Strength Increasing, Size Isn't?

NorCalRox · 07-16-2007, 06:24 PM

Hey everybody, I've been working out for 4 months now and I've seen impressive gains in strength in all of the main compound exercises (thanks Rippetoe). You can check my bodyspace for all that, though. The strength goals I set back in March were ones I though I was going to reach in the late fall; but now I am pretty sure I'm going to achieve by the time the summer ends.

My chest and shoulders have been the bodyparts that have increased the most in size and strength. However, my arms have yet to increase an inch! I've started with 12 inches flat, and haven't even reached 12.5! I had a goal to get 14 inches by November 1st, and now I'm thinking if I can even reach 13.5 by then. What is up?

InfiniteREPS · 07-16-2007, 06:28 PM

I bet you aren't eating enough food. If you wan't to make gains you have to eat alot.

Newtt · 07-16-2007, 06:32 PM

what kind of training are you doing?

MeathooK427 · 07-16-2007, 06:32 PM

Your diet. I heard some figure, about 15lb I think. 15lb to add around an inch on your arms. I don't know if that's true. But I'd bet my tub of Green Mag on you aren't eating correctly

Vicom · 07-16-2007, 06:41 PM

How much weight have you gained?

NorCalRox · 07-16-2007, 06:41 PM

In March, I was 132 lb
Today, I weigh 145lb

I've been eating enough.

1st pic (early May)

2nd pic (today) -

Vicom · 07-16-2007, 06:45 PM

What are you doing in terms of working your biceps and triceps.

NorCalRox · 07-16-2007, 06:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vicom

What are you doing in terms of working your biceps and triceps.

I did Rippetoe's for 4 months, and today I just started Madcow's 5x5.

Beowolf Agate · 07-16-2007, 06:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InfiniteREPS

I bet you aren't eating enough food. If you want to make gains you have to eat a lot.

And the winner is...

auric · 07-16-2007, 06:59 PM

Not getting enough calories/protein into your diet. To gain size like that you should get about 2 grams of protein per lb of weight. You should also try a new arms routine to shock them into some growth. The 5x5 routine should do just that, but be sure to increase the weight by atleast 5 lbs each weight to get the most size and strength from it.

Big_fuzzy · 07-16-2007, 07:18 PM

Could be yoiur not eating enough.

Could also be that your dominant movers arent your arms, but other muscles. For me my bench power always came from my chest and front delts, wich is why my tris would have so much trouble locking out. (Wich ****ing sucks when your trying to lock out a 250 pound jerk.)

As much as a fan I am of Ripp's, it can leave imblancements, are you doing the chins/dips extra? Make sure the chins are underhand and narrow and the dips are as narrow as possible to to hit the arms the most.

Stick with ripps, maybe eat more. Once youve juiced it out move onto some more isolation work, heck, even take some time to do some arm specilisation.

Your progressing very very well.

NorCalRox · 07-16-2007, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Big_fuzzy

Could be yoiur not eating enough.

I've been consistently gaining weight since March (15 lb increase), and I'm still gaining.

Quote:

Could also be that your dominant movers arent your arms, but other muscles. For me my bench power always came from my chest and front delts, wich is why my tris would have so much trouble locking out. (Wich ****ing sucks when your trying to lock out a 250 pound jerk.)

I do have trouble locking out on my bench press on the last set of Rippetoe's.

Quote:

As much as a fan I am of Ripp's, it can leave imblancements, are you doing the chins/dips extra? Make sure the chins are underhand and narrow and the dips are as narrow as possible to to hit the arms the most.

I can't do dips so I do pushups with a heavy backpack on instead. As for chins, I do them at shoulder width; I guess I'll go narrow now.

Quote:

Stick with ripps, maybe eat more. Once youve juiced it out move onto some more isolation work, heck, even take some time to do some arm specilisation.

I would love to stick with Rippetoe's, but I'm switching because I get PR's every 1-2 weeks instead of every workout, which is the specialty of 5x5.

Quote:

Your progressing very very well.

Thanks

cablespy · 07-16-2007, 08:25 PM

do more armwork. ripptoe and 5x5 isn't real good at giving hyoooge bicepts

ThatArmyKid · 07-16-2007, 08:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCalRox

I did Rippetoe's for 4 months, and today I just started Madcow's 5x5.

