>> Were your arms slow to grow? "They were actually so-so in terms of shape, but they were just 15 inches when I started."
>> What mistakes did you make when you first started training arms? "I wasn't hitting either the biceps or the triceps from a variety of angles; instead, I chose exercises that were too similar in the way they worked the muscles, so I had unequal development."
>> What were the biggest factors in bringing up your arms? "Separating them from other bodyparts, and training bi's and tri's together in a single workout made a big difference because I could achieve greater intensity. When you do arms after a larger bodypart like chest or back, you just can't get the same degree of intensity or pump as when you train arms on their own day. I also put more focus on the negative: On the last set of three sets, I reduce the weight and focus on the negative, using a more explosive move on the positive rep when fatigue starts to set in.
"It may sound overly simple, but I also worked on the mind-muscle connection, typically using a deliberate movement and feeling the tension in the muscle instead of just trying to pound the most weight possible. Finally, I rotated the volume of work I did from week to week depending on my energy levels, generally doing three sets of 3-4 exercises. Heavy meant using a weight with which I'd do no more than 8-10 reps, but I often went a little lighter for 10-12. Going very heavy didn't seem to add to my size or the pump."
>> What worked in bringing up your triceps? "If I had to pick a single exercise, it would be doing lying triceps extensions to failure and going right into close-grip benches. I started with 160 pounds for 12-15 reps of the former, but by the third set I could do only about 6-8 reps. I also like rope pressdowns, turning my wrists out at the bottom and squeezing the peak contraction, and one-arm overhead dumbbell extensions for building up that horseshoe."
>> What worked in bringing up your biceps? "I try to build a three-dimensional look to my arms, so working some of the smaller arm flexors with hammer and reverse curls has helped."
