Some muscle building questions for you lifters & bodybuilder

JG762

I have some questions concerning muscle building, specifically bicep/triceps muscles. I’ve been pretty successful with my weight loss and the majority of my exercise has been cardio (cardio has been very very good to me!) but I’m starting to transition to 50/50 weights vs cardio as I get nearer to my ultimate weight goals. What I’ve noticed and I know I’m not alone here is that I have too much loose skin on my arms, which unfortunately isn’t unexpected.
One of the few places on my body that I feel like I can overcome the loose skin with some hard work/muscle building is my arms, specifically my upper arms.

I’d like to know your thoughts on what I can do to build mass (not necessarily strength) on my arms? I’ve read a few things and there seems to be a couple of schools of thought on lifting heavy weights vs lots of reps with lighter weights to build muscle mass. I’ve watched a number of YouTube vids and they’re fine but most of those people are professional trainers-athletes-bodybuilders etc and that’s cool, but I’m really interested more in someone who may have walked my path and has a stronger understanding of where I’m coming from if that makes any sense. I'm not interested in blowing up my arms just increasing some mass to help minimize some of the loose skin.

So what advice would you give to a 52yr old man who’s lost over 100lbs on how to best build muscle mass in the arms? And since today’s society is an ‘I want it yesterday” sort of thing let’s throw that into the mix. LoL

JoRocka

I feel like you are making a huge assumption that those people came from some where else- perhaps a place of being already super fit?

no one is born super fit- and ultra beefcaked up- that takes a lot of hard work.

And really what works for them will work for you- at your level.

If you are new to lifting- I suggest building a base of strength first- and then focus on hypertrophy.

Looking into something like Starting Strength, Strong lifts, New Rules of lifting- all of them are great programs and will get you set up for whole body programs that will just get you strong.

Working strength as a newb is great- it's like building the engine for your car- after you build the engine and the chasse- you can start doing 'detail' work and adjust goals and needs/wants.

civilizedworm

Yeah I don't know if building your bis/tris will fill in those loose areas with muscle, but I can recommend isolation exercises at the end of your split that target the bis/tris.

My last program, I would do all my small muscles (Small Muscle Sunday) on the last day of my split.

bis
-preacher bench curls
-barbell drag curls
^ Pick one. These I go heavy with a heavy work set to build fatigue ie.e reps like 4x8 or 3x10, followed by:

Sometimes I will sandwich cable curls focusing on the eccentric part of the movement counting down to 8 - 10 seconds.

-seated incline dumbbell curls
-prone dumbbell curls
-dumbbells curls
^ Pick one. These I go light, pyramid up and do as many as I can do until failure. Also as a variations try a double partial rep above the sticking point for extra work.

tris
skull crushers
close grip barbell press
cable tricep extensions

The beginning of my week consists of big compound movements like deadlifts, barbell rows, pull-ups etc that also work your biceps.

212019156

Not knowing how much loose skin you have this is kind of a hard question to address. Assuming you have a lot its probably going to be tough for you to build enough muscle tissue to make a visible difference in this regard.

3laine75

Calorie surplus + lots of hard work in the 6-12 range to build muscle but I'm not sure that's necessarily going to help loose skin

You'd do better with an all over beginners programme as others have said. (and exfoliating and moisturising the offending areas).

JG762

Not knowing how much loose skin you have this is kind of a hard question to address. Assuming you have a lot its probably going to be tough for you to build enough muscle tissue to make a visible difference in this regard.

It's really not bad but enough that I notice it and am aware of it and would like to address it.

mustgetmuscles1

Not sure why you think the "professional trainers-athletes-bodybuilders etc" bodies work differently than yours. If you want a muscle to grow, you have to force it to adapt to the load you are putting on it. Its the same process for everyone. The idea of adding size without strength does not make any sense and "not interested in blowing up my arms" is not something that is possible without years of hard work and food management.

