Countless people are on a quest to build muscle right now, with the most favored body part being the arms.
It is said that big arms are a symbol of strength and power. Myth has it that big arms command more respect from peers and leave potential romantic partners drooling. But is this true? Find out the pros and cons of building big arms, to see if your quest will be worth the effort.
Perks To Having Big Arms
It may be easier to get a date in a society that is seemingly obsessed with the gym. Many people are now conditioned to expect someone more muscular; TV shows are often to blame for such high expectations, but if you do have these traits, attracting someone may come easier.
Having jacked arms may also garner more respect, whether that’s in the workplace or on the street when seen in a tight T-shirt. Nothing screams “alpha” more than having jacked muscles, and no (sane) person wants to get in a fight with someone whose biceps resemble mini mountains.
Arms are the one muscle group that people notice, so if you like attention, these are the best muscle groups to train. Having big muscles also can be a conversation starter with possible romantic partners (who also may be prone to touching them).
From a functional perspective, having big arms can help in many ways. For example, if you need to lift something heavy in an emergency, the chances are big, strong arms are going to be advantageous.
Drawbacks to Big Arms
If your arms aren’t proportionate to the rest of your physique, people may start making comments about your legs, especially if they resemble a chicken’s. This may mostly be out of jealousy from others who would love to have your torso; however if your bottom half is seriously underdeveloped this may genuinely be amusing.
When cuddling, it may be less comfortable for you and them. For example, on a date I tried to put my arm around my date as the movie came on — and let’s just say it wasn’t as smooth as I planned. At this time I’d been going to the gym for several hours each day, and my hard work was paying off. Luckily this didn’t turn into an awkward moment, as they’d never encountered this before (and thought it was kind of cool).
When you wear a tight T-shirt to show off your arms, or you whip out the measuring tape to check your gains, you may be accused of being vain. Bodybuilders know that this is far from vanity as we’re merely checking our progress (more so out of insecurity, if anything).
Having to maintain big muscles often means having to eat a high calorie diet. Erny Peibst, from Insidebodybuilding.com, says he had to force feed himself when bulking, in order to grow his arms from 12 inches to 17. Thus, having big arms doesn’t come easy and requires sacrifice in and out of the gym.
If you are constantly growing, as a result of nailing your diet and workouts, your wallet may take a beating. T-shirts may start to feel excessively tight around the sleeves, prompting you to take more regular shopping trips.
Generally, others seem to care less about big arms than us gym-obsessed people do. As much as it pains us in great shape, your partner is more interested in your personality once the honeymoon period wears off.
Because big arms are so obvious for everyone to see, if you ever take your foot off the pedal and lose some size — your whole town will be telling you about it.
“Ah, you look smaller today.” Yes I know, I took a vacation and stopped lifting weights for a few weeks.
Luckily, muscle memory can come to your rescue and restore your size; but such comments can dent a person’s morale.
Are Big Arms Worth Having?
Having big arms are great if you want to build muscle and look good. Oftentimes, people are attracted to those who can protect and look after them. In one poll, 19% of women said they find arms their most attractive body part on a man. However, this was surprisingly beaten with chest getting 24% of the vote.
Thus, it’s also a wise move to train other muscle groups equally as hard, rather than neglecting them in the quest of attaining Hulk-like biceps.
Also it’s worth noting that if a person is too big it can turn some people off — especially if steroids are used and the arm size looks unnatural. Although I’m not sure Arnold Schwarzenegger struggled attracting anyone back in the ’70s with 22 inch arms.
