybuilders Rick Wayne and Arnold Schwarzenegger both endorsed this set/rep scheme
for gains in arm size. Granted, both gentlemen also possessed tremendous genetic potential for arm
hypertrophy, but it still proved to be an excellent system for quick, reliable gains in arm size.
Since then, I’ve found adding a second exercise to the protocol for the biceps and triceps greatly
enhances the training effect. However, these additional exercises are best performed as triple-drop
sets.
For “triple drops,” start with a weight that you can perform for 6 difficult reps. As my student Preston
Greene defines it, that’s 5 clean reps, 1 passable rep, and concentric failure on the 7th rep.
Upon reaching concentric failure, rest 10 seconds and then drop the weight just enough so that 6 more
passable reps can be done. Rest another 10 seconds, drop the weight again, and perform a third 6-rep
bout. Then rest 75 seconds and repeat the process with the paired exercise.
Keep alternating in the same manner until you’ve performed 3 sets of triple-drops for B1 and B2.
Arnold Schwarzenegger
Month 4 - Intensification - Getting Strong the Doug Hepburn Way
Shortly after World War 2 -- well before anabolics were commonplace -- a few notable strength
athletes emerged whose incredible strength and sound training methodologies helped reshape the
growing field of strength training and bodybuilding.
One such athlete was the brutally strong Marvin Eder. Yet what isn’t appreciated or even widely
known is that Eder's prodigious strength was a product of following another relatively unknown
lifter’s training methodology -- one of my favorites: Doug Hepburn.
While I touched on Hepburn’s practical wisdom in month 2, it only scratched the surface of what can
be learned from this unheralded giant of strength training. Here are 4 key principles that I learned
from Hepburn that I continue to use in my practice today.
1. The key to maximal strength is the law of repeated efforts.
Hepburn’s methodology for increasing maximal strength revolves around doing loads of basic work.
One of the main reasons I’ve been able to stay ahead of the game can be summed up in 5 words: basic
work, lots of sets. It all boils down to doing only a few things, but doing them extremely well.
Any real expert on strength training will tell you that this is a very basic yet essential training success
principle.
2. You will get most of your benefits from two lifts a day.
As Leonardo da Vinci said, “Simplicity is the ultimate sophistication.” If you get strong on two basic
lifts per workout, those strength gains will transfer over to smaller muscles through a process known
as the irradiation effect. For this reason, whenever possible I pair antagonistic exercises together,
such as pull-ups and overhead presses.
3. Recruit high-threshold motor units, then hypertrophy them.
Many successful weightlifting coaches also use a variation of this approach. From China to Finland,
the principle used is identical: first recruit the high-threshold motor units, then make them grow by
prolonging the duration of the stimulus.
To make the fundamentals of the Hepburn system even more effective I simply added standardized
rest intervals and tempo prescriptions.
4. Take your time
The hallmark of Doug Hepburn’s approach was patience. Hepburn preached taking your time to
adjust the load upwards, something my mentor Pierre Roy has also been strongly endorsing.
For example, to increase your squat the Hepburn way, do 2 reps using a weight so challenging that if
you attempted to do 3 reps your spleen would pop out your left eye socket. Now repeat that for 8 sets.
Then, in every subsequent workout, try to increase the total number of reps by adding just one rep per
set. Only once you can complete all 8 sets of 3 reps it is time to increase the weight.
You can’t get a more solid formula for strength training than what Doug Hepburn practiced so many
years ago. Though he died in 2000, his steps are still used by the best coaches in the world, and his
lasting legacy proves that the human body has not dramatically evolved in the last 50 years.
Newer is not always better. Basic hard work prevails. That’s the Doug Hepburn way.
Doug Hepburn
Month 5 - Accumulation - Agonist Supersets
A superset, or grouping two exercises together, is a versatile and effective way of setting up a
workout. A superset that pairs two opposing muscles together (like the biceps and triceps) is an
antagonist superset.
