V Shred’s Big Arms Program (Massive Review)

When you dub a program “Big Arms,” you can’t help but assume that you’ll end the program with pythons that rival Hulk Hogan, Lou Ferrigno, or Ronnie Coleman.

But does V Shred’s Big Arms program actually turn those stubborn biceps and triceps into massive, sleeve-filling beasts? Or is this program yet another V Shred letdown?

Read on to find out!

(Clarification: the “massive” in the title refers to the review and not the expected results you’ll see if you attempt Big Arms yourself.)

About the Creator – Vince Sant

Vince Sant is the creator of V Shred — known more formally as “Vinsanity Shred” — and co-founder of SculptNation, a supplement brand he advertises at every available chance.

Some of the brand’s popular programs include:

• Fat Loss Extreme
• Ripped in 90 Days
• Clean Bulk

We don’t know much about Vince Sant (which apparently isn’t a fake name).

But, what we do know is that he’s a certified personal trainer through the ISSA (International Sports Sciences Association) and has nearly 700,000 followers on his official Instagram profile.

On his LinkedIn page, he claims to have helped over 900,000 fit-seekers in three years.

What Is the V Shred Big Arms Program?

Nobody asked, but the sales page for Big Arms actually has more words than the only written instructions provided with this program — 2,446 words vs. 1,824 words. That’s really telling.

The V Shred Big Arms Program is Vince Sant’s “secret” to thicker biceps and triceps to help you fill out your sleeves and turn your “pea shooters into bazookas.” (Weird reference, but okay!)

In Big Arms’ ridiculously long sales page, Sant guarantees inches added to your arms in six weeks plus a bonus: stronger and bulkier forearm muscles.

The thing is, whether you’re reading the sales page or watching the 2:16-long Big Arms trailer, the actual program only lives up to about 25–50% of its expectations.

Without ruining the surprise completely, here’s what Sant promises when you buy Big Arms:

• A complete 6-week upper-arm program (though he does mention forearms, too)
• Follow-along workouts
• Precise sets, reps, and rest periods to maximize rapid growth
• Videos explaining how to perform each exercise
• “Classroom” videos detailing how to add inches to your upper arms
• Weekly breakdowns of your workouts
• The secrets to building massive arms

(Sant also drops the ‘ol, “Once you leave this page, the price returns to normal, and the Supplement Guide Bonus disappears.” We just checked — would you believe it’s still $19.99?)

Keep reading to learn more about the V Shred Big Arms program.

V Shred’s Big Arms Program Details & Features

(This is totally irrelevant, but if you click around the module just right, you might unintentionally trigger the auto-play feature on what seems like every video at once. What a fun touch.)

The V Shred Big Arms trailer was a little — how do we say this tactfully — light on information. So here’s what you need to know before you hand over your credit card details:

“Vinsanity Shred Big Arms Program”

Aside from the Supplement Guide (which is a dumpster fire in its own right), the icon labeled “Vinsanity V Shred Big Arms Program” is the only written material provided with the program.

A few things worth pointing out first:

1. It’s not a PDF or download. Click the icon, and it’ll scroll the page slightly down to the Big Arms “Bonus” materials. That alone is a hint at the effort put into this program.
2. While it sounds like a full-on fitness guide you’d typically see with a Jeff Nippard or Beachbody On Demand program, it comes nowhere close. Also, to us, the term “bonus” implies “in addition to,” but it looks like this is the only guide that comes with Big Arms.

Here’s what you’ll find in this section:

Bonus: All About Muscle Growth

(If we had to describe this “bonus” material, it’d be, “Your professor assigned you a 2,000-word essay on resistance training, you forgot about it for a full month, and now it’s due tomorrow.”)

Sant uses this section to explain the finer details of muscle growth, including how muscles grow, tips for maximizing lean mass, and the importance of rest for growth.

A few key takeaways in this write-up include:

• Starting workouts with warm-up sets at 30–50% of your chosen weight
• Emphasizing progressive overload and increasing tension to produce microtears
• Insisting adequate nutrition and proper rest periods is the key to growth
• 30–90 seconds of rest between sets and 48–72 hours of muscle recovery
• The differences between fast-twitch and slow-twitch muscles
• What seems like random, hard-to-decipher notes about hypertrophy and strength
• Training tips (i.e., time under tension, bicep supination, and an eccentric focus)
• Partial, forced, cheat (is this guy for real?), negative, and one-and-a-half reps

Now, the presentation isn’t great, and some of the details made us say, “huh?!” But we can confirm that there’s at least some scientific backing to the rambling.

