Mountain Dog Biceps and Triceps
Every man wants buff arms, heres how to get them
When I first met John, he was at his bodybuilding and peak and had legitimate 20 inch arms.
Between the two of us, you could not have found more opposite bodytypes.
John was about 5’8, naturally had a very thick neck and dense muscle, and had gotten 18 inch arms in HS simply by blasting them with a kitchen sink approach.
Im over 6ft, naturally built lanky with orangutang arms, and getting my arms to grow has been my muscle building struggle. Ive always been prone to bicep and tricep tendinitis, and training stupid has little reward.
However, what made John such a great coach was that he understood EVERYONE has unique struggles with muscle growth, and unlike many coaches who default to their genetic talent, he always had a mindset of approaching training intelligently.
Its why his training systems were so powerful. They were designed as if you were NOT gifted, and consequently they deliver results for all ranges of genetics.
What you’ll learn today:
The exact exercise order John Meadows used for arm training-and why doing it backwards is the #1 cause of elbow pain and bicep tears
Progressive Resistance vs. Progressive Overload-the single concept shift that makes lighter weights build bigger arms
The overlooked muscle sitting between your biceps and triceps that makes your entire arm look wider (and the 4 exercises that target it)
A complete 4-phase arm workout with built-in periodization — from warm-up to loaded stretch, nothing left to guess
Before We Begin
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Every Man wants muscular arms.
If you are like most guys, arms were probably the first thing you trained when you started working out, and you had a dedicated arm day every week.
Arm muscularity is the easiest way to determine your natural muscle-building genetics. I categorize Arm genetics fall into four categories:
The Elite: Long muscle bellies and exceptional size, separation, and definition, despite never training arm. Arms will grow from simple pushups and pullups. Any direct arm work almost instantly and delivers superlative results, with a minimum of thinking. This is competitive bodybuilder, IFBB pro level genetics. If this is you, you already know it.
The Gifted. Naturally muscular arms with mass, but lacks the elite separation, definition, and shape. Will have long muscle bellies in biceps or triceps. Arms are a favorite muscle group to train and elite results are possible.
The Average. Arms don’t grow until trained directly. Any serious size will be built over a long period of time. Having truly “HOOGE” arms is never happening, but can still reach an impressive level of visual development. Separation and definition are seen only at low bodyfat levels.
The Stubborn. Arms barely grow. Short muscle bellies. Lack of definition, even with size. You need to get very focused, very customized, and train with brutal consistency.
This guide applies to everyone, regardless of genetics. Your results will vary base on genetic talent.
Part 1: Functional Anatomy
John and I shared the same mindset that basic anatomy and biomechanics are fundamental to effective training. Luckily the arms are simple.
Your arm muscles have two primary functions.
Flexion is the action of pulling your hand towards your body and bending your elbow. This is a bicep curl motion.
Extension is the action of straightening your lower arm and extending your elbow. This is a tricep motion.
Biceps: Three Grip Positions
Supinated grip (palm up): Maximum biceps emphasis. Standard curl position.
Neutral grip (palm facing midline): Works both biceps and forearms equally. You are structurally strongest in this position because this is the natural alignment your body supports. This is a hammer curl.
Pronated grip (palm down): Forearms and wrist emphasized. This is a reverse curl.
For complete development, you need to train all 3 positions.
Triceps: Three Elbows Positions
Downward (pushdown position): Upper arm in line with torso. Works the intermediate and short head.
Horizontal (pressing position): Upper arm horizontal with torso. Works all three heads. This is close grip bench press, close grip pushup, skullcrusher type movements.
Overhead (extension position): Upper arm is vertical. Specifically targets the long head-the largest of the three muscles and the one most people neglect.
The long head is the bottom of the arm and the biggest of the three. The lateral head creates the horseshoe shape. The medial head lies between the two.
To fully develop your triceps, you must train all three angles. John emphasized this relentlessly, most guys only do pushdowns, and pushdowns alone will never build complete triceps.
Part 2: Progressive Resistance
You’ve heard of progressive overload: continually increasing the demands on the musculoskeletal system to make gains in muscle size and strength.
