Great article on why squats are so important for gaining mass

The Freeman

HOW TO SQUAT FOR HUGE ARMS

By Stuart McRobert

Adapted from his best-selling book BRAWN

To build muscle mass, you must increase strength. It?s that simple. You will never get huge arms, a monstrous back, a thick chest, or massive legs without lifting heavy weights. I know that probably doesn?t come as a revelation to anyone. But despite how obvious it seems, far too many people (and not just beginners) neglect power training and rarely make increasing the weights lifted in each successive workout a priority. You must get strong in the basic mass building exercises to bring about a significant increase in muscle size. One of the biggest mistakes typical bodybuilders make is when they implement specialization routines before they have the right to use them.

It constantly amazes me just how many neophytes (beginners), near neophytes, and other insufficiently developed bodybuilders plunge into single-body part specialization programs in the desperate attempt to build big arms. I don?t fault them for wanting big arms, but their approach to getting them is flawed. For the typical bodybuilder who is miles away from squatting 1 ? times their bodyweight for 20 reps (if you weigh 180 lbs., that means 20 reps with 270 lbs.), an arm specialization program is utterly inappropriate and useless.

The strength and development needed to squat well over 1 ? times bodyweight for 20 reps will build bigger arms faster then focusing on biceps and triceps training with isolation exercises. Even though squats are primarily a leg exercise, they stress and stimulate the entire body. But more importantly, if you are able to handle heavy weights in the squat, it logically follows that the rest of your body will undoubtedly be proportionally developed. It?s a rare case that you would be able to squat 1 ? times your bodyweight and not have a substantial amount of upper body muscle mass.

This is not to say that you don?t need to train arms, and squats alone will cause massive upper body growth. You will still work every body part, but you must focus on squats, deadlifts, and rows?the exercises that develop the legs, hips, and back. Once you master the power movements and are able to handle impressive poundages on those lifts, the strength and muscle you gain will translate into greater weights used in arm, shoulder and chest exercises.

In every gym I?ve ever visited or trained in, there were countless teenage boys blasting away on routines, dominated by arm exercises, in the attempt to build arms like their idols. In the ?70s, they wanted arms like Arnold Schwarzenegger, in the ?80s Robby Robinson was a favorite and currently Mr. Olympia, Ronnie Coleman, has set the standard everyone wants to achieve. Unfortunately the 3 aforementioned men as well as most other top bodybuilders have arm development far beyond the reach of the average (or even above average) weight trainer. But arm size can be increased. However, not in the way young trainers, with physiques that don?t even have the faintest resemblance to those of bodybuilders are attempting to make progress. Thin arms, connected to narrow shoulders, fixed to shallow chest, joined to frail backs and skinny legs, don?t need body part specialization programs. Let?s not have skewed priorities. Let?s not try to put icing on the cake before the cake has been baked.


Priorities
Trying to stimulate a substantial increase in size in a single body part, without first having the main structures of the body in pretty impressive condition, is to have turned bodybuilding upside-down, inside-out and back to front.

The typical bodybuilder simply isn?t going to get much meat on his arms, calves, shoulders, pectorals and neck unless he first builds a considerable amount of muscle around the thighs, hips and back. It simply isn?t possible?for the typical drug-free bodybuilder, that is?to add much if any size to the small areas unless the big areas are already becoming substantial.
There?s a knock-on (additive) effect from the efforts to add substantial size to the thigh, hip and back structure (closely followed by upper body pushing structure-pecs and delts). The smaller muscle groups, like the biceps, and triceps will progress in size (so long as you don?t totally neglect them) pretty much in proportion to the increase in size of the big areas. It?s not a case of getting big and strong thighs, hips, back and upper-body pushing structure with everything else staying put. Far from it. As the thigh, hip, back and upper-body pushing structure grows, so does everything else. Work hard on squats and deadlifts, in addition to bench presses, overhead presses and some type of row or pulldown. Then you can add a little isolation work?curls, calf raises and neck work (but not all of this at every workout).


The ?Driver?
The key point is that the ?engine? that drives the gains in the small areas is the progress being made in the big areas. If you take it easy on the thigh and back you will, generally speaking, have trouble making gains in the other exercises, no matter how hard you work the latter.

