Add Size to Your Arms in 4-Weeks with Our 'Big Guns' Specialisation Plan
With so much to train for nowadays, from HYROX to CrossFit to ultramarathon hybrid workouts, it’s a wonder that more… superfluous… goals even get a look-in. But, as our Multiplatform Director, Rob 'small arms' Hicks, has pointed out, we shouldn’t feel ashamed for wanting to take our goals on a sojourn into more aesthetically motivated territories.
Definitions of ‘functional’ training aside, there really is nothing wrong with wanting to grow a set of bigger, stronger arms. A chain, after all, is only as strong as its weakest link. So training those biceps and triceps isn’t necessarily only a vanity project, and besides it’s not as though a short, concentrated period of beefing up those guns is going to majorly derail your more 'noble' fitness endeavours.
High Frequency Biceps and Triceps Training Plan
This 4-week arm specialisation plan is a focused, three-day per week regimen. You'll still work on your chest, back, legs, and shoulders, but with a high-frequency approach to your biceps and triceps. You'll hit them every day at the start of each session when you're freshest, using a variety of angles and techniques to stimulate growth. The aim is to maximise muscle development through a concentrated, intensive period of targeted training.
This plan is designed to be used as a short term ‘blast’, hitting your arms with a massive amount of volume, frequency and intensity, to burst through plateaus and add strength and size. Most of the size gains you’re likely to see from following a specialisation phase such as this will come in the weeks following the plan, where your body recovers and adapts.
During the plan, ensure you are resting adequately, leaving at least 24 hours between sessions. If you're performing other workouts such as cardio or playing sports, be sure to get at least 24-48 hours of total rest at some point in the week. Ensure you are eating enough calories and adequate protein throughout, and focus on your recovery and optimal sleep.
Take notes throughout and try to perform progressively more reps, or heavier weights from session to session to ensure progressive overload. Oh, and be prepared for the fact that you’re probably going to have to buy some bigger t-shirts.
Session 1: Chest, Back and Compound Arms
1.Close Grip Bench Press: 5 x 5 (3 minutes rest)
Lay flat on a bench, your knees bent, pushing your feet hard into the floor. Hold the bar with a close grip, hands around 4-5 inches apart (A). Lower the bar slowly until the bar touches the middle of your chest (B). Keeping your elbows close to your sides, pause here before explosively pressing the bar back up. Repeat.
2. Weighted Chin-Up: 5 x 5 (3 minutes rest)
Strap a dumbbell or weight plates to yourself and grab a pull-up bar with your palms facing your body. Lift your feet from the ground and hang freely (A). Pull yourself up by flexing your elbows and pulling your shoulder blades down and back. Think of driving your elbows into your pockets. When your chin passes the bar, pause (B) before lowering slowly to the starting position. Try to avoid excessive swinging.
3. Dips: 3 x max reps (2 minutes rest)
Jump up on two parallel bars, your palms facing inward and your arms locked out straight (A). Lean forward and bend at the elbows, slowly lowering your body until you feel a deep stretch in your chest (B). Pause here before driving yourself back up to the top explosively.
4. Meadows Rows: 3 x max reps (each arm/2 minutes rest)
Set up your barbell in a landmine configuration. Stand sideways on in staggered stance at the loaded end of your bar. Hinge down with a flat back and grip the bar with one hand (A). Keeping your core tight and torso as steady as possible, draw your elbow back behind your body, pulling the bar towards your hips. Pause here (B), then slowly lower the weight to the floor before repeating.
5. Banded (or Cable) Press Downs: x 50 (in as few sets as possible)
Loop a resistance band over a high anchor point, grip the bottom half with both hands, tuck your elbows close to your body and position your forearms parallel to the ground (A). Push the band away, keeping your elbows and upper arms pinned, squeeze your triceps hard as you straighten out your arms (B) before slowly reversing the movement until your forearms are parallel once again.
6. Banded Curl (or Cable): x 50 (in as few sets as possible)
Stand in the centre of a resistance band and hold both ends at waist height (A). Keeping your upper arms still, slowly curl your hands up towards your chest, squeezing your biceps hard at the top of each rep (B) before slowly lowering your arms back to a dead hang and repeating.
Session 2: Quads, Hamstrings and Isolation Arms
1.Incline Bicep Curls: 3 x 10-15 (2 minutes rest)
Lay on a bench at a 45-degree incline, hold two dumbbells with arms hanging freely at your sides (A). With minimal momentum, curl both dumbbells, turning your palms inwards, until your pinky fingers are near your shoulders (B). Squeeze here and lower under control.
