Want To Be Fat Forever? Sleep Less

It’s a bold statement but it’s a fact.

Not getting enough nightly sleep will make it harder for you to lose weight and keep it off.

But there is a simple solution.

Read on and I’ll explain.

Why Do We Even Need Sleep?

Dr. Matthew Walker offers an eye-opening, fascinating explanation on why we sleep and the profound consequences of sleep deprivation in his text Why We Sleep: Unlocking the Power of Sleep and Dreams.

As. Dr. Walker eloquently explains, sleep science has come a long way in recent years.

The scientific and medical communities have always told us to get a good night’s sleep.

But neuroscience is now revealing that sleep plays a much bigger role in many areas of our lives that was not understood before.

The recommended amount of sleep for the average adult is 7–9 hours every night.

According to the National Sleep Foundation, there is a small portion of the world population that needs less than 5 hours of sleep without experience adverse effects.

These people are called “short sleepers” and they make up only about 1% of the global population.

Short sleepers have a specific genetic makeup that causes them to be able to function optimally on such a small amount of sleep.

For the rest of us, it’s important to prioritize getting adequate sleep quality and quantity as often as we can.

In this article I’m going to tell you why your lack of sleep can make it difficult for you to lose weight, keep it off and stay overweight forever. 

Photo by Tim De Pauw on Unsplash

Sleep Deprivation Keeps You Fat

Not getting enough sleep plays a few roles in why it makes it so hard for you to lose weight.

In order to lose weight we need to burn more calories during the day than we eat.

This can be done by being active and exercising, eating less or a combination of the two.

Sleep makes both of these activities difficult.

Let me explain

Lack of Sleep Makes You Hungrier

The two primary hormones that govern our appetite are called ghrelin and leptin.

Ghrelin makes you feel hungry and crave sweet and fatty foods.

Leptin is responsible for making you feel full and satisfied when you eat.

It stands to reason that if you want to lose weight, you’d want these two hormones be kept in check.

Well, when you don’t get enough sleep, your body produces greater amounts of ghrelin and less leptin.

This means that not only do you crave sweets and fatty foods, you don’t feel full or satisfied and you are much more likely to overeat high calorie foods.

Photo by Craig Pattenaude on Unsplash

Lack of Sleep Reduces Activity and Exercise Effectiveness

Most people wouldn’t argue that not getting enough sleep makes you feel tired and sluggish throughout the day.

Failing to get enough sleep makes you less likely to engage in exercise and makes you generally move slower.

When you do exercise in an under-slept state, your energy expenditure is significantly reduced and you burn fewer calories than you would if you had gotten plenty of sleep the night before.

Also, when you don’t meet your sleep needs, you tend to move less throughout the entire day.

Many of the calories that you burn during your waking hours are from what is called Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenesis, or NEAT.

A lot of times you don’t even realize when you are engaging in NEAT.

NEAT is simply any activity that you do that is not formal or intentional exercise.

NEAT activities include:

• Fidgeting
• Tapping your foot
• Standing and sitting
• Walking while talking on the phone
• Being physically animated when you talk
• Laughing, smiling and singing.

There’s a lot more NEAT that you do during the day but I think you get the idea.

It’s clear that there is a direct association between getting adequate amounts of sleep and the ability to lose weight and get in shape.

Sleep Makes Weight Loss Easier

Simply stated, when you sleep between 7–9 hours per night on average, your hunger hormones are kept in check.

You tend to have fewer cravings for high calorie junk food and you feel full and satisfied quicker and more often when you eat.

When you get enough sleep for your individual needs, your exercise sessions are more productive and you burn more calories during the day by simply moving more.

The combination of eating fewer calories and burning more calories through exercise and NEAT makes it much easier to lose weight and get in shape.

Photo by Brett Jordan on Unsplash

How to Fix Your Sleep Problem

Most of us have busy lifestyles and full schedules.

Many people cite those two reasons as an excuse as to why they don’t get enough sleep.

Well, surveys have shown that there are other factors at play that are responsible for people getting less sleep than they need.

Here is a list of some of those factors. See if any apply to you.

· Watching TV in the evening

· Scrolling social media at bedtime

· Staying out late

· Consuming caffeine late in the day

· Poor stress management

There are some simple ways to help you get more sleep and start to feel the benefits of being well rested.

