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why arent my arms getting bigger?

Pjr710 Posts: 34 Joined: 2004/01/18	2004/02/10, 04:51 PM i have been lifting for hm.. well i used to do curls for about 6 months but then i started to lift regularly .. im doin that for about 4 months.. ive gone up like 10 lbs w/ my weight when doin biceps .. but my arms are staying the same.. they dont seem to get bigger .. i measure them and nothing.. anyone no why? btw if it has anything to do w/ age .. i am 15
Carivan Posts: 8,542 Joined: 2002/01/20	2004/02/10, 04:53 PM How's your diet, and what is your training routine? -------------- "A will finds a way" Ivan Montreal Canada
7707mutt Posts: 7,686 Joined: 2002/06/18	2004/02/10, 04:54 PM post exactly what you are doing for arms....biceps and triceps and what you diet is..... -------------- LIFT HEAVY! BECOME STRONG, LIKE BULL!
Pjr710 Posts: 34 Joined: 2004/01/18	2004/02/10, 05:39 PM ok .. um i use the bowflex.. for my biceps i do 3 sets of 12 .. the same for triceps .. i switch on and off with the lat pulldown for my triceps .. and just extending my forearms forward.. as for my diet.. well im not really sure .. after i lift i have a protein shake.. and then i just eat whatever pretty much .. i dont eat junk food..
agamble Posts: 1,029 Joined: 2003/09/22	2004/02/10, 06:19 PM Search the boards for information on diet and arm workouts. You will never achieve your goals using the systematic hit and miss approach. You need a solid plan to follow. Mutt has posted several good arm workouts (he's got like 32inch biceps or something like that)so look for his posts. Good Luck
pimple Posts: 490 Joined: 2003/07/08	2004/02/10, 07:51 PM yeah, you shouldn't do just one exercise for your bicepts (specially if it's always the same one) and expect it to grow much... you need to keep on changing it, going heavy (keeping your posture) and hitting the muscles from every possible angle...
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2004/02/10, 08:17 PM You need to work your entire body to make your arms grow. It is about 10-15 lbs. of bodyweight distributed fairly evenly before you see an inch on your arms. You cannot just work arms and expect them to grow. And, of course the second mistake is your statement, "as for my diet....well I am not really sure". Not being sure will get you just that, not being sure gains. You have to have a caloric surplus to gain. In good macro amounts. In the beginning, anything works. But once past that stage, you need a concrete plan to gain and succeed. -------------- If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
agamble Posts: 1,029 Joined: 2003/09/22	2004/02/10, 09:08 PM I had no idea about the growth thing bb1 (the first 2 sentences of your last post). Would you care to get into that a little more? Are you saying it is almost the opposite of losing bodyfat or similar? Very interesting to say the least.
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2004/02/10, 09:15 PM In general, improvements in arm measurement are related to gains in lean body mass. A good rule of thumb is that for every inch you want to gain on your arms, you need to gain roughly 15 pounds of equally distributed body mass. In other words, to make significant improvements in your arms, you have to gain mass all over your entire body. The human body is a finely-tuned machine that will only allow for a certain amount of asymmetry. Therefore, if you devote your training energies solely to building big arms, you'd eventually reach a point of total stagnation because you weren't training your legs. In other words, no wheels, no wings! Furthermore, if arms grew without some sort of concurrent development in the legs, most bodybuilders would have to walk on their hands. -------------- If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
agamble Posts: 1,029 Joined: 2003/09/22	2004/02/10, 09:21 PM Thanks bb1. I just assumed that if you wanted bigger arms you worked your arms. I had no idea but it should come as no surprise considering the body is a pretty amazing machine.
goldengloves Posts: 690 Joined: 2003/09/19	2004/02/10, 10:05 PM Im a little confused as well...I've been working out for a while and my arms have gained a whole inch. They use to be 12" now they are 13" and when I get done working them they are around 13 1/2" to 14" depending on how hard I work them. You said for every 15 pounds is one inch? Well Im around the same weight but my arms are bigger....Im guessing I lost fat and maintained the same amount in muscle then?
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2004/02/10, 10:19 PM This is for the advanced bodybuilder. New gains can happen quite rapidly for a while, especially if arms are undersized anyway. Your arms may well be bigger, but you most probably gained mass over your entire body also and displaced fat. Arm growth can only happen to a certain extent. As far as your being bigger after training, this is simply a blood pump(a good thing), but it subsides soon afterwards. While your gains are quite impressive, congrats on that, think about this. If you could just gain in your arms consistently by dimply working arms and nothing else, there would be tons of folks with 20 inch arms? Many people try to work just upper body for instance. Consider this... Your arm size should reflect your ponderal index (how much muscle mass you have for your height). This is the best approach, as it takes into account that arm size is a byproduct of overall mass gains. Genetic factors play a big part in arm potential. If you come from a family whose members all resemble comedian JJ Walker, chances are that you'll never really have arms that serve as shade for small forest animals. Generally, three genetic factors ultimately determine arm growth potential: 1) Number of muscle cells A Canadian study of elite bodybuilders revealed that those bodybuilders with the greatest amount of cells are, in fact, the ones who normally achieve the largest cross-sections of muscle. 2) Length of muscle belly The lower a muscle inserts (the closer to the elbow joint), the greater its potential for hypertrophy. Just look at Larry Scott's biceps compared to Franco Columbo's biceps. Larry's have a very low insertion point, which gave him great potential for arm growth. Columbo's insertion was relatively high, but his lats inserted very low—and that, of course, was his most famous bodypart. 3) Hormonal make-up This is obviously the easiest one to circumvent, and that's why steroids are so popular with the genetically challenged. Regardless of your particular genetic limitation (if you have any), don't simply resign yourself to fate and accept that you'll never have big arms. Anyone, with the proper knowledge in hand, can expect to gain a significant amount of overall muscle—and that, of course, will translate into arm mass. -------------- If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything....
goldengloves Posts: 690 Joined: 2003/09/19	2004/02/10, 10:24 PM Good post bb1...Very helpful...I realize I will make good gains for awhile then slow down im a small frame so having not so big of arms will make me look bigger anyhow...Also noone in my family has ever weight trained so I dont really know how my genetics are other than that all of my relatives are obese and they dont care about diet or anything. So im the first one to try it and stick to it and make it a part of my life. So hopefully if I do well (my progress is great I think) I can pass it on down in the not so near future.
Logger Posts: 126 Joined: 2002/05/02	2004/02/11, 06:51 AM don't just do 3 sets of 12. make sure you can't do all 12 reps in each set but still make quite and effort to get there, that's where the building muscle comes from. -------------- free your mind -Logger
stak Posts: 1 Joined: 2005/06/17	2005/06/17, 10:55 AM wow bb1fit, u seem quite knowledgeable on this topic. You should write for a muscle magazine of something. I assume you did come up with those responses yourself... -------------- The Truth...
bb1fit Posts: 11,105 Joined: 2001/06/30	2005/06/17, 11:16 AM We learn as we research and grow. Lots of years experience here researching, and "hands on". thanks.... -------------- If you don't stand for something, you will fall for anything.... bb1fit@freetrainers.com
PoolMaster1990 Posts: 164 Joined: 2005/06/09	2005/06/17, 11:36 AM Have you seen his pictures? lol he's jackeddd :laugh: ============ Quoting from stak: wow bb1fit, u seem quite knowledgeable on this topic. You should write for a muscle magazine of something. I assume you did come up with those responses yourself... ============= -------------- ~If A equals success, then the formula is: A = X + Y + Z, X is work. Y is play. Z is keep your mouth shut.