By Vince DelMonte
The “Guns.” The “Pythons.” “Thunder” and “Lighting.” The “Rockweillers.”
There is no other muscle group that has earned more nicknames than when
describing a bulging and huge set of bicep! Bulging biceps - every guy wants
them. Count me in this group.
The days are far from gone when you walk into the gym and see 9 out of 10 guys
doing bicep curls all at the same time with the same determination to add even ¼
inch to their biceps. Training biceps has become almost an 'obsessive addiction'
in the gym. I have seen guys do bicep curls in between sets just so they can
'see' a little bit of a pump in their arms. I have seen guys spend an entire hour
bent over doing concentration curls while starring in the mirror. I have seen
guys take weights on vacation so that they can do some bicep curls at their hotel
before they go into the club! I have seen guys spend longer amounts of times
shopping for t-shirts than girls shopping for a blouse with the hope that one of
these shirts will make his arms look 'good.'
Someone disagree with me that bicep training has become an unhealthy
‘obsessive addiction.' for many. In the “Skinny Arms” defense, the allure of
peaked, mountainous biceps will never go away. Why should it? The 'guns' are
of a man's most prized possession and one of many women's most desired body
parts on a man (of course)!
My question is if 9 out 10 guys are obsessed with seeing their biceps grow and
dedicate so much of their workout volume to isolating their biceps and using
every technique from forced reps, drop sets, and 21's which are 'promised' to be
the most effective methods confirmed by pro bodybuilders, why do they still have
little to show for their efforts?
Let's examine five of the most common problems with bicep training before I offer
a step-by-step program to take your bicep peak to new heights.
Problem #1 with bicep training – More is not always better
If doing 4 sets is better than 3 sets, why don't you just do 10 sets? Even better,
why don't you just train them all day? It has been said before, but it obviously
needs to be said again: “Less is often more.” Especially if you are not gifted with
“muscle-friendly” genes.
Your goal of each weight training workout should be to simply 'out do' your last
workout. Once you achieve this with an extra pound or a few extra reps, then it is
time to move to the next exercise. Not to Nazi-torture the muscle for another
hour.
I have found this a hard concept for many skinny guys to grasp because they are
fixated on the instant gratification of making their biceps 'look' big during the
workout and not what they look like when they leave the gym, which leads us to
our next problem.
Problem #2 with bicep training – Being more obsessed with how they
look while you train rather than when you are not training!
Problem #2 ties in with problem #1. The truth is that the longer you train your
biceps, even if the weights are not extremely heavy, you can achieve a fairly
decent pump that can turn a few heads while in the gym. This attention and
perception that you are doing something beneficial is deceiving. Yes, there is
something to say about keeping blood in the muscle as long as possible, but if
the workout is done with weights that do not overload your muscles and
emphasize an increase in strength, your biceps will quickly deflate back to
normal with no true muscle growth.
Problem #3 with bicep training – Not focusing on increasing your overall
strength
Some of the biggest guys I know rarely even train their arms. What they do
though is put a strong emphasis around increasing their chest, back and
shoulder strength. If you simply focus on increasing the weights on your rows,
pull ups and chin-ups, rest assured that your biceps will come along for the ride
and grow proportionally.
However, if you are always blasting and 'smoking' your biceps, they will always be
fatigued when you train your back muscles and, as you should know, you are
only as strong as your weakest link. This is another reason to take a lower
volume approach to arm training.
Problem #4 with bicep training – Using the same bicep exercises every
time
Every pro bodybuilder will put their money on two of the simplest exercises for
building huge biceps – barbell curls and dumbbell curls. According to the pros,
these two exercises have built more huge guns than any other exercise in the
world. I definitely agree that these 'simple' exercises are a safe foundation to
build a program around, but let's also remember that pro bodybuilders using
steroids are going to have a strong response to practically any exercise they do.