Here’s some strategies that you can start implementing today:

· Watch less TV in the evening

· Don’t look at your phone at bedtime

· Set a bedtime and stick to it

· Reduce caffeine and stop drinking it earlier

I’ve studied and written extensively on this topic and I’ve linked to several of my articles below on the consequences of failing to sleep enough.

I’ve also written on how to improve the quality and quantity of your sleep.

Check out my articles below and give some serious thought to what I explain in the posts.

By making sleep a priority in your daily routine, you can experiencing more weight loss quicker and easier, starting today.

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You can also find me here on Twitter/X, where I share my work and the work of my fellow writers, authors and creators.

If you make a purchase using the Amazon link I included in this article, I may receive a monetary commission.

Also Read:

How Aromatherapy Improves Sleep and Exercise Recovery

Don't Let Your Butt Kill You: Let a Doctor Check You Out

Improve Your Wellbeing with Quality Sleep: Are You Getting Enough?

Goal Setting - Lose At Least 100 lbs. With This Strategic Plan

There’s probably a reason you’re looking for proven strategies to lose 100 lbs. or more. Your doctor may have told you to implement healthy habits to lose at least 100 lbs.

Maybe you’d like to appear more professional for your job or career and that will require you to successfully, effectively and sustainably lose over 100 lbs. Or it’s very well possible that you're simply looking for sustainable 100 plus pounds weightloss methods. 

Before I get into the details, I want to make this point very clear: you can lose over 100 pounds without weightloss surgery. I will say it again: You can lose 100 + lbs. without surgery. Read that again and understand that it is possible. Simply follow these methods for sustainable weight loss of over 100 pounds and you'll likely achieve your goal. 

This in-depth post includes affiliate links to products and books which, if you make a purchase using them, I may receive a monetary commission. I'll let you know which are the affiliate links as you read. 

Goal Setting for Successful Weight Loss 

Setting successful goals for significant weight loss is essential for long-term success. That statement may seem like common sense as most people understand how critical it is to establish an effective set of goals to lose a noticeable amount of weight.

One of the problems with this piece of common knowledge is that a lot of people don’t set weight loss goals in a manner that results in long-term, sustainable weight loss of 100 lbs. or more. 

Weightloss Scale Accuracy 

In order to reliably and consistently track your accurate bodyweight as part of your safe and effective weight loss for 100 lbs. or more, your scale must be accurate. This point is very important and non-negotiable.

It can be extremely frustrating and discouraging to see your bodyweight fluctuate so wildly that it seems as though you gain and lose weight randomly when in actuality you could be losing bodyfat and not realize it. 

Your accurate bodyweight scale does not have to be an expensive, high-end device. A simple bathroom scale designed for people who are significantly overweight is all that is needed. It is sometimes difficult to find a quality scale for people who weigh 500 lbs. or more.

My Personal Weightloss Scale Recommendation  

As a Fitness Coach, Certified Personal Trainer and Weight Management Specialist, I am considered an authority in the field of weightloss.  As such, I am confident in my recommendation and endorsement of a quality, durable weight loss scale for significantly overweight people. 

The ZOETOUCH Digital Scale (affiliate link) is designed for heavy people with a wide platform and a capacity of 560 lbs. It has an easy to read LED display and comes with batteries. The simplicity in its design makes it a great option at a reasonable, affordable price. 

The scale is not fancy, has no unnecessary features and it will allow you to accurately keep track of your bodyweight over the long term. 

Once you have your quality weight loss scale that is designed for people who are very overweight, you’ll be able to confidently track your progress as you meet your established goals.

Short-Term Goals 

Short term goals for sustainable weight loss are important to keep you on track as you embark on your long-term journey to achieving a lower bodyweight.

As part of your gradual weight loss plan to lose 100 + lbs., your short-term weight loss goals should be on the timeline of two weeks at a time.

Sometimes it’s recommended that you keep track of how much you weigh on a weekly basis, and that’s fine if you’d like to watch the scale go down on the short term. But as you document your weight as you lose the pounds, you may notice fluctuations due to body water loss and retention.

It is important to remember that when you set your plan and put into place your proven strategies to lose 100 lbs. or more, the tendency to have large fluctuations of water weight can cause the numbers you see on the scale to wildly go up and down day to day. By keeping track of your body weight in two week increments, you will likely see a gradual decrease in your body weight. 

If you are extremely overweight or obese and you implement your healthy habits for losing 100 + lbs., you may see a very dramatic loss of bodyweight in the first few weeks of your weight loss journey.

