Romanian man mountain Andrei Deiu' is an authority when it comes to building huge weapons. In 2011, at the age of just 17, he entered the Miami Pro and although it was his first competition, the young upstart so impressed the judges that he walked away as the winner.
w at the age of 25, Deiu' is building an enviable reputation as one of the world's most exciting models, lending his face and physique to brands like boohooMAN Active Wear. And with more than five million devoted followers on Instagram, its growing popularity is easy to understand.
Andrei Deiu', who has arms measuring 18.9 inches in front of the pump, treats us to a master class for those who are serious about building muscle and building bigger arms.
Courtesy of Andrei Deiu’
Have you learned a lot from working with renowned coach Hany Rambod?
I've been working with Hany Rambod for three years and I'm still learning new tricks and tips. That's why they call him the Pro Creator! The mind-to-muscle connection is very important. Hany taught me that you don't always have to get really heavy to build size. Getting a little lighter by 5kg or even 10kg but making sure to contract and hold the muscles tight will help break down more muscle fibers and allow for better blood flow.
Do you find that many bodybuilders who want to grow their arms focus too much on their biceps? What else should they do?
When I was young, I thought that training my biceps was the way to get bigger arms. In a way this worked as it helped me develop bigger arms, but then I missed it because I had weaker triceps. w I say focus on balancing your whole arm by working both your triceps and biceps.
These days I always start my arm day by training the triceps and then the biceps because the triceps are actually the larger muscle group. Also, I always try to vary and adjust the workout each time I do arms to make sure I'm activating all parts of the muscle so my body doesn't get used to moving the same load the same way over and over.
How many days a week do you train your arms?
If you want to improve your arms, train them twice a week with three biceps and three triceps exercises. I now only train biceps once a week because I used to overtrain them and I feel like they are more overdeveloped than my triceps. Also, I don't want them to get bigger as I need them to stay in proportion to my body. I train my triceps twice a week, one session is paired with my biceps and the other is paired with a chest session.
Do you take time to relax?
Hany holds me responsible for making sure I get the right amount of sleep and rest. Quality muscle is built in the kitchen and while you sleep, allowing your body to recover and repair the muscle tissue you tore at the gym. In the past, I've never really taken any rest days because I figured I needed to go to the gym and work out every day to get big. Hany taught me to listen to my body and to rest when necessary.
I try to get six to eight hours of sleep at night, and if not, I try to take naps during the day. I take at least 1 rest day a week where I only do cardio when needed. I also make sure I get a sports massage at least once a week to aid in my recovery, and I like to add Epsom salts to baths.
How important is protein to you for building muscle?
I believe protein is one of the most important things needed to build muscle. Hany taught me that real food is always better than shakes or bars, but the reason he tells me to have at least one shake post-workout is because it's a fast-acting source of protein and digests faster will be used to aid in my recovery.
My favorite proteins are chicken, salmon and steak (bison). I usually eat five meals and have a shake every day, and that's about 260-280 grams of protein. I'm full right now, so Hany put me on at least six meals a day, with a shake. That's about 3,000 to 3,500 calories a day, plus I eat two cheat meals a week. These are cheat meals, not cheat days.
Andrei Deiu' complete arm workout
Andrei Deiu' worked hard to develop his killer body. During his early teens, his weight began to spiral out of control due to poor lifestyle choices, such as playing video games late into the night and eating too much junk food. As it turns out, making positive changes to his body has also been good for his mental health - including feeling comfortable in his clothes, and he says that feeling has given him the confidence he needs to continue his bodybuilding career. In 2002, Deiu' wants to earn his Olympic qualifications and then do the show himself, hoping to beat last year's impressive seventh place finish in the men's physique category.
Andrei Deiu's tricep workout
Extension of the tricep cable rope: 4 work sets, 10-12 reps
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- Increase the weight on each set. The last set consists of a triple dropset in weight.
skull crusher: 4 work sets, 10-12 reps
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- Increase the weight on each set.
- Be sure to press and hold.
Weighted Triceps Dip Superset with Diamond Grip Pushup: 3 work sets, 10-12 sets (dips)
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- Increase the weight on each set.
- Perform push-ups to failure.
Andrei Deiu's bicep workout
Dumbbell curls (palms facing out): 4 work sets, 8-10 reps
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- Increase the weight on each set.
Hammer curl: 4 work sets, 5-7 reps
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- Increase the weight on each set.
cable rope curl: 4 work sets, 10-12 reps
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- Increase the weight on each set
- On the last set, perform a triple dropset with weights.
spider curl: 3 work sets, 10-12 reps
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- Increase the weight on each set.