I Doubled My Arm Workouts for 30 Days — You Won’t Believe the Transformation

My arms were my weakest muscle group when I started strength training. After years of training, they got to a point where you could consider them decent, but they were nowhere near the chiseled python I had always wanted.

I had built a solid foundation with all these years of training and it was now time to build on it.

Let’s be honest; nothing shouts ‘I lift’ more than a pair of jacked arms. They are also seen as a symbol of strength, fitness, dedication, and hard work since time immemorial. Plus, sculpted arms draw attention and respect like no other muscle group.

Considering this, I decided to begin a four-week challenge where I would train my arms twice weekly.

My goals for this month-long challenge were pretty straightforward. I wanted to add noticeable mass to my arms, build strength, and improve the overall definition and shape of my pythons.

In this article, I share the result of this month-long twice-a-week arm training experiment, including changes in arm size, definition, and overall upper-body strength. I’ll also share tips on how you can employ a similar challenge in your own routine. So, sit tight and read on.

My Arm Training Background & Rationale Behind This Challenge

Big arms are about much more than just improved aesthetics. They can help improve your workout performance and overall functionality.

Don’t get me wrong; I wasn’t starting from scratch. I felt that I had hit a plateau and my arms weren’t growing in proportion to the rest of my physique.

My previous arm training routine was balanced and I trained them once a week in a dedicated workout. I stuck to three vanilla sets of eight to 12 reps for most exercises (biceps and triceps); nothing too fancy.

Inspiration can come from anywhere, and for me, it was a classic — I was re-watching Commando (1985) featuring none other than Arnold Schwarzenegger. Seeing his iconic physique and those perfectly crafted arms rekindled a fire inside me to dedicate the next month to improving my arms.

But Why a Twice-a-Week Training Routine?

This is an excellent question and the answer is two-fold.

First, training a lagging muscle group twice a week gives you the mental satisfaction that you’re actively working on plugging the gaps in your physique.

More importantly, research shows that increasing your training frequency can boost your strength and hypertrophy gains as it multiples your target muscle fiber stimulation. (1)

In my opinion, it also strikes a perfect balance of ensuring enough muscle stimulation and avoiding the risk of overtraining.

Training a muscle group twice weekly also allows you more time to deploy progressive overload in your workouts. Progressive overload involves gradually increasing the demands on your muscles by turning up the training intensity and volume. You could do that by lifting heavier, performing more sets and reps, reducing the rest time between sets, or using advanced training principles like supersets, dropsets, and intraset stretching.

My Initial Arm Measurements

How do you know when someone is serious about their progress? When they pull out the measuring tape. Here are my initial arm measurements:

• Biceps (flexed): 17 inches
• Arms (relaxed): 16.5 inches
• Forearms: 13 inches

The New Twice Weekly Arm Workout Plan

I have trained my biceps and triceps on the same day for the majority of my lifting career. However, it was now time to break them up and train them individually so I could better focus on each muscle group.

Training one muscle in a single workout can significantly increase muscle fiber stimulation and mind-muscle connection, resulting in sleeve-ripping pumps.

Scientific evidence links muscle pumps with increased hypertrophy and strength gains in the long term. (2)

I did my first arm workout on Monday and the second on Thursday to ensure enough rest and recovery time between sessions.

Here are the exercises, sets, reps, and rest periods I used over the one-month period:

Workout A: Biceps and Forearms

Many lifters overlook training their forearms. However, this can lead to muscle and strength imbalances and can make your upper body look disproportionate. Neutral and reverse grip curling exercises like hammer curls primarily target the brachioradialis muscle which improves the size and thickness of the forearm muscles.

Barbell curls and concentration curls take care of the biceps brachii and brachialis muscles, resulting in balanced development. All these variations combined target the short and long bicep heads optimally.

I concluded the workout with Farmer’s carry to improve my grip strength, which plays a crucial role in arm training and overall functionality.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (seconds)
Barbell Curls	3	8-12	75
Hammer Curls	3	10-15	60
Concentration Curls	3	12-15	45
Reverse Wrist Curls	3	15-20	30
Farmer’s Carry (timed)	3	30-60 sec	90

Workout B: Triceps

Triceps make up the bulk of your arm, so neglecting them is a cardinal sin.

The second workout biases all three triceps heads to achieve the coveted horseshoe aesthetic.

The close-grip bench press and cable tricep pushdowns target the lateral and medial tricep heads whereas the overhead tricep extensions and skullcrushers hit the more stubborn long head.

Exercise	Sets	Reps	Rest (seconds)
Close-Grip Bench Press	3	8-12	75
Overhead Triceps Extension	3	10-15	60
Skullcrushers	3	12-15	45
Triceps Pushdowns (variations)	3	15-20	30

Remember, these workouts are just blueprints. Feel free to employ them into your routine as-is, but learn to listen to your body and scale your workouts as needed. Always prioritize proper form over lifting heavy weights to limit the risk of injury and maximize target muscle fiber stimulation.

Plus, incorporate variations as you progress to keep your muscles guessing and avoid hitting strength and hypertrophy plateaus.

