Gun Confessions

[Gerhard]

Most of us have to do direct arm work, if you don't, you're lucky. I've been really going out of my way to get it in recently (because I'm 11.5" unflexed and my Bench lockout sucks to shit...).

What does everybody do, for me? My current staple 4 x 10-12 Barbell Curls, DB Curls, 4x 10-15 Tricep Pushdowns a couple of times a week. I vary the load, some days I'll go heavy, some days I'll go lighter and push for more reps. When I've got real time on my hands, I'll work in some supinated BB rows, 21's and DB negatives.

It's nothing compared to the split brahs I observe in gym settings who are doing drop sets, and four or five different kinds of curl each session, but it's something.

[Chebass88]

I want a 200lb strict barbell curl pretty bad, so I train the curl twice a week. I've recently had some decent success alternating a 7.5 minute density block (at ~67% 1RM) and another session doing heavy singles / doubles (~90% 1RM). Triceps get a decent amount of work from pressing. I have a very specific goal, so I am training to meet that goal. I probably curl a whole lot more than an SSC might program for me, but I'm okay with that. My big lifts could be better (who can't say this?), but they are moving along as well, so I'm not worried too much.

Get your big lifts better, and if you need assistance exercises, use them. If possible, choose the assistance exercises that help your big lifts AS WELL AS growing the arms (e.g., dips, rows, chins, pullups, etc.). You'll find that your arm size and strength grows right along.

[Nate7out]

I don't do direct arm work. I don't have time. The wife is tapping her foot as it is during my current training. If I come in to piss she will say, "Are you done finally?" And my kid will get all excited if he sees me. So now I just piss in a bottle in the garage. I have thought about doing some sort of arms density blocks on my off days - quickly while nobody else is home. I may try that. I think I need conditioning more right now; so that will be the next thing I add. maybe arms in a few months. Plus I want to buy an EZ curl bar for LTE.

[Adam Skillin]

I just piss in a bottle in the garage

Wow. Is that really necessary?

[Gerhard]

I want a 200lb strict barbell curl pretty bad, so I train the curl twice a week. I've recently had some decent success alternating a 7.5 minute density block (at ~67% 1RM) and another session doing heavy singles / doubles (~90% 1RM). Triceps get a decent amount of work from pressing. I have a very specific goal, so I am training to meet that goal. I probably curl a whole lot more than an SSC might program for me, but I'm okay with that. My big lifts could be better (who can't say this?), but they are moving along as well, so I'm not worried too much.

Get your big lifts better, and if you need assistance exercises, use them. If possible, choose the assistance exercises that help your big lifts AS WELL AS growing the arms (e.g., dips, rows, chins, pullups, etc.). You'll find that your arm size and strength grows right along.

A 200 strict curl would be fucking awesome. If you get it, I want to see the video!

Chinups are a mandatory part of my training. I hit them twice a week (unless I'm really limited for time, like last week) for density. I've found though that my lats and grip are the workhorses in the exercise! Don't do a heck of a lot of tricep isolation work, because I'm training Bench and it's variations fairly frequently. I've found that any kind of heavy tricep isos can break a session. Don't do dips, although I have done in the past. My reluctance for direct arm work previously was the assumption that I didn't need it - but like you mention about choosing exercises that helps the big lifts, I definitely need to work on arms in regards to lockout on Bench.

[Ryan_B]

So now I just piss in a bottle in the garage.

Ha, nice. Now that I have a garage gym (with no access to the house except for walking outside), I've been thinking about that. First of all, my 1 bathroom is upstairs. Between heavy sets of squats, I don't like walking upstairs to take a leak. Plus, I don't like walking out-of-doors in my lifting shoes. Now that winter is coming, and there will be snow and salt to walk across, I especially will not want to walk outside in my lifting shoes, and I won't want to change my shoes multiple times. As a note, any time I go camping I do take a piss bottle for the tent, as I cannot stand having to get out of the tent to pee. Anyone install a urinal in their garage gym?

[manveer]

Ha, nice. Now that I have a garage gym (with no access to the house except for walking outside), I've been thinking about that. First of all, my 1 bathroom is upstairs. Between heavy sets of squats, I don't like walking upstairs to take a leak. Plus, I don't like walking out-of-doors in my lifting shoes. Now that winter is coming, and there will be snow and salt to walk across, I especially will not want to walk outside in my lifting shoes, and I won't want to change my shoes multiple times. As a note, any time I go camping I do take a piss bottle for the tent, as I cannot stand having to get out of the tent to pee. Anyone install a urinal in their garage gym?

I recently told my wife my ideal garage would have 3 bays (one with a lift), high ceilings, an attached bathroom and climate control. She wasn't too excited about that. An attached garage would work well enough.

Sometimes if I am doing a 3-lift workout it is tempting to go piss in the bushes outside since I lift in a detached garage. I have to change shoes, walk outside and up 2 flights of stairs. I don't think I'll get to that point, though.

[Nate7out]

Wow. Is that really necessary?

I did not think it would be controversial.

[Nate7out]

Ha, nice. Now that I have a garage gym (with no access to the house except for walking outside), I've been thinking about that. First of all, my 1 bathroom is upstairs. Between heavy sets of squats, I don't like walking upstairs to take a leak. Plus, I don't like walking out-of-doors in my lifting shoes. Now that winter is coming, and there will be snow and salt to walk across, I especially will not want to walk outside in my lifting shoes, and I won't want to change my shoes multiple times. As a note, any time I go camping I do take a piss bottle for the tent, as I cannot stand having to get out of the tent to pee. Anyone install a urinal in their garage gym?

My wife's uncle has a heater, TV, frige and urinal in the garage. No need to ever leave.

[Adam Skillin]

I recently told my wife my ideal garage would have 3 bays (one with a lift), high ceilings, an attached bathroom and climate control. She wasn't too excited about that.

Sometimes if I am doing a 3-lift workout it is tempting to go piss in the bushes outside since I lift in a detached garage. I have to change shoes, walk outside and up 2 flights of stairs. I don't think I'll get to that point, though.

Guys, you're making this too hard. If you need to walk outside to take a piss and don't want to sprinkle on your lifting shoes, just get a pair of these:

Amazon.com: Totes Men's Protective Overshoe Rain Shoe: Shoes