For example, research from 2017 concluded that partial reps of certain triceps exercises yielded a 48.7% boost in cross-sectional area in eight weeks, while full reps nurtured 28.2% growth.

Additional research from 2019 shows that 48–72 hours of rest before hitting the same muscle group again is optimal for 10RM performance.

Bonus: Techniques

The Techniques section features six videos — all starring Vince Sant — that explain some of the rep and set styles seen in the Big Arms program, including:

• Cheated reps (1:22)
• Partial reps (1:13)
• Supersets (1:27)
• Elevation (2:00)
• Time under tension (1:49)
• One and a half reps (0:46)

The overall vibe from these videos is, “Trust me, this shit works.” But Sant also drops a few, “try this in your next biceps workout,” as if this video isn’t supposed to pair with Big Arms.

Bonus: Form Change

In the Form Change bonus, Sant includes yet another three videos. He uses these videos to explain how to adapt exercises on chest and back day to activate your biceps and triceps best:

• Back Day – Barbell Row (0:54): On back day, swap your usual barbell row (palms down) with the palms up version to better target your biceps.
• Back Day – 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2 (1:06): To reactivate your biceps during back day, perform bicep curls for 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, and finally 2 reps until your muscles are fatigued.
• Chest Day – Dips (0:45): Replace your chest dips with triceps dips on chest day.

The head-scratcher here is that the triceps muscles make up ⅔ of your upper arms. So from these videos alone, it seems like the bicep-to-tricep emphasis is somewhat mismatched.

Access Mobile Workouts

From the graphic alone, it’s 100% unclear that clicking this icon will lead you to the official Big Arms workout calendar — but evidently, it does.

Continue reading to learn more about the Big Arms workouts.

Big Arms Calendar

Open up the calendar, and you’ll notice that it’s 90% blank, with the 10% being the day number. So to learn which days your Big Arms workout falls on, you have to open every box manually.

A more detailed breakdown of the split would’ve been nice, but here’s a closer look at a sample schedule while following V Shred’s Big Arms program:

Day of the Week	Workout Type
1	Big Arms
2	Legs
3	Shoulders
4	Big Arms
5	Off or abs or light cardio
6	Chest & back with form changes
7	Off or abs or light cardio

Big Arm Non-Arm Workouts

After clicking through the six-week schedule to plan out the remaining days of your split, you’ll notice that the non-arm workouts are relatively empty.

Vince Sant suggests Ripped in 90 Days or a Custom Training Plan if you want him to fill in the blanks for you. Otherwise, perform your own workout and click “Complete Workout” at the end.

Check out our full review of Ripped in 90 Days if you’re curious.

Big Arms Workouts

Vince Sant’s “Big Arms” workouts typically fall on days one and four of each week, plus a few forms changes on chest & back days to better target your triceps and biceps.

Once you figure out which workouts are Big Arms workouts, the module will pull up a list of exercises, sets, rep ranges, and rest periods.

If you click on the exercise box, it’ll open up a tutorial video of Sant explaining how to perform the exercise and a written step-by-step guide detailing the process. (Now, that goes a long way.)

Each week features one heavy arm day and another light arm day.

Heavy days typically stick to four sets (8, 6, 5, 4 reps) and one minute of rest between. Light days continue the four-set trend, this time with a 15, 12, 10, 8 drop set with 45 seconds of rest.

Some of the exercises you’ll see in V Shred’s Big Arms workouts include:

• Supinated EZ bar extensions
• EZ curl negatives
• EZ bar curls
• Cross-body dumbbell extensions
• Sitting hammer curls
• Close-grip barbell curls
• Stretch skullcrushers
• Triceps presses
• Caveman curls
• Rope triceps extensions

Keep in mind that there’s a slight variation within each workout, whether exercise choice, rest length, or rep goals. So don’t forget to read the finer details before loading your weights!

What Equipment Do You Need for Big Arms?