It is not uncommon for heavyset people to lose 5 – 10 lbs. of body weight per week in the first few weeks. Keep in mind that when you put into place your gradual weight loss plan to lose over 100 lbs., you’ll lose bodyfat along the way. However, that extreme weight loss over the first few weeks will likely be mostly water weight and that rate of loss will be reduced and will stabilize. 

That being said, your short term, significant weight loss goal should be established and tracked in two week increments. 

Medium-Term Goals 

Your medium-term goals for losing a large part of your total body weight should be in about 12 week increments. I’ll explain later that a part of your proven strategies to lose 100 pounds or more  includes the process of periodization.

What that means is that you’ll use the healthy habits for losing 100+ pounds and experience sustainable weight loss in periods of 12 weeks at a time. 

One of the proven strategies to lose 100 pounds or more is to set your medium term goals with an end date of 12 weeks. This period of time is sufficient to see a gradual reduction in your total bodyweight. 

Long-Term Goals 

In your long-term weight loss plan to lose over 100 lbs., it is essential to establish long-term goals. For the sake of this sustainable 100+ lb. weight loss method, a long-term goal of 1 year is an easy end point. To enjoy significant, sustainable weight loss, it may take several years to reach your end goal.

In may be counterintuitive, but setting your sites on a distant goal of losing over 100 lbs. or more of bodyfat may be discouraging and it’s easy to go off course if you don’t track your progress over shorter periods of time. 

So, it’s a good idea to set your long-term weightloss goal of over 100 pounds at 52 weeks. But remember, this gradual weightloss plan to lose a significant amount of bodyweight may take longer than a year. And that is ok. Maybe it will take you two years or even three or four years to get to your desired bodyweight after losing over 100 lbs. 

See the Results Along the Way 

When putting an effective plan to lose more than 100 lbs in place, some people get so caught up in the end goal that they don’t enjoy and appreciate the progress that is made along the way. Sustainable weightloss of 100 + pounds takes time. You will not just wake up one day and be over 100 lbs. lighter. 

However, as you gradually lose bodyfat, you’ll see and feel positive changes with your body. For example, every month your clothes may become loser and your face and neck appear thinner. It’s likely that people will notice and start to give compliments that will further motivate you to stick to your proven strategies to lose 100 lbs. or more. 

As you experience these results along the way, every week and month, enjoy and appreciate what you’ve accomplished. You’ll feel motivated and confident as you: 

·         See the numbers on the scale consistently go down

·         Watch your clothes become looser

·         Feel more energized and light on your feet

·         Impress your doctor with your improved health markers

·         Regularly get compliments on your weight loss as people notice

Perhaps the only downside of your plan for long-term weight loss for 100 lbs. or more is that you’ll need a new wardrobe! 

Set Your S.M.A.R.T. Goals  

Safe and effective weight loss goals for losing over 100 lbs. should adhere to the components of a simple acronym: S.M.A.R.T

The goals of your gradual weight loss plan for 100 lbs. should be: 

Specific 

Your short-term, medium-term and long-term goals need to be specific, not general or arbitrary. Instead of saying, “I want to lose a lot of weight” or “I plan on losing over 100 lbs.”, establish specific bodyweight goals for every period of your long-term weight loss of 100 pounds or more. 

If you exceed your weight loss goal and lose more weight than you planned on, that’s ok. Just stick to your program and adjust your goals accordingly. 

A very good goal is to lose 2% of your bodyweight every 2 weeks. That means if you weigh: 

• 300 lbs. you’ll lose 6 lbs.
• 350 lbs. you’ll lose 7 lbs.
• 400 lbs. you’ll lose 8 lbs.
• 450 lbs. you’ll lose 9 lbs. 

As you achieve your lower bodyweight along the way, you’ll need to adjust your calculations after you achieve your medium-term goal of 12 weeks. 

Measurable 

As stated above, when you set realistic weight loss goals of 100+ lbs, you need to have a metric by which to measure the weight loss. As part of these proven strategies to lose 100 lbs. or more, you’ll measure your progress in pounds. 

Attainable 

In should go without saying that your goals should be attainable. Don’t make the mistake of setting extreme goals that are very difficult or impossible to achieve. In this case, if you happen to achieve significant weight loss in a short period of time, it will likely be unsustainable. 

