Who Has the Biggest Arms in Bodybuilding?

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Welcome to the gun show! It isn’t about the car, it’s about the size of the arm hanging out the window.

So, the question is: which bodybuilder has the biggest arms? Which beastly man has the biggest tri’s and bi’s on the planet, and how can you get similar resutls?!

Keep reading and we’ll dicuss Who Has the Biggest Arms in Bodybuilding? and some training techniques as well.

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Who’s got the biggest Arms in Bodybuilding?​

Before we delve into the current world of bodybuilding, it would be wise to pay a bit of respect back to those who came before. Bodybuilding as we know it today is relatively new and hasn’t been around all that long.

The first bodybuilding contest was hosted on September 14, 1901, and was simply called “the Great Competition”. This was way before Arnold came along , as Arnold only started competiting in 1968 as a pro.

As time has gone on, we have seen a gradual increase in size of the men and women who compete in bodybuilding. This is due to Steroid, SARM, HGH, and other research chemical usage, and of course, the fact that poeple wanted to see freaks.

So, who had the freakiest arms of all time?

1. Roelly Winklaar (24 Inches)​

Figure 1: Roelly Winklaar is a professional Duth bodybuilder

Arm Size	24 inches
Weight	297lb
Height	5 ‘ 6”
DOB	June 22, 1977
Best Bodybuilding Placing	3rd Place, Olympia 2018

Roelly is one of the most famous modern bodybuilders, and has been a pro bodybuilder since 2009. He is known as a mass monster, and looking at his 24 inch arms it is easy to see why. Despite the fact that his condition is often lacking, he did end up wining the Arnold Sports Festival Australia in 2018. He has also placed thrid at the Olympia.

The sheer size of Roelly often overshadows just how big his arms are, however, with triceps that big you know you’re filling out sleeves with ease.

2. Flex Wheeler (24 inches)​

Figure 2: Flex Wheeler was a pro bodybuilder in the 80s and 90s

Arm Size	24 inches
Weight	212 – 275lbs
Height	5 ‘ 9”
DOB	August 23, 1965
Best Bodybuilding Placing	Won the Night of Champions in 1996

Flex hardly needs an introduction, and looking at his symmetry and size, it is apparent that he was bound to be on the Olympia stage. In 1992 he earned his pro card, and ended up winning the Arnold Classic numerous times, as well as placing in the top three at the Olympia a few times as well.

Despite the fact that Flex was hard as can be and equally aesthetic, he still rocked some massive arms which, due to the photography of the time (no Instagram) makes it hard to notice his 24 inch arms.

3. Markus Rühl (24 inches)​

Figure 3: Markus Rühl is known as one of the largest bodybuilders ever

Arm Size	24 inches
Weight	275 – 285lbs
Height	5 ‘ 10”
DOB	February 22, 1972
Best Bodybuilding Placing	Won the Night of Champions in 2002

Turn up your Eurobeat, this German powerhouse is here to take some names – or rather, he did take some names. Markus was known as one of the largest men to ever compete, and ended up winning the Night of Champions in 2002. He, unfortunately, did not win a lot of Pro competitions, most likely due to conditioning.

That said, he had a big ‘ol pair of 24 inch arms. They probably weren’t as shredded as the others on this list, however, he deserves to be mentioned.

4. Phil Heath (23 inches)​

Figure 4: Phil Heath or The Gift has won the Mr. Olympia title a total of six times

Arm Size	23 inches
Weight	240lbs
Height	5 ‘ 9”
DOB	18 December, 1979
Best Bodybuilding Placing	6 time Mr. Olympia Champion

Phil hardly needs an introduction. Taking over where Jay Cutler laid off, Phil carried the sport of bodybuilding into the 2010s. He is a remarkable athlete, fitness personality, and while some call him cocky, he has done a lot for the sport.

The 6 time Mr. Olympia boasts arms that measure 23 inches and fits with the rest of his physique perfectly. Just Google 2011 – 2013 pictures of Phil and you will see why he is so respected.

5. Ronnie Coleman (22 inches)​

Figure 5: You know who this is

Arm Size	22 inches
Weight	287–300lbs
Height	5 ‘ 11”
DOB	13 May, 1964
Best Bodybuilding Placing	8 time Mr. Olympia Champion (consecutive)

Ronnie, the man, the myth, the King. Ronnie is accepted (by everyone) to be the best bodybuilder who ever lived. He had size, conditioning, symmetry, and everything else. Small wonder he ended up winning the Mr. Olympia title 8 times – in a row!

The only man to ever beat Ronnie on the Olympia stage (once he won) was Jay Cutler. Ronnie is known for big… everything, however, he did have 22 inch arms.

Luke Sandoe (22 inches)​

Figure 6: Luke Sandoe was an up and coming British bodybuilder backed by the likes of Dorian Yates

Arm Size	22 inches
Weight	245 – 255lbs
Height	5 ‘ 7”
DOB	3 August, 1989
Best Bodybuilding Placing	3rd place Arnold Classic 2019

Luke was not only one of the largest men to walk around, but also one of the kindest. The bodybuilding world and the rest of the world were in tears after his untimely death in 2020.

Luke was one of the best up and coming bodybuilders, and had a physique that balanced mass with class. He was also known as one of the kindest and most sincere people, and is someone I look up to personally. Oh yeah, he had massive 22 inch arms. Luke the Legend.

Honerable Mentions​

Rich Piana (23.5 inches)​

Dave Crossland (25 inches)​

How to Train for Big Arms?​

Now that we have gauqed at massive arms for a while, it is fair to start thinking about how you and I can get them as well. Bit easier said than done, however, as a coach I have picked up a few methods on how to improve them.

Prioritise your Triceps​

They do make up a larger portion of your arm, so it makes sense to train them a lot harder. They could also help you get a big ‘ol bench! Here are a few of the best movements for big triceps:

The JM Press: The JM Press is the bastard child between a close grip bench press and a skull crusher. You can see how this will target the triceps quite well.


Cross Tricep Extentions on Cables: These make sense once you start doing them. You can also just do single arm extensions with a neutral grip.

Now build the Biceps​

Obviously you’re still going to train the biceps – and aggresiely, of course. That said, we still want to use the right movements to get the best results.

Preacher Curl: This allows the bicep to be overloaded in the shorten position, which seems to be the area the bicep grows the best in. Coach Carter and myself are big fans of doing this against a pulldown machine’s pad.

Barbell Curls: They allow the muscle to work in a full range of motion and also for microloading. Since mechanical tension is the actual key to muscle growth, you can adjust that as time goes on.