# Bicep Training



## jfarnsworth (Jan 17, 2003)

I was curious to know with all of the people that lift weights here what they do to build the bicep muscle? Have you found superset, giant set, or just plain heavy weight to be the most effective for you? What kind of sets/reps are performed? What kind of curl exercises do you perform and why? 

Periodically I'm going to try to keep track of all the different muscle groups as well.


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## cassidy (Jan 17, 2003)

Basics are the best. 8-10 reps is good for muscle building. 3-4 reps is more of a power range and 6-8 is somewhere in the middle. The best ones for gaining size is dumbell curls and barbell curls. Hammer curls work good as well ,however they also invole brachialradialus, or it is known as the main muscle in the forearm. Concentration culs and preacher curls are more for isolation once you have reached the desired size that you are wishing to obtain. However consider this that when you flex your arm 3/4 of the size comes comes from your tricep not your bicep. So you should consider that in your training.


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 17, 2003)

Usually once a month I work both the bicep and tricep on the same day. Most of the time it's on seperate days. The reason being is that I don't want the muscles getting used to doing the same old thing. On bicep day I try to hit 5 exercises if possible with 3 sets of 10 reps or 15 depending on the exercise.


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## RCastillo (Jan 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jfarnsworth _
> *I was curious to know with all of the people that lift weights here what they do to build the bicep muscle? Have you found superset, giant set, or just plain heavy weight to be the most effective for you? What kind of sets/reps are performed? What kind of curl exercises do you perform and why?
> 
> Periodically I'm going to try to keep track of all the different muscle groups as well. *



I work the biceps, 2-3 times a week. I'll work the ez curl bar, heavy as I can, followed by different types of curls with dumbbells, and mix in different thing at times ,like the machines, cables. About 4-5 sets, 7-8 reps, when I feel ok.

I'm getting tendonitis though, so it slows me down some days.:asian:


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## cassidy (Jan 17, 2003)

2-3 times a week way to much . You grow outside of the gym when you rest ands recuperate. 2-3 times a week may be the reason that you have tendonitis.  You are being counterproductive and overtraining by doing that. Go to bodybuilding.com , musclemag.com or the likes for info. But cut back way back. Biceps can be stimulated to grow in as little as 6-8 sets a week.


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## RCastillo (Jan 17, 2003)

> _Originally posted by cassidy _
> *2-3 times a week way to much . You grow outside of the gym when you rest ands recuperate. 2-3 times a week may be the reason that you have tendonitis.  You are being counterproductive and overtraining by doing that. Go to bodybuilding.com , musclemag.com or the likes for info. But cut back way back. Biceps can be stimulated to grow in as little as 6-8 sets a week. *



Gotta feed them Pythons, Brother! (Hulk Hogan)


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 17, 2003)

I was reading in Flex (not sure which month) when there was an article devoted to Ronnie Coleman's bicep workout plan. His (what he called) magnificant 7 bicep routine looked tough. In the article it said to work the bicep twice a week. Varying the exercises each time. He said he would pick four of the exercises and blast 4 sets of 12 of each. I remember reading another article quite a while back it had mentioned that if you weren't sore the next day you didn't work the muscle hard enough. I'm not sure how much truth there is to that but that is what was printed. After working my bicep on monday and thursday I don't find any soreness. However when challenging the other muscle groups that becomes a different story.


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## cassidy (Jan 19, 2003)

Soreness does not equal growth, stimulation of the muscle and proper rest and recuperation does. Remember the ronnie coleman workouts are the workouts of Mr. Olympia and he is on numerous steroids and supps. and recovers much differently than the average joes.


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## RCastillo (Jan 19, 2003)

> _Originally posted by cassidy _
> *Soreness does not equal growth, stimulation of the muscle and proper rest and recuperation does. Remember the ronnie coleman workouts are the workouts of Mr. Olympia and he is on numerous steroids and supps. and recovers much differently than the average joes. *



Very true, we don't juice like you, and DC do ! (Cheaters) 

Mr. Farnsworth!


