Biceps, my worst enemy.

[Kody]

My biceps/arms are strong, but I am having the problem of virtually no growth at all.

I do Bi's after back on Tuesday, and again after my 2nd leg day on Saturday.

My Bi workout would consist of;

Standard Grip(?) with a straight bar, no weights, 25 times, then to 10s on both sides for 12 reps for 3 sets, then back down to just the bar 25 times. A total of 5 sets.

I will then move to preacher curls with about 50-60lbs for 10 reps about 5 sets.

After that is various workouts till I cannot lift anymore.

I have been after the pump method with these as the strength method, (me being able to curl 90lb 8 times, etc), is not making me grow.

I'm over lifting heavy on biceps, I just want to grow now! Any advice greatly appreciated

 

[johnnyBALLZ]

My biceps/arms are strong, but I am having the problem of virtually no growth at all.

I do Bi's after back on Tuesday, and again after my 2nd leg day on Saturday.

My Bi workout would consist of;

Standard Grip(?) with a straight bar, no weights, 25 times, then to 10s on both sides for 12 reps for 3 sets, then back down to just the bar 25 times. A total of 5 sets.

I will then move to preacher curls with about 50-60lbs for 10 reps about 5 sets.

After that is various workouts till I cannot lift anymore.

I have been after the pump method with these as the strength method, (me being able to curl 90lb 8 times, etc), is not making me grow.

I'm over lifting heavy on biceps, I just want to grow now! Any advice greatly appreciated

I don't like this at all, any of it..

"Various workouts till I cannot lift anymore"? How many total sets? Are you eating enough? Twice a week does not seem to be the answer..

Let's get some more info and we'll figure something out..

 

[weighted chinup]

I think you are expecting a bit too much from isolation movements and curls than what they have to offer.

I think the solution lies elsewhere. Instead of adding more isolation movements or increasing variety just for the sake of variety, I would recommend you try and take a slightly different approach.

Rowing and weighted chinups, done with sufficient volume and with an emphasis put on progressive overloading the poundage's has been responsible for most of my bicep related gains.

This is the approach I would take in trying to solve this. Get stronger at doing rowing movements and vertical pulls like weighted chin ups, pull ups, etc. Do these movements with adequate volume, focus on increasing the poundage's, and you will not have to do very much bicep isolation at all.

 

[Kody]

I don't like this at all, any of it..

"Various workouts till I cannot lift anymore"? How many total sets? Are you eating enough? Twice a week does not seem to be the answer..

Let's get some more info and we'll figure something out..

I have started dieting as of 2 weeks ago, every morning I wake up at 5am and chug 32oz water, I then fry 5 eggs, and eat 2 cups oatmeal. At 9:30am I will eat 5oz chicken and 2 cups rice, I will eat that again at 12pm. I will lift at 4-5:30 then eat 3 McDoubles immediately after workout. I will then eat 1cup Greek yogurt/1cup granola before bed. My protein intake is about what, 200g a day? I am 6ft 172, pure muscle with maybe 9% body fat, or whatever being skinny is.

 

[Kody]

I think you are expecting a bit too much more from isolation movements and curls than what they have to offer.

I think the solution lies elsewhere. Instead of adding more isolation movements or increasing variety just for the sake of variety, I would recommend you try and take a slightly different approach.

Rowing and weighted chinups, done with sufficient volume and with an emphasis put on progressive overloading the poundage's has been responsible for most of my bicep related gains.

This is the approach I would take in trying to solve this. Get stronger at doing rowing movements and vertical pulls like weighted chin ups, pull ups, etc. Do these movements with adequate volume, focus on increasing the poundage's, and you will not have to do very much bicep isolation at all.

I'm not saying your wrong, for I take it that you know more than me, but ill ask a few novice questions (1.5yrs exp only).

Wouldn't all the workouts you just listed what I'd be doing when focusing on my back portion of the workout? I know I am using my biceps during a back workout, but am I to be expecting the growth you mentioned while also fine tuning my back workouts and not only just my bicep workouts?

 

[weighted chinup]

Wouldn't all the workouts you just listed what I'd be doing when focusing on my back portion of the workout? I know I am using my biceps during a back workout, but am I to be expecting the growth you mentioned while also fine tuning my back workouts and not only just my bicep workouts?

I think in the long term how strong you are at movements like rows, vertical pulls, etc is going to play a larger role in your overall bicep development than various isolation movements.

Curls are certainly beneficial to a degree, but I don't agree that it will be responsible for the majority of your bicep related gains if you are making appropriate choices in exercise selection. I only do 1 bicep curl variant in my training, I could drop it and I doubt I would lose a whole lot. I could add more isolation movements but I doubt I would gain much of anything from doing so.

I don't really like changing things for the sake of change, but maybe the solution for you is making 'better' choices in exercise selection when it comes to your back training, since I am assuming that is when you are going to be doing your rowing and pulling movements.

