>> Were your arms slow to grow? "Yeah, especially triceps."
>> What mistakes did you make when you first started training arms? "I overtrained and went too heavy. I tried to copy the routines I'd see the pros follow, using very heavy weights, thinking that's what I had to do, too. I injured myself, I had sore tendons and elbows, and my arms never grew. I just didn't know what I was doing."
>> What were the biggest factors in bringing up your arms? "I started alternating two types of workouts – one heavy weight for low reps and the other light weight for high reps. That worked to a degree, but I really felt the pump only when I did lighter weight and concentrated more, so I decided to back off – the bi's and tri's are fairly small muscles, after all – and started training by feel. No more pounding the hell out of my arms. I went for stricter form and more focus.
"I also do a different workout every single time. If I use barbells one workout, I'll use dumbbells the next. Even though I make those variations, what doesn't change is my form. It's always 100%, and I think that has helped me achieve an incredible pump. I used to stay in the gym for hours on end trying to pump up my arms. But if you do it properly – keeping rest periods very short, which helps keep the blood pumped in your arms – you can be done in 20-25 minutes max.
"I have a dedicated arm day as well. I used to train arms after larger muscle groups, but that didn't work for me. Now I do triceps first because I find they're more difficult to exhaust than my biceps, and because my forearms get so pumped when training bi's that it's difficult for me to achieve full arm extension and flexion on the moves that follow. Today I do no more than 6-7 sets for bi's, nine sets for tri's."
>> What worked well in bringing up your triceps? "I alternate some high-rep training – about 16-18-rep sets with a medium weight – with some heavier stuff for lower reps. I keep my rest periods fairly short, probably 45-60 seconds. As far as exercises go, I like doing pressdowns with my back to the cable apparatus, which makes it more difficult to cheat, as well as lying triceps extensions, which I do after my high-rep training. I lower the weights to the sides of my head; by then it's hard to do even 25s for eight reps."
>> What worked in bringing up your biceps? "I do concentration curls with drop sets. I start with 50 pounds for 4-5 perfect reps, then immediately drop the weight and go to 40 for 4-5 more perfect reps, then 30. Also, during standing barbell curls, I drop my shoulders and lean forward slightly so I can't cheat."