Week-by-Week Breakdown of My Twice-a-Week Arm Training Challenge

With all that out of the way; let’s now get into the week-by-week breakdown of how this twice-a-week arm training program went:

Week One

It’s easy to let your ego get the better of you while training arms. After all, no one wants to be seen lifting 10-pound dumbbells.

In the first week, I prioritized performing each exercise with a picture-perfect form — no swinging, no jerking, just pure muscle engagement. This led to mind-numbing muscle pumps and crippling delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after the very first workout.

Training my arms twice weekly definitely impacted my energy levels. I felt more fatigued than usual, which hindered my performance in other workouts as well.

I noticed greater muscle fullness in the first week itself and my arms felt pumped throughout the week, thanks to the regular arm training.

Week Two

Contrary to what most people think, you don’t have to switch up your exercises each week to make consistent progress. I like to stick to the same exercises for at least four weeks. This allows my muscles enough time to make the most out of each movement.

Nonetheless, my body started to adapt in the second week and the soreness wasn’t as debilitating. This also meant that my recovery had improved and I was ready to hit the weights again sooner.

Surprisingly, my new training program was already paying dividends as I was able to lift heavier on exercises like barbell curls and close-grip bench presses.

Noticing an uptick in your strength level never gets old.

My pumps were also becoming more pronounced and lasted longer after my workouts. I had initially expected the muscle fullness to fade away as my body adapted but that was not the case.

Week Three

I kicked off Week Three with a welcome improvement — my muscle definition was improving. My arms looked a bit more sculpted even without the pump. I won’t lie; I wore tank tops even on leg days from here on.

There were some red flags too. After a brief period of adjustment, fatigue was back with a bang. This time, the fatigue wasn’t just physical; I also felt mentally drained. I prioritized sleep and nutrition to overcome this fatigue which probably accumulated due to the stress of the past few weeks.

I incorporated a mini deload in the middle of the week to allow my body additional time to recover and prevent the risk of overtraining.

Week Four

The final week was all about consolidating my gains and ending the challenge with a bang. To do this, I stuck to the same training volume from Week Three and instead focused on performing each rep with a perfect form.

The fact that I was able to complete the sets and reps with relative ease signifies strength gains and an increased work capacity.

No one minds fatigue and a hectic schedule if a training program can deliver results, and this twice-a-week arm training challenge did just that.

I noticed a visible improvement in my arm size and definition and my guns looked fuller and more sculpted. Plus, building bigger and stronger arms helped improve my self-confidence.

Nutritional Considerations

Working out is only 33.3% of the equation when it comes to building the physique of your dreams. You break down muscle tissue while you are exercising in the gym. Your muscles grow back bigger and stronger while you are resting and have enough nutrients in your body to fuel new growth.

Use this free and convenient TDEE calculator to determine your ideal daily calorie and macronutrient goals to achieve your training objectives. Plus, sleep for at least eight hours each night to give your muscles enough time to recover.

Results of this 4-Week Arm-Building Challenge

Let’s now talk about the results, because this is why we put ourselves through all the trouble.

Since numbers don’t lie; here’s a comparison of my initial and final arm measurements:

Measurement	Initial (inches)	Final (inches)	Change (inches)
Biceps (Flexed)	17	18	+1
Arms (Relaxed)	16.6	17	+0.5
Forearm	13	13.25	+0.25

Beyond these numbers, I witnessed a significant improvement in my overall upper body strength, and exercises like pull-ups, rows, and presses felt noticeably easier.

When it comes to muscle definition and vascularity, the changes were subtle but present. These results could have been better if I had combined this training program with a calorie deficit.

The biceps and triceps are among the most-loved muscle groups in gyms worldwide; however, only a few people own guns worth flaunting. Intelligent exercise selection, progressive overload, and employing proper form are key to sculpting your dream physique.

Remember, each individual is unique and your results might be different from mine even if you follow the exact same program. Nonetheless, stay consistent, dedicated, and patient and you will achieve your dream physique in no time.

Conclusion

Training my arms twice a week for a month produced better results than I initially expected. I added an inch of lean muscle tissue to my arms (flexed) along with enhanced muscle definition. It doesn’t end there; I also noticed an improvement in my pulling performance and overall functionality.

I highly recommend trying this challenge if you are unhappy with your current arm-building progress. Start small and slowly increase your training intensity and volume so your body gets enough time to adapt to your new training routine. Try this out and let me know how it goes.

If you have any questions about training your arms twice a month or need help implementing it into your own routine, post them in the comments below, and I’ll be happy to help!

References:

1. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of Resistance Training Frequency on Measures of Muscle Hypertrophy: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Sports Med. 2016 Nov;46(11):1689-1697. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0543-8. PMID: 27102172.
2. Hirono T, Ikezoe T, Taniguchi M, Tanaka H, Saeki J, Yagi M, Umehara J, Ichihashi N. Relationship Between Muscle Swelling and Hypertrophy Induced by Resistance Training. J Strength Cond Res. 2022 Feb 1;36(2):359-364. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0000000000003478. PMID: 31904714.

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