In Episode 268 of “The Menace Podcast,” class was in session as host Dennis James and Milos ‘The Mind’ Sarcev asked Chris ‘The Real Deal’ Cormier to explain one of his favorite arm-growing workouts.
IFBB Pro legend Chris Cormier kicked his bodybuilding career off in 1987, winning the teenage division of the NPC California Championships and during his twenty-year run, The Real Deal competed in multiple Arnold’s, placing second for six-straight years. He was also a Mr Olympia final regular, making the top 3 in 1999 and 2002. In his prime, Cormier’s conditioning was complimented by full, round muscles that came as a result of pounding it out in the gym. So, with the panel reminiscing about some of the workouts they executed in their heyday, the focus turned to Chris Cormier’s brutal but brilliant arm session, designed to add muscle and separate the biceps, triceps, and the brachialis muscle (under the bicep, connecting to the elbow). Cormier shared that this particular routine was instrumental in helping him go from 19 to 20-inch arms, an important step, as it is thought that Cormier hit a peak of around 22 inches.
Chris Cormier’s Workout for Bigger Arms
Cormier explained that his process involved completing 10 reps of seated dumbbell curls on the bench, then lying down and going straight into performing 10 skull crushers. He then sat back up and repeated this cycle for ten minutes. “Light dumbbells, and don’t squeeze hard,” explained Cormier, noting that the idea is to get the blood flowing and a good pump going. The ‘Real Deal’ liked to finish this workout by swapping to heavier dumbbells and then completing a set of 40 hammer curls, “to get the brachialis involved.”
The retired bodybuilder and prolific coach, who has mentored the likes or Derek Lunsford and Breon Ansley, told the panel that he would perform this arm blasting workout three times per week, spacing it out to Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, “Even if you did legs, or whatever, towards the end of your workout, do the ten minute arm routine (and finisher), and it’s never failed,” confirmed Cormier. “Sometimes you get like an (extra) inch on your bi’s, but if you don’t have a whole lot of size, you get a lot more development,” he explained. “Development of the triceps and the biceps, and the brachialis, (it’s) all gonna be separated.”
When asked by Dennis James what weight the dumbbells should be, for the ten-minute routine, of course, this is subjective, but Cormier suggested that 15 pounds was a good starting point. Sarcev mocked 15-pound dumbbells as coming with a “lipstick,” so Cormier explained that he was lifting 20 pounds as a teenager but if he were to do it now, he would start lighter and work his way up. Still, Sarcev was a fan of the plan, and has tried this workout for himself in the past, starting with 20-pound dumbbells and moving up to 25. ‘The Mind’ shared that he was working with 30-pound dumbbells for the hammer curl finisher. “But 30 was a f***ing nightmare,” he shared.
To watch the full episode, discussing the upcoming Arnold Classic, Sam Sulek’s posing, Rafael Brandao, and other topical bodybuilding news, see below.