In reality, you should implement a gradual weight loss plan for 100+ pounds. As I previously stated, an example of this would be to set the attainable goal of losing 2% of your bodyweight every two weeks. This is a slower process to lose a significant amount of bodyweight, but it is also the most effective and sustainable. 

Relevant 

Your long-term weight loss goals for over 100 pounds should be in line with your reason and purpose of dropping the pounds. Do you need to reduce your blood pressure or cholesterol? Do you want to have more energy and feel better in general? Do you want to have more confidence in your appearance?

The reason why you implement your sustainable 100 + weight loss methods and establish your goals matters. Keep your focus and purpose on why you’re embarking on your weight loss journey and keep track of those measurable objectives. 

Time-Bound 

I’ve already talked about setting your short-term, medium-term and long-term goals. There must be an end date for each period of significant weight loss. This keeps you motivated and allows you to set your sites on a shorter time period. Once you hit each goal along the way, you can maintain your momentum and accelerate toward your next establish goal.

 So, you’ll see measurable results every two weeks, 12 weeks and 52 weeks. And those results can be dramatic! 

Additional Reading

Renaissance Diet 2.0 (affiliate link)

Prevent Weight Gain and Muscle Loss with Better Sleep

3 Major Weight Loss Myths That Will Sabotage Your Results

How to Get Compliments in the Gym: 7 Strategies That Really Work

A lot of people want to know how to get compliments in the gym, weight room or health club and as I’m sometimes asked, what are the best tips for getting noticed in the gym. 

In this post, I’ll look at seven effective strategies to gain fellow gymgoers’ attraction, respect, and admiration. Applied with patience and focus, these tips can result in others noticing you and sometimes giving you genuine compliments on your physique, exercise technique or even your personality. 

1. Be Confident

It has been well established that people who carry themselves with confidence are more likely to gain the attraction and respect of others. This is a widely recognized psychological concept regarding human behavior, self-confidence, and interpersonal dynamics. 

While the level of attraction and the depth of the respect can be debated, it is true nonetheless. 

When I speak of confidence in this context, don’t mistake it for arrogance. There is a time and a place for subtle arrogance but the gym is rarely the place. 

The reasons for showing confidence are many, but as I refer to it in the gym setting, it can carry over to a few important aspects. 

• You’ll be noticed by others, of all genders

• You may be more physically attractive to others

•  You’ll be more likely to improve your own confidence

• You’ll be more likely to perform better in the gym 

Many serious gymgoers, particularly bodybuilders, strength athletes and physique competitors, train by themselves. Even those who have training partners are know for serious focus, avoiding eye contact and social interaction altogether. That is perfectly fine, especially if it allows you to concentrate on your lifts, technique, mental arousal and prevents unnecessary distraction. 

But if you’re interested in getting compliments in the gym and being noticed while working out, eye contact and being open to a bit of conversation with others may be a good idea. In fact, part of the demonstration of confidence is the ability to interact with others without fear or hesitation. 

So, lift your chin a little higher, avoid hunching over and put your chest out (very slightly). These little tricks that show confidence in the gym are surprisingly effective. 

2. Be Humble

Given how important the display of confidence in the gym is so important for gaining other people’s attention and admiration, it may seem contradictory that the act of being humble is very important for getting compliments in the gym. 

Being humble in this sense doesn’t mean being shy or self-deprecating, it simply means that you silently celebrate your achievements and accomplishments with your progress, whether with you level of muscularity, leanness or performance of your lifts. 

Recognizing that you’re doing good things for your body, health and, let’s face it, developing a lean, muscular physique, is something that you should be doing. 

But being humble in this context means not throwing your achievements in people’s faces but rather remaining quiet about them and let your effort, progress and accomplishments in your body’s development speak for themselves. 

3. Don’t Humble Brag

If you’re not familiar with the term “humble brag”, it can be a major turnoff for many. Throwing out a humble brag means to boast about an achievement or admirable quality but disguising it as being humble or self-deprecating.

An example of a humble brag in the gym is, “Man, I’ve barely been eating and my new baby is keeping me up at night. It’s a miracle I only benched 300 lbs. today.” Or “My diet is off this week and my bodyweight is up a few lbs. I don’t know why I keep getting complimented on how lean I look.” 

In all my years working and training in the gym setting, I’ve heard plenty of humble brags and seen just as many eye rolls in response to said humble brag.

