Chris WilliamsonA heavy arms day with Sam Sulek.
Chris Williamson
Arm Training Setup 0:00
The conversation opens with jokes about overdoing squats, passing out, and the next competition, then turns to why the session is focused on arms. There is talk of sprint work, plyometrics, and wanting to get back on a diving board, with the point that bodyweight and timing change once you get heavier. He lays out a split of chest and back, then shoulders and arms, saying shoulders have been neglected for years and that bigger arms with small shoulders can look off.
Curls and Form 3:31
The set moves into triceps and curls, with a lot of attention on stretch, holding positions, and knowing when a set is truly done. He talks about using the first set to set the tone for the whole workout, and about not racking a set too early and calling it finished when it was not. The discussion widens to form, reps in reserve, and the idea that perfect-looking reps are not always the same as hard, useful work, especially on safer moves like curls.
Grip, Arms, and Aging 9:41
He changes his hand position for more stability and more biceps work, comparing it to moving from a regular curl to a hammer curl. The talk also turns to camera gear and why he uses a bigger lens, then to how he first lifted with a 30-pound dumbbell set while playing Fortnite. He says you cannot force a kid into the gym, and that with abs he prefers weighted crunches over side bends because heavy side bends can thicken the waist.
Biceps and Dips 13:32
He explains a cleaner curl path by holding the dumbbell lower on the handle, which makes the lift more honest and puts more work on the biceps. He also says straps help because he wants his mental effort going to the biceps instead of the forearms. After more curls and hammer curls, he asks for water and says the hot gym, long pants, and no air conditioning have made the workout rough, though dieting has made summer training easier. The end of the segment shifts to weighted dips, with a note that bodyweight dips would be more for chest and that the deep stretch makes him cautious.
Machines and weak links 20:07
They talk about machines the gym is missing, especially a dip machine and an adductor machine. The inward adductor matters more to them than the outward one, since squats, rows, and other lifts already cover enough of the other side. They also want stability work that settles the lower back and midsection, like clamshells and crab walks, because that work makes the whole center feel braced.
Hard sets and recovery 24:02
The set work moves into assisted reps, partials, and rest-pause style efforts. They like that kind of training because it lets them squeeze out more work after failure, especially when travel makes weekly volume harder to keep up. They also talk about training less for maintenance, and about keeping enough strength and tension to hold size without always pushing every set to the limit.
Training for the right reason 28:01
The discussion turns to why they compete and train at all. One of them says the next show has to be something he truly wants, not just a quick drop into prep. The point is not the show itself or outside approval. It is liking the process, getting bigger and stronger, and taking some satisfaction from how that looks, even if social validation helps a little.
Gyms and hard effort 31:00
They talk about what makes a gym work. A good gym can be a basement, a bright new athlete space, or something rough and industrial, as long as the vibe is right. He also describes the feeling he wants from a brutal leg set: tunnel vision, ringing ears, and the sense that he gave everything. That same drive shows up in how he likes being pushed in public, with people watching a squat and wondering if he can really do another rep.
Arm work and old mistakes 34:09
The last stretch is about triceps work, especially movements that stretch the long head well, like rope extensions and overhead cable setups. He prefers versions where he is locked into the machine rather than balancing overhead. The talk ends with old lifting mistakes, from a dumbbell behind the back that nearly tipped him over to an incline press at 19 where a 25 kilo dumbbell dropped onto his face, and the memory still stays with him.
Future home thoughts 41:01
They talk about living somewhere warmer but not hot, with gyms everywhere so training is never an issue. Montana comes up as ideal for summer months, while New York feels like too much hustle and bustle. The move is still undecided, but it sounds like you will know when the time comes.
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