Building large, shapely arms is everyone's initial goal when they first start out training. It's the measure by which every judges your progress. However, when you look around the gym you see guy after guy struggling to put any size on, mostly due to improper form and very poor lifting routines. Everyone responds differently to training. Some see more progress with high reps while other see more with higher weight. You're going to have to find out what works best for you. There are, however, specific principles that when applied can yield more muscle mass than you could other wise achieve normally. I'm going to give you these pointers - take them as you may.

The first pointer I'd like to give out is the fact that I've noticed a lot of trainees including myself responding better to higher repetitions than that of lower reps for the biceps. Since the bicep muscle is so small, it can't really exert enough force through lifting heavy to stimulate growth. A set of 6-8 reps may work for beginners, but as you get more advanced you're going to have to up both the weight and the intensity if you want to continue to see progress. Both compound sets and drop sets are perfect for the biceps - they give you the best of both worlds, high repetitions and heavy weight. Give it a try and watch your muscles balloon.

The second tip I'd like to give away is combining a stretching movement with a compound one. For example, you'd use overhead triceps extensions with triceps pressdowns. The "stretch" position activates what's known as the myotatic reflex - a condition that stimulates muscle fibers that would otherwise stay dormant through normal exercise. Then, when you immediately follow it with a compound exercise, you stimulate these otherwise dormant muscles to grow - this principle holds true for all body parts but is especially effective with arm training. Give it a try.

The next thing I'd like to pint out with am training is the fact that they seem to get more stimulation by doing them with their mutually active body part.(ie. back and bi's - chest and tri's) This is for two reasons. For one, you avoid overtraining by giving the muscle in question ample time to grow and recuperate. Secondly, working them in with their stronger counterpart can yield more size and strength gains than would be achieved alone. So the next time you structure a workout out routine, make sure you work the right body parts on the right days.

Another issue I'd like to point out with arm training is form and tempo. You see a lot of guys in the gym swings heavy weights around - you know the one's, they're working their biceps yet every other muscle in their body is doing the actual work to get the weight up. The key to getting your arms as big as possible is to deliver the stimulus to grow to them rather than transfer it throughout your entire body. This means using strict and proper form concentrating on letting the muscle do the work rather than momentum. Remember, the weight is a means to end - bigger muscles - not something that is an end goal, that is of course, unless you're a powerlifter. If you can stimulate more muscle with 20 lbs rather than 40, then why use 40?......to inflate your ego? Check your ego at the door, lift weights that are going to stimulate muscle, and before you know it you'll be bigger and stronger than most in the gym.

There you have it, the secret to big, muscular arms. As you can see there's no real secret - just hard work and application of some basic principles. Keep in mind intensity above and beyond all else is what determines the amount of muscle you gain. If you haven't seen results in awhile, take a look at your routine - ask yourself if you've been lifting as hard as you truly could. Lift hard, train intense, and you'll grow.