So, don’t do it if you want to be admired in the gym and receive genuine compliments. 

4. Don’t Fish for Compliments 

Just as bad, if not worse, as humble bragging is fishing for compliments. In many instances this means to make statements or carry yourself in a manner that attempts to illicit compliments from others.

Basically, fishing for compliments means repetitively making statements about your physique, strength or other related aspects of training, diet or exercise that coerce a person to say something positive about you.

For example, telling someone that you think your fat, you’re not lean enough, or you’ll be chubby forever over and over may make someone think it necessary to make a comment to the contrary. They may say something like, “Come on, you’re not fat. Look at how big your arms are. Your chest is huge.” 

Or, continuously flexing your biceps in the mirror while making eye contact with someone or changing your body position or proximity to them for the purpose of causing them to notice your muscle development may be considered fishing for a compliment. 

To take it a step further, throwing in a humble brag like, “Spotting that guy while he was bench pressing gave me this pump. I’m not even training traps today.” If you think about it, there’s more than one thing wrong with that statement. 

Fishing for compliments in the gym is the opposite of being confident. It’s downright pathetic. 

5. Don’t Be Creepy

Come on guys, lurking around females, and puffing out your chest in an attempt to look confident and jacked is a major turnoff to most ladies. Getting inappropriately close, touching them without their consent and over-complimenting them on their physique or how well their workout attire fits them crosses a line.

Let’s not forget about interrupting a female while she’s exercising, logging her set, or catching her breath, especially if she has earphones on just to humble brag or something similarity cringy. That is no way to get a genuine compliment in the gym, let alone get a girl’s phone number or setting a romantic date.

These attempts at getting a lady to compliment you during a workout is a bad idea and usually comes across as creepy. 

6. Use Good Technique While Lifting Weights 

One surefire way to gain the respect of others in the weight room is using good technique while performing your lifts. For the most part, people aren’t as impressed with how much weight you can lift if you perform your exercises with sloppy technique.

Ego lifting is a recipe for injury, eyerolling and even negative opinions. It typically does nothing for building muscle mass, building meaningful strength and certainly not athletism in most sports. 

It's one thing to train with what Arnold Schwarzenegger referred to as aggression and joy. Sometimes you have to get fired up for a big lift and test the limits of your strength. That’s fine, even advisable at times, but the practice should be used in moderation without the objective of gaining others respect, attention, or compliments. 

What is impressive is the use of sound technique when performing your movements, particularly the basic compound lifts like bench presses, squats, rows, and deadlift variations. In most cases, a person will gain far more respect and admiration if they use proper, controlled technique while performing their exercises, no matter how much weight they are using.  

If your purpose is to build as much muscle mass as possible over your whole body, it’s important to implement scientific principles of hypertrophy training, which includes progressive overload using incremental increases in weight, repetitions, and relative intensity. This requires using sound exercise technique to stimulate continuous muscle growth with minimal risk of injury. 

Also, proper, laser focused attention on muscle tension and proper exercise execution to build the muscle tissue on the biceps, chest and calves is critical. This is especially true when using the highly effective technique of stretch-mediated hypertrophy, particularly when training to build big biceps. 

I’m going to throw out a humble brag here myself. Because of my consistent focus on mindful, deliberate exercise execution and near flawless technique, I have been complimented dozens of times. Even when using submaximal weights, it is seemingly impressive to other serious muscle enthusiasts in the gym. Dare I say that this is by far the quality that has gotten me the most complements in the gym. Also, it is important to note that I am humble about my performance, and I never brag and I always try not to be creepy. 

So, another effective, perhaps the most effective way, to get compliments in the gym is to always try your best to use proper technique while working out and to avoid ego lifting.

You’ll probably become more muscular and develop a lean, jacked physique in the process. 

7. Be Consistent

All of these tips for getting compliments in the weight room work well, especially when applied consistently.

Consistency applies to several important components in this context.

• Consistently showing up to the gym
• Consistently making progress, no matter how small
•  Consistently using good technique
•  Consistently being confident but humble

Being consistent with all these aspects are more likely to get you compliments in the gym. Most of this happens when they are all applied together. It’s far more likely that you’ll build an impressive lean, muscular physique and get stronger all while making a proven subconscious impression on others through the display of confidence and humility. 

Start Getting Compliments

So, fellow muscle enthusiast, go forth and put into practice these tips for getting complimented in the gym and weight room. Start small if you must but be patient and enjoy the compliments as they come.