For the biceps and triceps workouts, you’ll need an EZ curl bar, cable machine (with multiple attachments), adjustable dumbbells, adjustable bench, and a barbell with weight plates.

This is similar to other programs from the brand like V Shred’s Fat Loss Extreme or Ripped in 90 Days.

Supplement Guide

The V Shred Supplement Guide is what happens when you’re the co-founder of a supplement company (SculptNation) and your public reputation is a little … on the brink.

First, we should mention that you won’t find any reference to “supplements” in Big Arms. That alone makes this 16-supplement “guide” feel more like a cash grab than a truly helpful tool.

(It’s not even worth listing the supplements because… 1) it’s not the actual supplement suggestion for Big Arms, and 2) each write-up has a “here’s why you should buy it from me” type vibe.)

Like Beachbody and its Quick Start Guide to Nutrition, Vince Sant attaches this guide to what seems like every V Shred program ever.

We’re going a tad off-script here; if you really want to maximize those biceps and triceps gains, consider these three supplements:

• Whey protein for advanced muscle recovery and repair
• Creatine to build lean mass, enhance strength, and maximize progressive overload
• Pre-workout for a caffeinated, energizing jolt before each Big Arms workout

Tip: Give the Supplement Guide a hard pass. Sant promises that Big Arms is the secret to upper-arm growth, then hopes you’ll figure out the entire supplement part yourself.

Big Arms Sample Meal Plan

In the program’s trailer, Vince Sant sounds blatantly offended that a loyal V Shred user would dare to ask him about complete training programs or custom-tailored meal plans.

He then patted himself on the back for including a “sample” meal plan with Big Arms.

To that, we say, “Um, where?” Because there’s not a single reference to a meal plan or diet beyond that teenage-angst-style trailer.

We figured it was an honest mistake. But then, we remembered that the only way you can buy V Shred Move is if you — wait for it — watch a 30-minute trailer advertising that very program.

Does It Do What It Promises?

The Big Arms marketing page will convince the most gullible readers that it’s the top-secret fix to scrawny arms, the same issue that forced Sant to quit football in high school.

But of the promises, Sant makes on that page, which does the program actually live up to? Let’s walk through each guarantee below:

• A complete 6-week upper-arm program: It’s definitely a six-week program with two weekly upper-arm workouts: one “light” day and another “heavy” session. However, the casual mention of forcing growth in the stubborn forearm muscles goes unmet.
• Follow-along workouts: If by “follow along,” Vince Sant means “step-by-step instructions and a tutorial video,” then sure! But it’s not follow-along in the same sense that P90X, Insanity, or Body Beast walk you through a workout start-to-finish.
• Precise sets, reps, and rest periods to maximize rapid growth: If the sets, reps, and rest in Big Arms are what Sant regards as the secret to rapid growth, then, yes. But he doesn’t provide any science or research to defend the logic of this routine.
• Videos explaining how to perform each exercise: Each includes written step-by-step instructions and a quick tutorial video.
• “Classroom” videos detailing how to add inches to your upper arms: Is this referencing the videos about partial, cheat, and other rep styles included in Big Arms? Or the form changes Sant suggests during chest & back day? These are all <2-minute videos shot in a gym, so if this isn’t what he’s referring to, we’re at a complete loss.
• Weekly breakdowns of your workouts: Is the bar that low where you get a pat on the back for telling users how to complete the workout? Because, from our point of view, nothing was clearly broken down. We had to click every individual workout to learn what was on the schedule for the day.
• The secrets to building massive arms: To label this a “master file” of hacks and secrets to upper-arm growth is a bit ridiculous, given the lack of scientific backing or written content, for that matter. The vibe here is, “It works because Vince Sant said so.”

If you expect to buy an upper-arm routine that builds mass and leaves you with a satisfying pump, Big Arms will undoubtedly live up to those expectations.

But, don’t for a second believe that the program Vince Sant is advertising is what you’ll actually receive. The program comes with a ton of hype and a lifetime supply of letdowns.