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## cassidy (Jan 19, 2003)

Very funny sir. I heavily supplement and eat a lot. But I don't juice.:asian:


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## RCastillo (Jan 19, 2003)

> _Originally posted by cassidy _
> *Very funny sir. I heavily supplement and eat a lot. But I don't juice.:asian: *



No, I don't mean you Sir, I mean FARNSWORTH!

SORRY!


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## cassidy (Jan 19, 2003)

Oh I don't care I am only kidding. I am very open about my supplements and training.


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 20, 2003)

> _Originally posted by RCastillo _
> *Very true, we don't juice like you, and DC do ! (Cheaters)
> 
> Mr. Farnsworth! *



Hmm, The only juice I have is orange juice. With nothing mixed in it. He He. Dodged that one. I do indulge into apple juice every now and then. :rofl:


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 24, 2003)

If anyone is interested in the newest Flex magazine Lee Haney did a bicep article write up. He explained a bicep "shocker" work out in detail. Well I tried it and my biceps have been sore for two days now. Looks like it a good series of exercises to do but only once a month or month and a half. Castillo take note.


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## RCastillo (Jan 24, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jfarnsworth _
> *If anyone is interested in the newest Flex magazine Lee Haney did a bicep article write up. He explained a bicep "shocker" work out in detail. Well I tried it and my biceps have been sore for two days now. Looks like it a good series of exercises to do but only once a month or month and a half. Castillo take note. *



It sounds like a challenge, my young IKKO warrior!


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by RCastillo _
> *It sounds like a challenge*



You have age and experience in your corner. I have alot of catching up to do. But right now my back, biceps, hamstrings, chest, and front deltoids are all sore so I'll have get well first. :rofl: :asian:


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## RCastillo (Jan 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jfarnsworth _
> *You have age and experience in your corner. I have alot of catching up to do. But right now my back, biceps, hamstrings, chest, and front deltoids are all sore so I'll have get well first. :rofl: :asian: *



My delts are killing me! 

I think I 'll become the next "Bolo", and start terrorizing people!


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by RCastillo _
> *I think I 'll become the next "Bolo", and start terrorizing people! *



:rofl: :rofl: :rofl: 
I think that just might be one of the absolute funniest things I have ever read on this forum. I was looking at your web site last night I'm just not sure you have the frame for that big of a chest and/or biceps. 

I don't either but one can dream.


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## RCastillo (Jan 25, 2003)

> _Originally posted by jfarnsworth _
> *:rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
> I think that just might be one of the absolute funniest things I have ever read on this forum. I was looking at your web site last night I'm just not sure you have the frame for that big of a chest and/or biceps.
> 
> I don't either but one can dream. *



Been talking to DC again?

Just for that, I'm gonna get even bigger, look out Ohio!:samurai:


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## jfarnsworth (Jan 25, 2003)

Lucky for me that Cincinnati is over 3 hrs. away. HUH????

Lucky for Ohio that you will only be around for a few days and then gone. Uh huh.


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## jfarnsworth (Aug 8, 2004)

Bump


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## Bammx2 (Aug 8, 2004)

got some good advice here!

for one last suggetion......
www.muscletech.com

 check it out for whatever you need.
and
www.flexonline.com

the 2 of those might offer some good advice as well.


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## hardheadjarhead (Aug 8, 2004)

jfarnsworth said:
			
		

> Usually once a month I work both the bicep and tricep on the same day. Most of the time it's on seperate days. The reason being is that I don't want the muscles getting used to doing the same old thing. On bicep day I try to hit 5 exercises if possible with 3 sets of 10 reps or 15 depending on the exercise.




It is a myth that muscles get "used" to a particular exercise.  They respond to intensity in training and progressive overload.  Changing exercises is good so as to avoid emotional staleness and to add variety, but your muscles can't tell the difference between two exercises.  

