[quote]Zero_Z wrote:
horsepuss wrote:
*snip
What i do now
100lbs for 8
110 for 6
120 for 4-6
Then dumbells for 8-10
or rope curls for 8-10
NO SQUAT RACK CURLS!!!
Well there’s your problem. You need to do more rows and weighted pullups. As CW and CT say, what’s going to add more mass, a 50lb isolation curl or a 150lb row?[/quote]
Both.
[quote]Zero_Z wrote:
horsepuss wrote:
*snip
What i do now
100lbs for 8
110 for 6
120 for 4-6
Then dumbells for 8-10
or rope curls for 8-10
NO SQUAT RACK CURLS!!!
Well there’s your problem. You need to do more rows and weighted pullups. As CW and CT say, what’s going to add more mass, a 50lb isolation curl or a 150lb row?[/quote]
I do Row.I could row a boat up niagara falls.I do DB rows with 120.Bent BB rows with 150+ and T-bar row 4 plates for 6 reps.
[quote]Zero_Z wrote:
Well there’s your problem. You need to do more rows and weighted pullups. As CW and CT say, what’s going to add more mass, a 50lb isolation curl or a 150lb row?[/quote]
Someone read the “Tip of the Day,” which actually used 30 lbs. as an example. Way to pass on that “knowledge,” i.e., parrot what you read but that you don’t know if it’s true or not, as you haven’t done anything with your physique yet.
I use more than 50 lbs. in each arm. I haven’t done barbell curls in a long time, but I suspect the weight on the bar would be closer to 150 than 50. If you are able to do concentration curls with 50 pounds (I can’t), something tells me you wouldn’t be posting about small arm size.
Of course, to make their point, the “tipsters” had to give an extreme example. I’d call that building a straw man, but saying that would be “critical” and “hating.”
[quote]CaliforniaLaw wrote:
Zero_Z wrote:
Well there’s your problem. You need to do more rows and weighted pullups. As CW and CT say, what’s going to add more mass, a 50lb isolation curl or a 150lb row?
Someone read the “Tip of the Day,” which actually used 30 lbs. as an example. Way to pass on that “knowledge,” i.e., parrot what you read but that you don’t know if it’s true or not, as you haven’t done anything with your physique yet.
I use more than 50 lbs. in each arm. I haven’t done barbell curls in a long time, but I suspect the weight on the bar would be closer to 150 than 50. If you are able to do concentration curls with 50 pounds (I can’t), something tells me you wouldn’t be posting about small arm size.
Of course, to make their point, the “tipsters” had to give an extreme example. I’d call that building a straw man, but saying that would be “critical” and “hating.”[/quote]
Actually that’s been in articles before. I just made up numbers off the top of my head and I didn’t realize it was the tip of the day. It’s true because it’s worked for me, so +1 for assuming.
[quote]Zero_Z wrote:
CaliforniaLaw wrote:
Zero_Z wrote:
Well there’s your problem. You need to do more rows and weighted pullups. As CW and CT say, what’s going to add more mass, a 50lb isolation curl or a 150lb row?
Someone read the “Tip of the Day,” which actually used 30 lbs. as an example. Way to pass on that “knowledge,” i.e., parrot what you read but that you don’t know if it’s true or not, as you haven’t done anything with your physique yet.
I use more than 50 lbs. in each arm. I haven’t done barbell curls in a long time, but I suspect the weight on the bar would be closer to 150 than 50. If you are able to do concentration curls with 50 pounds (I can’t), something tells me you wouldn’t be posting about small arm size.
Of course, to make their point, the “tipsters” had to give an extreme example. I’d call that building a straw man, but saying that would be “critical” and “hating.”
Actually that’s been in articles before. I just made up numbers off the top of my head and I didn’t realize it was the tip of the day. It’s true because it’s worked for me, so +1 for assuming.
[/quote]
Either way, there aren’t too many guys who can do isolation curls with 50lbs or more who have “small arms”.
[quote]Professor X wrote:
Either way, there aren’t too many guys who can do isolation curls with 50lbs or more who have “small arms”.[/quote]
This is true, I made up bad numbers >:(
But back to the OP, do you ever do any isometrics to switch things up? You might want to throw some in your routine just for something different, it might help with gains.
I’ve also read, but never tried, that extensively overtraining one muscle group and then taking a long break (~week and a half) can help pass over a plateau. Might be worth a shot.
I’m trying adding isometrics
Where do you get your information from? You post some of the dumbest shit ever on this site.
OP - hit it and hit it hard.
