this is guy says that 4 sets per week are enough for arms. is this true?

[alexthem]

this guy here is saying it.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIBSE0Xtjfs

[ThickAsABrick]

Didn't watch your vid.

Volume is dependent upon goals, experience, routine, genetics, etc.

4 sets may be enough for some. I do substantially more than that. If you aren't sure, start conservatively and add over time as needed. You can't go wrong with a well thought out approach that's fine tuned based off your own experience. Then it doesn't matter what others say, because you'll already know what you need.

[ironwill2008]

this guy here is saying it.

Did you listen to everything else he said? He's telling you a lot more than just the number of sets, OP.


Re-evaluate all of his advice, and then put it to a trial.

[Rit]

Some of the stuff he said is true, obviously he doesn't understand anatomy and movement. It's true with the whole push/pull, so you don't need a full workout of nothing but arms. BUT you do need more than 4 reps per week as the biceps/triceps require different exercises to hit all aspects of the muscle. As an example, Rope tricep extensions vs. straight bar extensions, same movement, different parts of the triceps.

Also keep in mind it is all goal orientated and workout orientated. Example, if you're doing a chest/shoulder/tricep and legs/back/bicep split, you probably only need 2-3 tricep and 2-3 bicep exercises because they'll be pre-exhausted from helping out with the other exercises.

[VIsland]

He does have a very good point. Overdoing it for a small body part like arms is very common. Maybe not 4 sets, possibly 8 or so but not the 20 sets like I see some dudes doing!!

[hollywooddork]

like others say, depends on your routine, if you are doing a lot of compound lifts or doing back before bi's, then you would probably need less volume as you are hitting them during the compounds before you even get to them, but you are doing seperate days for everything you might need to hit them more.

[timmy47]

Some of the stuff he said is true, obviously he doesn't understand anatomy and movement. It's true with the whole push/pull, so you don't need a full workout of nothing but arms. BUT you do need more than 4 reps per week as the biceps/triceps require different exercises to hit all aspects of the muscle. As an example, Rope tricep extensions vs. straight bar extensions, same movement, different parts of the triceps.

Also keep in mind it is all goal orientated and workout orientated. Example, if you're doing a chest/shoulder/tricep and legs/back/bicep split, you probably only need 2-3 tricep and 2-3 bicep exercises because they'll be pre-exhausted from helping out with the other exercises.

yes and no. the bi's and tri's work together as a whole, you cant train a certain part of it. you can put stress on one part a little more than another but saying one exercise hits one part is misleading.

also, he didnt say do four sets of the SAME exercise. you could do 2 and 2, or perhaps 4 different exercises if you wanted. personally, i do 6 sets a week. i do a 3 day split twice a week. although i could see 4 working because on the 3rd set im usually pretty done. but thats because ive used them in rowing/pulling and pressing exercises before hand.

anyways OP, the key here is the part about compound exercises. i used to have a day for every body part. i got results but i got more when i switched to a 3 day, twice a week routine. the smaller muscles get used in the big movements that we do like benches and rows or pull ups. so what ends up happening is you can OVER train these smaller muscles because you are doing as many sets as you did for the compound movements. so they are doing twice the amount of work really.

[alexthem]

yes and no. the bi's and tri's work together as a whole, you cant train a certain part of it. you can put stress on one part a little more than another but saying one exercise hits one part is misleading.

also, he didnt say do four sets of the SAME exercise. you could do 2 and 2, or perhaps 4 different exercises if you wanted. personally, i do 6 sets a week. i do a 3 day split twice a week. although i could see 4 working because on the 3rd set im usually pretty done. but thats because ive used them in rowing/pulling and pressing exercises before hand.

anyways OP, the key here is the part about compound exercises. i used to have a day for every body part. i got results but i got more when i switched to a 3 day, twice a week routine. the smaller muscles get used in the big movements that we do like benches and rows or pull ups. so what ends up happening is you can OVER train these smaller muscles because you are doing as many sets as you did for the compound movements. so they are doing twice the amount of work really.

a 3 day routine? so youre saying that it could be more beneficial for me to do chest back and legs twice a week and do very minimal direct arm work?

basically right now i do everything once a week. concerning arms, after chest and back i dont do anything but i do 4 sets for tris and bis on a different day.

[alexthem]

Did you listen to everything else he said? He's telling you a lot more than just the number of sets, OP.


Re-evaluate all of his advice, and then put it to a trial.

yes i did i listened to it very carefully and the arms issue is the only that troubles me.