need help on upper arm (bi/triceps)

I've been doing weight lifting for 3 months, during the period, I've gained about 15 lbs of (mostly muscle, I believe...hopefully) weight, chest increased from 91cm to 98cm, shoulders grew 3cm as well (allow some minor discrepencies due to pumped and resting stage). The problem is my arms are not growing even though I split up my time pretty evenly between muscle groups, and I AM stressing my biceps pretty hard (it's not saying much, since I am skinny to begin with, and my biceps got stressed easily. but that should be the winning formula, right?), I'm yet to see any solid progress compares to chest and shoulders, right now my arm is at a puny 33cm (around 12 inch?) when flexed.

what I've been doing is simple dumbell curls, 3 or 4 sets or decreasing number of reps and increasing weights, but very effective in getting my biceps exhausted. (same thing with triceps, and they are even weaker)

I tried to search for answer on the web, some say tall people with relatively longer muscle fibers in arms are just harder to work with, period. now, I am 6'3, but I wear size R suits (33 sleeve length shirts), it's my legs that are relatively longer. even assuming the case that my arms are long (which they aren't), still I see those 6-foot-and-above NBA players with solid arms, something is definitely missing.

please help me, what am I doing wrong?

I'm no expert, but give chinups a shot rather than curls.

the best upper arm results I ahve ever seen has been with working the tricep not the bicep. dips are great, as is anything with a dumbell or barbell that works the triceps, give that a try for a month or so and see how big your arm is.

Bench pressing and doing chinups helped my arms more than anything. I don't even do curls. According to all the Starting Strengthesque routines I've read, bicep curls aren't for beginners anyway. You'll get more doing chinups and bench.

Originally Posted by javyn

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Bench pressing and doing chinups helped my arms more than anything. I don't even do curls. According to all the Starting Strengthesque routines I've read, bicep curls aren't for beginners anyway. You'll get more doing chinups and bench.

I don't do curls, either. I did them for years, now all I do is bench, lat pulldown, squat. I am too busy for bar body ****.

How's your diet? A good protein supplement would do wonders for adding size.

Everyone has problem areas of development. I'd try doing back and biceps on the same day.

Focus on compound lifts; pullups, pulldowns and tricep exercises.

Nothing beats the dudes wearing ed hardy tshirts 3 sizes too small with biceps that are bigger than their calves...

Originally Posted by hboogz

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Focus on compound lifts; pullups, pulldowns and tricep exercises.

Nothing beats the dudes wearing ed hardy tshirts 3 sizes too small with biceps that are bigger than their calves...

:rofl I hate those shirts...LOL.

Skull crushers.
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You're 6'3" and you have 12" arms. You need food. If you ate more and did just lived life with no resistance training your arms would still grow.

lefty

More Food. 2.2g protein per kilo of bodyweight per day. Whey protein post-workout and when you wake up in the morning. Whole food protein throughout the day. Oatmeal a few hours before your workout. Post-workout, immediate blast of simple carbs, followed by a full meal within an hour.

The post-workout simple carbs are key. Maybe 200-250 calories worth (50-62.5g). You want to spike your insulin levels to begin your recovery immediately.

Now your heavy tri work should begin to pay returns. If you haven't started doing heavy tri work, start now.

You need more.

Chin ups (4 sets)
Simultaneous Curls (4 sets)
One arm then the other curls (4 sets)
Rows of some sort (rowing) (4 sets)

That plus tons of protein. Then maybe you'll see results. As you describe now, I wouldn't expect much. (Btw - triceps are a bit easier... but you should want both)

Originally Posted by lefty

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You're 6'3" and you have 12" arms. You need food. If you ate more and did just lived life with no resistance training your arms would still grow.

lefty

Exactly. You can't magically put size on your upper arms. Gain weight and it will distribute itself on your body (including your arms).

Squat, Deadlift, Bench Press and drink a gallon of milk a day. Your arms will get bigger.

OK two things:
1. Make sure you're working biceps and triceps 1 to two times per week and are doing 3 to 4 exercises consisting of 3-4 sets; for me it's
Bicep: 3 sets concentration curls; 4 sets hammer curls; 4 sets preacher curls
Tricep: 3 sets skull crusher; 4 sets tricep pulldowns(the best imo); 4 sets overhead lift
2. The real gains come during mealtime, make sure you're eating clean, consuming 30g of protein after your workout, and have about a 300-400 calorie surplus

No way you put on 15 pounds of muscle in 12 weeks.