You have gotten some very good info on this thread. Change things up from session to session, there is a ton of shit you can do for biceps. No two sessions of mine are ever the same.
I like the tri-sets, also try running the rack every now and again with DB curls or DB hammer curls. Pick the heaviest DB’s you can curl and hit them for a set of 6 on each arm, drop 10 pounds on the DB’s and repeat. I have done these with as many as 5 sets of DB’s starting with 80’s.
I love 21’s as well, but usually end up doing 30’s.
A
[quote]FightingScott wrote:
I think unless you’re on drugs or have freaky genetics you shouldn’t train biceps with more than 6 sets of isolation in a workout. Make those 3-6 sets of biceps that you do really count. [/quote]
AA: This isn’t intended to sound antagonistic towards you; it just happens to follow your post.
My biceps size and strength suffer without isolation work. Meanwhile I have done a 100lbs x 2 pull-up and 30 bodyweight pull-ups, and I can knock of a set of 11 on rings. Bicep size and peak? Isolation work!
It’s not rocket science. I’m lucky in that the compound work and lots of tri work keeps me over 17". But I got sick of the biceps issue, so what’d I do? I started working for strength-endurance in 8-12 rep range? Yes, there’s such a thing as being strong for 8 reps!
I’m not right now! I suspect that when I get to doing an alternating curl with 60’s for 10-12 (I am at 50 x 10) I will have made some gains!
As for the OP: It looks like you have good strength on biceps exercises. I will offer some ideas, but they are to be used over and above the general directives of adding overall mass and strength throughout your whole body and particularly the upper body pulling chain. Heavy ass rows and straight arm tension from trap movements will do your arms good. Never mind the Arnold adage about 10 lbs per arm inch.
Assuming you do all of that, it would be a good idea for you to split up your overall biceps volume. On one day have work for maintenance and gaining of strength: 5 x 5, 4 x 6, 6 x 4, 4 x 8 - I won’t recommend triples off the bat as some people’s wrists won’t allow it.
Use the regular money exercises like barbell and ez-bar curls, dumbbell alternating curls, hammer curls, preacher curls, Zottman curls, cheat curls.
The second day should focus on strength-endurance and overall pump. Sets of 8-12 are the order of the day here, and sets to failure are useful as well because let’s face it, you can live without biceps for a day or two at a time. (Do schedule back workouts before this day in the training week, unless you’re willing to build back the work capacity.)
Here, use the more ‘difficult’, lower-weight and higher time under tension exercises e.g. one-arm barbell curl, false grip hammer curl, rope curl, cable curl, broken-wrist curl, Arnold curl, drag curl, spider curl. Drop sets and mechanical advantage drop sets fit here as well. It’s a fun day out to run the rack on alternating curls in sheer disgust at your puny arms. Thib’s jettison curl is also cool.
And one more thing: If you are stalling, it may have to do with limits being place on growth due to a muscle imbalance. TrainerinDC covered that tri growth is a precursor to bi growth.
I want to add that a lack of progress in grip strength is obviously a limiting factor, and less obviously, that lack of reverse curl volume leads to inadequate strength and mass of the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles and consequently a destabilization of the elbow joint under loading. In other words, your elbow will start hurting if you gain in an unbalanced fashion.
I hope this advice is worthwhile.
[quote]Amsterdam Animal wrote:
I have done these with as many as 5 sets of DB’s starting with 80’s.
[/quote]
Did you just say that you do a 5-drop rack run of alternating SUPINATED?! db curls starting with 80’s?! I am a small, weak piece of shit and I am going to go hang myself now.
Definetly some good advice in here.
[quote]DON D1ESEL wrote:
AA: This isn’t intended to sound antagonistic towards you; it just happens to follow your post.
My biceps size and strength suffer without isolation work. Meanwhile I have done a 100lbs x 2 pull-up and 30 bodyweight pull-ups, and I can knock of a set of 11 on rings. Bicep size and peak? Isolation work!
It’s not rocket science. I’m lucky in that the compound work and lots of tri work keeps me over 17". But I got sick of the biceps issue, so what’d I do? I started working for strength-endurance in 8-12 rep range? Yes, there’s such a thing as being strong for 8 reps!
I’m not right now! I suspect that when I get to doing an alternating curl with 60’s for 10-12 (I am at 50 x 10) I will have made some gains!
As for the OP: It looks like you have good strength on biceps exercises. I will offer some ideas, but they are to be used over and above the general directives of adding overall mass and strength throughout your whole body and particularly the upper body pulling chain. Heavy ass rows and straight arm tension from trap movements will do your arms good. Never mind the Arnold adage about 10 lbs per arm inch.