We tend to anthropormorphize our muscles, when you think about it.  Note the ads for supplements that tout protein, carbs, and vitamins for "hungry" muscles.  Our muscles "scream" when we do a fifth set to failure.  They pay us back the next day with soreness.  Don't fall into the trap of thinking you're "surprising" your muscles by changing routines. 

I'd honestly suggest no more than two exercises for the biceps...not five.  Switch them off for variety, but don't do them all in one day.  Get maximum intensity out of the session and then rest.  If you're doing more than one or two exercises for your biceps you're wasting your time and energy, and might even put back your progress.  Remember that every time you work your back with lat pulls and the like you're also hitting those biceps.  Don't kill them!

Upside to doing triceps and biceps the same day...MASSIVE pump.  You can't comb your hair for three hours afterwards, of course, much less defend yourself.  But you look good.


Regards,

Steve


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## Corporal Hicks (Aug 18, 2004)

Opppppppppppppps!!!!

I was doing, 3 Sets of 50 Reps on Dumbells doing Biceps, every day!
Is that really counterproductive?
I have 4kg dumbells (bit pathetic) but I feel I'm not doing my biceps at all with them, I dont feel any strain thats why I thought it best to go to 50 where I was beginning to feel the pull. What do you guys suggest? I get heavier Dumbells ?and do how many reps on what days?


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## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Aug 18, 2004)

I'm much smaller now, but in my larger days, I trained a 4-day split (3 on, 1 off) doing +/- 3 exercises per bodypart, 5-6 sets of 10 per exercise, with 45 minutes HIIT cardio.

Day 1: Chest & Biceps
Day 2: Back & Triceps
Day 3: Legs & Shoulders
Day 4: Rest.

For Bi's, I used some of the info from biomechanics to assist in size and shape building...
Brachialis is the largest of the elbow flexors; Biceps Brachii is, comparatively, smaller but provides the "peaks" in shaping.

Brachialis works as an elbow flexor, fully engaged in all elbow flexion activities.

Biceps brachii is a weak flexor of the elbow, and engages fully only when also perfroming it's other 2 functions...wrist supination and shoulder flexion.

My bi woprkout consisted of:
5-6/10, Hammer Curls (thumb hitch-hiking towards cieling, no supination).
5-6/10, Standing Concentration Curls with "cramping" full supination and partial shoulder flexion in full internal rotation at the top of the movement
5-6/10, bilateral standing cable curls (top cables, take a short step away from the machine so the line of pull is behind you).  On this last set, light to medium weight, and "pose" at the end in a double bi, held for a sec, then released slowly.

About once ebery 2 weeks, add seated cambered bar preachers, very light weight, to fatigue (a "hundreds" workout, where you try to get to a hundred, fail at around 30, but just keep counting them off in bursts until 100 reps have been completed)

I had been body-building for years with moderate success, till a Masters Division IFBB pro walked me through this at the gym. In a couple months, I went from my stale-mated 16-18 inch arms, depending on diet and cardio, to 21 inch arms with a great anterior delt/pec/biceps tie-in.

I'm an ectomorph by genetics, and 6'4"...so for me, gains are hard won, and my back and calves are the only things on me that are happy to grow with minimal encouragement. Go heavy on the vertical hammer dumbell curls, medium on the concentration curls (allowing the wrist to fully supinate while dropping into extension so that the elbow flexors are holding the weight, and not canterlevering with the wrist flexors), light on the standing double bi's. I encourage anyone to try this for 2-3 months, and report back the changes. I do not believe you'll be unhappy about it.

Regards,

Dave


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## TigerWoman (Aug 18, 2004)

Argggh, just looking at all that from the previous post...

But from a woman's point of view:  how much should a woman work her upper body with out getting all those beforementioned huge/ugly muscles(on a woman) and still be effective in martial arts.  

