Stuck at 16” arms? My solution! (Road To 18” Arms Ep. 4)

Basement Bodybuilding shares solutions for arm growth plateaus, training tips, and equipment insights in episode 4 of Road to 18” Arms.

Ask about this video. Answers come from its transcript only — with the timestamp, so you can check them.

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Key Takeaways

Arm growth plateaus require targeted isolation and precise training methods.
Using a mirror and proper equipment setup improves exercise form and effectiveness.
Counting bar weight accurately is important for tracking progress, especially with unique gym setups.
Dynamic double progression is preferred over the Repal system for advanced lifters.
Consistent, progressive overload and pushing close to failure are key for overcoming stagnation.

What the video covers

The creator returns to preacher curls after a break and discusses performance and mental health benefits.
Common viewer questions addressed include the use of back support on overhead extensions and equipment setup.
Explains the unique Smith machine setup in the home gym and how bar weight is counted.
Discusses the decision to stop using the Repal system and shift to a more precise dynamic double progression method.
Shares personal progress on arm training, including increases in curl and press weights and forearm size.
Analyzes why upper arm growth can stall around 16 inches and the need for serious arm isolation.
Plans to install a mirror to improve form and stability during overhead extensions.
Emphasizes the importance of pushing close to failure for effective arm growth.
Clarifies training tracking methods for better progression and avoiding sandbagging.
Provides practical advice for intermediate lifters aiming to overcome arm size plateaus.

Chapters

Why doesn't the creator use back support on overhead extensions?

The creator doesn't use back support because they need a mirror to see their elbows during the movement, which happens behind the head. Their home gym setup also doesn't allow for a seated back support bench.

Does the creator count the Smith machine bar weight in their home gym?

Yes, the creator counts the bar weight as 45 pounds because their Smith machine lacks counterweights due to space constraints in the basement ceiling.

Why did the creator stop using the Repal system?

They stopped using the Repal system because as an advanced lifter, they no longer tend to sandbag sets and prefer a more precise dynamic double progression method for tracking progress.

Full Transcript — Download SRT & Markdown

Speaker A

All right, what's up everybody? Welcome back to Road to 18 in Arms, episode number four this time. So after a bit of a holiday break and a break from preacher curls too, it had been a couple weeks. It was nice to get back to them feeling pretty much healed up.

Speaker A

pretty much healed up so that's obviously a very good thing for my mental health to be able to do preacher curls the highlight of my day in all seriousness it was nice to be back to preachers uh performance is down just a

Speaker A

So that's obviously a very good thing for my mental health to be able to do preacher curls, the highlight of my day. In all seriousness, it was nice to be back to preachers. Performance is down just a hair on a couple sets, but nothing worth being concerned about. It's more just a little bit of that rust coming off.

Speaker A

gotten on pretty much every episode of the series all three episodes at least the first one is why don't you use back support on overhead extensions wouldn't that be better so one yes it would be better and two the reason why I don't

Speaker A

So either way, first set still eight reps, just on track as I was before. So couple quick common questions that I've gotten on pretty much every episode of the series, all three episodes at least. The first one is, why don't you use back support on overhead extensions? Wouldn't that be better?

Speaker A

things with overhead extensions is I do need to mirror to be able to look at my elbows in the mirror since the movement is happening behind my head I have such a hard time gauging where my arms are

Speaker A

So one, yes, it would be better. And two, the reason why I don't use it is because I don't have a short back just seated stationary bench for the home gym. So I have to just kind of straddle my flat bench and use it from there. So for myself, one of the biggest things with overhead extensions is I do need a mirror to be able to look at my elbows in the mirror since the movement is happening behind my head.

Speaker A

luckily that is going to be something I'm installing relatively soon uh I finally got the camera the lighting is set up too as you'll see later in this video it looks a a little bit sharper than my $24 Amazon LED lights that I've

Speaker A

I have such a hard time gauging where my arms are actually at, so the mirror is going to be key. I had another couple people also suggest just going backwards on the preacher curl, which I actually have used before and it works really well, but I don't have a mirror behind me.

Speaker A

elbows into the position that they want to be rather than the position they're kind of forced into based on me trying to balance the weight especially as I get heavier on an isolation throws everything off a little bit so next

Speaker A

But luckily, that is going to be something I'm installing relatively soon. I finally got the camera, the lighting is set up too, as you'll see later in this video. It looks a little bit sharper than my $24 Amazon LED lights that I've had for two years, just a little bit better.