What you likely have not heard of is Progressive Resistance. This concept, from bodybuilding coach Shelby Starnes, changes the way you should think about arm training.
Progressive resistance means increasing the RESISTANCE placed on the working muscle WITHOUT necessarily increasing the LOAD.
This is critical for arms. Unlike many other muscle groups, your arms can only get so strong. Bicep curls and tricep extensions are single joint movements. Trying to go stupid heavy on them is a setup for injury.
Arnold rarely used anything heavier than 35lb dumbbells for arm training. Almost every great bodybuilder learns the same lesson: arms respond to intense RESISTANCE, with LOAD being secondary.
What this means in practice: slow down your reps. Be precise with your technique. Position your body to place maximum stress on the biceps or triceps. Create constant tension throughout the entire range of motion. Squeeze hard at the peak contraction. Control the negative.
Progressive resistance means you milk every gram of growth possible out of the weights you use before you move up. Going from jerk-curling 40s to slow-curling 20s for a burn does not look impressive. But it will produce greater arm growth. Every time.
Meadows’ methods reinforced this through what he called mechanical tension progression; advancing not just through added weight, but through perfect form progression, range of motion increases, and tempo manipulation. His iso-tension holds (holding peak contraction for 8-10 seconds at the end of each set) are a direct application of this principle.
Part III: Biceps Training-Principles and Exercises
The Optimal Biceps Workout Sequence
This sequencing comes direct from John Meadows.
First: Train the forearms and brachialis. The brachialis is the forgotten muscle. It sits between the biceps and triceps, and as it develops, it actually pushes the biceps and triceps further away from one another, creating a wider-appearing arm. Meadows called it the “Lee Priest muscle” because Priest’s was always so pronounced. A lot of bodybuilding is creating an illusion, and a developed brachialis is one of the best ways to project a massive arm.
The best exercises for brachialis are cross-body hammer curls (Meadows’ favorite), regular hammer curls, reverse grip EZ-bar curls, and rope hammer curls on a low pulley.
One critical technique detail from Meadows: grip the dumbbell as hard as you can throughout the entire rep. He got this tip from Jim Seitzer (who was assisting Mike Francois at the time) and said it was key to getting past arm training ruts. Gripping hard increases neuromuscular activation through irradiation, your entire arm fires harder when the grip is maximal.
Start every biceps workout with one of these movements. 4 sets of 10-15 reps, minimal rest.
Second: Train the lower biceps. Think of someone like Vince Taylor with full, long biceps right down to the elbow — that fullness is what makes arms look mammoth. Preacher curls have been the favorite of all-time greats like Larry Scott for exactly this reason. Machine preacher curls, EZ-bar preacher curls, or any curl where you let the arm fully extend at the bottom will drive blood to the lower biceps.
Here is the critical sequencing point: NEVER start with heavy preacher curls. Meadows saw people tear their biceps from doing heavy preachers as their first movement with cold arms. Preacher curls are meant to be done with a pumped arm. By starting with hammer curls for the brachialis first, you warm up the lower biceps in the process before crushing them with preachers. The exercises naturally flow into each other. 3-5 sets of 6-10 reps, squeezing hard at the peak contraction.
Third: A traditional “heavy” curl. Barbell curl or EZ-bar curl, done with strict form and three-second negatives. By now your arms are pumped and pre-fatigued. Like heavy bench press for chest, heavy barbell curls are best performed when the muscle is full of blood and less prone to tears or strains. The target muscle is more likely to give out first with this sequence, rather than a tendon or ligament. 3-4 sets of 6-10 reps.
The Top 5 Biceps and Forearm Exercises
This not a definitive list of every possible exercise. These are favorite and effective movements, feel free to experiment and find your personal favorites.
1. Strict Curls (Straight Bar or EZ Curl Bar). Either implement can compete for the best exercise title. Straight bar works phenomenally, but for some people it aggravates the biceps tendon and wrists. Actively grip the bar, curl up right underneath the chin, keep elbows tight, lower with control. Can be done pronated or supinated.