7 Decent Benefits of V Shred Big Arms

1. If Vince Sant is truly natty, and this is the program he used to sculpt his massive arms, there’s no doubt this program works. (That’s a big ‘ol “if,” though.)
2. Except for cheat reps (which are destined for failure in newbies), the partial, one-and-a-half, and negative reps that Sant recommends can improve hypertrophy.
3. There’s a video tutorial and written instructions for every Big Arm exercise included in this program. Even if you’re a complete newbie, the terms “caveman curl” or “EZ curl negative” won’t sound like complete nonsense.
4. Most rep ranges hover around 4–15 reps, which pinpoints just about every fitness and physique goal in the books. The 8–12-rep range targets hypertrophy if you continue with 3–4 reps left in the tank, according to a 2019 review. Meanwhile, 4–6 reps best focus on strength and power, while 15+ reps hone in on endurance.
5. Big Arms’ 45–60 seconds of rest and moderate-intensity sets both falls into the “sweet spot” for acute growth hormone release and hypertrophy during resistance training, according to a 2009 review.
6. The biceps and triceps are the unofficial favorite muscle groups to train, whether you’re built like Sheldon from The Big Bang Theory or Chris Hemsworth in Thor. Two upper-arm sessions per week will satisfy your urge to lift heavy.
7. If you’re already running a bro split with a defined arm day, swapping in V Shred’s Big Arms routine is ridiculously simple.

12 Negatives of Big Arms

1. Sant somewhat rudely shames V Shred users — you know, the people guaranteeing his paychecks — for asking about meal plans. But then, he doesn’t even include the sample meal plan he promised. Make it make sense.
2. Studies show that a slight reliance on momentum can maximize hypertrophy and peak torque during heavy lifting. However, if momentum overrides control or becomes spastic, which is a huge concern in newbies, the risk of a lower back injury climbs substantially.
3. The platform requires you to click each individual square of the calendar to learn about the Big Arms workout schedule. If you don’t feel like clicking 42 boxes, the Big Arms workouts generally fall on days one and four. The rest of the week will feature your choice in legs, shoulders, and chest & back workouts.
4. The supplement guide isn’t helpful whatsoever. It’s nothing more than a generic guide hyping up sports supplements from a brand that Vince Sant co-owns.
5. Vince Sant keeps the sales pressure at a blistering 400 degrees, insisting that if you leave the Big Arms sales page now, the price will increase forever. Seriously, if your sales strategy is “buy this now or else,” there’s something really concerning about your products. We also left the page and returned — the price didn’t change.
6. The repetition-themed videos encourage you to try “XYZ” during your next biceps and triceps workout, almost as if the videos are completely irrelevant to Big Arms.
7. After reviewing quite a few of Sant’s other V Shred programs, it seems like more effort is put into creating the sales page than actually building a reliable fitness routine. Sant also not-so-subtly implies that if the program fails, it’s because you didn’t follow it exactly.
8. The V Shred Big Arms sales page references bigger forearms, yet there doesn’t seem to be any direct focus on these minor muscles in the actual program.
9. With a name like “Big Arms,” it’s odd that Sant doesn’t go into more detail about the parts of the biceps and triceps that create a thicker, fuller upper arm.
10. From what we can see, there aren’t any forearm-specific workouts. Normally, that wouldn’t matter, but a good portion of the sales page mentions scrawny forearms and the importance of inflating them with lean mass.
11. Since the program is missing a legitimate supplement guide and any dietary recommendations (let alone a sample meal plan), it’s impossible to gauge how much it’ll actually thicken your upper arms.
12. The one written document in the entire program is hard to follow and seems more like an afterthought. It’s hard to believe serious thought was put into Big Arms.

Wrapping Up This V Shred’s Big Arms Program Review

V Shred’s Big Arms program is fantastic … if your low bar is literally “a generic arm workout that can probably add size to my biceps and triceps.”

Factoring in the exercises, rep ranges, sets, rest periods, and training frequency, Big Arms will likely leave you stronger and with thicker arms, than you started the program with.

However, the program is abysmally put together.

The supplement guide is nothing but an ad, the calendar contains no useful information, there’s no direct forearm focus or meal plan, and a lot of the program materials seem half-assed.

Give it a try if literally, any arm workout excites you. But if you’re expecting V Shred’s Big Arms routine to be the secret fix to stubborn biceps and triceps, we’d tell you to think again.

Rating: 4.5/10