Straight sets training is a perfectly legitmate way of building bigger, better looking arms. But there comes a time in every lifter’s life – and perhaps that time for you is now – when you want to take things up a notch. You want arms like a big boy, so it makes sense that you should, from time to time, train like one.Independent of one another, a sprinkling of these training methods can help any iron-slinger add some inches to the pipes. But when you put them together, as we’ve done here, you are assured of at least two things: 1) a great deal of pain and 2) unbridled growth starting…now.
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Origin-Insertion
Buckle up…we’re about to get all science-y on you. You already know that supersets are a great way to increase the intensity of a workout. You may also know that doing supersets with opposing muscle groups can have added benefits. But if you really want to superset like a boss, then origin-insertion training could be your next evolution in gym tactics.I first learned of origin and insertion supersets from the writings of legendary strength coach, Charles Poliquin. It’s actually simple in its conception, if elegant in its application. Every muscle has an origin and insertion point. The origin is a fixed point, usually a bone, which anchors the muscle. The insertion point attaches to the movable bone.Supersetting an exercise that emphasizes the origin with one that emphasizes the insertion allows you to hit the full length of the muscle belly because it is worked at different angles using different functions. Not for the feeble-hearted, this extremely taxing method can pave the way to hypertrophy heaven.
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Mechanical Advantage Drop Sets
Next onto drop sets, but once again we defy convention: we won’t be lowering the weight. Typically, drop sets call for you to rep to failure, then lower the weight by 20-30 percent and continue repping to failure. For this advanced technique on the close-grip bench press, you’ll need four, two-inch thick pieces of wood or compressed Styrofoam.Load a barbell with about 60 percent of your bench press one-rep max (1RM). Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width or less apart, and start the exercise with the weight fully extended above your chest and your elbows in a locked position. Slowly lower the bar until it touches the top of your chest, then quickly press the weight back up. Repeat for five clean repetitions but don’t rack the weight – keep holding it pressed above you at full extension.Ask your spotter to place one board lengthwise on your torso (so that the board runs from your belly to the middle of your chest). Repeat the exercise for another five reps, lowering the barbell until it touches the board. After each five reps, your partner will add one board to the stack. Little by little, this shortens your range of motion — working more muscle fibers through a progressively easier range of motion – until you finish with four boards stacked lengthwise on your chest.
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One-arm Eccentric Barbell Curls
To maximize muscle growth, you have to include eccentric overloads. This is too often neglected with arm work.To make things interesting, we’re going to try single-arm curls – with a barbell. To get it right, sit at a preacher curl bench and, with a supinated (palms up) grip, grasp the center knurling of an Olympic barbell with your left hand, the back of your upper arm resting on the preacher bench in front of you with your arm supinated (palm up). The barbell should be in the peak-contracted position of a biceps curl with your palm just in front of your shoulder. From there, lower the barbell for a count of eight seconds and pause for a second at the bottom. Have a spotter assist you to the top or you can use your right hand to assist you in curling the weight up. Repeat for reps, and then switch sides. This move also places high demand on your rotators to keep the weight in the proper plane of motion so make sure that you have a reliable spotter or that you are vigilant about your self-spot technique.
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Triceps Floor Paused Extension
The deadlift is an effective test of strength because it calls for you to defeat gravity from a dead stop – no bouncing, no elasticity, just dead weight. Similarly, the triceps floor paused extension forces your muscles to do all of the work because the stretch-shortening cycle is broken up by pausing at the bottom.Lie on the floor grasping dumbbells at full extension with a neutral grip. Keeping your elbows fixed, lower the dumbbells down along the sides of your head until the dumbbells reach the floor. Allow the dumbbells to rest on the floor for one second before forcefully extending the dumbbells back to the start position and repeat for reps.
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The Workout
Exercise Sets/Reps NotesDip – 3/6,8,15 – Insertion/Origin1-superset with-Overhead Rope Extension Chin-Up – 3/8 – Insertion/Origin2-superset with-Incline Dumbbell Curl – 3/15Close-Grip Bench Press – 3/5 (each drop) – Mechanical advantage drop set 3Single-Arm Eccentric – 4/4 – Take 8 seconds on each negativeBarbell Curl Lying Dumbbell Extension – 3/15 – Pause on each rep.1 The dip focuses on the triceps’ insertion; the overhead extension emphasizes the triceps’ origin2 The chin-up focuses on the biceps’ insertion; the incline curls emphasize the biceps’ origin3 Start with 60% of 1RM. Decrease by 10-15% each subsequent set.
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Final Thoughts
Shameless bro joke: People often ask my client, IFBB pro Cory Mathews, “Is there a vet around?” Because his pythons are sick. This workout helped Cory attain his pro status in bodybuilding and it can help you see drastic gains, too. Just be prepared to work.Josh Bryant, MFS, CSCS, PES, is the owner of JoshStrength.com and co-author (with Adam benShea) of the Amazon No. 1 seller Jailhouse Strong. He is a strength coach at Metroflex Gym in Arlington, Texas, and holds 12 world records in powerlifting. You can connect with him on Twitter and Facebook or visit his website at www.joshstrength.com.