Speaker A

much as I say I am because the Smith bar weighs nothing in my home gym it's a unique situation where the counterweights do not fit in the Smith machine because if you look at the video you probably can't see it in these since

Speaker A

But basically with that, once I get the mirror installed, I will be using the reverse preacher bench to be doing my overhead extensions. It'll be much better, much more stable. I can get my elbows into the position that they want to be rather than the position they're kind of forced into based on me trying to balance the weight, especially as I get heavier on an isolation.

Speaker A

because the pulley that they go on will go basically into the floor of my upstairs so no counterweights the bars I assume it's 45 it might be a little bit heavier might be 50 or 55 with some of

Speaker A

Throws everything off a little bit. So next question, quick one here. Do you count the bar with your Smith machine? So for my home gym, I do count the bar because my Smith machine in the home gym does not have counterweights.

Speaker A

if I'm doing uh one plate a 25 and a five I would do 1 p+ 30 very easy to log very straight forward you don't have to try and figure out if it's a 5 10 15 20 lb bar and whatnot just a nightmare so I

Speaker A

People keep telling me that I'm not lifting as much as I say I am because the Smith bar weighs nothing. In my home gym, it's a unique situation where the counterweights do not fit in the Smith machine because if you look at the video, you probably can't see it in these since they're angled down, but my Smith machine is actually up in the rafters of my basement ceiling.

Speaker A

sandbag my sets with the repal system it encourages you to push closer to failure on all of your sets uh and that's something that I don't really need to cue myself for at this point in my training for a lot of beginners or

Speaker A

Since I have a short ceiling, but I somehow got a commercial grade Smith machine down there. Basically, I am unable to put the counterweights in because the pulley that they go on will go basically into the floor of my upstairs. So no counterweights.

Speaker A

it's very useful but I just use another version of uh Dynamic double progression basically what I'll do is say I have two sets on a lift I'll pick a range and then just work within that range once my

Speaker A

The bar's, I assume it's 45. It might be a little bit heavier, might be 50 or 55 with some of the added hooks and stuff on the actual bar, but either way, I just count it as 45 at the least. It is 45 pounds. So this is accurate.

Speaker A

percentages just go down a little bit next question this one is a unique one it's kind of a longer one so I actually screenshotted it uh I didn't feel like writing it down and trying to copy the whole thing so this is a comment from or

Speaker A

In the actual commercial gym, I'll usually track at plates per side. So if I'm doing one plate, a 25 and a five, I would do 1 p+ 30. Very easy to log, very straightforward. You don't have to try and figure out if it's a 5, 10, 15, 20 pound bar and whatnot. Just a nightmare, so I avoid that at all costs.

Speaker A

French Press 20 lbs of my easy bar French press in the last 4 months I put an entire inch on my forearms I just started training them but haven't seen a lick of upper arm growth still at 16 in

Speaker A

Next question, do you still use the Repal system? I do not use the Repal system. I've become a little bit more surgical with my training as I've become more advanced, and I no longer have a tendency to sandbag my sets with the Repal system.

Speaker A

I possibly can without rambling and without giving you confusing advice I'll try and keep it simple and efficient with this you stated that you added an inch to your forearms and that your upper arms haven't grown they're still

Speaker A

It encourages you to push closer to failure on all of your sets, and that's something that I don't really need to cue myself for at this point in my training. For a lot of beginners or recovering powerlifters, I do think it's a great tool to make sure you are able to really push hard on your first set and not sandbag to get better performance on your final set compared to something like a static rep range.

Speaker A

if your upper arms are still at 16 let's look at the number 16 so assuming you're an average person with average genetics and you're within a reasonable body fat percentage anywhere from say 12 to 20% roughly that's not a beginner arm you're

Speaker A

So it's very useful, but I just use another version of dynamic double progression. Basically, what I'll do is say I have two sets on a lift, I'll pick a range and then just work within that range. Once my first set hits my rep goal or surpasses it, then I'll increase my weight by about 5 to maybe 7 and 1/12%, but usually about 5% for that next session, especially as I do become a little bit stronger.

Speaker A

think for the vast majority of people maybe comparable to myself you need very serious arm isolation to actually get them to grow which is very evident through my training history so with a 16-in arm they're not going to grow by

Speaker A

Those percentages just go down a little bit. Next question, this one is a unique one. It's kind of a longer one, so I actually screenshotted it. I didn't feel like writing it down and trying to copy the whole thing. So this is a comment from or a question from Clay Bowman on the last video.