That why i hate those program see you back is pretty thick but arms lagging damm full body workouts, direct arm work FTW

NorCalRox · 07-16-2007, 10:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ThatArmyKid

That why i hate those program see you back is pretty thick but arms lagging damm full body workouts, direct arm work FTW

I'm still going to do 5x5, after seeing what it did to vunguyen12 (check his bodyspace), and I'm always hearing that compounds are where your arms blast in size. And 5x5 is only compounds. What do you suggest for direct arm work?

NorCalRox · 07-17-2007, 12:04 AM

bump

NorCalRox · 07-17-2007, 02:38 PM

I need some help you guys.

iliketodoit · 07-17-2007, 02:41 PM

direct arm work?

barbell curls, hammer curls, skullcrushers, cg bp

dumac · 07-17-2007, 03:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iliketodoit

direct arm work?

barbell curls, hammer curls, skullcrushers, cg bp

all great exercises for arms. hammer curls are my favorite.

NorCalRox · 07-18-2007, 12:25 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by iliketodoit

direct arm work?

barbell curls, hammer curls, skullcrushers, cg bp

5x5 has me do BB Curls and Skullcrushers on Friday ONLY. How would I incorporate direct arm work on Monday and Wednesday w/o ruining the whole program? Oh how I wish I could go to a gym and do Westside 4 Skinny Bastards.

doug8796 · 07-18-2007, 01:13 AM

rippedtoe is great for strength builders. strength and raw power isnt bbing. 10-12 reps is perfect for bbing. some say 6-12 but 70-75% of ur max load is what you should be lifting. every 5 days or so do a 95% load ie.. 3 reps till failure etc. to shock your muscles

Cuz Ripped · 07-18-2007, 02:17 AM

man i'm in the same boat, been doing rippetoes for a while now and i'm loving the results but i was also unhappy with the way my arms were developing. I basically just added an arm day into the program and its worked pretty well. one day in the gym i look like that bodybuilding newb who just works arms but its all good lol.

NorCalRox · 07-19-2007, 12:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cuz Ripped

man i'm in the same boat, been doing rippetoes for a while now and i'm loving the results but i was also unhappy with the way my arms were developing. I basically just added an arm day into the program and its worked pretty well. one day in the gym i look like that bodybuilding newb who just works arms but its all good lol.

So what kind of exercises can I do? Aside from the main compound exercises on 5x5, here are the other ones:

Monday - Dips (I can't do these, so I just do pushups with a heavy backpack)
Wednesday - Narrow grip chins
Friday - Skullcrushers & BB Curls

How can I add to this without ruining the whole workout?

TeeWhy · 07-19-2007, 12:27 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NorCalRox

5x5 has me do BB Curls and Skullcrushers on Friday ONLY. How would I incorporate direct arm work on Monday and Wednesday w/o ruining the whole program? Oh how I wish I could go to a gym and do Westside 4 Skinny Bastards.

Why can't you go to a gym and do westside 4 skinnies?

NorCalRox · 07-19-2007, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TeeWhy

Why can't you go to a gym and do westside 4 skinnies?

Don't have a license, don't have transportation. Gonna wait till I turn 18 in 8 months.

TeeWhy · 07-19-2007, 08:01 PM

Is westside for skinny bastards the best program for putting on overall mass?

Bobisnew · 07-19-2007, 08:39 PM

keep doing it, everyone grows differently, u can tell the diff. b/t who focuses on direct bi/chest work only and full body, cont. 5x5 until u get to a decent weight or with decent lifts, don't switch to direct arm work excersies if you wanna get big

Eat more like most said, you aren't that big and your arms aren't supposed to grow like the as fast as , say your quads. For your curls on firdays take really short rests going heavy off course, and try supersetting them, or no rest and alternate with tris.

doug8796 · 07-19-2007, 09:01 PM

5x5 is great for strength not so great for mass. Tom Venuto recommends going full effort 3 reps or less once every 5 days. other than that keep it in 10-12 range. for max mass/little strength. dont go by how much u lift but how big u get

Bobisnew · 07-20-2007, 07:36 PM

well with muscle growth comes strength, but the 5x5 is directed a little more towards strength Don't do high reps unless your trying hypertrophy or supersets, a program w/ the basis of 10-12 reps will not get you as much gains as it would with lower reps and heavier weight