I’ve been a hardcore lurker on the forums but recent life events have resuccitated my training and driven me to new levels. I’ve decided that if I want to move to the next evolution, I need to become more active on the forums and solicit some feedback from you guys.
Moving on to the topic of discussion: Biceps Isolation. My biceps are stubborn little fuckers that refuse to grow or peak. After a bit of research, I realized it’s because I barely do any isolation work. Admittedly, I don’t know much on the subject and wanted to ask what specific exercises have worked best for you guys.
My current #'s
BW: 175lbs
BF: 9.2%
Bench: 275 1RM
Squat: 225 1RM (Legs are my obvious weakness)
DL: 315 for reps
My Bicep day looks something like the following:
(I do 4 exercises; 3 sets of 10, 8, and 6 reps)
Preacher Curls - 25lbs, 35lbs, 40lbs
Weighted Chins - 45-90lbs
Stand Alt Curls OR Seated Alt Curls (Supinated Grip) OR Hammer Curls - 35, 40, 50
Concentration Curls - 25, 30, 35.
Like I said, I’m looking to move more into Isolation work, so any feedback you guys offer is very much appreciated.
Id try Some barbell curls- great for building a strong base.
Id also make the preacher curls 1 arm at a time. The movement is about the full stretch of the bicep, so be sure your allow your arm to go all the way down, then curl up to maybe a lil past perpendicular to your brachium, that way you keep constant tension on the bicep. If you curl all the way to the top, theres a moment of rest when you’re simply sitting on your elbow, so eliminate that.
Personally id ditch the Chins, but thats just me
And Concentration curls are about moving max weight, so id prolly ditch the bumping. if youre going to bump, make it only 1 bump, double set the first weight and bump once. Maybe do 30, 30, 35, more if you can. you shouldnt be able to get more than 6-8 for them.
Barbell Curls = Have to go the all the way down. No swinging your arms at all. Very Strict form.
Concentration Curls = Solid motion all the way through. No tossing the weight up for help. Go extra heavy.
Single Preacher curls or Incline Dumbbell Curls = Stretch is the key here for this move to work.
You’ll most likely get post like this one or very similar because it works. I got my 19"s from using only 2 of those moves. Don’t have a bench for preacher curls. Getting the weight heavy enough to do get your reps down to 8 but still doing them with good quality is very important.
I suggest removing the weighted chins. You already should be doing heavy heavy weighted chin-ups on your back day. So I would suggest doing 2 exercises 4-5 sets each for biceps. Straight bar or ez curl bar if your wrists are fragile and whatever one you like for second (from what the guys above suggested, preacher, concentration etc). The important fact is don’t turn the curl motion into a front raise with your deltoid.
How long have you been training for? I don’t disagree that isolation exercises are a good idea at this time, but are you sure your biceps are stubborn or is it more likely that they are simply matching the 175lb individual you are?
After seeing the picture of your arm, I just wanted to make sure you had considered this.
Plus, your curling numbers aren’t that great. Not a knock - everyone starts somewhere - but at your body weight and with those numbers I’m not sure what kind of results you are expecting. Are you feeling the muscle working while performing those exercises?
I also noticed you are doing I,BB. Perhaps you would be better served sticking with a more “traditional” bodybuilding routine with a solid reputation before jumping on the latest flavor of the week?
I’ve been training since college, but I won’t say it’s all been intelligent training. Probably the last year has been dedicated to real, thourough, researched training.
I have taken it into account, that perhaps i might not have the “size” to have decent biceps peaks, then I look at guys like Ivan Rusilko (Mister USA 2008), whom i’ve met in person. Ivan is only 178lbs but has great arm development. I do focus on Tri work as well, but clearly haven’t found a way to make the overall arm grow like i’d prefer.
Biceps peak has nothing to do with bodyweight. Shape of the muscle is purely genetic. You can only make the muscle bigger.
Your problem is your strength. Curl 65lb dumbells with a supinated grip for reps and Im sure youre biceps will grow. Eat enough every day to make sure you make strength progressions every week.
[quote]swoop wrote:
I’ve been training since college, but I won’t say it’s all been intelligent training. Probably the last year has been dedicated to real, thourough, researched training.
I have taken it into account, that perhaps i might not have the “size” to have decent biceps peaks, then I look at guys like Ivan Rusilko (Mister USA 2008), whom i’ve met in person. Ivan is only 178lbs but has great arm development. I do focus on Tri work as well, but clearly haven’t found a way to make the overall arm grow like i’d prefer.
IVAN RUSILKO:
[/quote]
Ivan Rusilko, who competes, is a dieted down 178… You cannot compare yourself to him.
Heavy bb and db curls are all you need, like the others have said. Not concentration curls.
Hey Guys, I tried the heavy preacher and DB curls today and it was great. You guys helped me realize that I needed to jack up the weight and worry less about more reps. It was a great workout, that and the mind-muscle connection being emphasized had me really happy as I left the gym.
My gym (free at work) only has a Smith machine. Is it still possible to do BB curls on it? Keep the ideas coming. Thanks, guys!
[quote]swoop wrote:
Hey Guys, I tried the heavy preacher and DB curls today and it was great. You guys helped me realize that I needed to jack up the weight and worry less about more reps. It was a great workout, that and the mind-muscle connection being emphasized had me really happy as I left the gym.
My gym (free at work) only has a Smith machine. Is it still possible to do BB curls on it? Keep the ideas coming. Thanks, guys![/quote]
No a smith machine can not be used for barbell curls
[quote]swoop wrote:
Hey Guys, I tried the heavy preacher and DB curls today and it was great. You guys helped me realize that I needed to jack up the weight and worry less about more reps. It was a great workout, that and the mind-muscle connection being emphasized had me really happy as I left the gym.
My gym (free at work) only has a Smith machine. Is it still possible to do BB curls on it? Keep the ideas coming. Thanks, guys![/quote]
Are there cables? You could do a standing cable curl which would be similar to a standing BB curl.
Also, gotta agree with the others. Your arms look pretty proportional to the rest of you. You need to gain weight everywhere, keep trying to use heavier weights (making sure that you aren’t cheating so much that the biceps stop being the prime movers of course), and EAT!
[quote]mr popular wrote:
I get the impression that the OP is painfully unaware that he must gain a significant amount of bodyweight to see progress in his arms.
You are not just slowly going to fill out 18in arms on a 170lb body.[/quote]
Trust me, the last thing I am is unaware. Like I said, I’ve been lurking here for quite some time. My current diet has me sitting on 3,500 - 4,000 cals a day and I am actively looking to gain weight. The point is that my arms are not in proportion to the rest of my body in regards to size or definition and I was looking to fix that. Don’t discredit
My 6 years of reading T-mag and the forums to simple ignorance, thanks.