All this isn?t to say just do squats, deadlifts and upper back work, quite closely followed by some upper-body pressing work. While such a limited program will deliver good gains on these few exercises, with some knock-on effect throughout the body, it?s not a year after year program. Very abbreviated routines are great for getting gains moving, and for building a foundation for moderately expanded routines. They are fine to keep returning to on a regular basis. The other training isn?t necessary all in the same workout but spread over the week. This will maintain balance throughout the body and capitalize upon the progress made in the thigh, hip and back structure.

Just remember that the thigh, hip and back structure comes first and is the ?driver? (closely followed by the upper-body pushing structure) for the other exercises. These other exercises, though important in their own right, are passengers relative to the driving team.


Big Arms
To get big arms, get yourself on a basic program that focuses on the leg, hip and back structure without neglecting the arms themselves. As you improve your squatting ability, for reps and by say 100 pounds, your curling poundage should readily come up by 30 pounds or so if you work hard enough on your curls. This will add size to your biceps. While adding 100 pounds to your squat, you should be able to add 50-70 pounds to your bench press, for reps. This assumes you?ve put together a sound program and have worked hard on the bench. That will add size to your triceps.

If you?re desperate to add a couple of inches to your upper arms you?ll need to add 30 pounds or more over your body, unless your arms are way behind the rest of you. Don?t start thinking about 17? arms, or even 16? arms so long as your bodyweight is 130, 140, 150, 160, or even 170 pounds. Few people can get big arms without having a big body. You?re unlikely to be one of the exceptions.

15 sets of arm flexor exercises, and 15 sets of isolation tricep exercises?with a few squats, deadlifts and bench presses thrown in as an afterthought?will give you a great pump and attack the arms from ?all angles?. However, it won?t make your arms grow much, if at all, unless you?re already squatting and benching big poundages, or are drug-assisted or genetically gifted.

As your main structures come along in size and strength (thigh, hip and back structure, and the pressing structure), the directly involved smaller body parts are brought along in size too. How can you bench press or dip impressive poundages without adding a lot of size to your triceps? How can you deadlift the house and row big weights without having the arm flexors?not to mention the shoulders and upper back?to go with those lifts? How can you squat close to 2 times bodyweight, for plenty of reps, without having a lot of muscle all over your body?

The greater the development and strength of the main muscular structures of the body, the greater the size and strength potential of the small areas of the body. Think it through. Suppose you can only squat and deadlift with 200 pounds, and your arms measure about 13?. You?re unlikely to add any more than half an inch or so on them, no matter how much arm specialization you put in.

However, put some real effort into the squat and deadlift, together with the bench press and a few other major basic movements. Build up the poundages by 50% or more, to the point where you can squat 300 pounds for over 10 reps, and pack on 30 pounds of muscle. Then, unless you have an unusual arm structure, you should be able to get your arms to around 16?. If you want 17? arms, plan on having to squat more than a few reps with around 2 times bodyweight, and on adding many more pounds of muscle throughout your body (unless you have a better-than-average growth potential in your upper arms).

All of this arm development would have been achieved without a single concentration curl, without a single pushdown and without a single preacher curl. This lesson in priorities proves that the shortest distance between you and big arms is not a straight line to a curl bar."

Remmy

Great Article!

gabgab

Makes sense,

I am doing starting strength and will be sticking with it until I can bench and squat 100kg as my work sets

Once I am there I will maybe add in some weighted dips and chins, fair bit to go yet but good article thanks,

shels08

great article,great book and sound advice


20 rep squats are KING!!!

Transform

Amazing really as the info has been around for years but the kettlebells, vibration plates, split bodybuilding programs were just getting in the way.

The Freeman

ya its very interesting alright , i especially like the analogy of'don't put the icing on the cake until its baked' with referance to isolation excercises, not sure if i have the balls to start the 20reps squats for another 6 months or so

Patto

Do you think it would be interesting to run a poll on this forum

What can you squat?
What can you bench press?
How big are your arms?

Boston

I'm going to give the article a full read late, I just want to say

Patto wrote: »

Do you think it would be interesting to run a poll on this forum

What can you squat?
What can you bench press?
How big are your arms?