I have no problem using these two exercises under one condition – you are
getting stronger from week to week. As long as you are increasing the weights
and reps relative to perfect form, then your arms should continue growing. Aim
to build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds for a few “slow speed” sets and your
dumbbell curls up to 50 pounds for a few “slow-speed” sets that involve zero
rocking and swaying.
Once you build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds, you will be ready to try these
two different angles on the bar. You will have to drop your weights a bit, but stick
with these two variations until you build back up to 110 pounds:
Bicep Exercise 1: “Stress” the outer portion of the bi's by placing your elbows
outwards and using a super-close grip.
Bicep Exercise 2: “Stress” the inner portion of the bi's by taking a super-wide grip
on the bar and digging your elbows into your side (and don't let them move.)
Bicep Exercise 3: To “stress” the brachialis and brachioradialis stick to good old
fashioned hammer curls and reverse curls. Don't underestimate these two
exercises in the slightest.
Problem #5 on biceps – Not enough tension on the muscle
I think many weight trainees do not fully grasp the concept of isolating and
actually training a muscle. They do not know how to make the muscle work and
fatigue. Instead, you see a lot of swinging, momentum and sloppy lifting used to
move the weight from every part of the body except the one they are actually
trying to train. The biceps have a very strong response to “constant tension,”
which means you should never give them a chance to breathe. Keep the bar
constantly moving without pausing at the top or bottom. Focus on squeezing the
heck out of the bar and never let your biceps relax until the set is over. Your
entire goal is to not allow any oxygen into the muscle which creates a spike with
your anabolic hormones to promote muscle growth. Resort to a slower 3-0-3 or
4-0-4 tempo to get the job done.
4- Week Bicep Prioritization Program
Weight Training Program Notes:
* Notice the simplicity of the workout structure. This program will work extremely
well for hardgainers. The overall volume might be a little low for someone used
to a traditional bodybuilder split program and has more than four years of
consistent training.
* The power of the program is found in the principle of prioritization by sequence
on the first pull workout. Notice that your prioritization muscle is being sequenced
at the start of the workout and the start of the week. This is happening on
purpose. We are intentionally giving your biceps an opportunity to train at their
two most “fresh” times – at the start of the week and at the start of the workout.
* Focusing on increasing overall strength can still be achieved on the second
pullworkout where the biceps will not be pre-fatigued.
* Notice the slow speed movements. Many anabolic hormones are released
when your muscles are under constant tension. The tempo's are set up so that
will be forced to move the weight slower and with a greater amount of tension
concentrically and eccentrically.
* On a pull day, 402 would mean: 4 seconds to release the weight, 0 second
pause at the bottom and 2 seconds to pull the weight. On a push day, 402
would would mean 4 seconds to lower the weight, 0 second pause at the bottom
and 2 seconds to push the weight up.
* Focus on adding 5-10 pounds to each of your exercises over the course of the
next four weeks while keeping the rep ranges and sets the same. It is not
necessary to do more sets or more reps. Focus on increasing more weight
under the same set, rep, tempo and rest prescription.
Conclusion
Focus on gaining an extra 5 pounds of overall weight this next 5 weeks. That
works out to gaining about 2 pounds of dry muscle accompanied by some water
and glycogen weight. An extra 5 pounds of overall weight should lead to at
least an extra inch on your arms. Keep the program going for another 5 weeks
and you'll have a whole extra inch on your arm in about 10 weeks! Then tell all
your friends to get tickets for the “Gun Show!”
----------------------------------
About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building : Skinny Guy
Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.
com/
He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight
quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.
© 2006-2008, Vince DelMonte Fitness. All rights in all media reserved. You may
reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and
all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a
package.
----------------------------------
Vince DelMonte offers eighteen 60-minute interviews with the World's Biggest
Experts on Muscle Building found at: www.UltimateMuscleAdvantage.com
The “Guns.” The “Pythons.” “Thunder” and “Lighting.” The “Rockweillers.”
