group . I ’ d recommend this training plan for around 4-6 weeks and no longer as your body will be unable to recover . We will use this period as an overkill cycle . Return back to training arms normally for 4 weeks then return back to the above cycle for another 4-6 weeks .
One huge factor that people also forget when trying to bring up lagging body parts is adapting their nutrient intake . I always recommend increasing macronutrients . Whether it be carbs , proteins or fats or all 3 , it ’ s a MUST for optimal growth .
Some of my athletes will use cheat meals and some will use a high quality carbohydrate powder . This will all depend on the individual .
MONDAY Bis and Tris
TUESDAY Delts
WEDNESDAY Tris and Back
THURSDAY Legs
FRIDAY Bis and Chest
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY
Rest days
Q Hi Nathan I ’ m very new to training and have heard people say I should stick to basic movements and should stay away from machines until I can perform basic lifts . I ’ m female and really want to work on the back of my arms as I hate them , can you please tell me what to do .
Jenny , Scotland .
A When I first got into the industry I heard the same sort of stuff . A lot of my approach is very common sense based . If you ’ re told to do a deadlift but don ’ t see any progression in your tricep area are you likely to continue to train ? No is the answer . What I recommend to all newbies is train all body parts equally , using machines and free weights . This way your body will learn certain movement patterns that are assisted and unassisted until you can master all movements . Please don ’ t forget it ’ s very important to have a good diet and cardio regime as this will help you to lose the fat around the body part creating a tighter and harder looking physique .
Q What should my rep and set range be for working arms .
Matt , Colchester
A Like all muscle groups , I recommend hitting a variety of different rep ranges to stimulate growth in all fibre types . Our muscle is made up of slow and fast twitch fibres , which react differently depending on how they are stimulated .
I ’ d never recommend going any lower than 8 reps , as I feel with arms this could be asking for injury . Shaun Jospeh-Tavenier will go as high as 30 reps on biceps and triceps . Some may be surprised but each individual is very different and what works for one person may not work for the next .
I ’ m a high volume guy so I love this style of training . Volume can also be increased with the amount of sets performed . For example , you could train a weak body part for 4-5 exercises , 5-8 sets , with 8-30 reps . If you have a weak arms include drop sets , super sets and partials into your program , as this will shock the body and increase muscle break down and optimum nutrient uptake . If your arms are good just do the basics of 3 exercises with 3-4 sets and 8-12 reps .
Q How important is forearm training for competing ? I see some athletes with huge biceps and triceps and little development in the forearm area .
Rich , London
A This is a great question . Like the inner thigh it ’ s probably the most neglected body part by bodybuilders . Some athletes just have great genetics and don ’ t need to train them as they are stimulated enough from training the rest of the arm and grow indirectly as a result , and some people are just damn lazy and never directly train them when they really should .
The brachialis and brachioradialis muscles really set off the rear double , side chest and most muscular poses by closing the gap between the forearm and the bicep . This creates a thicker looking arm with no gaps . It ’ s important to use hammer curls , reverse-grip curls ( with a thumbless grip ), reverse grip wrist curls and wrist curls . What ’ s most important is also finding the angles that suit your body best . If you feel the muscle working better in a certain position , be sure to use it ! Just because a machine is made in a certain way does not mean it ’ s right for you !
98 FLEX | FEBRUARY 2018