The 2021 version of August of Arms is going to be completely INSANE!

It’s gonna be the best time you’ve had training all year long, and the 31 Most INTENSE Days of Your LIFE!

If you’re ready to take on the challenge, put your info in the box below.

This will ensure you’re among the FIRST ONES on the list who get access to August of Arms 2021!

Hey DIESELS!

Today, I’m going to share with you one of the Finishers from the 2021 August of Arms Program – it’s one I came up with years ago, and I just recently added it back into my program.

This is called Rope Curl-ups, and yesterday I did these with more weight than I ever have.

It’s nice to know that all the Arm Training I’ve been doing has paid off in MORE STRENGTH.

Soon, it will be time to make these things SWELL UP BIGGER THAN EVER!

The 2021 version of August of Arms is going to be completely INSANE!

It’s gonna be the best time you’ve had training all year long, and the 31 Most INTENSE Days of Your LIFE!

If you’re ready to take on the challenge, put your info in the box below to make sure you’re the FIRST ONES on the list who get access to August of Arms 2021!

I can’t wait to do this program, and I hope you’re just as excited as well.

Thanks and all the best in your training!

NAPALM

August of Arms 2015

You Son of a B*tch!

When set out to put August of Arms 2015 together, I wanted it to be something different.

Not just the same old arm training B.S. where it’s a bunch of endless reps, and all you’re trying to do is get a pump.

While the size is good, I always thought it was best to build some strength along with it.

So, I worked plenty of strength training into the August of Arms layout as well.

In fact, the first workout of August of Arms is a Testing Day where you get your baseline strength measurements.

There are 4 different movements that I chose. One low-volume test for both biceps and triceps, and one high-volume test for both biceps and triceps.

If you think that August of Arms is just the same old stuff regurgitated, then you’re wrong, brother. Period.

I needed to have these videos ready for the initial release of the product, so I shot them several days early.

Here’s how I did in my baseline arm strength and endurance tests.

Close Grip Bench Press – Bodyweight for Reps

Barbell Curl – 135lbs for Reps

One Arm French Press – 30lbs for 100 reps AFAP

Poundstone Curl – 45lbs for 100 reps AFAP

I thought, going in, that I had chosen some pretty good benchmark movements, and after going through them myself, I feel even more strongly that I picked good movements to track progress.

Throughout the month, aside from doing exercises that are going to add size to your arms, you’ll also be doing other lifts that contribute to your performance on these 4 key lifts.

I feel that this month’s program is gonna be awesome for you. It’s different from anything I’ve ever read or tried, and I think it’s going to bring about big results for you.

If you want to build bigger arms, then pick up August of Arms, today.

All the best in your training.

Jedd

Throughout the month of August, I trained arms every single day in order to bust through my current plateau and trigger a quick increase in arm size.

I called this August of Arms and used the hashtags #AugustOfArms & #31DaysOfArms when I put up updates on Facebook.

August of Arms:
The Tale of the Tape

I was successful in adding just under an inch to each arm over the course of the month. I took preliminary measurements and each arm was about 18″ on August 1st. I re-measured every 10 days.

August 1 Measurements:

  

By August 10th, I had added roughly a 1/2 inch to each arm. I saw no increase on August 20th, but on August 31st, when I remeasured again, each arm had increased to roughly 19″, cold.

August 10 Measurements (+/- 1/2″ Increase):

  

August 20 Measurements (No Change):

  

August 31 Measurements (+/- 1/2″ Increase):

  

This seems to have been a very common theme across the board as many, many lifters who approached and followed through the August Of Arms plan also saw solid increases of .5 inches to 1 inch and slightly above.

To really go out with a bang, on the 31st, I ended the month with a Big Arm workout, hitting both Biceps and Triceps with some of my favorite lifts from the great month of August.

Here are some of highlights from Workout 31 of #AugustOfArms

I am very happy with my results from this month-long experiment, and I plan on doing more focused training, just like this.

Stay tuned for more information on what is coming during September.

It is imperative you get your best email onto my newsletter, if you aren’t already.

The form at the top of the right-hand side bar will make sure you are notified every time I put up a new post on the site.

Also, make sure we are connected through Facebook and Twitter:

I will have more information coming your way soon.

All the best in your training,

Jedd

Bicep Curls for Increased Performance and Injury Prevention

The first part of the title of this post might sound like the biggest oxymoron ever stated.

After all, what in the world can Curls possibly do for your performance?

I am about to line all that up for you right now.

You see, for the last few weeks I have been working on a project that will come out soon about arm training, and during all of the preparation, I have been trying out new things with my arm training, new lifts, new variations, and new modifications, etc…

Because I have been “studying” arms so much, I have been putting in more time training the arms, and also as a result, they have gotten stronger, and I have also seen excellent results in other parts of my training, especially my Pull-up work.

