One of the best articles I ever read on weightlifting.

Big arms everyone wants them, but how do I get them? Do I do heavy cheat curls like Arnold or buy that steroid freak Hobrel's book (oh yeah you're natural, compared to Dorian. Hey Hobrel I might not have 26 inch arms, but at least I didn't lose my hair building mine!!!). Here are some facts I want you to think about: 1. You work your triceps when you do any pushing movement for the upper body, i.e. Bench press, shoulders, pull overs... 2. You work your biceps everytime you do a pulling exercise, i.e. Back, moving weights around the room... 3. If you are doing a work your whole body 2-3 times a week workout and you have 2-3 arm days per week, you are actually working out your arms 4-6 times a week. 4-6 times a week is way too much!!! 4. The biceps and triceps are very small muscles and do not need much exercise to grow. In most cases the less the better. You have to remember that they are constantly being worked out from other exercises. 5. Think about your legs for a minute. Do you have a seperate leg bicep day, a seperate quad day and finally a seperate squat day? NO YOU DO NOT!!! If you do, let me know your results. 6. In order to get big upper arms you must workout your forearms!!! The main point I am trying to make is, that if you are not getting any gains on your arms then you should cut down the number of sets that you are doing for arms. You must squeeze and focus on your muscles through the whole range of movement. The goal to building muscle is not the number of the poundage you are using. If you have to cheat during you first 3 reps (even just a little bit or at ALL), it is too much weight! During your weekly workout cycle and you find out that your arms are sore before you start your arm workout, then by all means either cut back that day or take the day off. I often skip my arm days, because they are already sore from other things (if it hasn't healed yet then why hamper the healing process). A basic 9 set program or less usually works best, see below: FOR BICEPS Straight bar curls= (2 warm up) sets 3 working sets and pyramid up in weight (10-10)-8-8-6(to warm up and work the mid-range of the movement. If you want to get the most out of this exercise, try this. Do not grip the bar hard. Keep a loose grip. This works great. Incline curls= 3 sets and pryramid up in weight 10-8-8 (to stretch out the biceps) Preacher curl= 3 sets and pyramid up in weight 10-8-8 (to work the lower and upper range) FOR TRICEPS Tricep push downs= (2 warm up) and pyramid up in weight (10-10)-8-8-6(to warm up and work the whole range) One arm tricep extentions= 3 sets and pyramid up in weight 10-8-8 (to stetch and work all 3 heads) Skull crushers (lying triceps extentions)= 3 sets and pyramid up in weight 10-8-6 FOR FOREARMS Behind the back wrist curls= 3-5 sets and 15 to 25 reps Reverse curls= 3 sets and pryamid up in weight 10-8-8 (also help build the biceps) Hammer curls= 3 sets and pryamid up in weight 10-8-8 (also help build the biceps) You got to STRETCH between every set PERIOD!!! The more you stetch the more room for growth. You also have to have a good diet, one that supports growth. Here's a list of No-No's: Do not do cheat curls. Do not swing up the weight. Do not pretend you are Superman. Do not do those stupid roider arm workouts. Here is a theory of mine, it has no scientific proof what so ever. I notice that my arms are 1/8 of an inch bigger when I eat a lot of carbs the night before. This could be used to determine if you are eating enough food to grow. If you find that you are are not making any gains lately, you might want to try this. Measure your body, then eat like a mad man that day (eat plenty of pasta, meat e.t.c.). Then measure your self in the morning the next day. If the measurements are larger, then a lack of carbs could be your problem. The measurements will be larger due to sugar storage in your muscles. Strength increases should be measured as well. Usually when I leave the gym after a arm workout, people ask me "you are done?". I tell them "hey the only thing left to do is to stick a fork in my muscle and poke it a few times". 20 sets will not equal big arms! I hope that this helps you all!!!