Lee Priest: Train Arms Directly, Train Them Hard — The High-Volume ****roach
According to Lee Priest, many lifters make the mistake of doing only six or nine sets for arms, assuming that’s enough because biceps and triceps get worked during other exercises. But he argues that indirect work isn’t the same as direct stimulation. When you train back, your biceps assist. When you train chest or shoulders, your triceps help. They’re involved, but they’re not being pushed hard enough to grow.
Lee Priest’s philosophy is simple: if you want a body part to grow, you have to attack it directly. Just like you’d blast your legs or chest, your arms need the same focused effort. Relying only on secondary work often leads to average development and slower progress.
That’s why Lee Priest favored much higher volume. He has said he never did less than about 20 sets for biceps and 20 sets for triceps in a single workout. The goal was to fully fatigue the muscles and stimulate growth from every angle, not just go through the motions.
This approach includes heavy sets, controlled reps, and higher-rep pump work. Different curls, different extensions, and constant tension all combine to push the arms to their limit. By the end of the workout, the muscles are completely worked, not just lightly trained.
Lee Priest’s message is straightforward: if you want bigger arms, don’t rely on indirect work. Train them directly, train them hard, and use enough volume to force growth.