2. Seated Incline Dumbbell Curls. Set a bench to 60 degrees, lean back fully, get the chest up, retract the shoulder blades, grip the dumbbells, slightly curl the wrist, and curl all the way up. I prefer alternating arms. Done right, these tear up the muscle belly and deliver a wicked pump
3. Dumbbell Hammer Curls. Can be all some people need for building impressive forearms and biceps. Highly functional, completely joint-friendly, and a great grip exercise. Meadows used hammer curls as a staple execise
4. Machine Preacher Curls. Find one that allows for a good peak contraction. Some machines feel awkward, others you feel the biceps immediately. If unavailable, use a freestanding preacher bench with an EZ-curl bar. 2-5 sets of 10-15 reps, squeezing hard at the top.
5. Cable Curls(supinated or pronated). Cables provide constant tension throughout the entire range of motion. Stand about one foot back from the cable stack. Individual handles work best. Meadows’ preferred variation was cable curls from below, which provide maximal tension at peak contraction. 2-5 sets of 10-15 reps.
Part 3: Triceps Training-Principles and Exercises
The Optimal Triceps Workout Sequence
First: A pushdown or kickback. This is not just a warm-up, this is an injury prevention strategy. Lifters constantly complain that skullcrushers and extensions shred their elbows. Meadows found that by getting blood into the triceps and elbows FIRST with pushdowns, you can do extensions later in the routine without the pain. Rope pushdowns are the best option here. Get a hard flex at the bottom of every rep, drive blood into the joint. Pushdowns alone can yield a lot of growth.
Second: A loaded compound or dipping movement. Dips, machine dips, close grip bench, or triceps-dominant pushups. Now that triceps are flush with blood, you can go heavy. This is your strength movement. Meadows loved heavy machine dip negatives here — use a weight that is a hard 6 reps, and focus on the 3-second descent. A great, safe way to overload the triceps with heavy weight.
Third: An extension or stretching movement. This is where lying extensions and skullcrushers go. Only do these at the END when your triceps are fully warm, pumped, and fatigued. Up to this point, every exercise has been about flexing hard and moving heavy weight. Now you move in for the knockout with a movement that stretches the target muscle under load. Incline EZ-bar extensions are ideal — try to lower the weight a little more behind your head on each set, and pause for a second in the stretched position. Skullcrushers should NEVER be done for less than 10 reps.
The Top 5 Triceps Exercises
This not a definitive list of every possible exercise. These are favorite and effective movements, feel free to experiment and find your personal favorites.
1. Pushdowns-A classic exercise that is a staple in everyones training. These can be done various ways, but the basics dont change. Use moderate reps, get a pump, contract the triceps on every rep
2. Machine Dips. These were a favorite of Johns. They overload the tricep and allow you to emphasize the negative. Pyramid reps work well: 20, 16, 12, 10, 8, adding weight every set.
3. Close Grip Bench Press. Could be the number one movement for some people. Also works chest and shoulders, so program it strategically. Hands at shoulder width or slightly inside. Lower the bar to the lower sternum. Wrist aligned over elbow.
4. Overhead Rope Extension. Set rope to head height, face away from the cable stack, get into a long lunge with torso almost parallel to the floor. This puts the long head into a stretched position. The stretch on these is intense.
5. Kettlebell Skullcrushers (Meadows Innovation). Meadows’ favorite triceps exercise. Kettlebells provide a unique loading pattern that feels significantly better on the elbows than barbells. If you have access to kettlebells, try these before any other skullcrusher variation.
Part 4: Putting it all together in a workout
You have read a lot of principles. Here is how they actually combine into a single arm workout.
A Meadows-style arm session follows a specific sequence.
You always start with blood flow. Hammer curls or pushdowns. Higher reps, short rest. The first exercise you do sets up up for the others. These are working sets, but you are also warming up the joints, activating the nervous system, and getting blood into the elbows.
Then you go heavy. Now that blood is in the muscle and the joints are warm, you earn the right to load up. Strict barbell curls. Weighted dips. Close grip bench. This is your strength work. Perfect form, hard contractions, moderate reps. You are building the mechanical tension that drives growth.
Then you chase the pump. Higher reps, constant tension, peak contractions held for a beat. Preacher curls, skullcrushers, concentration movements. This is where metabolic stress does its work. These exercises you never want to do cold.