They may be infrequent at times, but that doesn’t mean that people aren’t watching you with admiration and attraction. Just keep it up and feel good as you get genuine compliments from others in the gym. 

Also Read

2 Must-Read Muscle Building Books to Add to Your Library

Build Bigger Arms: 8 Essential Tips for Noticeable Muscle Growth

Compelling Review of Creatine Monohydrate for Muscle Building

Build Bigger Arms: 8 Essential Tips for Noticeable Muscle Growth

A muscular, built upper body has always been the foundation for bodybuilders and muscle enthusiasts. A well-developed chest and sculpted shoulders set the stage for an impressive physique. 

While chiseled abs have their appeal, let's be practical – how often are you walking around shirtless? When building your body, practicality dictates that strength emanates from your arms. 

In this guide, I’ll delve into the fundamentals of building maximum arm size and strength. 

Understanding the Muscles of the Arms 

To build what are considered big arms, it's crucial to understand the arm muscles and how they function. 

Biceps

The bicep muscle comprises two heads, the short head (bicep brachii) and the long head (bicep brachii). Both extend from the shoulder blade to the forearm. 

Triceps

Located on the back of your upper arm, the tricep is the opposite of the bicep. It consists of three muscle heads: the long head, lateral head, and medial head. These muscles work independently to extend the arm from the elbow joint. 

Forearms

The forearm is a single muscle connecting the hand to the upper arm. It can be divided into two parts, the anterior (front) and posterior (back), and plays a significant role in controlling the hands and fingers, directly impacting grip strength. 

Understanding these muscles and their interactions is vital for effectively building bigger arms. 

Keeping up-to-date on the latest muscle building research and the best scientific principles of hypertrophy training is crucial in your quest to build large, muscular arms. 

Training Techniques to Build Big Arms 

Read on and learn 8 essential tips to build noticeably bigger arms.

1. Stretch Mediated Hypertrophy Builds Bigger Biceps

Recent scientific research supports the idea that stretch mediated hypertrophy, a process involving stretching and tension during resistance exercises, is an effective method for building muscle, including bigger arms.

To achieve substantial arm growth, focus on exercises that emphasize the stretched portion of each repetition. 

To learn more about the powerful muscle building process to grow large arm muscles, read my popular post The Science of Building Big Arms: A How-To Guide  

2. Blood Flow Restriction Training

Also referred to as BFR, this technique restricts blood flow to the muscles, causing blood to pool within the muscle, resulting in a remarkable pump. By occluding the muscles, you stimulate large fast-twitch muscle fibers, promoting significant growth. 

You can use knee wraps, wrist wraps or a medical tourniquet for this method during a superset of triceps and biceps exercises.

Sample BFR Workout 

Tricep  Pressdown: 1 set of 30 reps (superset with dumbbell curls)

Standing Dumbbell Curls: 1 set of 30 reps

Tricep Rope Pressdowns: 1 set of 15 reps (superset with dumbbell curls)

Standing Dumbbell Curls: 1 set of 15 reps

Complete three sets of 15 reps, then remove the tourniquet.

3. Increase Your Volume for Bigger Arms

Research shows a direct correlation between volume and muscle growth. Consider adding extra sets and training arms three times per week to enhance arm size. Gradually increase your volume to minimize the risk of injury. 

4. Use Different Angles to Build Big Upper Arms

To stimulate arm growth effectively, target your arms from various angles. For biceps, incorporate incline curls and chin-ups. For triceps, perform overhead tricep extensions to engage different muscle heads. 

Exercise Ideas to Build Big Arms 

Incline Dumbbell Curls: 4 sets of 8-10 reps

Bodyweight Tricep Dips: 4 sets of 15-20 reps

Standing Barbell Curls: 4 sets of 6-8 reps

Narrow-grip Bench Press or JM Press: 4 sets of 6-8 reps

Preacher Curls: 4 sets of 12 reps

Ez-Bar French Press: 4 sets of 12 reps 

5. Superset to Build Big Arms 

To boost arm growth, incorporate supersets for bicep and tricep routines. This technique increases blood flow, delivering essential nutrients to your arms, making your training more effective. 

6. Use Intensity Techniques to Grow Bigger Arms

Introduce intense routines like supersets, dropsets, pyramids, or running the rack periodically to challenge your muscles and promote arm growth. 