I can't imagine anything more pointless. What someone else can do has no bearing on what you can do.

rubadub

You always hear of squats & deadlifts as the big 2 exercises, but I have never heard of a deadlift "program", or just articles like that being "how to deadlift for huge arms". (if there is one please post a link)

I suppose on one hand it catches the attention for beginners to think "WTF, how can squats train my arms?". But not all articles are just like that, and it is nearly always squats in the header, while deadlifts will also usually get a mention.

There is the 20squats & milk program, could you just as easily substitute 20 deadlifts? I would have though deadlifts might be more beneficial as they work the legs and arms directly. I realise that doing squats & deadlifts would hit all the leg muscles more, but just thought if for some reason you were only allowed one exercise then people would pick deadlifts, I would have thought they incorporate more muscle overall.

Lothaar

I've been trying for years... but I simply can't squat or deadlift. I just have no flexibility and can't even get to parallel without rounding my back. I've been stretching a few times a week, as per a T-Nation article somebody mentioned on this forum, to try and loosen everything up, but it's not happening.

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. Perhaps I'm a mook because I'm not willing to spend 10 mins stretching EVERY day.

It's kinda depressing reading articles like this.

rubadub

Just do loads of bodysquats in the morning when you get up, ass to the grass squats.


Do broom handle deadlifts. Are you in a proper gym with big plates? if not the bar is probably too low for deads. I put mine on old sweatshirts & blankets. It rasies the bar and cushions the floorboards.

Patto

Boston wrote: »

I'm going to give the article a full read late, I just want to say



I can't imagine anything more pointless. What someone else can do has no bearing on what you can do.

Cheers:o

The point is to test the validity of this article by taking a sample of people who lift weights.

Do those who squat big also have big arms? I would guess yes with few exceptions.

Are there those who have big arms but don't squat big? I would also say that there are but I doubt anyone with 15" or 16" arms is going to admit they can't squat 100Kg. In this respect I don't totally agree with the article, IMO, I see loads of guys in the gym with big arms who can't squat to save their lives.

Are there those with small arms that squats big? Again, yes but just a few, for example people who are made for squatting and/or are genetically gifted.

kevpants

rubadub wrote: »

You always hear of squats & deadlifts as the big 2 exercises, but I have never heard of a deadlift "program", or just articles like that being "how to deadlift for huge arms". (if there is one please post a link)

I suppose on one hand it catches the attention for beginners to think "WTF, how can squats train my arms?". But not all articles are just like that, and it is nearly always squats in the header, while deadlifts will also usually get a mention.

There is the 20squats & milk program, could you just as easily substitute 20 deadlifts? I would have though deadlifts might be more beneficial as they work the legs and arms directly. I realise that doing squats & deadlifts would hit all the leg muscles more, but just thought if for some reason you were only allowed one exercise then people would pick deadlifts, I would have thought they incorporate more muscle overall.

Cos deadlifting too regularily WILL knacker you and you'll get weaker. It just takes too much out of you. I find I stop making gains after 3 weeks of training the deadlift.

Squat training will help your deadlift anyway whereas the reverse isn't necessarily true.

brianthebard

Patto wrote: »

Cheers:o

The point is to test the validity of this article by taking a sample of people who lift weights.

Do those who squat big also have big arms? I would guess yes with few exceptions.

Are there those who have big arms but don't squat big? I would also say that there are but I doubt anyone with 15" or 16" arms is going to admit they can't squat 100Kg. In this respect I don't totally agree with the article, IMO, I see loads of guys in the gym with big arms who can't squat to save their lives.

Are there those with small arms that squats big? Again, yes but just a few, for example people who are made for squatting and/or are genetically gifted.

Then you are getting into all sorts of questions about what constitutes big. You seem to suggest 15" arms and 100kg squats are big, which I wouldn't see as big (and thats not a boastful statement, I could squat 100kg for reps easy enough before I hurt my back, and have 15" arms).

The Freeman

Lothaar wrote: »

I'm sure I'm doing something wrong. Perhaps I'm a mook because I'm not willing to spend 10 mins stretching EVERY day.