Then you finish with a stretch under load. Hold a dumbbell in the stretched position for 30-60 seconds. Biceps extended behind you. Triceps overhead in the skullcrusher stretch. This is 5 minutes of work that most people skip entirely. It provides a final growth stimulus and accelerates recovery between sessions.
Throughout the entire workout: forceful contractions on every rep. Three-second negatives on at least one exercise. Rest periods capped at 45 seconds. Biceps and triceps alternated whenever possible to maximize the pump.
Part 5: How Much Volume Do Your Arms Actually Need?
Arms are not legs. Arms are not back. I dont believe you need need 20+ sets in a workout for them to grow. Neither did John.
Most guys do too much junky arm volume. They spend an hour doing 6 exercises for biceps because they saw some influencer’s “arm day” on YouTube. The reps arent forceful of focused, they use too much momentum. Then they wonder why their elbows hurt and their arms look the same.
With the intensity techniques in this guide, forceful contractions, three-second negatives, short rest periods, loaded stretches, you do not need a high number of sets.
The techniques do the work. Intensity takes precedence before volume.
But volume still matters. It just has to cycle.
You cannot train at the same volume forever and expect continued growth. Your body adapts. The stimulus stops being a stimulus. You need a structure that keeps the muscle off balance while preventing burnout.
This is how I learned to periodize arm training from Meadows. The intensity stays the same throughout. What changes is how much total work you do.
The volume listed is PER week, not per workout. John liked to train biceps and triceps once a week, then go to twice a week during high volume phases, then back down again.
Weeks 1-3: Medium Volume. 6-8 total sets for biceps. 8-10 for triceps. Two or three exercises. This is where you establish the intensity techniques and dial in your execution. You are building the foundation. Do not rush this. Most guys skip this phase and jump straight to high volume, which is why they plateau and get hurt.
Weeks 4-9: High Volume. This is where you grind and double up on the frequency. You gradually build volume each week. Your body has adapted to the intensity from the first three weeks, so you keep it off balance by adding more total tonnage. Biceps go to 9-12 sets. Triceps go to 12-16 sets. Three to four exercises. You add more high-intensity sets each week — more drop sets, more rest-pause, more negatives. Six weeks of this. It will not be fun. It will be effective.
Weeks 10-12: Low Volume, Maximum Intensity. Volume drops hard. 4-6 sets for biceps. 4-6 for triceps. Two exercises. But every single set you do in this phase will be the hardest set you have done in your life. Everything goes to failure or beyond. This is the peak. You are squeezing the last drop of growth out of the stimulus you have built over the previous nine weeks.
Weeks 13-14: Deload. 1-2 weeks of light training. This is not optional. You need to recover from the accumulated connective tissue and neural fatigue of 12 weeks of hard training. Some people can push the program longer, but generally, 1-2 weeks of backing off after 12 weeks of brutality is the right call. The growth you see during the deload is often the most satisfying growth of the entire cycle.
One more thing. The deload is not “taking it easy.” It is part of the program. If you follow true periodized plan and go hard and then skip deloading and then end up with tendinitis…I warned you. Recovery is where the adaptation happens. Respect it.
Part 6: Advanced Techniques for Stubborn Arms
When arms need extra attention beyond standard training, these advanced techniques provide the additional stimulus needed to force growth.
Iso-Tension Holds
Meadows’ signature technique for arms. At the end of each set, hold the peak contraction for 8-10 seconds. This teaches you to contract the muscle maximally and creates enormous metabolic stress. Apply this to any curl or pushdown variation.
Pre-Stretch Technique
Begin each rep from a deliberate stretched position. On pressdowns, let the weight pull your forearms up past 90 degrees before initiating the push. On curls, let the arm fully extend and hold the stretch for a beat before curling. This takes advantage of the length-tension relationship and increases fiber recruitment.
Rest-Pause for Arms
Perform a set to one rep short of failure. Rest 10-15 seconds. Perform another mini-set. Repeat 2-3 times. A single rest-pause set is equivalent to 2-3 regular sets. Excellent for time-efficient hypertrophy and for adding volume without adding exercises.
