{"id":67793,"date":"2017-06-26T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2017-06-26T07:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/\/\/uncategorized\/show-unconventional-arm-training-some-love"},"modified":"2023-09-19T09:55:27","modified_gmt":"2023-09-19T14:55:27","slug":"show-unconventional-arm-training-some-love","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/breakingmuscle.com\/show-unconventional-arm-training-some-love\/","title":{"rendered":"Show Unconventional Arm Training Some Love"},"content":{"rendered":"

I hate training arms<\/a>.<\/strong> Especially biceps. It isn\u2019t that I have inferior strength or development, it\u2019s just because it\u2019s boring. Think about it; what traditional exercises do you perform for biceps? I can think of only one straight out of the bro-cyclopedia: curls. All you do for biceps is curl. Barbell curl, dumbbell curl, incline bench curl, preacher bench curl, concentration curl, cable curl, hammer curl<\/a>, reverse curl, seated curl, and the list can go on and on.<\/p>\n

Triceps aren\u2019t much more exciting. Traditionally for triceps, you extend the arm\u2014that\u2019s it. Whether it\u2019s standing, seated, or lying down, all you do is extend with a barbell, dumbbell, or cable apparatus.<\/p>\n

Tired. Boring. Been there, done that. Sound familiar? Then you might want what I\u2019ve been having lately: a great big dose of the unconventional. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Get Out of Your Isolation Rut<\/h2>\n

Be honest. How are all those curls<\/a> and extensions working for you? Have those moves fulfilled all of your hopes and dreams of bigger, stronger arms?<\/strong><\/p>\n

Wipe your arm training slate clean and let\u2019s adopt a different mindset. Instead of thinking of arm training as a series of isolated movements, think more whole-body. Visualize your arms as part of a bigger picture of functionality and mechanics, and how different angles, big body movements, and residual stimulation can affect their development.<\/p>\n

The first order of business is to take a look at the larger muscle groups. All chest press exercises will also stimulate your triceps<\/a>, and all back-pull motions will work your biceps as well. You need to perform these big moves in order to have a chance at packing on any serious arm size. <\/strong>Have you ever seen a pair of giant triceps on someone who also didn\u2019t bench press a lot of weight, or someone with huge biceps who couldn\u2019t do pull-ups<\/a> or row a ton? I didn\u2019t think so.<\/p>\n

Serve yourself a heaping helping of heavy presses, pull-ups, and rows. Now, this isn\u2019t a green light to go crazy and swing, heave, and cheat up a bunch of weight and end up hurting yourself<\/a>. Always practice textbook form, and try your best to feel each exercise in the intended area. The point is to include those key exercises and focus on being progressive in each one. The byproduct will be a load placed on your arms that no curl or press down could achieve.<\/p>\n

Frequency Check<\/h2>\n

The other flaw in traditional hypertrophy programs is that most of them call for an arm day once per week. Normally, these days are filled with countless sets and reps of (painfully boring) isolation work. That may work for a few, but if you\u2019re struggling with progression, a little more frequency is in order. <\/strong><\/p>\n

Splitting up your current weekly volume into two separate arm sessions per week will effectively increase frequency, while your volume remains the same. In other words, you\u2019ll double up your stimulation and growth potential, but still train with the same amount of sets. That\u2019s instant weekly progression. Additionally, you\u2019ll keep overtraining in check by avoiding annihilating your arms,<\/strong> pummeling them into the ground without any hope for recovery. Volume, load, and intensity will be just right for increased frequency, strength progression, and adequate recovery.<\/p>\n

Unconventional Arm Training<\/h2>\n

With this whole-body mindset in place, let\u2019s ditch the ultra-isolation work for a while<\/strong> and instead focus on some bigger, more functional moves that will give your arms a new stimulus and a better reason to grow bigger and stronger.<\/p>\n

The great thing about this switch is that you\u2019ll perform most of the exercises with little to no equipment. All you\u2019ll need is a fixed low bar, a pull up bar<\/a>, bands, and a bench. No dumbbells, barbells, or specialized machines required. With moves like close-grip push ups, biceps chin ups, and rack bar nose breakers among many others, you\u2019ll also get the residual effect of training the surrounding muscle groups for better overall development. For example, triceps dips also hit the chest, and any chin up designed for biceps will also work your back to an extent.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s the short list of the unconventional arm exercises that are included in the workouts below:<\/strong><\/p>\n