The BruteForce Method: Increase Your Arms by 2" in 9 weeks

[bruteforce]

The BruteForce Method: Increase Your Arms by 2" in 9 weeks

Intended Audience: New lifters with less than 3 months experience

What this article is: The workout and nutrition plan I used that brought my arms up by 2 inches in 9 weeks

What this article is not: The definitive answer to getting bigger arms, especially for those with more than 1 year of training experience.

In Late 2008, I was fat. Fatter than you most likely have ever been. At 6'4" I weighed in at 360+ pounds. Over the next year, I dropped down to a skinny-fat 215. It is in January 2010 that I first began to lift.

My arms were tiny on my frame, or most anyone's frame. 12.5" flexed. Pathetic. I had gone from fat but imposing to a scarecrow. So I did what any right thinking young man would do. Curls. And you know what? They worked. 9 weeks later, my arms were 14.5". Disappointed that I wasn't sporting 22" gunz? Me too, but while most people are dicking around not making any progress, I put myself to the task of getting stronger. And I did it all in my tiny Southern California apartment with $40 worth of equipment.

My routine went like this: 3 sets of 10 reps, in a circuit. Oh snap, crossfit just got owned.
Pushups
Squats
Rows
OHP
Curls
Kickbacks
Situps

Simple and effective. I began with doing pushups on my knees and curling 15 pound DBs I was so weak. In a few weeks, I was using 30# DBs and doing real pushups. In between, I used drop sets. I would do as many real pushups as I could, and when I hit failure, I would do easier versions. Same for every other lift. I would use the heaviest weight I could, then when I failed, use a lighter weight until I finished my reps. Squats were body weight at first, and then holding DBs in my hands as I progressed.

My diet didn't change much at all. I ate mostly meat and fresh vegetables, which I still do to this day. Calorie intake was 3-4k I got stronger, I got bigger, I got leaner. Yes, after a few months, the big gains stopped and I had to work harder for them. I eventually joined a gym. But for those of you who are small, weak, and sad, you don't need all that at first. I had a floor, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40 pound dumbbells, and a hatred of not taking up an entire doorway. Thats all you need to get started. So get after it.

-Brute

[BendtheBar]

Nice! Running this on Facebook tomorrow.

Can I move this to "articles"?

[Off Road]

Nice! Nice! Nice!
Good short article Brute.

[bruteforce]

Originally Posted by BendtheBar

Nice! Running this on Facebook tomorrow.

Can I move this to "articles"?

Absolutely! I wasn't sure where to put it and didn't want to be presumptuous.