Big arms without isolation?

[FullBodyAddict]

Is it possible to get big arms with only weighted chin ups, rows , farmers walks, bench press, ohp and face pulls ?

Goal is not to look like a bodybuilder but just a good looking Muscular Body

[safcpaul]

Is it possible to get big arms with only weighted chin ups, rows , farmers walks, bench press, ohp and face pulls ?

Goal is not to look like a bodybuilder but just a good looking Muscular Body

Yes you better be careful. If you throw in a couple sets of curls and tricep dips you will end up looking like arnie in his prime

[Ironface]

For big arms, yeah compounds are enough.

For bigger arms, you need isolated work.

[SuffolkPunch]

If big arms is one of your main goals then you should do isolation exercises in addition to main compounds. If you don't have room for them but would like bigger arms as a side effect of (say) athletic training then yes, pulls and presses will build your arms.

[air2fakie]

Is it possible to get big arms with only weighted chin ups, rows , farmers walks, bench press, ohp and face pulls ?

Goal is not to look like a bodybuilder but just a good looking Muscular Body

Depends on how much you're lifting and what you consider to be big arms.

Just do your AthleanX Perfect Program for a few months and if you're not happy with arms progress or feel you need the isolations, add them. Your program can be adjusted over time, but doesn't have to be and probably shouldn't be at the start. You won't wake up looking a bodybuilder one day unexpectedly.

[paulinkansas]

Big arms without isolation is like a big brain without education.

[FullBodyAddict]

Depends on how much you're lifting and what you consider to be big arms.

Just do your AthleanX Perfect Program for a few months and if you're not happy with arms progress or feel you need the isolations, add them. Your program can be adjusted over time, but doesn't have to be and probably shouldn't be at the start. You won't wake up looking a bodybuilder one day unexpectedly.

Hey man thanks for the input I really don’t want to play around programs like this because I don’t want to interfere with recovery or cause any muscle imbalances Im not a expert after all. that’s why i wasn’t so sure about adding additional stuff.

[TolerantLactose]

Goal is not to look like a bodybuilder but just a good looking Muscular Body

So you have little idea what your goal is.

"Why are you going to school?"
"I don't want to be a dentist but just to get smart."

[air2fakie]

Hey man thanks for the input I really don’t want to play around programs like this because I don’t want to interfere with recovery or cause any muscle imbalances Im not a expert after all. that’s why i wasn’t so sure about adding additional stuff.

It's not a huge deal either way, but if you like AXs guidance and he calls it the perfect program, I suggest starting as is - might as well see how it works for you then tweak it based on results if necessary. For ex, you might your bis growing but you need more tri isos, and maybe you decide that carries on both days is too much so you replace one day with the tri isos rather than just adding them outright. But if you add stuff at the start you wouldn't know how the program would feel without them... but up to you since the world won't end if you add some isos either.

I'm not an AX hater as much as I don't like that he has a video saying the way I've been doing any exercise for years is wrong or that I should be doing a different exercise instead of it.

[FullBodyAddict]

So you have little idea what your goal is.

"Why are you going to school?"
"I don't want to be a dentist but just to get smart."

I want a zac efron type of Body. Never cared for that guy but his body seems like the ideal male body type for me. Good leaness with some muscle.

[air2fakie]

I want a zac efron type of Body. Never cared for that guy but his body seems like the ideal male body type for me. Good leaness with some muscle.

He had help.

[Garage Rat]

IMO yes,depending on how you do some of the exercises you posted.
For example i have seen some guys get great bicep development from close grip chin ups(palms facing).
Close grip bench press with a firm lockout hits the triceps well.
So you would have to alter some of the movements.

[CommitmentRulz]

I want a zac efron type of Body. Never cared for that guy but his body seems like the ideal male body type for me. Good leaness with some muscle.

Yea. Then you better lift "like a bodybuilder" for 10 years if you're natural.

[Casca]

Try to avoid having peaks on your biceps. Really work on triceps.

I do lots of dips and pull ups as well as weights (mainly for lats/back, legs and other stuff). I don't do any direct arm training other than for grip, cause I don't want to look like a bodybuilder either. Your biceps will get bigger, but it's not going to really have peaks if you don't do arm curls.

[TolerantLactose]

I want a zac efron type of Body. Never cared for that guy but his body seems like the ideal male body type for me. Good leaness with some muscle.

"Some muscle"

You say that like it's not a lot of work over a long period of time.

[Bzdura]

Is it possible to get big arms with only weighted chin ups, rows , farmers walks, bench press, ohp and face pulls ?

Goal is not to look like a bodybuilder but just a good looking Muscular Body

Its possible in that some individuals can do this. Most need extra iso work as well tho.
Just start without isos, then reassess in 6mnths time.

[alec935]

Man this thread is dumb

[BeginnerGainz]

Man this thread is dumb

^^^

Username is fullbodyaddict

Only cares about arms

[FullBodyAddict]

^^^

Username is fullbodyaddict

Only cares about arms

Arms are not my priority, I just don’t want them to look like Complete toothpicks.

I’ll reasses after 6 months thanks guys

[jaxqen]

Is it possible to get big arms with only weighted chin ups, rows , farmers walks, bench press, ohp and face pulls ?

I don't know. I have never seen a guy with good arms not doing isolation work.


