Poliquin - Healthy. Lean. Strong.

 

One of the most common reasons why people fail to get bigger arms is that they are stuck using a given set of dumbbells for a precise number of reps.
 
It is easier, physically and psychologically, to increase weight in small increments. Unfortunately, the smallest plate available in most gyms is two and a half pounds, so the smallest weight increment on a barbell is five pounds. That’s usually the smallest increment for dumbbells as well, so it’s actually ten pounds when you’re using them in pairs. You can easily see how a five-pound increase with dumbbells is too big a jump if you’re using, say, a single 40-pound dumbbell for a curling exercise – that’s a 125-percent increase in load.  It would be like trying to jump straight from a 400-pound bench press to a 450-pound bench press.
 
The best way to coax your muscles into adaptation is through application of the Kaizen Principle. In Japanese, “Kaizen” means “constant and never-ending improvement.” It is a philosophy that small, incremental improvements made consistently will, over the long term, produce large gains. As practical advice for loading, this means you need to “increase the weight at every opportunity, even if the increase is very small.”
 
There are several ways to increase the weight in small increments. Here are a few:
 
            PlateMates
            Small discs
            Combinations of pound and kilogram plates
            Assorted weight collars
 
One approach is to use PlateMate magnetic weights.  The principal advantage of PlateMates is that they attach easily to dumbbells as well as to barbells.  The manufacturer, Benoit Built, Inc., offers them in 2 -, 1 -, 1 -, and  -pound sizes in two shapes: donut and hexagon.  I recommend the donut-shaped weights, since they fit both circular and hexagonal dumbbells.
 
Alternately, you can use Eleiko Olympic small discs of 2.0, 1.5, 1.0, 0.5 and 0.25 kilograms. They fit on Olympic-size bars and dumbbells. If you are a PICP coach, you qualify for a discount when ordering from Eleiko. They come with a friction option, which is great, because they can act as collars, or in a cheaper metallic version. For Imperial system weights (pounds), your best bet is Grace Fitness small plates. They sell a wide array of small plates in different colors and finishes. They will even engrave your name in them so you can certify ownership if the minimum wage moronic gym attendant is busting your chops and accusing you of leaving the gym with their equipment. If you are a gym owner, they can print your company’s name on them.
 
You can also use combinations of kilogram and pound plates along with the EZ bar solid collars. For example, 1.25- and 2.5-kilogram plates weigh 2.75 and 5.5 pounds respectively. An EZ bar collar weighs about 1.5 pounds. If the base weight on the bar is 225 and your personal best for one rep is 240, you could apply the Kaizen principle to increase the weight in the following manner:
 
225 + 2(5) + 2(2.5)                        = 240.0
225 + 2(5) + 2(2.75)                      = 240.5
225 + 2(5.5) + 2(2.5)                     = 241.0
225 + 2(5.5) + 2(2.75)                   = 241.5
225 + 2(5) + 2(2.5) + 2(1.5)          = 243.0
225 + 2(5) + 2(2.75) + 2(1.5)        = 243.5
225 + 2(5.5) + 2(2.5) + 2(1.5)       = 244.0
 
Finally, you can use collars of various weights.  Former Olympic thrower Bruno Pauletto’s company, Power Systems, sells assorted collars.  The Olympic Okie Grip Collars weigh 2 pounds each, the Olympic Metal Quicklee Collars weigh 1 pound each, and the Olympic Muscle Clamps weigh 0.5 pounds each.  Combinations of these collars allow you to increase the weight by 1, 2, 3, or 4 pounds at a time. I particularly like the Okie grips if I am going to work with my customized, thick-grip Olympic bar. The rubber inner lining of the Okie grips prevents slipping. I bought my first pair in 1986, and they still hold tightly on the bar, even with very heavy loads.