Assuming you do all of that, it would be a good idea for you to split up your overall biceps volume. On one day have work for maintenance and gaining of strength: 5 x 5, 4 x 6, 6 x 4, 4 x 8 - I won’t recommend triples off the bat as some people’s wrists won’t allow it.
Use the regular money exercises like barbell and ez-bar curls, dumbbell alternating curls, hammer curls, preacher curls, Zottman curls, cheat curls.
The second day should focus on strength-endurance and overall pump. Sets of 8-12 are the order of the day here, and sets to failure are useful as well because let’s face it, you can live without biceps for a day or two at a time. (Do schedule back workouts before this day in the training week, unless you’re willing to build back the work capacity.)
Here, use the more ‘difficult’, lower-weight and higher time under tension exercises e.g. one-arm barbell curl, false grip hammer curl, rope curl, cable curl, broken-wrist curl, Arnold curl, drag curl, spider curl. Drop sets and mechanical advantage drop sets fit here as well. It’s a fun day out to run the rack on alternating curls in sheer disgust at your puny arms. Thib’s jettison curl is also cool.
And one more thing: If you are stalling, it may have to do with limits being place on growth due to a muscle imbalance. TrainerinDC covered that tri growth is a precursor to bi growth.
I want to add that a lack of progress in grip strength is obviously a limiting factor, and less obviously, that lack of reverse curl volume leads to inadequate strength and mass of the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles and consequently a destabilization of the elbow joint under loading. In other words, your elbow will start hurting if you gain in an unbalanced fashion.
I hope this advice is worthwhile.[/quote]
Yeah but everyone has to start somewhere. You curl 50’s for reps with good form so that’s not weak.
I think for the OP he just needs to switch things up, try some of the advice given, suck it up and put in the time and effort it takes to built an impressive set of arms.
A
[quote]DON D1ESEL wrote:
Amsterdam Animal wrote:
I have done these with as many as 5 sets of DB’s starting with 80’s.
Did you just say that you do a 5-drop rack run of alternating SUPINATED?! db curls starting with 80’s?! I am a small, weak piece of shit and I am going to go hang myself now.[/quote]
[quote]DON D1ESEL wrote:
Amsterdam Animal wrote:
I have done these with as many as 5 sets of DB’s starting with 80’s.
Did you just say that you do a 5-drop rack run of alternating SUPINATED?! db curls starting with 80’s?! I am a small, weak piece of shit and I am going to go hang myself now.[/quote]
I love hearing shit like that.I know the feeling my buddy billy is a freak.Whenever i am feeling good about my self and tell him something i did he tops it with atleast a hundred lbs.
make sure your arms are recovering from everything you are doing, and do more work than you did the time before
I would try eliminating the contracted position for a while. Just curl the bottom half of the stroke. This empasizes the semi-strech position where your biceps are the strongest.
I tried this technique on squats (going to parallel and just pulsing in a 6 inch range of motion). It gave me good results.
Several trainers feel that the contracted psition is just wasted effort because the muscle is already used up. It seems to make sense.
Unless you squeeze at the top or better yet utilize the function of the biceps in assisting to elevate the humerus. In other words, curl the weight up and then front raise your elbow at the top once it’s completely bent. You’ll definitely feel a new and interesting contraction.
[quote]Mick28 wrote:
There’s some great advice on this thread. I’ll add one of my favorites that always seem to give my biceps a shot in the arm (pun intended).
Slow Eccentrics!
When you are finished with a set of 8 reps (for example) lower the last rep slowly, very slowly. Then have someone bring it back to start for you, or cheat it up yourself, and do another slow eccentric. I finish off my last set of barbell curls with three “negative” reps and that seems to make a huge difference.
Stay with it.
[/quote]
My bench was stuck forever and recently I’ve been doing something like this. I put 120% of my 1RM on the bar and lower it slowly, then a partner helps me raise it back up. It’s really helped a lot for me, maybe you can think of some way to relate that to curling.
[quote]Mick28 wrote:
There’s some great advice on this thread. I’ll add one of my favorites that always seem to give my biceps a shot in the arm (pun intended).
Slow Eccentrics!
When you are finished with a set of 8 reps (for example) lower the last rep slowly, very slowly. Then have someone bring it back to start for you, or cheat it up yourself, and do another slow eccentric. I finish off my last set of barbell curls with three “negative” reps and that seems to make a huge difference.
Stay with it.
[/quote]
awesome, I just did these this morning I’ll vouch for you these work!