Losing 100+ lbs with mostly cardio has most likely caused a loss of muscle in the process. Starting a full body resistance training program is great idea. Any lost muscle should return pretty quickly as long as you stick to a good program and eat to fuel it. Then you will start the long slow process of adding additional size wherever you want to concentrate on.

http://www.exercisebiology.com/index.php/site/articles/are_low_reps_or_high_reps_better_for_muscle_growth_in_trained_lifters/

cwolfman13

I'd personally recommend just getting in there with a good full body program. I'm currently doing New Rules Supercharged, but I started out a couple of years ago with Starting Strength and then went to Wendler's 5/3/1. Both ultimately had a bit too much emphasis on pure strength training and power lifting so I looked at some other programs.

New Rules Supercharged (or the original) is pretty good...i definitely still work some things in the "strength" rep range, but I do a lot of other accessory work as well. Most of that accessory work would also be considered full body, but I do some "finishing" exercises at the end (my call) and do some isolation stuff for my arms if I have the time and inclination...it isn't a tremendously important to the routine though and my arms have gained a great deal of definition and firmness without that isolation stuff over the last couple of years.

The important thing is to get to work...be consistent...challenge yourself to progressively lift more...and be patient. Body composition work is tedious and it takes time.

JG762

Not sure why you think the "professional trainers-athletes-bodybuilders etc" bodies work differently than yours.

I don't, but it's very likely that their goals and mine are different not to mention that the majority of the videos that I've seen are young men who haven't walked the same path as I have which is why I posted the question and my info on a weight loss website not a weightlifting/bodybuilding site. I figure that I'm much more likely to find someone here who understands what I'm dealing with more than a 20 something bodybuilder who's never had to lose 100+lbs. YMMV...

Thanks for the responses!

SideSteel

Not sure why you think the "professional trainers-athletes-bodybuilders etc" bodies work differently than yours.

I don't, but it's very likely that their goals and mine are different not to mention that the majority of the videos that I've seen are young men who haven't walked the same path as I have which is why I posted the question and my info on a weight loss website not a weightlifting/bodybuilding site. I figure that I'm much more likely to find someone here who understands what I'm dealing with more than a 20 something bodybuilder who's never had to lose 100+lbs. YMMV...

Thanks for the responses!

Understanding what you are feeling does not change the facts about muscle hypertrophy.

EDIT: Let me be clear -- I'm not trying to crap on your feelings here, I'm just stating that they aren't relevant to the answer.

mustgetmuscles1

Not sure why you think the "professional trainers-athletes-bodybuilders etc" bodies work differently than yours.

I don't, but it's very likely that their goals and mine are different not to mention that the majority of the videos that I've seen are young men who haven't walked the same path as I have which is why I posted the question and my info on a weight loss website not a weightlifting/bodybuilding site. I figure that I'm much more likely to find someone here who understands what I'm dealing with more than a 20 something bodybuilder who's never had to lose 100+lbs. YMMV...

Thanks for the responses!

I see. The answer is pretty much the same though. If you want a muscle to grow you have to train it. If you want to retain muscle you have to train it. (look up Sarcopenia).

There is possible differences between the younger guys and us older ones. We may have to do the same amount of work but only see half the results. :happy: The process is the same though.

JoRocka

Not sure why you think the "professional trainers-athletes-bodybuilders etc" bodies work differently than yours.

I don't, but it's very likely that their goals and mine are different not to mention that the majority of the videos that I've seen are young men who haven't walked the same path as I have which is why I posted the question and my info on a weight loss website not a weightlifting/bodybuilding site. I figure that I'm much more likely to find someone here who understands what I'm dealing with more than a 20 something bodybuilder who's never had to lose 100+lbs. YMMV...

Thanks for the responses!

you're goals are build muscles- get strong.

Power lifters = get strong
body builders = build muscle.

goals are about the same- for you- or for them- or for me. You're options are
> you don't use it you lose it (as you have found out)
> you get stronger
> you get bigger

Those are the three things your muscles will do- and that is the same no matter who you are- or where you come from- how fat or how thing you ever once were.


For you- as a beginner- you should do a strength building program- there will be some gains that come from that in terms of size- but it won't be a parallel gain. (Because size does not directly correlate with strength).

Do a strength building beginner program.
Starting strength
Strong lifts
New rules of lifting

all great places to be. I highly recommend them.