Arms and Exercise...Question

Hey guys.... I got a question for you meat heads of the Gym... I have been exercing, and my arms are getting wider but not plump... Ok, they are wide but not deep, like an old box of kleenex, but not round  like a roll of toilet paper is this how they are supposed to be? I don;t get to go inspect guys at the guy, (I might get punched), and it's really hard to tell at these angles... Also, do they ever stay pumped...they look good for a few hours and then deflate....back to wussieville As always, thanks for you input and sorry for the spelling Russ

I assume what you're saying is your arms are getting big, but you don't have that classic bicep "peak" that everyone wants.  (If that's not what you mean, then ignore what I'm about to say.)  If that's the issue, then you're primarily dealing with a genetics issue.  Some biceps naturally peak and others, unless contracted, are spread the length of the upper arm.  Generally, it seems compact guys (with short arms) get the better peaks.  But it's also about how the muscle attaches at the ends; some taper to a point, others have a broad connection.  I have long arms, and my arms have a loose barrel look unless I'm in the middle of a curl. But it's also a size issue.  Regardless of genetics, the bigger the total size, the more they will peak.  From you pics, I think you've attained pretty good shape and size, though maybe you're just tricking us with the bent arms pose.  Even if it's an illusion, you're ahead of me at this point. Yes, muscles only stay pumped when they are worked.  Most of the time, no one around us actually cares.  If you are in a situation where you want to be a bit pumped (just stepping on the beach volleyball court for your scene in Top Gun), you can do some isometrics, which may hold a pump for an hour or two.

Hey ARD, Not the peak, Ok like from bicep to tricep, it seems wide, but from inside bicep to outside bicep and from inside tri to out side tri.....it seems slim.... I know this sound goofy, but I do have short arms....and legs....i'm a tiny thing...only 5'6" before I joke that I have gone from Dwarf on LOTR to wood sprite.... What part of AL you in...I'm in Houston, via NC Russ

Oh, I see.  Again we're talking partly genetics, and I'd say your situation is normal.  But assuming you are doing a dumbbell, pulley, or straight bar curl, you might try switching to or adding hammer  curls and/or preacher curls.  These exercise**** the biceps differently, and also hit other muscles in your arm which made add volume (twisting dumbbell curls, which start in a hammer position then rotate to a standard as you squeeze, also work well for a changeup).  In the end, the biceps do not tend to widen much, though. Most of the width appearance of the arm comes from the triceps, though.  It's a peaked biceps against large triceps that makes an arm look really big from all directions.

hey Russ,

I added two pics you can look at in my profile. i picked the for you! I think this is what you're asking. are you going for the seperation between bi and tri? if so, ard had it right. i get the horseshoe effect doing hammer curls. that's an exercise more for forearms but it seems to effect the outer head of the tri for me.

also, there's a variety of exercises aimed at seperating the bi from the tri so you can get depth. i used to do almost all isolation exercises for my arms and then gave up. i went back to basics and go heavy. or as heavy as my back can stand.

remember too, the tricep is two thirds of your arm. work them and you'll get what you're after. now my arms look pumped almost all the time and very vascular. the reason is low body fat. so i show detail almost all the time. i never look flat and any type of movement shows muscles moving. the pics don't really show that but that's what happens. again, i attribute everything to diet and body fat. when i lifted years ago i ate salt and sugar and fat crap. not a lot but enough to flatten out my build at times. now, i hardly ever touch that type of food.

so the long answer is diet will determine what you look like when relaxed. for seperation do all your exercises with full range of motion with good form. i'll tell you a little secret. do chin ups but almost every single person i see do them cheat themselves out of the best results. how? they don't hang at the bottom. if you do concentration or preacher or standing curls or chins, let your arms go all the way down then start your curl. this will tie in the arm at the elbow and you'll notice right at the inside where your elbow bends a big rise where the bicep starts. it also makes the bicep very full.

genetics play a role too. a longer arm as ard said will look a lot different. i have compact arms so i always have a peak and dense muscle on the inner and outer sides.

so i don't know if i made sense! take a look at the last two pics i posted and tell me if i'm on the right track. i took them in a hurry and they're jiggly but i think it shows what you are trying to get. at least i think that's what you're striving for. let me know or tell me again what it is you need and maybe it will sink into my tiny brain. good luck........carbonblob`