If your back day consists of, for example, weighted chin up, weighted pull up, seated rows , etc and you are training these lifts with enough volume and are constantly getting stronger, wouldn't you agree that very little additional isolation movements for biceps would be necessary?

I can safely say that getting stronger at weighted chin ups for example will play a larger role in your bicep development than simply doing more isolation movements.

That is personally how I would try and approach this matter.

 

[brutus79]

Did you say 3 mcdoubles? A day? Horrible man. Eat $3 worth of 80/20 ground beef and ditch the poison "meat"

 

[Kody]

Did you say 3 mcdoubles? A day? Horrible man. Eat $3 worth of 80/20 ground beef and ditch the poison "meat"

It's after my workout, a power lifter that works at my gym told me I'd be okay doing that as a cheat meal a day, but I will take your advice on that.

 

[pumpingiron22]

First get you diet in check. Two get with a trainer you would be surprised how a small adjustment can make a big difference! Also when doing reps pause and slowly come down. Getting the most out of every rep. Isometric.

 

[BIGMESC]

WC inspired me to give this a try. Arms are definently lagging and effecting my compound lifts.
I am on a madcow 5x5 3 days a week and I do a bonus workout once a week for shoulders, arms, abs and calves.

Started adding in weighted chins and now only do one bi exercise just to finish them off.
Bonus day now looks something like

Weighted chins
Lat raises
Shrugs
Calve raises
bicep isolation
abs

Loving it

I think in the long term how strong you are at movements like rows, vertical pulls, etc is going to play a larger role in your overall bicep development than various isolation movements.

Curls are certainly beneficial to a degree, but I don't agree that it will be responsible for the majority of your bicep related gains if you are making appropriate choices in exercise selection. I only do 1 bicep curl variant in my training, I could drop it and I doubt I would lose a whole lot. I could add more isolation movements but I doubt I would gain much of anything from doing so.

I don't really like changing things for the sake of change, but maybe the solution for you is making 'better' choices in exercise selection when it comes to your back training, since I am assuming that is when you are going to be doing your rowing and pulling movements.

If your back day consists of, for example, weighted chin up, weighted pull up, seated rows , etc and you are training these lifts with enough volume and are constantly getting stronger, wouldn't you agree that very little additional isolation movements for biceps would be necessary?

I can safely say that getting stronger at weighted chin ups for example will play a larger role in your bicep development than simply doing more isolation movements.

That is personally how I would try and approach this matter.

 

[Ozzy619]

Add some real weight to that god damn bar and start doing pull ups and chin ups.

 

[KillaBig]

It looks like your your working your Bi's as a secondary muscle and getting secondary growth.Give bi's there own day and punish them with reasonably heavy weight.Your diet as mention'd above bye everyone else needs some help stay far away from McDonald's.
Good luck to Ya

 

[Docd187123]

It's after my workout, a power lifter that works at my gym told me I'd be okay doing that as a cheat meal a day, but I will take your advice on that.

I eat mcdoubles a lot before or after a workout. Quick source of calories and protein. Nothing wrong with it.

 

[Docd187123]

How is it that you can curl a 90lb DB but you're BB curling the bar for 25 reps and 65lbs for 12? Those numbers make no sense. Either you can't curl a 90lb DB or you're seriously under working yourself curling the BB with only 65lbs.

Oh and listen to WeightedChinup lol, he's leading you down the right track.

 

[Oregongearhead]

Hi Kody - you need to stop by my "What R-U Eating" thread and see what the super mutants here are eating .....its not McDoubles either . Its in the Nutrition/Supplements Forum .....~Ogh

 

[jymis]

I am 6ft 172, pure muscle with maybe 9% body fat, or whatever being skinny is.

I can tell you are young by this, it was an awesome statement. Seriously though there are some very awesome guys in here giving you some great advice based on their experience. You would do well to listen as I've learned so much form them. I'm in the same boat as you I have about a year of exp and these guys are a wealth of knowledge!

 

[Y2JVD]

you want bigger arms hit your compound lifts. The 4 essential compounds at the core of all workouts are squats, military presses/shoulder presses, bench press, and deadlifts.

 

[Oregongearhead]

you want bigger arms hit your compound lifts. The 4 essential compounds at the core of all workouts are squats, military presses/shoulder presses, bench press, and deadlifts.

^^^^ Do these and throw in some (palms facing) chin-ups and skip the BB curls for a few months . Then comeback 2 months later doing BB & DB curls to confuse your muscles . No endless bar-only curls ,your arms get used to those quickly . ~Ogh

 

[Oregongearhead]

You have to determine the kind of bicep you have ....mine are short "baseball" biceps with not much peak as you see ^^^ some though have long biceps that peak high (Arnold) . Training according to your body type is getting popular these days....~Ogh

 

[Kody]

Thank you everyone for the input, I probably could of have a full list of all my workouts, days, sets reps weight etc, and you would have a better idea. But after all it's just something I have to find with my own body, but for now, I am going to concentrate cleaner slower reps with my back workot, and maybe it'll help my biceps. Atleast that's what I've got out of all this.