I do a hundred pushups and TotalGym exercises. My arms are as big as I want them and they are not particularly "fashionable" but it helps punching and breaking in TKD.  Does anybody have any advice for women on exercises?  TW


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## Kembudo-Kai Kempoka (Aug 18, 2004)

TigerWoman said:
			
		

> Argggh, just looking at all that from the previous post...
> 
> But from a woman's point of view: how much should a woman work her upper body with out getting all those beforementioned huge/ugly muscles(on a woman) and still be effective in martial arts.
> 
> I do a hundred pushups and TotalGym exercises. My arms are as big as I want them and they are not particularly "fashionable" but it helps punching and breaking in TKD. Does anybody have any advice for women on exercises? TW


I wouldn't sweat the size worry. Not having massive amounts of testosterone floating through your veins, you don't have the endocrine make-up to build great size without steroid supplementation.  The women who get so big that they look like men, get that way because they take roids to make their bodies think they're men, and build like men. Total Gym is an excellent way of dispersing the energy of a workout over complex exercises, keeping muscles strong and functional, but not necessarily huge...building major size, at some point, requires isolating muscle groups.

Train on without fear.

Dave


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## TigerWoman (Aug 19, 2004)

Thanks for the reply.  Then I'll keep my TotalGym.  Actually it was a gift to my husband who has never used it.   TW


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## SMP (Sep 6, 2004)

Bicep training is like training your other muscles high rep low weight = leaner muscle - lower reps high weight = bulkier muscle due to increased microscopic tearing resulting in a increase of satellite muscle-repair cells. These stem cells devide and multiply before fusing with the muscle fiber resulting in a bulkier muscle fiber.


As to how often to work out it depends on the individual. Some people can work out every other day or others do better with 2 days rest.  Listen to your body.


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## bassplayer (Sep 10, 2004)

Also one thing to keep in mind that as your workout intensity increases, your required rest time increases as well.  So saying 'do this 3 times a week' is only a sure-fire way to plateau your workouts.  
People seem to make it all so much more complex than it actually is.  To lift a weight of n pounds requires a muscle group of x diameter, and that can be applied to any exercise.  Muscle fibers are binary, either contracted or not.  Contract every muscle fiber in a group and that equates to the maximum amount of force that can be applied to the group!
Jarhead had it right about the response to training and progressive overload.  Biceps are comprised of two muscles, five is definitely more than you need, unless you're talking about spreading those five among workouts - for an easier example I'd give a squat/leg press example, at the gym I'll focus on different exercises with each 'rotation' through and notice subtle differences in muscle soreness, recovery & growth.  (cycle, whatever you wish to call it...I'll do enough for one workout and my next time around working the same muscle group I'll have a slightly different focus, returning to my original focus on a later workout rotation, with the intent of having progressed through each cycle.)   
More reps will get you more endurance, regardless of how much weight you're using.  A bigger group of muscles will simply naturally have more capacity to do more reps of a given weight because the overload capacity wont be reached as quickly as for a smaller group of muscles.
Also, as people that take the right supplements can attest to, it really does matter what you're feeding yourself.  I was taking a protein supplement and it helped me get some extra size that I wanted, but I ended up gaining a little too quickly and had to scale my workouts down a bit as a result of a bad back


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## Chronuss (Oct 1, 2004)

what supplements do you guys suggest in correlation for upper body workouts or core workouts...?  please, please, please don't tell me anything that costs an insane amount that a lowly college student can't afford.


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## Brother John (Oct 1, 2004)

jfarnsworth said:
			
		

> Usually once a month I work both the bicep and tricep on the same day. Most of the time it's on seperate days. The reason being is that I don't want the muscles getting used to doing the same old thing. On bicep day I try to hit 5 exercises if possible with 3 sets of 10 reps or 15 depending on the exercise.