The lifter does a set of curls, waits for the prescribed rest interval, then does a set of triceps
pressdowns and waits the prescribed rest interval before returning to the biceps exercise. This
approach is great for maximizing recovery versus just performing straight sets of either exercise.
However, pairing two exercises that train the same muscle is also a very effective hypertrophy
method. This is called an agonist superset.
By targeting the same muscle group instead of opposing muscles, you significantly increase the stress
on that particular muscle group. Using minimal rest between exercises further increases the stimulus
and will help you tap into a greater percentage of muscle fibers, thereby creating even more growth.
The choice and order of exercises play a significant role in agonist supersets. For example moving
from an exercise with lower mechanical advantage to one with a greater mechanical advantage (like
incline dumbbell curls to barbell curls) will allow you to delay fatigue and work more muscle fibers.
Even changing hand positions – like from pronated to semi-supinated – can alter the mechanics
enough to create a greater training effect.
The following agonist supersets are designed to challenge different portions of the elbow flexors and
extensors. Pay close attention to the exercise set-up cues following the routine, as well as the rest
interval. You need to rest 10 seconds between agonist exercises to allow partial but not complete
recovery of the fast twitch fibers, and 75 seconds between antagonist exercises for more thorough
nervous system restoration.
For A1, lie facedown on an incline bench angled to 45 degrees. This puts the overload in the top
range. It’s a superb isolation exercise for the elbow flexors.
As you move to A2, the reverse off-set grip forces supination of the wrist, thereby activating the short
head of the biceps even more.
A3 begins by activating the triceps with very low incline close grip presses. Then, after a 10 second
rest, you annihilate them with triceps extensions with chains. This ensures the triceps are completely
overloaded at every point of the strength curve.
Month 6 - Intensification - The Value of Challenging Unilateral
Work
Over the years I’ve found that lifters who need to bring up their arms will benefit tremendously by
starting arm workouts with unilateral exercises such as One-Arm Concentration Curls and Scott
Curls.
Science appears to support my observations. Research from the neurophysiology field suggests that
the body more easily/readily recruits the high threshold motor units (HTMU) during unilateral
movements compared with bilateral exercises. This is especially true for novice and tall or lanky
lifters, commonly known as hard gainers.
From a mechanics perspective, unilateral work also doesn’t lock the elbow joints into a position,
thereby making for a safer warm-up exercise before the barbell work that normally follows.
Furthermore, I find that it teaches the athlete better concentration skills, which bodybuilding media
affectionately refer to as the “mind muscle connection.”
Dorian Yates and Lee Labrada are among the many professional bodybuilders who’d adopted this
approach. Not surprisingly, both are among the sports’ most intelligent competitors.
One of the best exercises to start your elbow flexor workouts is the One-Arm Barbell Scott Curl. Yes,
you read that right: “BARBELL” not dumbbell. This is a nasty exercise as the width of the barbell
forces you to intensively engage the supinators of the elbow in order to keep the barbell parallel to
the ground. Believe me, the soreness in your elbows flexors the next couple of days will make writing
your name a challenge.
For the triceps/extensors, MRI studies have shown that the One-Arm Pronating DB Overhead Triceps
Extension is one of the most bang for your buck triceps exercises at your disposal.
After the unilateral work, it’s time to progress to the “larger” barbell movements. For B1, we use
floor presses as a way to overload the top of the strength curve on the triceps in pressing movements.
For B2, the Seated Zottmann Curl is a top-level exercise that allows one to overload eccentrically the
brachialis and brachioradialis muscles. Since you curl the dumbbells with the palms up, you allow
the biceps brachii to have a good line of pull, and lift the greatest weight.
On the eccentric portion, the brachialis and brachioradialis are loaded eccentrically as the palms are
facing downward, and now the biceps brachii has an ineffective line of pull.
Since this your sixth routine, we now cut out one set of each exercise from workout 3, and two per
exercise in workout 4. Don’t worry, you won’t atrophy – you’ll likely experience more growth during
those weeks.
Lee Labrada
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