It's kinda depressing reading articles like this.

are you serious??? you don't stretch???

personally i take atleast 10 mins to stretch after 5 mins on the bike to warm up the muscles and do 2 warm up sets for each excrcise.


its veeeeeeeeeery imporatant!

Wibbs

I could have this arseways, but is it because the muscles worked are the biggest in the body and if they're stimulated and grow, they need various hormones to increase and they will in turn stimulate growth hormone and androgens in the body, hence the rest will grow more?

Transform

Exactly.

Just look at the people who deadlift/squat regualarly they are typically the strongest in best shape people (as long as they are in good shape and just not fat).

I am impressed by a guy in westwood every week i see him - he is in his mid-30's weighs, quite short but no more than 11stone and deadlifts well over 300lbs and chins with an added 25kg. Is he in good shape - yes indeed.

Dragan

Wibbs wrote: »

I could have this arseways, but is it because the muscles worked are the biggest in the body and if they're stimulated and grow, they need various hormones to increase and they will in turn stimulate growth hormone and androgens in the body, hence the rest will grow more?

Pretty much. A favourite tactic of mine is to pair legs with a weaker, smaller muscle group. It worked great with my shoulders. I had always struggled with them as i paired a day off with legs and over the planned 12 week cycle i saw great gains in size and strength.

It's something i will be utilising again as soon as i actually get back to training.

I have told myself it's Monday.

But i've done that before.:)

Leon11

Dragan wrote: »

I have told myself it's Monday.

But i've done that before.:)

Who hasn't:D

BossArky

Great article, great thread.

For what it is worth my bench press went from around 60kg to 85kg once I spent a year or so learning to squat and deadlift.

As Dragan mentioned it can be good to superset something like standing dumbbell shoulder press or curls with squats or deads to give yourself a minute to rest between heavy sets.

Squats and deadlifts put hairs on your chest! I'm a good bit hairier than 12-18 months ago which I guess is down to more testosterone from the squat and deads. Heavy stuff rocks!

Lothaar

rubadub wrote: »

Just do loads of bodysquats in the morning when you get up, ass to the grass squats.

I can't! I can't even get to parallel without my back rounding, and that's without any weights.

Propping up the bar for deadlifts is a good idea. I'll try that.

Somebody asked whether or not I stretch... I do stretch, on leg-day. But I don't stretch those muscles seven days a week. I'll typically stretch them twice a week at the gym and once at football training on Sundays. It's a mix of static and dynamic stretches. I'm still ridiculously unbendy (it's a word, ok!).

Hanley

I must say.. I don't buy the whole "if you want big arms then squat" buzz. It's a complete over-reaction due to people spending too much time just training their arms.

Here's a revolutionary idea... if you want to be big and strong then squat, bench and deadlift hard and heavy and use isolation work to improve the muscles you're specifically looking to see an increase in. Why is that so hard??

Obviously it's not, but it's not as sensationalist and headline grabbing as YOU DON"T NEED TO TRAIN YOUR ARMS TO MAKE THEM BIGGER!!!!!

My arms suck. My biceps belong to someone 20kg lighter. I train with a lot of people who have bigger arms than me even tho I squat, bench and deadlift more than them. ALL of my arm mass lies in my triceps. So.... why do my biceps suck? Because I bought into the bullsh!t being spouted above. Yeah, my arms grew but they're still much worse than they should be at my weight.

Basically what I'm saying is that if you want bigger arms (or any muscle...) you HAVE to train them directly. Squats, bench and deadlifts should probably always be the main focus, getting bigger and stronger on them will get you bigger all over, BUT don't just neglect muscle groups cos it's the cool new thing to do!!

dave80

Hanley wrote: »

I must say.. I don't buy the whole "if you want big arms then squat" buzz. It's a complete over-reaction due to people spending too much time just training their arms.

Here's a revolutionary idea... if you want to be big and strong then squat, bench and deadlift hard and heavy and use isolation work to improve the muscles you're specifically looking to see an increase in. Why is that so hard??

Obviously it's not, but it's not as sensationalist and headline grabbing as YOU DON"T NEED TO TRAIN YOUR ARMS TO MAKE THEM BIGGER!!!!!

