How to get meat on your arms

The guy's asking for structural training, not necessarily functional, so there's no need for him to lift heavy weights in order to trim his arms. In my opinion, the best thing for him would be to train the endurance of his muscles, doing as many repetitions as possible until it starts to ache, kind of what Ulysses mentioned.

There are other things to consider too, aside from what has already been mentioned. Ulysses described the supercompensative principle, which is fundamental in every training. But some other things to think about are your individual traits (i.e. genes), the principle of reversibility (easy come, easy go) and also the principle of undergoing specific training, meaning; you're only going to get better at what you do. For instance, there's no point in pumping up your biceps and shoulders if you're a runner.

Also, something that most people seem to overlook is the importance of rest. Sure, you should eat alot, generally keeping a ratio of about 25-30% fat, 55-60% carbohydrates and 10 to 15% proteins, but if you lack the discipline to go to bed in time and rest when you really need to, that exercise won't help you at all. If you want healthy exercise, you need to eat right, train right and rest right.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

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What? He doesn't want to trim his arms, he wants to make them bigger.

My bad, by trimming, I was actually referring to increasing the volume. The difference lies in the fact that he wants to look bigger, he doesn't want to get stronger. That's what I was saying.

Also,

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if it's less than about 6.5 inches, you have a small frame.

Interesting, didn't know about that. I just measured mine, 7 inches. Though I've always considered myself a small-framed person.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Originally Posted by Aardork

Okay, so you wouldn't say that lifting heavy weights is a good way to increase muscle mass?

Lifting heavy weights is a good way to increase your maximum strength, it doesn't make you bigger. The increase in mass is minimal compared to the increase in volume. It's harder to grow new fibres than to increase the volume of the existing ones. A larger mass of muscles doesn't necessarily make you stronger. If you haven't activated enough nerve-units, you won't be able to use the full capacity of the muscle, thus the extra mass is not really necessary.

I get the feeling you still don't understand what I'm trying to say here. The guy wants to look bigger (i.e. he wants to look bigger than what he is right now). Judging by what he has written, he doesn't seem to be the kind who wants to get stronger, he just wants to get bigger. Just because he lifts heavier weights doesn't mean that his growth will become more rapid (individual traits etc.) The kind of muscle growth you usally see is because of the increased volume (the fibres' circumference increases), but that doesn't mean that you have more fibres. The reason you lift weights in the first place is because you want to activate more motoric units in your muscle, thus increasing the overall output capacity. So, in order to actually grow stronger, you don't need to put on a ridiculous amount of muscles, you just need to train the ones you have right now and coordinate the functions inbetween different muscle groups.

So, bottom line is, there's two types of training. I mentioned this before, there's structural (you want to look bigger and toned) and there's functional (you're not interested in looking like a male pornstar, you just want to grow stronger) - I'm trying to make him realise that if he wants to look bigger, he doesn't have to lift an insane amount of weights or add extra muscle mass, he only needs to work the muscles he has right now and increase the volume by working with light/medium weights but by doing more repetitions.

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I think doing exercises like deadlifts, squats and bench press is a great way to give your body an impulse to grow, as in those exercises most of the larger muscles are active. I think those exercises should be at the core of a good regimen; combined with a lot of good food and resting well (as you said), they will make you bigger.

The effect of growth is more substantial at the beginning, but this effect wears off rather fast. That's when it's important to change exercises and target other muscles, or by increasing the intensity of training.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

Originally Posted by SemperFidelis

Hmm, I'm pretty sure you can't "grow" new muscle fibers. All you can do is make the ones you were born with bigger.

Did you even read my post?

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

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Alright, Killy, I understand what you mean now, and you are right. What you said about changing exercises after a while is definitely true (and very important) as well, though I do think that almost any good exercise program should be based on various compound lifts.

Absolutely, and just for the sake of being clear - I wasn't saying that the exercises you had mentioned were bad or anything, but one needs to vary. Free weights are the best, so you're right about that!

Stretching can help against soreness, but I hear that swimming works great too.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Originally Posted by SemperFidelis

My point is that you can't grow new fibers period. All you can do is make the ones you were born with bigger.

But you can grow new fibres, although that growth is - as I have already said - minimal in comparison to the overall increase in volume. Bottom line is, it is possible to add mass to the fibres, but you're not going to grow a bundle of fibres out of nowhere, that's for sure.

Also, if you were unable to grow new fibres, how do you expect damaged tissue to repair itself? For instance when a muscle snaps in half, it needs to grow new fibres and repair the damaged ones.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

Originally Posted by PiccoloNamek

Each muscle comes with a certain number of fibers. This number can never be increased. The fibers can repair themselves, and they can grow bigger, but you can never grow more of them, just like you can't grow more neurons.

I wasn't saying that you could grow brand new ones, but if someone is able to increase his weight with 5kgs of muscle mass and the growth of muscles is largely dependant on the volumous increase, then we're overlooking something. If you increase the volume, you still need to increase the mass as well. So, although it's barely noticable, the fibres can increase their mass, but I believe the volumous increase is the most substantial - there's no doubt about this.

Originally Posted by Killy

But you can grow new fibres, although that growth is - as I have already said - minimal in comparison to the overall increase in volume. Bottom line is, it is possible to add mass to the fibres, but you're not going to grow a bundle of fibres out of nowhere, that's for sure.

A correction is at hand.

FELIPE NO