Loaded Stretching
After your last working set for a muscle, hold the stretched position under load for 30-60 seconds. For biceps: hold a dumbbell with arms extended behind you. For triceps: hold a dumbbell overhead in the skullcrusher stretch position. This creates extreme mechanical tension in the lengthened position, which is one of the strongest stimuli for hypertrophy.
Drop Sets and Triple Drop Sets
After your heaviest set, immediately reduce the weight by 20-30% and continue repping. Drop again. Drop a third time. This is particularly effective on cable exercises for arms, where you can change weight instantly.
Part VII: Troubleshooting-Solving Common Arm Problems
Stubborn Biceps
Increase training frequency to every 48 hours. Emphasize hammer curl variations for brachialis development, a bigger brachialis pushes the biceps up and makes the arm look larger. Use more supination-focused movements. Implement higher volume with moderate weights. Meadows recommended daily arm activation work during stubborn phases: 2-3 sets of light curls every day just to keep blood flowing through the muscle.
Lagging Triceps
Prioritize overhead movements for long head development. Most guys skip these entirely and wonder why their triceps lack size. Use close-grip pressing variations as your primary strength builder. Implement loaded stretching protocols. Focus on the eccentric portion of lifts, slow negatives on every rep.
Arm Imbalances
Address the weaker arm with a 2:1 volume ratio. Use unilateral training (one arm at a time) to improve symmetry. Implement pre-exhaustion for the stronger arm. Monitor progress with weekly measurements.
Joint Issues (Elbows and Wrists)
Eliminate exercises that cause pain immediately. Emphasize cable and machine variations, which are almost always easier on joints than free weights. Use neutral grips whenever possible. Implement extensive warm-up protocols — the Phase 1 pre-activation work is not optional if you have joint issues. Meadows was adamant about this: never train through arm pain. Switch the exercise, don’t push through it.
Part 7: Special Considerations for Tall Lifters (6ft+)
It can be very difficult for taller men to build arm mass. You are at a mechanical disadvantage due to your long levers. You are unlikely to have the same strength as someone with short arms, and arm exercises tend to be felt more in the joints than in the muscles.
The core problem: long tendons mean extra joint stress. Your tendons get stressed out before your muscles do.
Triceps for Tall Lifters
Heavy skullcrushers are going to destroy your elbows. Avoid them completely. Classic tricep pushdowns work well in the 10-20 rep range. Lying tricep extensions CAN work, but only with a slower tempo and intense focus on squeezing. Cable overhead extensions are generally safer than free weight versions.
Have a dedicated arm day focused on mind-muscle connection. Over time, spread triceps work across your shoulder and chest days and use increased frequency for further growth.
Bicep Curl for Tall and long armed lifters
Straight bar curls can aggravate the bicep tendon. Use EZ-bars or dumbbells instead. Low reps for biceps are rarely effective for tall lifters. Train with moderate to higher reps, always focusing on the squeeze and pump. Get stronger at 8-10 reps, strict.
Train arms twice weekly weekly. Alternate between moderate reps, 8-12, and higher reps 12-20.
Part 8: Armed and Dangerous Workout
A complete arm session using the four-phase system. All movements done as supersets.
A1. Pronated DB Curls — 3 x 15-20 Smooth and controlled. Tempo, never momentum. Goal is blood flow and innervation. (Phase 1)
A2. Kneeling Triceps Rope Pushdown — 3 x 15, 12, 10 Kneeling eliminates body english. Start light, work up. Take each set to positive failure. (Phase 1)
B1. Incline DB Hammer Curls — 4 x 8-12 Bench at 60 degrees. Full stretch, intense contraction. No rushing. Maintain tension the entire time. (Phase 2)
B2. Machine Dips — 4 x 10 Find your groove. You want a position where you can move a lot of weight and feel strong. (Phase 2)
C1. Standing EZ-Bar Drag Curl — 3 x 8-12 Curl all the way up underneath the chin. Slow the negative. Weight doesn’t matter — this is eccentric tension. (Phase 3)
C2. DB Seated French Press — 3 x 12, 10, 8 Full stretch on the bottom. Come up about 90% to lockout, then back down. Go up in weight each set. (Phase 3)
Finish: Loaded stretching for biceps and triceps — 30-60 seconds each. (Phase 4)
Train hard. Enjoy the pump.