My arms suck. My biceps belong to someone 20kg lighter. I train with a lot of people who have bigger arms than me even tho I squat, bench and deadlift more than them. ALL of my arm mass lies in my triceps. So.... why do my biceps suck? Because I bought into the bullsh!t being spouted above. Yeah, my arms grew but they're still much worse than they should be at my weight.

Basically what I'm saying is that if you want bigger arms (or any muscle...) you HAVE to train them directly. Squats, bench and deadlifts should probably always be the main focus, getting bigger and stronger on them will get you bigger all over, BUT don't just neglect muscle groups cos it's the cool new thing to do!!

+1

celestial

Hanley wrote: »

I must say.. I don't buy the whole "if you want big arms then squat" buzz. It's a complete over-reaction due to people spending too much time just training their arms.

Here's a revolutionary idea... if you want to be big and strong then squat, bench and deadlift hard and heavy and use isolation work to improve the muscles you're specifically looking to see an increase in. Why is that so hard??

Obviously it's not, but it's not as sensationalist and headline grabbing as YOU DON"T NEED TO TRAIN YOUR ARMS TO MAKE THEM BIGGER!!!!!

My arms suck. My biceps belong to someone 20kg lighter. I train with a lot of people who have bigger arms than me even tho I squat, bench and deadlift more than them. ALL of my arm mass lies in my triceps. So.... why do my biceps suck? Because I bought into the bullsh!t being spouted above. Yeah, my arms grew but they're still much worse than they should be at my weight.

Basically what I'm saying is that if you want bigger arms (or any muscle...) you HAVE to train them directly. Squats, bench and deadlifts should probably always be the main focus, getting bigger and stronger on them will get you bigger all over, BUT don't just neglect muscle groups cos it's the cool new thing to do!!

MAN I'm glad you're back. How was your hol anyway?

I was of the school of thought that if I felt my biceps were being worked by one arm dbell rows, which of course they were - then that was good enough. But it just isn't if you think about it like a logical, rational person. I went and did some bicep curls last week - my biceps are bigger this week - without question.

Amazing innit?!!

Hanley

celestial wrote: »

MAN I'm glad you're back.
How was your hol anyway?

So that's one person at least!! lolz!! Paris was amazingly awesome as always. Ididnt' want to come home and I already want to go back!

I was of the school of thought that if I felt my biceps were being worked by one arm dbell rows, which of course they were - then that was good enough. But it just isn't if you think about it like a logical, rational person. I went and did some bicep curls last week - my biceps are bigger this week - without question.

Amazing innit?!!

Direct training works... who'd have thought it?? :D

Transform

"The new cool thing to do" Hanley

Come on man - new, cool, the idea has been around since the days of the great john grimeck and steve reeves in the late 30's and 40's and it was not until the 60's when steroids came into use that Joe Weider driven crap was spewed about on split programs that the great bodybuilders from then on did - all fine to do 20sets of chest/biceps exercsies and training 6 days a week when your taking gear but a normal person who has been training for a while will plateau and burn out within a month.

Check out steve reeves in this youtube clip
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ghqw-ZSnZP4&feature=related

Thats a body i can certainly relate to not the drug filled bodybuilders of the past 30years with their stupid programs and you can look like me if you take this supplement.

I know all of the above is quite off the point but my point being that encouraging people to work a particular muscle group like the biceps to make them bigger is fine just so long as its one exercise done after they have trained hard on their legs, back, chest etc so in agreement totally with you there.

The old timers and the programs they used - mostly full body programs (weights) done 3 days a week still apply today and will give better results than training 4-5days a week on split programs that the majority of people will not have either the time to do or the recovery ability to benefit from (unless your genetically gifted and/or taking steroids).

Split programs have their place for short periods of time i.e. 2-3 weeks but are no substitute for a decent full body program done 3 or less times per week for the average trainee.

Lastly, the following is a good clip on the history of bodybuilding and shows how great the game looked before the drugs came into use in such a prolific way. Yes i know some of the ones listed towards the end were all drug assisted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qk-QEpGiR0E&feature=related