Flex Lewis quickly climbed the world bodybuilding stage after his initial success in the UK.
And while his big success was building massive leg muscles, he struggled with his arms for a long time.
But he worked incredibly hard and now has some of the largest arms in the fitness world.
As a personal fitness and strength coach, I'm always intrigued by stories like this, so our team spent a couple of days going through social media feeds and interviews to see how he achieved this.
And we spent a few extra weeks testing out this routine with clients.
Quick Summary
- Flex Lewis spent several years heavily focusing on isolation exercises like hammer curls and triceps extensions to achieve perfect proportions.
- The key to building such huge arms is to progressively increase the load during each set.
- And flex also broke from the norm by not sticking to low reps but instead taking the approach of doing 15 reps in each set.
Flex Lewis Stats
- Born: November 15, 1983
- Height: 5'5"
- Weight: 235 lbs
- Waist: 31"
- Chest: 54"
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Flex Lewis' Arm Workout Routine
Here are six exercises to reshape your arms.
What you need to do is set up three sets of bars or dumbbells with increasing weights.
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You start by doing a set with the lightest weight and doing 15 reps.
Then you do 15 on the medium weight and another 15 on the heaviest load.
And beware; this will cause massive burning sensations.
EZ-Bar Curl
What I love about the EZ bar is that it allows you to adjust your hand and grip position easily without struggling with keeping the bar balanced.
Plan to switch from close to wide grip on different training days, but stick with one position for the sets you do in one session.
Related:
- Curl Bar Exercises for Bigger and Stronger Arms
- Target Your Triceps With These Curl Bar Exercises
- Frank McGrath Arms Workout Routine
Hammer Curl
The hammer curl is a great way to engage your full biceps and also add some strain to your forearms.
Hold the dumbbells beside your body as if you had a hammer in your hand.
As you curl up, you can also twist your forearm so that your palms face your body at the top of the movement.
Concentration Curl
There is some scientific evidence behind focusing intently on muscle activation during training [1].
By sitting on a bench and resting your elbow on your knee, you're in a great position to focus on your biceps and imagine you're flexing them as much as possible.
Overhead Triceps Extension
Here's my personal favorite triceps extension.
By lifting the dumbbell over your head, you ensure that the full weight pushes down on the triceps, and you'll get to failure a lot faster.
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Triceps Kickbacks
Another great variation for triceps extensions is to lean forward and focus on keeping your upper arm aligned with your torso.
The slower you extend your arm backward, the more resistance you will feel.
Chin-Ups
And finally, you simply can't underestimate the benefits of good old-fashioned chin-ups.
This compound exercise will also help to round out your shoulders and upper back to keep you in better proportion [2].
Learn More: Flex Lewis' Back Workout: Build a Strong & Sculpted Back
What's His Diet Plan?
Flex Lewis' diet plan basically revolves around eating as many meals a day as possible, with a goal of 5,000 calories during his bulking phases.
He hasn't spoken specifically about his macro balance, but looking at some of his meals, they're clearly heavy on protein.
There are large piles of chicken breast and meat, along with complex carbs from lots of healthy vegetables.
"Every set is mapped out long before the bar is touched. It's a deep and mindful journey. A vision is created."
– James "Flex" Lewis
Does He Take Supplements?
Yes, Flex Lewis takes quite a few supplements each day, and they mainly focus on muscle repair and performance.
That specifically means that he likes taking pre-workout supplements to ensure that every single minute at the gym delivers maximum results.
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These aren't magic pills to bulk you up overnight.
But small boosts each day add up to great results.
And considering how many calories he needs to get from protein powder each day, it's no surprise that he drinks multiple protein shakes each day.
But it all comes down to choosing a top-quality product, so don't just go for the cheapest option.
Are You Ready For A Punishing Arm Workout?
Training like Flex Lewis is not going to be an easy task.
You will feel a level of burning sensation and fatigue like never before, but the rewards will be huge.
Just make sure you plan for a recovery time that is as fast and effective as possible with a high-quality protein powder:
We have tested dozens of these to find the absolute best ones using carefully planned trial periods.
Judging from the experience of our clients, these won't let you down.
References:
- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8622562/
- https://www.physio-pedia.com/Compound_Exercises
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