Speaker A

actually just staying the same size which means they're growing muscle since fat is being removed from the area in the recomp very straightforward answer I'm going to assume that probably isn't the case let's dive into the training a

Speaker A

I'm having this experience right now. I put 15 pounds on my strict easy curls for 6 to 10, seven on my towel curls, 25 on my skull crushers, 10 on my dumbbell French press, 20 pounds on my easy bar French press in the last four months. I put an entire inch on my forearms.

Speaker A

more stable lifts and this is the point where it really does become useful because your lifts are getting heavy relative to your body weight so let's say you're a beginner and you're 165 lb and you're doing a barbell curl with 35

Speaker A

I just started training them but haven't seen a lick of upper arm growth, still at 16 inches. Does this mean I've just gotten better at cheating? I don't think that's the case. I wish I had filmed my lifting.

Speaker A

let's say you're an intermediate and you have 16in arms and your barbell curling say 100 lb and you weigh 180 now that bar is about half half of your body weight actually over half of your body weight so to explain

Speaker A

So let's break this down real quick, and I'm going to try and make this as precise as I possibly can without rambling and without giving you confusing advice. I'll try and keep it simple and efficient with this. You stated that you added an inch to your forearms and that your upper arms haven't grown. They're still at 16 inches.

Speaker A

to shift your body into the right position uh you can even put a pretty simple example here let's say with the front delts if the bar is halfway up or 2/3 the way up in that curl the bar

Speaker A

So with your forearms, you mentioned you just started training them, so you made noob gains. An inch is definitely a little bit more than noob gains, especially if you just started training them. That's quite a bit.

Speaker A

hips are going to want to get under the bar to get that bar as close to your Center as you possibly can and the same concept applies in a similar way to other free weight lifts for your arms

Speaker A

If your upper arms are still at 16, let's look at the number 16. So assuming you're an average person with average genetics and you're within a reasonable body fat percentage anywhere from say 12 to 20% roughly, that's not a beginner arm.

Speaker A

to to certain isolation so moving to something that is more stable where you don't have to worry about your balance uh and your coordination as much can actually make a pretty big difference in your overall force output and that's why

Speaker A

You're not going to be making new gains, and you're not going to be growing your arms just through training in most cases. There are definitely some people that can respond to arm training better than others, and that's totally fine.

Speaker A

using preacher curls for my bicep training m for the majority of it that's why you're seeing Smith machine JM presses for my triceps because it's another lift where one it's a Smith so I don't have to balance it but two uh the

Speaker A

But I think for the vast majority of people, maybe comparable to myself, you need very serious arm isolation to actually get them to grow, which is very evident through my training history. So with a 16-inch arm, they're not going to grow by accident.

Speaker A

be as lengthened biased too so I did find that having a lengthen biased technique or lift uh was a pretty big Difference Maker for my arm growth so having something like a Smith A Smith JM press where I have Peak resistance in a

Speaker A

So the first issue here could be, it could be body weight. Are you maintaining your body weight? If you are maintaining your body weight, you could be recomping, so you could just be getting leaner, and your arms are actually just staying the same size, which means they're growing muscle since fat is being removed from the area in the recomp.

Speaker A

size all the way up to 17 and A2 so it made a pretty big difference so overall stable lifts lifts that are lengthened biased are things that helped me the most it wasn't pumping Up the Volume a whole ton it wasn't rotating variations

Speaker A

Very straightforward answer. I'm going to assume that probably isn't the case. Let's dive into the training a little bit more. So you mentioned all of your lifts for arms are done with free weights.

Speaker A

doesn't always equal size if the lift just isn't quite potent enough to give you growth even if you get stronger at it it might just not give you the growth that you're looking for one more question similar topic why do you do

Speaker A

One issue that I found with myself and training some people that have gotten to the 16-7, 17-inch mark with this is it's better to sometimes switch to more stable lifts, and this is the point where it really does become useful because your lifts are getting heavy relative to your body weight.

Speaker A

weakest so being able to do partial or negatives after this just gets me a little bit more stimulus

Topics:arm growthpreacher curlsoverhead extensionsdynamic double progressionSmith machinearm training tipsmuscle isolationforearm growthtraining plateauBasement Bodybuilding

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