2. Lying Tricep Extensions: 3 x 10-15 (2 minutes rest)
Lie flat on a bench or the floor with a pair of dumbbells locked out overhead (A). Bend at the elbows, slowly lowering the bells towards your head while keeping your upper arms locked in place. Stop just short of the bells touching the floor (B) before extending back up explosively. Repeat.
3. Back or Front Squats: 5 x 5 (3 minutes rest)
With your feet at shoulder-width, hold a barbell across your chest, lifting your elbows high to secure the bar on your shoulders (A). Maintain an upright torso and push your hips back, bending your knees until the crease of your hips drops below your knees (B). Stand back up explosively, take a breath and repeat.
4. Romanian Deadlift: 5 x 6-10 (2-3 minutes rest)
Lift a barbell to hip height, feet at shoulder-width and shoulders rolled back (A). With a slight bend in your knees, push your hips back but keep your knees at the same angle as you slowly lower the bar towards the ground (B), avoiding excessive rounding of the lower back. When you feel a deep stretch in your hamstrings, pause and lift back to the starting position. Repeat.
5. Walking Lunge: 3 x 20m (2-3 minutes rest)
Hold a pair of dumbbells at waist height (A). Keeping your chest up at all times, step forwards with one leg and bend your front knee until the back knee touches the floor (B). Stand up, pause and repeat with the other leg.
6. Banded (or cable) Press Downs: x 75 (in as few sets as possible)
Loop a resistance band over a high anchor point, grip the bottom half with both hands, tuck your elbows close to your body and position your forearms parallel to the ground (A). Push the band away, keeping your elbows and upper arms pinned, squeeze your triceps hard as you straighten out your arms (B) before slowly reversing the movement until your forearms are parallel once again.
7. Banded Curl (or Cable): x 75 (in as few sets as possible)
Stand in the centre of a resistance band and hold both ends at waist height (A). Keeping your upper arms still, slowly curl your hands up towards your chest, squeezing your biceps hard at the top of each rep (B) before slowly lowering your arms back to a dead hang and repeating.
Session 3: Shoulders and Metabolic Arms
1.Barbell Clean and Press: 5 x 5 (3 minutes rest)
Feet shoulder-width apart, hinge down and grip your barbell with a flat back, torso upright (A). Explosively stand upwards, shrug your shoulders and use the momentum to pull the barbell upwards while quickly dropping beneath the bar. Catch the barbell on your shoulders with a slight bend in the knees. Stand upright (B). From this position, dip at the knees and explosively extend your legs using the momentum to help you press the barbell overhead (C). Lower under control to your shoulders and then the ground.
2. Weighted Dip Dropsets: 3 x max reps/ max reps/ max reps
Attach weights to yourself and jump up on two parallel bars, your palms facing inward and your arms locked out straight (A). Lean forward and bend at the elbows, slowly lowering your body until you feel a deep stretch in your chest (B). Pause here before driving yourself back up to the top explosively. Perform as many reps as possible, then drop half of the weight and perform another max effort set. Finally, drop to just your bodyweight and perform another max rep set. This is 1 set. Rest for 3 minutes and perform 3 total sets.
3. Dumbbell Curl Mechanical Dropset: 3 x max reps/ max reps/ max reps
Perform as many reps as possilbe of incline dumbbell curls as detailed in session 2. As soon as you can’t perform anymore, sit upright and continue on performing as many reps as you can in this position. Finally, switch to hammer curls and perform as many possible. This is 1 set. Rest for 3 minutes and perform 3 total sets.
4. Tricep Extension into Close Grip Bench Press into Close Grip Push-Up: 3 x max reps/ max reps/ max reps
Perform as many lying tricep extensions as possible, then bring the bar down to your chest and perform as many close grip press-ups as possilbe. Finally, drop the bar and perform as many close grip push-ups as possible. This is 1 set. Rest for 3 minutes and perform 3 total sets.
5. Banded (or Cable) Press Downs: x 100 (in as few sets as possible)
Loop a resistance band over a high anchor point, grip the bottom half with both hands, tuck your elbows close to your body and position your forearms parallel to the ground (A). Push the band away, keeping your elbows and upper arms pinned, squeeze your triceps hard as you straighten out your arms (B) before slowly reversing the movement until your forearms are parallel once again.
7. Banded curl (or cable) x 100 (in as few sets as possible)
Stand in the centre of a resistance band and hold both ends at waist height (A). Keeping your upper arms still slowly curl your hands up towards your chest, squeezing your biceps hard at the top of each rep (B) before slowly lowering your arms back to a dead hang and repeating.
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