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Where did my arms go?


robert
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So, I've been reviewing photos from my last contest, and even from from previous contests and it seems that my arms are smaller than they were a few years ago.

 

For example, here is a photo from 2003:

 

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/images/new2003/new8.jpg

 

Here is a photo from just a few weeks ago:

 

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c210/VeganBodybuilder/r12.jpg

 

 

It appears they are not what they once were. In the past I would have had too much pride to ask for advice, but those days are long behind me. I'm just a bodybuilder trying to get better.

 

It could just be the way I'm posing in particular photos, or perhaps I need to go back to the drawing board and see what I was doing then that I am not doing now and fix it.

 

Any general ideas, suggestions, or comments?

 

Thanks,

 

Thin Thin Flat Him[/img]

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Of course, one point to note is that in the first photo I am 186 pounds and in the bottom photo I am 174 pounds...but could 12 pounds make that much difference? maybe...

 

I've peaked at 193 pounds, and the photo I am most proud of:

 

http://www.veganbodybuilding.com/images/2003/2003-1.jpg

 

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you need to bulk your triceps up tremendously. dont focus on the bicep, instead maintain them at the same size, and work on getting your proportions better by increasing size of tricep.

 

eat eat eat bulk up

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I agree! a MUCH larger percentage of arm size is the triceps!

 

Do lots of DIPS!!! my arms are huge because of the constant stimulation from dips. And oddly enough, I have large biceps despite not doing any direct bicep work... must be all the chinups I'm doing too!!

 

 

Do dips, more dips, and even MORE dips, and when you're sick and tired of doing dips, do some more!

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I have large biceps despite not doing any direct bicep work... must be all the chinups I'm doing too!!!

 

Chins are definitely good for biceps. I can do one unassisted one so far, but even the effort of trying partial reps and negative reps has increased my bicep strength , and size maybe a bit, but I'm an ecto (on top) and don't get 'big'.

 

I'm wondering if it might also be posing technique. I know when I flex my wee small biceps, I can get them to 'pop' more if I do a turn to the hand (If you're doing the forward bicep pose, like in the photos, supinate ---I think!--the hand by turning your palms to the back).

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I agree! a MUCH larger percentage of arm size is the triceps!

 

Do lots of DIPS!!! my arms are huge because of the constant stimulation from dips. And oddly enough, I have large biceps despite not doing any direct bicep work... must be all the chinups I'm doing too!!

Really? I worked up to 350 chins in an hour and my arms shrunk from the lack of direct work. I'm hitting them again with curls and hopefully I'll get them back up to 17 inches pretty soon.

 

Do dips, more dips, and even MORE dips, and when you're sick and tired of doing dips, do some more!

Dips are decent. Tricep pullovers provide the most mass of any tricep exercise. They also help the lats a lot.

 

But Robert, the problem is, is that you haven't said anything about what workout you were doing then as opposed to now. So, how can anyone help? It's mostly meaningless to just say, "do this (or that) exercise". Surely you know enough to already be able to figure out what all the exercises cause to happen for you. I would really like to know what kind of workout you do and what kinds you've done in the past.

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Tricep pullovers provide the most mass of any tricep exercise. They also help the lats a lot.

I've always considered pullovers either a back or a chest exercise (depending on where you put you mind in the muscle), and that's how I've seen them classified in books. Though I do an endurance workout every once in a while that has numerous pullovers, and my triceps are fried afterwards.

 

How do you make it into a more tricep-specific exercise? Just put the mind in the muscle?

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Tricep pullovers provide the most mass of any tricep exercise. They also help the lats a lot.

I've always considered pullovers either a back or a chest exercise (depending on where you put you mind in the muscle), and that's how I've seen them classified in books. Though I do an endurance workout every once in a while that has numerous pullovers, and my triceps are fried afterwards.

 

How do you make it into a more tricep-specific exercise? Just put the mind in the muscle?

It's a tri pullover as opposed to just regular pullover so you don't try to keep your arms relatively straight thoughout. You instead let your arms bend as much as they like at the bottom so the barbell is beneath your head, then explode upward using triceps/lats/etc. It can actually be dangerous because at the bottom the weight is light on the triceps but when the weight is right over your head, it's much heavier so you have to be careful you don't fail with it right over your head.

 

Rob, in the first pic was that when you were still doing deep massages 30+ hours a week? Along with forearms that might have affected your triceps.

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It's a tri pullover as opposed to just regular pullover so you don't try to keep your arms relatively straight thoughout. You instead let your arms bend as much as they like at the bottom so the barbell is beneath your head, then explode upward using triceps/lats/etc.

 

Okay, so how is it different from a lying triceps extension (also called "skull crushers" or "eyeballs" depending on where you

'aim' the barbell at the bottom)? That's what this sounds like to me (and that is a very good, tricep-focused exercise: one of my favorites).

 

I'm just trying to picture them, and classify them relative to exercises I already know and have seen.

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It's a tri pullover as opposed to just regular pullover so you don't try to keep your arms relatively straight thoughout. You instead let your arms bend as much as they like at the bottom so the barbell is beneath your head, then explode upward using triceps/lats/etc.

