Why Lift Arms?

I have been asked recently why I write biceps and triceps isolation exercises into my SMS training programs as accessory work when I am such a huge proponent of heavy lifts and compound movements. While it may seem contradictory, the fact is that having strong biceps and triceps is a huge component of being able to complete heavy presses and pulls. While your pecs, lats, and deltoids don't ever completely give up the responsibility of moving the weight, there are times during the movements in which the majority of the force has to be produced by the biceps or triceps in order to further the movement. This is why guys who train with Westside and Elites perform board presses for the bench press--to improve lockout strength, i.e. triceps strength. Most people do not have access to a variety of boards at their facility, so I take this into account through other triceps isolation work.

3-board Press

As far as biceps go, I am a HUGE fan of back training, so you will find a lot of pulling movements in my program. Because the biceps work synergistically with the lats, etc, during a pull--assuming the individual has proper scapula mobility--week biceps could be the limiting factor in how heavy you can during these movements.

Heavy Curls

If you think that your biceps will progress right along with the rest of your pulling muscles to be able to handle the weight, think again. Take deadlifts, for example. It is well-known that people can deadlift more when they use chalk or straps than when they use neither. Why? Because now they have a stronger grip on the bar. Since their grip is no longer limiting them as much, they are now able to pull more weight. Even though the strength of their legs didn't change, and even though they were training their grip while they deadlifted, they were able to pull more weight off of the ground simply by increasing the amount of weight they were physically able to hold in their hands.

So, as far as force-generating capabilities are concerned, that's my reasoning behind including arms in my SMS programs. There are other reasons behind this, too, such as having bigger and stronger arms elevates an athlete's self-confidence, which will improve his or her performance. I digress on this matter in my article 5/3/1 vs. SMS, which can be found on the articles page of my website under 2010 Training.

Get big or die tryin'.

Charlie Cates is a strength and conditioning specialist and the owner of Self Made® (http://selfmadefitness.com/) in Chicago, IL. He has worked with competitive and everyday athletes of all ages and ability levels, from 9-year-old kids to NFL MVP's. He can be reached via e-mail at charlie@selfmadefitness.com.

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