7. Use Creatine Monohydrate to Build Big Arms

Creatine monohydrate functions by supplying essential compounds required for ATP production, a key enzyme facilitating rapid muscle contractions and quicker recovery. 

Consistent creatine intake enables muscles to endure prolonged, high-intensity workloads, leading to enhanced strength, endurance, and muscle size. Users of a high-quality creatine monohydrate powder supplement (affiliate link) usually observe noticeable results within two weeks of beginning its use. 

It's important to note that the initial weight gain is attributed to the phenomenon of intracellular hydration.

8. Eat Good Food to Build Big Arms 

Nutrition plays a vital role in achieving your desired arm size. Consume nutrient-dense foods and adequate protein. Track your caloric intake, and if you're not gaining weight, increase your daily calories to gain the desired arm size. 

Consistency Is the Key to Building Big Arms 

Building bigger arms requires dedication, patience, and a well-rounded approach to training. By understanding the arm muscles, employing effective training techniques, and maintaining a proper diet, you can achieve the strong, muscular arms you desire. 

Remember, it's a journey that requires commitment, but the results are worth the effort.

*Please note: If you make a purchase using any of the affiliate links in this post, I may receive a monetary commission.

Also Read

Unlock Your Arm Potential: Effective Muscle Building Tool for Arms

2 Must-Read Muscle Building Books to Add to Your Library

Compelling Review of Creatine Monohydrate for Muscle Building

References

Smith SA, Montain SJ, Zientara GP, Fielding RA. Use of phosphocreatine kinetics to determine the influence of creatine on muscle mitochondrial respiration: an in vivo 31P-MRS study of oral creatine ingestion. J Appl Physiol. 2004 Jun;96(6):2288-92.

William N. Taylor, M.D.  Anabolic Steroids and the Athlete, Second Edition.  Published 2002 McFarland & Company, Inc., Publishers. pp 239-243. 

Brose A, Parise G, Tarnopolsky MA. Creatine supplementation enhances isometric strength and body composition improvements following strength exercise training in older adults. J Gerontol A Biol Sci Med Sci. 2003 Jan;58(1):11-9.

A Fitness Coach's Editorial: Exercise Technique at the Commercial Gym

Here I present a bit of an editorial post. It involves subject matter that may be a little controversial but it is true nonetheless, at least in my opinion. I base the observations that I’m about to describe on decades of training, study, application and my professional fitness expertise. 

My Fitness and Exercise History

I’ve always been an enthusiast of all things muscle. Since the age of 15 I’ve taken in as much literature, education and fitness-related material that I possible could. I started bodybuilding before I could legally drive in the U.S. and I have hitchhiked to they gym, in a blizzard, out of desperation, so that I could get to the gym to get in a workout.

Like many other high school athletes and young men who wanted to achieve a lean, muscular physique, I devoured the content of muscle magazines and outdated text books to find the most optimal strategies to build massive amounts of muscle mass.

Back in the 1990’s I didn’t understand the science of muscle hypertrophy as a lot of young men know it today. Thanks to YouTube influencers, good and bad, the information is out there, albeit with much debate and at time, contentious. 

For example, it is now understood that one of the most effective ways to build large, full biceps is through stretch-mediated hypertrophy. This science-based concept for building big biceps has gained traction and has showed a lot of promise, although it’s full effectiveness is still debated in the fitness community.

My Fitness and Exercise Training

Once I started to build a solid base of muscle tissue and learned exercise technique from some experienced lifters and gymgoers, I pursued a personal training certification. I got certified as a personal trainer at age 20 and I started working at a major commercial gym, gradually working my way to a middle management position.

I felt confident in my knowledge, experience and relative success as a bodybuilder and I moved in circles of men and women who mostly lived the bodybuilding lifestyle. As such, I developed an eye for poor, sometimes risky, exercise technique and execution. This furthered my endeavor to educate the general population on exercise program development and safe, sustainable program design.

I was transferred to several gyms in the Baltimore, MD area into the early 2000’s and I took up competitive powerlifting. It was during my experiences as a strength athlete that I perfected the squat, bench press and deadlift, putting up relatively impressive numbers for my age at the time. 

My diligence in learning, engraining and perfecting my form in the big three lifts carried over to my laser-focused techniques in all of my accessory exercises as well. I got guidance and encouragement from my powerlifting coach, training seminars and, of course, from men and women much stronger and more experienced than me.