What Have I Been Doing

Now, I am not down there hitting arms for 2 hours straight, multiple times a week, but it is safe to say I am doing arm training at least once a week every single week for the past month and a half, AND on some occasions I have hit them twice in the same week.

Also, I am not just down in the gym banging away on Bicep work. The Triceps makes up far more of the upper arm than the Biceps, so a lot of my arm work has been Triceps based, but I am also getting my fair share of Bicep work in.

In addition to all of this experimentation and manipulating my arm training, there has been one additional training factor that seems to have been very beneficial, and that is, surprisingly enough, testing myself in the 1 Rep Max Dumbbell Curl.

I first started doing this when Josh Dale introduced the Rob Vigeant Dumbbell Curl Challenge, which was to lift 100-lbs in strict fashion on the dumbbell curl. I thought this would be fun, so I tried it out and to my surprise I was able to get a 75-lb Curl. It is hard to believe that it was almost a year ago when this challenge came out.

When my long-time friend Kyle trained with me earlier this summer, we tried out the Max Dumbbell Curl just for fun, and I was happy to see that I had retained much of my strength, even after several months where I did not try a max curl.

Two weeks ago, I tested myself again for a max lift, this time using a dumbbell with extra weight stuck to it with a magnet. During that workout, I was able to get 84-lbs left handed.

This week, I was able to move my mark up even further, hitting 85.5-lbs.

Other Improvements I Have Seen

Again, the 1RM Dumbbell Curl is not some kind of major focus in my training. There just happens to be a fun challenge list going on right now, and it has served well as a tester for my current Bicep strength.

However, the most important thing about this is not the amount of weight I am putting up in the Bicep Curl – oooh, woopty-doo, right?

The biggest benefit I have seen, and this is where the “Performance” aspect comes in that is reference in the title, has been my Pull-up Performance.

Now, we all know, or at least we should, that the Pull-up is one of the best exercises for building the upper back. It is a great bench mark of strength for athletes, students (scholastic fitness tests) and even the Military incorporates Pull-ups into their testing and training protocols. The Pull-up is or should be a major part of your training.

I have stated before that I do all kinds of versions of the Pull-up, and most recently I have fallen in love with training on the Rogue Dog Bone <= See some of my recent training here. This thing is just a sick piece of training gear. When I started out, I could barely get 2 reps with this thing, but I have been seeing great increases here.

Also, my regular Pull-ups are kicking ass as well (I do my conventional pull-ups on Perfect Pullup Handles).

I have been training my conventional Pull-ups with somewhat of a Ladder approach, especially when Kyle is here. He and I will start with one Pull-up apiece and follow one another, each time increasing our rep-count by one repetition, up to 5, and then back down. It looks like this:

Jedd – 1, Kyle – 1
Jedd – 2, Kyle – 2
Jedd – 3, Kyle – 3
Jedd – 4, Kyle – 4
Jedd – 5, Kyle – 5
Jedd – 5, Kyle – 5
Jedd – 4, Kyle – 4
Jedd – 3, Kyle – 3
Jedd – 2, Kyle – 2
Jedd – 1, Kyle – 1

Pretty basic, but also pretty demanding, given the fact that we only rest the amount of time that it takes for us to step away from the Pull-up Bar, and wait for the other guy to finish his reps.

The first time Kyle and I did this, which was in May, I believe, I needed serious spots from him to finish out many of my sets once I hit the 3-rep mark, and up until I got back to the 2-rep mark in the Ladder.

Kyle missed about 2 solid months of training due to a job change, but when he did return, I had only trained this ladder a couple of times on my own, but the day we did this together again, I only needed spots on my last rep during my 4-rep sets and my last two reps during my 5-rep sets.

I’d estimate that within 3 weeks I will be able to finish this ladder all by myself without any spots. This is a huge improvement and I think the increased arm work has played just as big of a role in this improvement as my recent concerted efforts toward improving my Pull-up abilities.

I will branch off a bit here and say this. If all the arm work has helped my Pull-ups so much, what could also be the effects if I focused a bit more on Log Cleans or Stones (I honestly haven’t been doing those as much as I want). It is possible I could see improvements in other Biceps-involved lifts as well. It’s also possible that you could too! Something to think about for sure.

If You Are Not Training Arms Seriously…

I know there are a handful of people out there who either do not train their Biceps or do so half-assed. I know this because I have heard it said many times, especially by Strongman competitors and those who perform a great deal of Rowing movements. The reasoning, so they say, is that since they are constantly lifting Stones, Logs, and doing all the Rows, that they are getting enough Bicep work in already.

After these last few weeks of increased arm training and seeing the results it has brought, I encourage you to re-think your approach to arm training, especially if you have been skipping Bicep Training or if when you do it you only hit a few token sets just to “get some work in.”