Also, I have never seen someone doing farmer walks, big or small.
Only me!

Not to mention the weighted chin ups and rows.
I've seen only 2 advanced big guys doing barbell rows.
Most of them do cables + heavy dumbell rows.
And all of them do splits. Not PPL split, but one muscle a day split.

I don't know if should mention the deadlift, the exercise people talk a lot about but mostly nobody is doing it.

[kenjoshx]

I'm not the biggest expert on the science or broscience, but what matched my experience essentially came from this guy, a marine vet apparently

Essentially he says isolation exercises are necessary for improving a lagging muscle, or rehabilitate/warmup one

Feel free to read only the highlights for cliffs, or the whole thing (you can also let me know if I'm on the right track):

https://www.projectvis.com/the-only-...ion-exercises/

[air2fakie]

I don't know. I have never seen a guy with good arms not doing isolation work.


Also, I have never seen someone doing farmer walks, big or small.
Only me!

Not to mention the weighted chin ups and rows.
I've seen only 2 advanced big guys doing barbell rows.
Most of them do cables + heavy dumbell rows.
And all of them do splits. Not PPL split, but one muscle a day split.

I don't know if should mention the deadlift, the exercise people talk a lot about but mostly nobody is doing it.

It's a good thing the rest of us aren't limited to only the exercises and the 1 split you've seen in your lifetime.

[jaxqen]

It's a good thing the rest of us aren't limited to only the exercises and the 1 split you've seen in your lifetime.

I wrote about what I saw.
I didn't say it was good or bad or that I am following that split.
So I don't understand your reaction.

Yes, indeed, it is a good thing that you (you - singulary) are not limited to only those exercises, if that is your purpose or if you have a better physique than those guys. I don't know, because I have no idea how you look, but if so, good for you.

[TheShadowMan]

Personally any muscle I want to develop, I superset a compound with an isolation both to failure no more than 3 sets an exercise. If isolating, I always do it unilaterally - no sharing loads of a singular object between two limbs. I've always been against using two handed/legged exercises for isolation because I feel as though this is a guarantee of muscle imbalances at some point in the future, and it doesn't stress each side of the body as much as they could be. I've also noticed sets seem to go quickly this way, because one side rests while the other is stressed.

Getting back to the topic of the original poster, will arms grow with compounds only? Sure, you're adequately stimulating a muscle and as long as you provide it with rest, nutrition, and progressive overload(either by volume or weight increases) you should see some development. But I do think isolations have their place in "finishing off" anything the compounds don't quite do the muscle you want to work on. I know when I do weighted chins or dips, my biceps and triceps are "almost but not quite done" after a set, so I need the isolation after to ensure this set went as far as I can take it, and there's nothing I missed in that group. Is isolation necessary just to get big, no. But I think you'll hit more of as well as improve your potential by including at least one a muscle in workouts.

[EliKoehn]

Honestly if you're just now starting out, I wouldn't give arm isolation a priority at all for about 3 months, while you're focusing on the bench, squat, deadlift, rows, pullups, etc.

I began lifting as a stupid teenager "bro" and thought I was strong because I could curl 45s, when I could barely do anything on the compound lifts (except, of course, pulling ones, where I cheated the form by overcompensating with my arms). As such, even though my biceps were relatively strong, my torso and shoulders were weak, so that building consistency with correct form was a pitfall, because I would half-consciously turn it into too much of an arm movement. (And doing heavy compounds will definitely exhaust the arm muscles, even if they're no the primary target - try doing 50 strict pull ups and then go see how easy the curls are.)

I wouldn't recommend constructing that kind of imbalance to have to work around later.

[pondman]

I want a zac efron type of Body. Never cared for that guy but his body seems like the ideal male body type for me. Good leaness with some muscle.

You probably should lift like a body builder. He doesn't look that way by doing 100s of bicep curls. You'll need a coach.

[FullBodyAddict]

You probably should lift like a body builder. He doesn't look that way by doing 100s of bicep curls. You'll need a coach.

this guy did a modified ss for years focusing on progressive overload and didnt train like a bodybuilder. granted he probably has above average genetics and those pics have good lighting and he is on pump but anyway definetly not on roids you can look up his progress over the years

[skinnyfatguy2]

this guy did a modified ss for years focusing on progressive overload and didnt train like a bodybuilder. granted he probably has above average genetics and those pics have good lighting and he is on pump but anyway definetly not on roids you can look up his progress over the years

you can get a awesome physique with full body workouts as well dont listen to these ****s who think bro splits is the way lmao even that efron physique is achievable natty and no you dont need a coach and a bodybuilding split for that. just lift heavy and focus on compounds.

as for this guy ye he his upper boddy is good but he is lagging back and leg development saw his physqiue updates on yhis channel

[FullBodyAddict]

you can get a awesome physique with full body workouts as well dont listen to these ****s who think bro splits is the way lmao even that efron physique is achievable natty and no you dont need a coach and a bodybuilding split for that. just lift heavy and focus on compounds.

as for this guy ye he his upper boddy is good but he is lagging back and leg development saw his physqiue updates on yhis channel

he dosent do horziontal pulls and only squats and deadlifts for lower body. The program im following has more leg and back volume. a better version of ss/sl in my opinion

[TolerantLactose]

IIT, OP asks a question where there's a predetermined, acceptable answer. That's shocking and new.