Straight sets training is a perfectly legitmate way of building bigger, better looking arms. But there comes a time in every lifter’s life – and perhaps that time for you is now – when you want to take things up a notch. You want arms like a big boy, so it makes sense that you should, from time to time, train like one.
Independent of one another, a sprinkling of these training methods can help any iron-slinger add some inches to the pipes. But when you put them together, as we’ve done here, you are assured of at least two things: 1) a great deal of pain and 2) unbridled growth starting…now.
Origin-Insertion
Buckle up…we’re about to get all science-y on you. You already know that supersets are a great way to increase the intensity of a workout. You may also know that doing supersets with opposing muscle groups can have added benefits. But if you really want to superset like a boss, then origin-insertion training could be your next evolution in gym tactics.
I first learned of origin and insertion supersets from the writings of legendary strength coach, Charles Poliquin. It’s actually simple in its conception, if elegant in its application. Every muscle has an origin and insertion point. The origin is a fixed point, usually a bone, which anchors the muscle. The insertion point attaches to the movable bone.
Supersetting an exercise that emphasizes the origin with one that emphasizes the insertion allows you to hit the full length of the muscle belly because it is worked at different angles using different functions. Not for the feeble-hearted, this extremely taxing method can pave the way to hypertrophy heaven.
Mechanical Advantage Drop Sets
Next onto drop sets, but once again we defy convention: we won’t be lowering the weight. Typically, drop sets call for you to rep to failure, then lower the weight by 20-30 percent and continue repping to failure. For this advanced technique on the close-grip bench press, you’ll need four, two-inch thick pieces of wood or compressed Styrofoam.
Load a barbell with about 60 percent of your bench press one-rep max (1RM). Grip the barbell with an overhand grip, hands shoulder-width or less apart, and start the exercise with the weight fully extended above your chest and your elbows in a locked position. Slowly lower the bar until it touches the top of your chest, then quickly press the weight back up. Repeat for five clean repetitions but don’t rack the weight – keep holding it pressed above you at full extension.
Ask your spotter to place one board lengthwise on your torso (so that the board runs from your belly to the middle of your chest). Repeat the exercise for another five reps, lowering the barbell until it touches the board. After each five reps, your partner will add one board to the stack. Little by little, this shortens your range of motion — working more muscle fibers through a progressively easier range of motion – until you finish with four boards stacked lengthwise on your chest.
One-arm Eccentric Barbell Curls
To maximize muscle growth, you have to include eccentric overloads. This is too often neglected with arm work.
To make things interesting, we’re going to try single-arm curls – with a barbell. To get it right, sit at a preacher curl bench and, with a supinated (palms up) grip, grasp the center knurling of an Olympic barbell with your left hand, the back of your upper arm resting on the preacher bench in front of you with your arm supinated (palm up). The barbell should be in the peak-contracted position of a biceps curl with your palm just in front of your shoulder. From there, lower the barbell for a count of eight seconds and pause for a second at the bottom. Have a spotter assist you to the top or you can use your right hand to assist you in curling the weight up. Repeat for reps, and then switch sides.
This move also places high demand on your rotators to keep the weight in the proper plane of motion so make sure that you have a reliable spotter or that you are vigilant about your self-spot technique.
Triceps Floor Paused Extension
The deadlift is an effective test of strength because it calls for you to defeat gravity from a dead stop – no bouncing, no elasticity, just dead weight. Similarly, the triceps floor paused extension forces your muscles to do all of the work because the stretch-shortening cycle is broken up by pausing at the bottom.
Lie on the floor grasping dumbbells at full extension with a neutral grip. Keeping your elbows fixed, lower the dumbbells down along the sides of your head until the dumbbells reach the floor. Allow the dumbbells to rest on the floor for one second before forcefully extending the dumbbells back to the start position and repeat for reps.
The Workout
Exercise Sets/Reps Notes
Dip – 3/6,8,15 – Insertion/Origin1
-superset with-
Overhead Rope Extension
Chin-Up – 3/8 – Insertion/Origin2
-superset with-
Incline Dumbbell Curl – 3/15
Close-Grip Bench Press – 3/5 (each drop) – Mechanical advantage drop set 3
Single-Arm Eccentric – 4/4 – Take 8 seconds on each negative
Barbell Curl
Lying Dumbbell Extension – 3/15 – Pause on each rep.
1 The dip focuses on the triceps’ insertion; the overhead extension emphasizes the triceps’ origin
2 The chin-up focuses on the biceps’ insertion; the incline curls emphasize the biceps’ origin
3 Start with 60% of 1RM. Decrease by 10-15% each subsequent set.
Final Thoughts
Shameless bro joke: People often ask my client, IFBB pro Cory Mathews, “Is there a vet around?” Because his pythons are sick. This workout helped Cory attain his pro status in bodybuilding and it can help you see drastic gains, too. Just be prepared to work.
Josh Bryant, MFS, CSCS, PES, is the owner of JoshStrength.com and co-author (with Adam benShea) of the Amazon No. 1 seller Jailhouse Strong. He is a strength coach at Metroflex Gym in Arlington, Texas, and holds 12 world records in powerlifting. You can connect with him on Twitter and Facebook or visit his website at www.joshstrength.com.