Another Reason Why Direct Bicep Work is Important

If bigger numbers and more reps in Pulling movements is not enough to make you consider adding arm training back into your routine, I have two more things that I feel must be discussed about the benefits of specific arm training.

First off, even though Rows, Log Cleans, and other similar lifts work the Biceps through elbow flexion, you still are not getting the same intensity as if you are truly aiming for growth and strength increases in the Biceps.

Secondly, with Rowing movements and Log Clean, the forearm does not supinate, which is another movement pattern that the Biceps are responsible for.

My fear is not that if you neglect Biceps training that you will hold back your performance on Pull-ups, Rows, Log Cleans, or any other movement where the Biceps are involved (although to a degree, that will happen). Rather, I’m more interested in keeping all of you safe and injury free.

It Happened Right Before My Eyes

In August, I watched a Bicep tear take place right before my eyes during a Grip Contest, of all things. Competitor, John Wojciechowski, tore his Biceps Tendon performing a normally straight-arm-style event called the Adjustable Thick Bar Lift. I actually thought he ripped the seat of his pants, and it was so loud the camera even picked up the noise.

In no way am I saying the reason John got hurt due to lack of training the Biceps. I don’t know much about John’s past training except that he has put up some very nice general strength training videos as well as impressive gripper and bolt bending videos.

I am only saying that lack of training parts of the body, like the Biceps, can lead to weaknesses and imbalances. Weknesses and Imbalances can lead to injuries, and after watching Wojo tear his Bicep tendon, that was enough for me. I don’t ever want to see it again or learn that one of you had it happen either.

Conclusions

So, major take-aways from this post:

1. The Biceps assist in many other training movements, not just Curls. Pull-ups, Rows, Logs, Stones are all examples.

2. Having Strong and well-conditioned Biceps can lead to improved performance in other lifts which are very beneficial toward over-all strength and performance, especially Pull-ups, which I have seen in my own training.

3. Make sure to train the Biceps intensely. No need to go overboard, but don’t neglect them either. Although some of you may be turned of by “Show Muscles” or “Beach Muscles” remember to strengthen all links in the chain.

4. It’s not always about Strength. Sometimes Injury Prevention is even more important. My friend, Wojo, is going to experience some down time due to his injury. Down time SUCKS.

Keep these things in mind as you train. All the best with your training and stay injury free.

Jedd

Big Arm Workout

Mass Building Workout for Arms

Here is a muscle building workout for big arms.  There are some unique volume combinations we will use for both biceps and triceps.

Exercise 1:  Chin-ups, Ladders, 1 Time Through

Perform 8 reps, 8 breaths rest (rest only the time it takes to take 8 slow breaths)

Perform 7 reps, 7 breaths rest

Perform 6 reps, 6 breaths rest

Perform 5 reps, 5 breaths rest

Perform 4 reps, 4 breaths rest

Perform 3 reps, 3 breaths rest

Perform 2 reps, 2 breaths rest

Perform 1 reps, 1 breaths rest

Perform 2 reps, 2 breaths rest

Perform 3 reps, 3 breaths rest

and so on…

then try and work your way back up to 8 reps, see how far you get!  This is a max effort attempt.  Your goal is to try and start at 8 reps, go down to 1 rep and back up to 8 reps.

*Note:  if you can’t perform 8 reps, start with a lower number, try starting at 6 reps for the first set.  On the other hand, if you are strong at chin-ups, add additional weight with a dip belt.

HOW TO DO CHIN-UPS VIDEO – CLICK HERE

Exercise 2:  Tricep Press Downs, Ladders, 1 Time Through

For the tricep ladders, we will do something a little different.  Pick whatever attachment you want; a tricep rope, v-handle or straight handle.  Get on the cable stack and use the heaviest weight you can do for 1 rep.  If you can do the whole stack no problem and for multiple reps, overload the movement with an elastic band.

Heaviest weight, 1 rep, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 2 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 3 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 4 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 5 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 6 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 7 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

Next weight, 8 reps, drop pin to next lighter weight, no rest

now try to work your way back up!  After your 8 rep set, ADD 10 lbs and perform 7 reps.  Keep going back up (adding 10 lbs each progressive set) toward the 1 rep weight, until you can’t perform the required number of reps with good form.

HOW TO DO TRICEP EXTENSIONS – CLICK HERE

Exercise 3:  Seated Dumbbell Curls

4 sets x 12 reps

Exercise 4:  Diamond Push-ups

4 sets x 25 reps

If you’ve been around Diesel for a few years, you know we incorporate a TON of grip training exercises into our programs.  It is not enough to be able to display one facet of grip (crush, pinch, support, wrist postures, hand health, dexterity), you must be able to integrate this strength into full body power.
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