Building some mass while maintaining tone...

[imanta]

I am looking for some advice on the best routine for building mass in my arms (biceps/triceps) and chest, particularly the upper part, but pretty much the whole package.

I have always had a hard time gaining muscle and through eating and cardio I can keep the weight off, but I never seem to put on any size... I am not talking a ton here, just a bit. I am fairly strong as well, so I am just not sure where to start.

The question is really what is the proper combination of sets to reps to weights with time between sets built-in? I have been told high sets with low reps and 2 minute rest and then others talk about doing an exhaustion set where you max the weight and do like 1 or 2 reps. I am looking for everyone's experiences and thoughts on this.

I appreciate the help.

 

[abear]

basic compound movements:

squats, deadlifts, presses, rows, chins, dips, etc

throw in a bicep curl, a tricep extension and some calf work every now and then, but for the most part, put your time and effort into the more difficult exercises.

progressive overload is the key and to not rely on one set/rep range. you could do 3 sets of 6, 5 sets of 5, 3 sets of 8, etc.