My biceps have been peaked out for at least a year now. It is very hard to get them soar. My workout usually consists of 15-16 sets, either 5 exercises: 3 sets, 6-8 reps for the first 3 exercises or so and then about 10-12 reps on the last 2 exercises, OR 4 exercises: 4 sets, 6-8 reps on first 2 exercises then about 10 reps for last 2 exercises. I usually start off with seated barbell preacher and standing straightbar and follow up with incline dumbbell, hammers, reverse, one-arm cable, or seated dumbbell. Rest between sets is around 1 minute. I often incorporate drop sets and negatives into the exercises, and I always finish at least the last set of each exercise to failure. Could I be overtraining, even though I wake up the next morning not even noticing I hit biceps the day before? I just want to get them soar!
I think that you are definitely using way too much volume. Fifteen sets is just too much; I know from experience. I did too many sets and my arms remained small for a long time, then I cut it down to 9 sets at the most(plus forearm work), and I added 1.25 inches in a month and a half. Personally, I like to go with 3 sets of standing barbell curls, followed by 3 sets of incline DB curls with supination, and finish with one arm DB preacher curls. Heavy weight, deep stretch, great finishing pump. Just be sure to focus on the eccentric portion of the motion, and you’ll make great gains: quality over quantity. Good luck.
One way you could get your arms “soar” is to have someone run over them with a car. Forget the weight training— this will result in far more soreness than anything you can imagine. Now, if you wan to grow muscle, that’s a diffrent thing, but as you said, “I just want to get them soar!”
You don’t have to be sore to build muscle or strength. As you get accustomed to training in an exercise it can become very difficult to become sore.
I do no more than 4 sets with a weight progression from 6 reps down.
One set I usually like to try my max - I have found you can’t go up without pushing your limits.
you kill me, charles!
Hey, I do what I can…
Question-How can you increase the weight that you are using in order to challenge the muscle with a weight heavy enought to promote growth if you are INCREASING your reps at each set? By my last set I am using a weight so heavy that I can ONLY get 4-6 reps out of it. That is why I have never had a problem with arm growth. Your muscles are not going to grow if you are using a weight that is so easy for you to just pump out 12 reps. You are going way too light and you are using too much volume. I could never do that many sets because by using a heavier weight and pushing myself to the limits of my strength, by set#7 I am done. I can barely scratch my head let alone jump down and do another 5 sets just to make my biceps “sore”(which has nothing to do with you actually doing what it takes to grow.
I know that you’re muscles don’t have to be “soar” to know that you hit them good, but i like that feeling too. i recently switched from an 8 wk. low-rep mass building routine where by bi’s were not getting sore, to a high rep routine. I have not done a high volume routine in some time now. I have been really concentrating on the squeeze and pushing out 12-15 reps…and DAM, my bi’s have been sore!! Try a new approach/routine, it’s working for me!!
I think the T-mag staffers make these posts up themselves to test us. Come on, who really doesn’t know “soar” from “sore”? And with all the info on the site, how could anyone have the ignorance to ask if doing 16 sets for biceps is overtraining? I’ve seen this over and over. Good try guys, but how about testing us with harder, less goofy, faux-posts?
Kyle, you are overtraining like fuck!!! Biceps are small muscle group, 15 sets is ridiculous!! Furthermore, if you read T-Mag you would know that you shouldn’t be training to failure every workout. I agree with K’burnin, try higher reps with lighter weight and concentrate on strict form and slow tempo - you are bound to get a burn!!
Well, I always do flyes when I want a muscle to soar…
(Hee hee hee hee hee…)