Guns of Glory: An Arm Training Workout Program

Most bodybuilders want massive arms above all else.

Arms that stretch shirtsleeves, project an aura of power and invincibility, and that are as strong as they are shredded and massive. 

It seems everyone who lifts is obsessed with developing the kind of heavy artillery that would make even biggest of lifters do a double take.

It comes as some surprise, then, that most lifters go about their arm training in completely the wrong way.

In fact, many arm training routines are downright counterproductive: with either too much or not enough volume, and a lack of variety or poor lifting technique hampering results. It’s time to change all that.

The program you are about to embark on will give you more arm growth than ever before – guaranteed. By consistently following the exercises exactly as they are set out and by obeying the specific technical parameters to follow, you will finally have the massive guns you have always wanted!

ALLMAX Nutrition bodybuilding and fitness champion, Andre Rzazewski, has discovered an arm-blasting formula that he credits for adding significant amounts of mass to his own spectacular guns.

Try it and you too will have an excuse to wear tight-fitting shirts, whatever the weather.

Weight, Rep Ranges, & Exercises

Andre believes that a slightly higher rep range provides optimal stimulation of the arm muscles. He therefore chooses a weight that allows him to reach 15 reps, but just barely.

If you hit failure before rep 15, reduce the weight by 5lb increments until you do. If failure is not reached by rep 15, increase the reps to 20 for that particular set and add more weight for the next set.

Related: Old School Gains - Build Muscle Like a Legend

Bicep Curls Supinated (Palms Up) Grip

Andre does the regular standing version of this tried and tested biceps mass builder. However to fully maximize growth in both bicep heads he exaggerates the negative, which keeps the bis firing through this most important and often neglected range.

Andre will also bring his elbows behind the body on the downward phase to further stretch the biceps, thus creating maximum mass-inducing muscle microtrauma. Directly following this movement and others in the sequence Andre hits a front double biceps pose, squeezes the biceps hard and holds the contraction for several seconds.

Posing in this fashion forces the fascial layer surrounding the biceps to expand - thus allowing more room for growth. Such posing-as-training also isometrically forces a peak contraction to further pump the biceps, which promotes additional size gains.

Bicep Curls Pronated (Palms Down or Reverse) Grip

This old-school movement (often done with a bar) has fallen out of favor over recent years, probably because it can be difficult to perform properly coupled with the intense pain the forearms receive. But it’s this degree of difficulty and pain response that signals growth in both the forearm flexor and extensor muscles.

Once again, Andre controls the weight and works hard to limit momentum on both the positive and negative phases. What he also recommends is varying the angle through which the weight travels - lifting the weight, in alternating fashion, to the front delts and then to the side (as shown in the accompanying video). This emphasizes the flexors and extensors respectively.

Hammer Concentration Curls

Hammer curls are an excellent all-round biceps/forearms blaster. This staple mass builder also stimulates growth in the difficult-to-target brachialis (a cylindrically-shaped muscle situated between the biceps and triceps). A bigger brachialis creates the 3D muscle-effect which characterizes the phenomenal arm development of great champions.

With the lower tricep area resting on the inner thigh, Andre, with palms facing in, lifts the weight to just shy of the front delt. As with all arm movements, Andre pauses for a 1-2 second peak contraction at the top of each rep. This forces more blood into the muscles and makes each subsequent rep that much harder to achieve.

Unilateral Reverse D-handle Tricep Extensions

With biceps and forearms demolished, Andre moves on to triceps for which he does almost twice the amount of work. Being a larger muscle grouping, the triceps need more stimulation than the biceps.

However, many trainees, eager for Andre-like-arms, emphasize biceps at the expense of triceps. This may result in the smaller bis being overtrained or a muscular imbalance (larger bis and smaller tris).

When people talk of hammering the triceps, they seldom mention the unilateral reverse D-handle tricep extension. But if more people did attempt this complex movement, they would be rewarded with fully-fleshed horseshoe-shaped tris.

In completing this exercise, Andre goes to a full extension on the negative and squeezes all three triceps heads. Andre goes by feel when training all muscle groups. On isolation movements such as this, he focuses on stabilizing his upper torso and forcing the target muscles to do all the work. Optimal weight selection is crucial here.

Dumbbell Kickbacks (Alternating Hammer, Pronated and Supinated Hand Position)

As with all arm movements, the dumbbell kickback demands an on-point mind/muscle connection to get the most from it. Andre also seeks to eliminate all momentum on this movement via a slow, controlled rhythm.

Andre does his kickbacks two-handed. He also alternates his hand positioning transitioning from hammer to pronated to supinated in order to hit all three heads equally and to ensure as much blood as possible is pumped into his titanic tris.

Overhead Alternating Dumbbell Extensions

The overhead dumbbell extension is another terrific triceps blaster. Andre does his two-handed, in alternating fashion. Performing this movement in such a way presents a unique challenge: while one side is forced to work the other must contract isometrically to keep the dumbbell elevated.

This keeps constant pressure on the tris and induces a killer pump. By the end of the third and final set, Andre’s triceps are ready to call it quits. But he still has two crucial movements to complete.

Building award-winning arms cannot be achieved without sufficient volume and Andre, ever pressing for more gains, is far from done.

Overhead Cambered Bar Extensions

A true triceps mass builder, the overhead bar extension allows the lifter to pack on the poundage and stimulate significant growth in all three triceps heads. Andre does his with a cambered bar to improve hand positioning. This is done to ensure that more weight can be added and to lessen wrist strain.

A cambered bar also places the hands in a slightly pronated position, which throws a little more emphasis onto the lateral triceps (the head most visible from the side). For this movement Andre slowly lowers the bar before rapidly exploding it skyward. Continuous tension is kept on the tris.

Dips with Chains

Andre finishes his arm-blasting workout with arguably the toughest, and most effective, triceps builder of all: weighted dips. Andre does his dips the way any self-respecting hardcore bodybuilder should, with chains.

Because the resistance chains provide is maintained through a complete range of motion and the feeling is smooth and controlled, chains remain an effective way to improve time under tension on the positive phase. The alternative (a weight dangling between the legs) requires additional stabilization which may detract from triceps isolation.

Related: How to Develop a Dramatic V Taper - Tips, Tricks, and Results

Chains also increase the amount of intensity that can be inflicted on the tris. A key component of muscle hypertrophy is fast-twitch fiber activation. Without sufficient intensity, such activation cannot be fully maximized. The dip/chain combo also prevents any momentum from being used and overloads the triceps to a greater degree than can be achieved with barbells and dumbbells.

Posing

Andre poses his arm muscles both during and after his workout. Andre recommends completing each of the above movements without any weight and really feeling the muscles contract at every point within the range.

Be sure to hold the positive contraction and flex hard! Then replicate the exact same form with resistance. Post workout posing further pumps the muscles while allowing the lifter to assess his or her physique for weaknesses.

Improved muscle control can also be achieved through regular posing which in turn can improve training efficiency and, ultimately, muscle building progress.

The Workout