There is no other muscle group that has earned more nicknames than when
describing a bulging and huge set of bicep! Bulging biceps - every guy wants
them. Count me in this group.
The days are far from gone when you walk into the gym and see 9 out of 10 guys
doing bicep curls all at the same time with the same determination to add even ¼
inch to their biceps. Training biceps has become almost an 'obsessive addiction'
in the gym. I have seen guys do bicep curls in between sets just so they can
'see' a little bit of a pump in their arms. I have seen guys spend an entire hour
bent over doing concentration curls while starring in the mirror. I have seen
guys take weights on vacation so that they can do some bicep curls at their hotel
before they go into the club! I have seen guys spend longer amounts of times
shopping for t-shirts than girls shopping for a blouse with the hope that one of
these shirts will make his arms look 'good.'
Someone disagree with me that bicep training has become an unhealthy
‘obsessive addiction.' for many. In the “Skinny Arms” defense, the allure of
peaked, mountainous biceps will never go away. Why should it? The 'guns' are
of a man's most prized possession and one of many women's most desired body
parts on a man (of course)!
My question is if 9 out 10 guys are obsessed with seeing their biceps grow and
dedicate so much of their workout volume to isolating their biceps and using
every technique from forced reps, drop sets, and 21's which are 'promised' to be
the most effective methods confirmed by pro bodybuilders, why do they still have
little to show for their efforts?
Let's examine five of the most common problems with bicep training before I offer
a step-by-step program to take your bicep peak to new heights.
Problem #1 with bicep training – More is not always better
If doing 4 sets is better than 3 sets, why don't you just do 10 sets? Even better,
why don't you just train them all day? It has been said before, but it obviously
needs to be said again: “Less is often more.” Especially if you are not gifted with
“muscle-friendly” genes.
Your goal of each weight training workout should be to simply 'out do' your last
workout. Once you achieve this with an extra pound or a few extra reps, then it is
time to move to the next exercise. Not to Nazi-torture the muscle for another
hour.
I have found this a hard concept for many skinny guys to grasp because they are
fixated on the instant gratification of making their biceps 'look' big during the
workout and not what they look like when they leave the gym, which leads us to
our next problem.
Problem #2 with bicep training – Being more obsessed with how they
look while you train rather than when you are not training!
Problem #2 ties in with problem #1. The truth is that the longer you train your
biceps, even if the weights are not extremely heavy, you can achieve a fairly
decent pump that can turn a few heads while in the gym. This attention and
perception that you are doing something beneficial is deceiving. Yes, there is
something to say about keeping blood in the muscle as long as possible, but if
the workout is done with weights that do not overload your muscles and
emphasize an increase in strength, your biceps will quickly deflate back to
normal with no true muscle growth.
Problem #3 with bicep training – Not focusing on increasing your overall
strength
Some of the biggest guys I know rarely even train their arms. What they do
though is put a strong emphasis around increasing their chest, back and
shoulder strength. If you simply focus on increasing the weights on your rows,
pull ups and chin-ups, rest assured that your biceps will come along for the ride
and grow proportionally.
However, if you are always blasting and 'smoking' your biceps, they will always be
fatigued when you train your back muscles and, as you should know, you are
only as strong as your weakest link. This is another reason to take a lower
volume approach to arm training.
Problem #4 with bicep training – Using the same bicep exercises every
time
Every pro bodybuilder will put their money on two of the simplest exercises for
building huge biceps – barbell curls and dumbbell curls. According to the pros,
these two exercises have built more huge guns than any other exercise in the
world. I definitely agree that these 'simple' exercises are a safe foundation to
build a program around, but let's also remember that pro bodybuilders using
steroids are going to have a strong response to practically any exercise they do.
I have no problem using these two exercises under one condition – you are
getting stronger from week to week. As long as you are increasing the weights
and reps relative to perfect form, then your arms should continue growing. Aim
to build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds for a few “slow speed” sets and your
dumbbell curls up to 50 pounds for a few “slow-speed” sets that involve zero
rocking and swaying.