IMHO:
That's too many total reps. Which would indicate that you aren't using that much weight.
Remeber: IF you are wanting a muscle to grow, it must be forced to meet a demand that is greater than it usually can handle. Also: the greater number of muscle fibers that we have are fast twitch and do not respond as well to lighter/higher reps as they do to Heavier/lower reps. SOME higher reps is good, but you won't see your body change much from it.
Also: never let your Bicep training outdo your tricep training.

Your Brother
John


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## KenpoTess (Oct 1, 2004)

I don't think Jason needs to worry bout his reps *G*
he looks just fine


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## jfarnsworth (Oct 1, 2004)

It's interesting to see that I started this thread over a year and a half ago. Over that time I've grown both physically and mentally as far as lifting wise. I've found what MY body takes to make it grow and how it responds to lifts/poundages.  This morning at 6am I did all bicep work. (Normally it would have been a leg workout but I pulled my left ham. during a sparring class last saturday.)
5 sets (from 8-10 depending on weight) standing camber bar curls
4 sets 12 reverse cable curls
3 sets 8 - 12 standing alternating dumbbell curls 
3 sets 12 incline dumbbell curls
15 total sets and it took about 35 minutes to complete. Now on the otherhand tuesday is my bi/tri day. I always put them together now. I hit 10 sets per bicep and 10 sets for tricep. My partner and I do them as a superset so we make the most of our time and effort. As follows on this particular day
4 sets 10 standing barbell curls w/4 sets 12 rope pushdowns
3 sets 10 standing alt. dumbbell curls w/3 sets 12-15 lying cable tricep ext.
3 sets 12 two hand cable curls w/3 sets 10 (if possible) french press  
Anyhow this just happens to be what I picked out as we went along. 


Tess,
I'm not sure everyone was ready to look at my ugly ****.   You should have forwarned people.


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## jfarnsworth (Oct 1, 2004)

Chronuss said:
			
		

> what supplements do you guys suggest in correlation for upper body workouts or core workouts...?  please, please, please don't tell me anything that costs an insane amount that a lowly college student can't afford.


Chad,
I have found one that works best for me. That is optimum nutrition 100% whey protein.  It's in a black container as they have two versions. The other is in a beige type color container. I purchase mine from www.massnutrition.com at a fraction of what you will purchase it from GNC. I buy both the chocolate and vanilla flavored and love both of them. Through trial and error they work best, mix the best, and taste the best. At least that's my opinion. Matter of fact I've got some beside me now. Anyway the 5lb. container on that site goes for 23.50 and at GNC you'll be looking at 40+.


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## Chronuss (Oct 1, 2004)

from the description I'm guessing it's a powder that is then mixed...maybe after I get a paycheck.


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## KenpoTess (Oct 2, 2004)

jfarnsworth said:
			
		

> Tess,
> I'm not sure everyone was ready to look at my ugly ****.   You should have forwarned people.



*oh pashaw Jason~!!  Ya Look Marvelous *G*

 :boing2:


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## jfarnsworth (Oct 2, 2004)

KenpoTess said:
			
		

> *oh pashaw Jason~!!  Ya Look Marvelous *G*


Well thank you as always but you're being too kind  . I've been really hoping to get a new set of pictures as that one and other I have are at least 4 months old now plus I got a new digital camera to play around with. This one I thinks will show a lot more of the seperation and detail between the muscle groups. Not that anyone cares but I'm just rambling on.


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## jfarnsworth (Oct 2, 2004)

Chronuss said:
			
		

> from the description I'm guessing it's a powder that is then mixed...maybe after I get a paycheck.


Yes it is a powder. Again as far as I'm concerned the best for your buck. I use mine in all types of things. This is why I purchased both choc. & van. flavors. Smoothies, milkshakes and with dinner or breakfast. The different flavors for different meals. When I eat oatmeal I like the choc. the best, it just tastes better. While eating spaghetti it's the van. flavor. Smoothies w/bananas & strawberries I use van. Milkshakes I use choc. You get the idea.


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