Some bodybuilders take a minimalist approach to arm training. They figure that in the grand scheme of lifting, the arms are relatively small body parts compared to, say, quads and back. MusclePharm-sponsored athlete Larry Edwards would not be one of those people. Each time he trains arms, he launches a blitzkrieg involving supersets, high volume, and high intensity. The result: an insane pump and more inches on his arm measurement.
Edwards insists this approach will work for everyone who seeks sleeve-shredding arms, including you.
This won't take all day, either. Limit your rest periods and you should be able to get through this massive workout in less than an hour—probably more like 45 minutes.
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Edwards recommends doing this arm workout once a week, or twice a week if arms are a lagging part for you. But with the volume you're going to get in this arm workout, once a week should be more than enough.
Edwards' Technique Keys
Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl: Edwards likes to go a little on the light side to start out, and uses a closer grip so he can get a better stretch. When he uses a wider grip, he can go a lot heavier, but doesn't feel like he gets as good of a stretch. Nor does he feel the movement as much on the peak of his biceps.
Cable Rope Overhead Triceps Extension: When you're doing this movement, also known as the French press, drop the rope well behind your head so you get a much better triceps stretch at the very end of the movement, says Edwards. And go light: This is about the reps and the intensity, not the weight.
Triceps Push-down: Edwards likes to use the straight bar for these. He imagines pulling the bar apart when he gets to the bottom of the range of motion—like you do when you use a rope. As you're pushing the bar down, you're also trying to push it down and away from your body. This will help you achieve a screaming peak contraction.
Dumbbell Alternating Biceps Curl: Focus on twisting your pinkie up on this move to get an intense contraction. And let the weights go all the way to the bottom for a great stretch. For Edwards, the stretch at the bottom is as important, if not more important, than the contraction at the top.
Barbell Curl: Edwards gets a better feel if hewidens his grip a little bit. But he says you must be careful not to go too heavy or you can injure yourself. Focus on using a lighter weight, maintaining high intensity, knocking out quality reps with good form, and feeling those full contractions at the top and good stretches at the bottom.
Triceps Dip: Focus on keeping your chest up when you do dips to target your triceps. Get a strong contraction at the top. You can even hold the top position for a minute or so to make sure you get it. When you get to the bottom, take a moment to feel that stretch. If you have any shoulder pain, don't go too low.
Machine Biceps Curl: Edwards likes this movement because of the way it stretches out the muscle. Up to this point in the workout, you've been doing a lot of volume, a lot of intensity, and a lot of peak contractions. This is a movement where Edwards focuses on the bottom of the movement, letting the weight stretch out the biceps.
Triceps Dumbbell Kick-back: Slower is better for this exercise. That way you control the movement on the way to the contraction and on the descend. Don't let gravity swing the weight or use momentum to kick the weight back. Focus on the contraction and big, slow, smooth reps.
Triceps Push-down: Edwards is a fan of using a longer rope for this exercise. He'll even improvise when he needs to by feeding a T-shirt through the attachment. Using a combination of longer rope and lighter weight gives him the best contraction.
Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl: Instead of doing this single arm, lift both dumbbells at the same time. Focus on keeping your pinkies turned up.
Cable One-Arm Triceps Extension: Use an overhand, or pronated, grip on this exercise.
Concentration Curl: Keep your elbows out away from your body. It is a lot harder this way, so use a much lighter weight than you'd normally use for concentration curls.