Once you build your barbell curls up to 110 pounds, you will be ready to try these
two different angles on the bar. You will have to drop your weights a bit, but stick
with these two variations until you build back up to 110 pounds:
Bicep Exercise 1: “Stress” the outer portion of the bi's by placing your elbows
outwards and using a super-close grip.
Bicep Exercise 2: “Stress” the inner portion of the bi's by taking a super-wide grip
on the bar and digging your elbows into your side (and don't let them move.)
Bicep Exercise 3: To “stress” the brachialis and brachioradialis stick to good old
fashioned hammer curls and reverse curls. Don't underestimate these two
exercises in the slightest.
Problem #5 on biceps – Not enough tension on the muscle
I think many weight trainees do not fully grasp the concept of isolating and
actually training a muscle. They do not know how to make the muscle work and
fatigue. Instead, you see a lot of swinging, momentum and sloppy lifting used to
move the weight from every part of the body except the one they are actually
trying to train. The biceps have a very strong response to “constant tension,”
which means you should never give them a chance to breathe. Keep the bar
constantly moving without pausing at the top or bottom. Focus on squeezing the
heck out of the bar and never let your biceps relax until the set is over. Your
entire goal is to not allow any oxygen into the muscle which creates a spike with
your anabolic hormones to promote muscle growth. Resort to a slower 3-0-3 or
4-0-4 tempo to get the job done.
4- Week Bicep Prioritization Program
Weight Training Program Notes:
* Notice the simplicity of the workout structure. This program will work extremely
well for hardgainers. The overall volume might be a little low for someone used
to a traditional bodybuilder split program and has more than four years of
consistent training.
* The power of the program is found in the principle of prioritization by sequence
on the first pull workout. Notice that your prioritization muscle is being sequenced
at the start of the workout and the start of the week. This is happening on
purpose. We are intentionally giving your biceps an opportunity to train at their
two most “fresh” times – at the start of the week and at the start of the workout.
* Focusing on increasing overall strength can still be achieved on the second
pullworkout where the biceps will not be pre-fatigued.
* Notice the slow speed movements. Many anabolic hormones are released
when your muscles are under constant tension. The tempo's are set up so that
will be forced to move the weight slower and with a greater amount of tension
concentrically and eccentrically.
* On a pull day, 402 would mean: 4 seconds to release the weight, 0 second
pause at the bottom and 2 seconds to pull the weight. On a push day, 402
would would mean 4 seconds to lower the weight, 0 second pause at the bottom
and 2 seconds to push the weight up.
* Focus on adding 5-10 pounds to each of your exercises over the course of the
next four weeks while keeping the rep ranges and sets the same. It is not
necessary to do more sets or more reps. Focus on increasing more weight
under the same set, rep, tempo and rest prescription.
Conclusion
Focus on gaining an extra 5 pounds of overall weight this next 5 weeks. That
works out to gaining about 2 pounds of dry muscle accompanied by some water
and glycogen weight. An extra 5 pounds of overall weight should lead to at
least an extra inch on your arms. Keep the program going for another 5 weeks
and you'll have a whole extra inch on your arm in about 10 weeks! Then tell all
your friends to get tickets for the “Gun Show!”
----------------------------------
About the Author:
Vince DelMonte is the author of No Nonsense Muscle Building : Skinny Guy
Secrets To Insane Muscle Gain found at http://www.VinceDelMonteFitness.
com/
He specializes in teaching skinny guys how to build muscle and gain weight
quickly without drugs, supplements and training less than before.
© 2006-2008, Vince DelMonte Fitness. All rights in all media reserved. You may
reprint this article so long as the article and author bio are reprinted intake and
all links are made live. This article may never be sold individually or as part of a
package.
----------------------------------
Vince DelMonte offers eighteen 60-minute interviews with the World's Biggest
Experts on Muscle Building found at: www.UltimateMuscleAdvantage.com
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