In 2002, I became a police officer and redirected my time and attention to law enforcement training and developing my skill and knowledge to perform my job as safely and effectively as possible. As I got settled in, my passion for powerlifting returned and I competed for another 10 years as a strength athlete.

To maintain a balance of powerlifting training and my career, I found it best to build my dream gym in my home’s two car garage. It was there for nearly 20 years I trained alone, applying my accumulating knowledge of exercise science and application. I was sequestered from the commercial gym setting and I took for granted the 25 years of exposure I had to high level, expert training and fitness-related education.

I made almost no observations of the general population exercising inefficiently in a commercial setting, violating gym etiquette standards and performing their lifts with horrific, dangerous technique. 

My Commercial Gym Observations

In 2023, a YMCA facility opened very close to my home and I took advantage of it’s close proximity to my residence and the availability of a variety of modern exercise equipment. The first days in the gym were awe-inspiring for me. I hadn’t seen so many quality machines, racks and free weights in a very long time. I also hadn’t seen the masses exercising in such a cringy manner either.

As if I didn’t know this already, the vast majority of exercisers used very poor technique and their exercise selection was curious. I was reminded that most people don’t squat with proper depth, don’t use a full range of motion and many of the men used far too much weight than what would be ideal for their given movement. The only thing I saw people getting good at was increasing their risk for injury and being sloppy exercisers.

What kind of surprised me, but shouldn’t have, was that most women used better technique and selected exercise more intelligently than many of the men. I attribute a lot of this to the fact that women generally aren’t “ego lifters” and they typically don’t try to impress others in the gym. 

As such, they usually take care in selecting their load and choose exercises that are most effective for their target muscle versus the exercises that allow them to move a massive amount of weight. 

Take Away for Better Fitness Results

People will forever exercise ineffectively in an unsafe, inefficient manner. This is one of the reasons many do not see positive results and get frustrated, leading them to fall off a consistent exercise program. Injuries are common amongst exercisers who perform lifts inappropriately, which keeps them out of the gym for extended periods of time. 

So, fellow fitness enthusiast, I suggest you seek out as much quality information as you can on proper exercise selection and technique and the most effective, scientific principles to build a lean, muscular physique. This often involves humbling yourself, slowing down and spending time and effort perfecting proper, safe exercise form.

Also, gentlemen, take a hint from the ladies. Stop ego lifting, lighten your load and select exercises that are appropriate for your goals, not impressing other people in the gym. Believe me, most gymgoers don’t care about how much weight you lift.

My Fitness Enhancement Recommendation 

Now, go have a productive workout and please, pay attention to your form and exercise technique and if you need help or assistance, don’t be embarrassed to seek out the guidance of a professional online fitness coach or certified personal trainer.

Also, I suggest reading up on current literature on exercise program design, application and execution. By educating yourself and interacting with experienced, knowledgeable, fitness enthusiasts, you’ll likely reap the rewards and achieve your muscular, lean body.

Also Read

Two Must Read Muscle Building Books to Add to Your Library

How to Get Compliments in the Gym: 7 Strategies That Really Work

References

1. Wakahara, T., et al. (2012). Stretch-mediated hypertrophy in the vastus lateralis muscle and patellar tendon. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 26(2), 567-573. This study investigates the potential for stretch-mediated hypertrophy in the quadriceps muscles and tendons. It suggests that muscle elongation may play a role in hypertrophy.

2. McMahon, G. E., et al. (2014). Influence of concentric and eccentric resistance training on architectural adaptation in human quadriceps muscles. Journal of Applied Physiology, 116(11), 1493-1502. This study examines the effects of eccentric (stretching) and concentric (contraction) resistance training on muscle architecture, providing insights into the role of muscle lengthening in muscle hypertrophy.

3. Kubo, K., et al. (2007). Effects of repeated muscle contractions on the tendon structures in humans. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 99(4), 423-429. This study investigates how muscle contractions affect tendon structures, suggesting that muscle tension alone, without stretch, may be sufficient for muscle adaptation.

4. Blazevich, A. J. (2006). Effects of physical training and detraining, immobilization, growth and aging on human fascicle geometry. Sports Medicine, 36(12), 1003-1017. Blazevich's review article discusses how muscle fascicle geometry changes in response to various stimuli, including resistance training, and may provide insights into the role of muscle stretch in hypertrophy.