 

Okay, so how is it different from a lying triceps extension (also called "skull crushers" or "eyeballs" depending on where you

'aim' the barbell at the bottom)? That's what this sounds like to me (and that is a very good, tricep-focused exercise: one of my favorites).

 

I'm just trying to picture them, and classify them relative to exercises I already know and have seen.

Basically this although you can let your elbows go back further.

http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/BBLyingTriExt.html

Actually I like to bring my elbows back like in this one but finish as in the first link. http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/BBBentArmPullover.html

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I think it comes down to nutrition. I just wasn't eating enough because I was busy and working a lot, not sleeping much, etc.

 

I talked with a guy at the gym yesterday and he keeps getting bigger and bigger. I asked him what he's doing and he said taking 6 protein drinks a day, and eating a ton of food. I used to do something similar, more like 2-3 protein drinks a day and eat a ton and I was nearly 200 lbs.

 

So that is what I'll go back to doing It should be fun.

 

Watch me GroW!

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Basically this although you can let your elbows go back further.

http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Triceps/BBLyingTriExt.html

Actually I like to bring my elbows back like in this one but finish as in the first link. http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/LatissimusDorsi/BBBentArmPullover.html

Okay, so it IS a lying triceps extension, basically, but with more momentum to be able to get heavier weights to the top, and use the negative to your benefit.

 

NOW I get it!

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I think it comes down to nutrition. I just wasn't eating enough because I was busy and working a lot, not sleeping much, etc.

 

That lack of sleep, especially, would be detrimental to growth, IMO.

 

Keeping in mind that I have 'wee small" biceps, , I do find that when I do a strength/growth rotation, I end up taking more naps (naps rock!).

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I think it comes down to nutrition. I just wasn't eating enough because I was busy and working a lot, not sleeping much, etc.

 

I talked with a guy at the gym yesterday and he keeps getting bigger and bigger. I asked him what he's doing and he said taking 6 protein drinks a day, and eating a ton of food. I used to do something similar, more like 2-3 protein drinks a day and eat a ton and I was nearly 200 lbs.

 

So that is what I'll go back to doing It should be fun.

 

Watch me GroW!

 

I think that you hit the nail on the head there mate. Eating I believe is probably more important than the type of training that you are doing. Well that and rest.

I do take a lot of protein shakes these days - usually 2-4 a day, each with typically 700cal.

 

I think that you would benefit from reducing the amount you train to three times a week too. That is all I have been doing actually, and I now pretty much fried, and am taking a rest week. I'm 21, so my recovery is probably better than yours too.

 

Also you have to stop competing, at least for a while. You cannot bulk if you are dieting. You are not in a position to win contests at the moment due to lack of mass, so why bother? I'm not trying to be harsh, as you do have truly excellent condition, but you need to bulk at least another 15-20lbs, if not 30.

 

I can only use myself as a comparison, but this is me in 2003:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v231/bob280784/meprevegan.jpg

 

And 32months later and 86lbs later:

 

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v389/vegancrystal/Edinburgh%20Strongman/JonathanFarmers.jpg

 

Eat, sleep, eat, sleep, train compounds and repeat

 

Jonathan

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Yeah, I know....I'm focusing on eating now.

 

You have a great body transformaiton story Jonathan, and I share that with others on a regular basis. Before and after photos are great, and are inspiring many.

 

Eat and Rest, funny how they both sound so easy and seem like so much fun, and that is what it takes to improve

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I worked up to 350 chins in an hour and my arms shrunk

 

I thought you would know that more is not always best, overtraining a muscle group and all that stuff.........

My back/lats are bigger and stronger than they've ever been before. Lifting is just like running in that if you slowly work up to it, you can handle more volume and benefit from more volume.

 

Jonathan you're looking kind of fat in that pic.

 

Rob, I'm trying to help you out man. You're not listening. Too bad. You're still stuck on the short term effect of protein stuffing. That's why you haven't gotten anywhere in years. Now you can go stuff yourself full of protein and make some nice gains for about a month and be convinced that that was the answer. Two years later you'll look just like you do now. Or perhaps you'll really stuff yourself and permanently gain some fat.

I'm really only trying to help here but I'm just wasting my time.

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I worked up to 350 chins in an hour and my arms shrunk

 

I thought you would know that more is not always best, overtraining a muscle group and all that stuff.........

My back/lats are bigger and stronger than they've ever been before. Lifting is just like running in that if you slowly work up to it, you can handle more volume and benefit from more volume.

 

That's all well and good, but the point you were making is that all those chins did your arm size no good......

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Jonathan you're looking kind of fat in that pic.

 

I have certainly gained some fat but it's actually more to do with the fact that I am pressing my abs against the belt cause is fooking hard work!

 

I think my bf percentage is about 12 now.

 

Jonathan

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I do also disagree that high volume equals progress, as in most cases it doesn't. You cannot equate lifting to running or other CV exercises as the demands on the body are very different. In order to get big/strong you have to eat and rest and train occasionally. When I went up to Markinch in Fife a few months back, Big Al (one of Scotlands strongest men, and a mass monster too) recommended 2-3 training sessions a week and that's it. High volume just isn't ideal for growing significant amounts of muscle. You grow when you rest, not whilst training.

 

Jonathan

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