It’s not about the car; it’s about the size of the arm hanging out of the window.
Having big arms (and abs) has become the pinnacle of fitness in the modern world. Well, that, and an 800lb deadlift. Regardless, having big arms is easier said than done!
Does Julian Smith have the way forward with this Killer Arms program? Let’s find out.
About the Author – Julian Smith
Julian’s story is almost the same as most bodybuilders. He saw the physiques of his heroes – such as Tom Platz and Arnold Schwarzenegger – and thought, “I wanna look like that!” So he got to work.
Because of his heroes at the time, he began by following suit. His training reflected this – it was hard, it was intense, and it got him pretty darn big.
So big, in fact, that he won a few bodybuilding shows:
- 1st place in the 2013 NPC Washington Ironman Open Light-Heavy Class
- 1st place in the 2015 NPC Natural Ohio, Light-Heavyweight Bodybuilding
It became pretty obvious that Julian had a knack for fitness, and he started carrying that over to help others reach their goals. Not only did he become a prevalent coach, but he also started his own company and app called The Daily Pump.
The Daily Pump application falls under his main company called The Quad Guy and does way more than just programming for people. Julian Smith also has his own clothing line and supplementation products as well.
Julian Smith’s Killer Arms Overview
As you might expect, the Killer Arms Program is focused on giving you the most jacked, sick pair of arms you have ever had.
- Fitness level: Intermediate
- Duration: 4 weeks
- Workouts per week: 3 workouts per week
- Average workout duration: 20 – 30 minutes
- Equipment needed: Full gym
- Goal: Build muscle
You’ll be pleased to learn that this program can be incorporated into your current training plan. Julian also mentioned that even beginners would be able to benefit from this plan, even though it was developed mainly for intermediates.
Every week you’ll have three different workouts, and while the goal of the day (biceps, triceps, etc.) will remain the same, the workouts themselves will change.
- Monday: Triceps
- Wednesday: Biceps
- Friday: Biceps and triceps – with some additional forearm work as well
Julian recommends pairing these workouts with the muscles they usually work with, such as triceps with chest or shoulders and biceps with back training.
Killer Arms Details
Julian brings some interesting insight into arm training with some really hard intensifier sets. So let’s take a look at the program in greater detail.
Training for Huge Arms
Many people believe that because the arms are smaller muscles and are required in the movement and contraction of so many other muscles, that heavy weight training doesn’t apply to them.
Julian disagrees completely. In fact, he wants your arms to get stronger over time! While he doesn’t advise you to lift to absolute failure, he does recommend getting within 2 reps of failure in the rep scheme.
Julian has also thrown some intensity sets into Killer Arms, such as:
- Drop sets: Drop sets are all about reaching failure on a lift, lowering the weight by 20%, and then reaching failure again.
- Tempo sets: Lifting tempo refers to the amount of time each “part” of the rep will take, including the concentric, eccentric, pause at the bottom, and pause at the top. You’ll receive instructions in the form of a code such as 4021 – which indicates how long each part of the rep would be.
Another big thing about the training is the alignment of goals. If you’re solely looking to increase muscle size, eating in a calorie deficit won’t be a good idea.
Also, if your only goal is arm size, then your other training sessions will have to scale down in intensity to allow for more effort into arm training.
Feeding Your Jacked Arms
As anyone who knows fitness will tell you, diet plays a huge role in getting to your goals. So it shouldn’t be surprising that Julian has some in-depth advice on nutrition:
- Consume whole foods and limit junk food.
- Make protein the main focus of every meal.
- Consume plenty of water and as many vegetables as you wish.
- Eat multiple meals during the day.
When it comes to macros, Julian advises you split your calories like this:
- 40% of calories from carbohydrates
- 30% of calories from protein
- 30% of calories from fat
It’s also advised to make use of high-carbohydrate foods in your PERI workout area (pre, intra, and post-workout). This is because some studies suggest that higher carbs around the workout could yield better gains.
2 Killer Arms Workout Pros
- You can add it to other programs: As you would ideally want, this plan can be laid over your current training schedule, and likely won’t cause you any severe recovery strain.
- “Interesting” lifts: Very often, arms training can become stale and boring. By introducing some weird lifting tempos (which make an appearance in BodyFit’s Built By Science as well), Julian keeps arm training interesting.
The Only Killer Arms Con
- Four weeks is a short time: Yes, the program can be run for longer, but it’s designed as a four-week program, and that’s not enough time to see significant growth of muscle tissue.
Julian Smith Killer Arms Program – Final Thoughts
Julian Smith’s Killer Arms Program is a really solid plan that can be added to any other plan you already use. While four weeks is really not enough time for you to see significant gains, you can still incorporate this into your training indefinitely.
The volume isn’t so high that it’ll leave you wasted after two weeks, and it’s interesting enough that you’ll stick to it. That being said, you’re going to have to follow this program for months on end whilst being in a caloric surplus to see any real, noticeable muscle gain.
Rating: 3.0 out of 5
