Question - I have completed the new rules of lifting for women and have moved on to new rules of lifting. I got some good results for the past 6 or so months of lifting. I was totally new to lifting prior to this. However, I am feeling that my arms have not shaped up as nicely as I would like. I am fairly lean and started as "skinny fat".
I know Alwyn says it is a no-no to add additional exercises in, but should I to get better arm results? It is almost summer and I want to be rocking the sleeveless look a little better. Or - is it something that is going to take a lot longer than the 6 months I have spent doing the training?
My arms look much more toned without ever doing those types of movements - your biceps and triceps get worked doing compound movements in workouts - biceps mostly in the rowing type exercises, triceps mostly in the chest exercises... I don't see why you couldn't do a little more, but I hate those little isolation exercises... have you seen improvements in your body composition in general?
I totally agree! I get so much more out of the compound lifts than the isolation movements! I've had great progress in my arms...very noticeable. All of the chest presses, O/H presses, chinups/pull-ups, rowing, etc. With all of that, I've never felt the need to do any iso movements at all.
Yes - I have noticed improvement in my shape overall and have enjoyed the program immensely. I just feel that after 6 months of lifting I'd like to have nicer arms - you know - like almost fitness-model-esque. I am not sure how long that just takes a couple years or something or if I am just not getting enough muscle or have too much fat (or extra skin) covering it.
At his gym, Alwyn allows his clients to add in 10 minutes of whatever they like at the end of the workout. I can be curls or whatever. I would suggest no kickbacks, since they are not a very valuable tricep exercises. You use so little weight AND it's only fully loaded in a tiny range of motion.
Keep in mind that these exercises could make your arms bigger, which you might need or want. Toning is a catch phrase for "less fat/firmer muscles." Getting to see the muscle you do have takes losing more fat, likely. Working your arms more won't make you lose fat faster, but it could make them grow if that's what you want.
Instead of kickbacks, try Lying DB Triceps Extensions or Lying BB Triceps Extensions (these are often called Skullcrushers).
Thanks for everyone's input. I don't necessarily want my arms bigger.... nor smaller, just more defined. My muscles are showing a little more than before. I don't have alot of fat to lose anywhere else, but my arms. I'd love - love - love to see arms like dancediva on this site! But - I am opposite shape of hers - more top heavy than bottom.
I have not much fat on my hips and they actually look cut! My abs are good. Just my arms!
So I am going to look up the exercises you suggested, LostDog and see what happens from there. If my muscles get bigger and the fat goes away that would be great. I have a real hard time sticking to a deficit though on this program - I wanna eat the whole house, even though I am doing the Fat Loss II workout!
I'd say your best option is gonna be to remove that fat covering the muscle, sounds like the problem here, and no amount of iso exercises is gonna fix that for you.
You could go for something less intensity so you can hit a good deficit and just lift heavier/lower reps. FL esp is gonna be hard on people that have issues with intensity at a deficit. If your butt ain't moving as much throughout the day, you're potentially sabotaging your progress in the fatloss dept and spinning your wheels. So, depending on what your energy levels, activity, and food intake look like, it may be time to back off, diet harder, and get the arms you want without starvin like marvin.
Yeah - I agree - lose fat. I am 5'2" & about 110 - 112, depending on the day. I'd gladly take ALL the fat off my arms and add it to my hips! I know that can't be done though. I guess I will go with it all. I just finished FLII workout A and at the end added in 3 sets of 10 curls and 10 skull crushers with a curlbar (not sure if I did these correctly). They felt great! I could really feel the burn on the muscles I wanted to work, which I don't necessarily feel with the compound movements. I guess it can't hurt to do those at the end of a workout! I will add them to both A & B workouts.
As for the FL - I only have the 8 rep workouts left and 1 of the B 10 rep workouts. Would you recommend the hypertrophy or the strength next for me, given my goals?
if you're not already, try pushups and pullups (assisted if needed) but those are badass, in my view for arms and shoulders.
I think strength will be easier at a deficit. I think.
What about after fatloss take a bit at maintenance? Or just below. Body recomp may even you out a bit. Then either str or hyp could work, you might build up the lower half and reveal a bit on the upper.
Is a thought.
OPT or OPT remix is also worth a try (remix for recomp).
When I lost a bunch, my problem was annoying distribution, and one way I helped that was recomp. For me it was gain a bit (5ish pounds) and then lose a bit (7ish pounds) and the back and forth let me add muscle (and some fat to the very lean areas) and then then take off fat all over looking more evenly distributed.
Just thinking that with your weight, recomp may be much easier and less frustrating than straight fatloss.
Thats just how it worked out, I didn't actually plan it. Basically I was eating around maintenance and my weight would pop up after a bit, then I'd eat a bit less and it'd go down. Not as well thought out as it might seem after the fact.
My biceps are pretty sore today, more than usual. I am going to keep doing the curls with every workout, but I think I will rotate reg curls and hammer curls. My triceps are not that sore, but I don't think I used enough weight for the skull crushers. I will need to up that next time. I was kinda not sure how to perform those correctly. I started with just the bar, I think it is 12 pounds - then added 2.5 pound plates, then 5 pound plates. They still seemed too easy, but I didn't want to "crush my skull"!
You should be lying on the bench/floor/whatever. then take arms and put them straight up perpendicular to you. Then it's just bend elbows so your hands (and whatever is in them) comes down to your forehead area or similar, and then back up. Not complicated, but it usually works better to start easy for that exact reason. That's not somethign you want to drop.
Cool - that is how I did them - I think! I used an ez curl bar like it was described on some of the sites I looked at. I am going to keep adding weight until 10 reps is hard!
Oops - I think I have been doing the curls wrong! I have been starting with the dumbells at my thighs, palms facing upward and then bending my elbows and pulling the dumbbells to my shoulders.
I saw online that I should start with my arms at my sides, palms facing my body and then bend the elbow and turn the palm facing upward. Is this correct???
Oops - I think I have been doing the curls wrong! I have been starting with the dumbells at my thighs, palms facing upward and then bending my elbows and pulling the dumbbells to my shoulders.
I saw online that I should start with my arms at my sides, palms facing my body and then bend the elbow and turn the palm facing upward. Is this correct???
you can do them either way, it is just variations on the same move.
Just checking in. I am doing the curls and skulls at the end of every workout. I have to say my arm muscles are much more sore than they have been prior. I know soreness is not a good indicator of results, but I must be working them more than I was without the iso movements. I wish I had added these earlier!
I saw online that I should start with my arms at my sides, palms facing my body and then bend the elbow and turn the palm facing upward. Is this correct???
If you want to isolate the biceps, keep doing it the way you've been doing it. When you start with your palms facing your body, you're recruiting the brachioradialis. There's nothing wrong with that--it just depends on what muscle(s) you're trying to work.
Biceps Curls & Triceps Kickbacks
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