Why arm muscles don't grow in the gym - 7 factors

fitnesa treneris

“The results from training show up differently for everyone. Someone builds muscle mass faster, and someone slower. Let’s understand what you need to do to increase the volume of your arms”.

Satura rādītājs

How fast do muscles grow?

To get a noticeable increase in muscle mass, you need to consider all of the above factors together. Results take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to show up.

In one study, experienced athletes gained just over a kilogram of lean muscle mass in eight weeks of training. Beginners, on the other hand, gained muscle mass faster.

What factors affect arm muscle growth?

Muscle growth is influenced by many such factors: strength training program, frequency of exercise, quality of recovery, age, diet, stress level, presence of bad habits, genetics and more. The more attentive to each of these, the better your muscles will respond to the load.

Ģenētika. Some people are genetically set to have a higher potential for muscle growth. This manifests itself both in the speed of mass gain and in how voluminous the muscle will be. This is influenced by hormone ratios, bone thickness and length, muscle fiber type, nervous system function, and more.

For example, if a person’s body is dominated by fast muscle fibers, he or she will be more predisposed to strength training and muscle gain.

Also, the size and shape of the arms are affected by where muscles attach and the length of the tendons. If you have short tendons, the muscle will be longer, and if the tendon is long, the muscle will be shorter.

Workout Program. Triceps and biceps are predominantly composed of type II muscle fibers. To increase their volume, it is better to train them with a weight of 70-85% of the single-repetition maximum for 8-12 repetitions. Do the exercise slowly, without jerking and chitting. By the way, the principle of “the more the better” does not work. It is necessary to give such a load that the muscles have time to recover by the beginning of the next workout.

In one study, scientists selected athletes and divided them into two groups. The first group performed 10 sets of 10 repetitions per workout, while the second group performed five sets of 10 repetitions. As a result, after six weeks, muscle gains in both groups were at the same level. Moreover, the researchers concluded that performing 10 sets of 10 reps compared to five sets of 10 reps may result in a lower training effect.

Exercise frequency. The arm muscles are active when we train the muscles of the back, chest and shoulders, so training the arm muscles too often will overwork them. The optimal frequency of exercise is once a week. However, experienced athletes can increase the number based on their goals and body condition.

Diet. A proper diet with adequate protein, carbohydrates and fats plays a key role in muscle growth. Protein is especially important for building and repairing muscle after workouts.

Consume 1.6 to 2.2 grams of protein per kilogram of your body weight each day, and 0.8 to 1.5 grams of fats. You can use sports nutrition as a supplement to your diet.

Rest and recovery. Arm muscles need time to recover from workouts to start the growth process. Lack of sleep and overexertion can slow this process. The optimal time for recovery is 48 to 72 hours. Also, poor quality sleep negatively affects muscle growth and impairs the recovery process.

Stress level. Anxiety, depressive state affect the nervous system and hormonal background. Cortisol levels increase and testosterone decreases, which negatively affects muscle growth. Also, emotional instability reduces concentration and prevents the athlete from showing his physical qualities to the maximum.

Training Experience. The rate of muscle growth will vary with training experience. Beginners will see progress from training faster, unlike experienced athletes.

How fast do muscles grow?

To get a noticeable increase in muscle mass, you need to consider all of the above factors together. Results take anywhere from a few weeks to a few months to show up. In one study, experienced athletes gained just over a kilogram of lean muscle mass in eight weeks of training. Beginners, on the other hand, gained muscle mass faster.

Biceps exercises

Use different exercises to pump your biceps, choosing the ones where you feel it best.

Reverse grip pull-ups

Tehnika:

grasp the bar with a reverse grip at a distance less than shoulder width;
keep your shoulder blades down and together and your chest slightly forward. Avoid excessive lower back flexion;
as you exhale, bend your arms at the elbows, lifting your torso up. Do pull-ups by flexing your arms, tensing your biceps to minimize back muscle involvement;
aim to pull up to eye or chin level;
as you inhale, gently lower yourself by extending your arms at the elbows.

Perform two or three approaches of 8-12 repetitions. Rest between approaches – one to two minutes.

Biceps barbell lift

Tehnika:

Grasp the barbell at a shoulder-width distance. Neck, back and hips are in line. Feet together;
lower your shoulder blades down and bring them together. Keep them in this position throughout the exercise. The shoulders do not need to be raised;
keep your elbows tightly pressed against your torso and stay in the same position throughout the exercise;
exhale and lift the bar to the body, bending the arms at the elbows to a 90° angle. Pause briefly;
on the inhalation, smoothly lower the bar to the starting position, extending the arms at the elbows.

Perform two or three approaches for 8-12 repetitions. Rest between approaches – one to two minutes.

Concentrated lifting with dumbbells

Tehnika:

Sit on a bench and take a dumbbell with your right hand. Rest your elbow firmly on the thigh of your right leg. The left hand rests on the left leg;
keep your back straight and your shoulders in a fixed position throughout the exercise. There is no need to rock the body, only the arm;
on exhalation, bend the right arm, raising the dumbbell to the maximum without taking the elbow from the hip;
as you inhale, slowly extend your arm back to the starting position;
it is important to avoid jerking and do the exercise at a slow pace.

Perform two or three approaches of 8-12 repetitions. Rest between approaches – one to two minutes.

Exercises for triceps

Push-ups on the bars for triceps

Tehnika:

Grasp the bars with your hands. Body body is flat, neck, back and hips are on the same line. Feet together;
shoulder blades down and brought together. They remain in this position throughout the exercise, shoulders do not need to be raised;
as you inhale, smoothly lower the torso to the lowest point, bending the arms at the elbows to an angle of 90 degrees;
start the movement by bending the elbows, pressing them against the torso;
as you exhale, unbend your arms at the elbows, lifting your body to the top point. Try to avoid jerking and swinging legs and body.

Perform two or three approaches of 8-12 repetitions. Rest between approaches – one to two minutes.

Diamond push-ups

Tehnika:

Stand in a supine position with a flat body frame. Neck, back and hips are in line, legs together;
place the palms of your hands narrowly under the pectoral muscles. Thumbs and index fingers touch each other. For a lighter version, you can place the palms of your hands 10 to 30 cm apart;
lower your shoulder blades down and bring them together. The elbows are slightly pressed against the body. Stay in this position throughout the exercise;
as you inhale, lower yourself to a 90-degree angle at the elbows;
on exhalation, straighten your arms and rise to the top point. Try to eliminate jerks and swaying of the legs and body.

Perform two or three approaches of 8-12 repetitions. Rest between approaches – one to two minutes.

French bench press with a barbell

Tehnika:

Lie on a bench with your feet shoulder-width apart. Lower your shoulders down and bring your shoulder blades together. Ask your partner to hold the barbell;
grasp the bar with both hands so that your arms are straight up over your chest;
allow a natural flexion in the lower back. We recommend avoiding a strong flexion to avoid back discomfort or pain;
as you inhale, gently bend your arms at the elbows to a 90° angle, lowering the bar behind your head;
exhale and straighten your arms to the starting position. Elbows are parallel to each other.

Perform two or three approaches for 8-12 repetitions. Rest one to two minutes between sets.