Pump the biceps for growth

[musclebeauty]

I love training arms its one of my favorite bodyparts to train besides back....

 

Advanced training techniques usually aren't that important for newbies, and you're selling yourself short by rushing into them. Don't get me wrong, there are advantages in their application, but understanding how to use them appropriately is what makes your body more responsive once you do add them in.

In the case of biceps, a few sets of good ol' barbell curls once or twice a week is generally enough volume since you're already working them indirectly every time you do a back exercise. But if you've been training for some time and your biceps are lagging, adding a novel stressor will get them bigger. Try this:

How to Do It

1. Start with the incline curl. Your objective here is to hit the peak of your biceps. Set up on an adjustable bench with your elbows positioned slightly behind your torso. Most people make the mistake of bringing their elbows too far back. This puts your shoulders in a precarious position. And, if you have pre-existing shoulder issues, a steep incline can exacerbate it. Work within your capacity.
2. Immediately follow that up with eccentric hammer curls. With a neutral grip, you'll mainly focus on the brachialis. And that's a good thing since this part of the bicep doesn't get nearly enough attention.
3. Finish off with regular standing hammer curls. At this point, your arms will feel like noodles. So, it's perfectly fine to use a little momentum to eke out a few more reps.

The whole point of this is to drive hypertrophy, so there's no need to go heavy. Use this sequence once a week

[millenium girl]

I hate training arms but when I do I use light to medium weights and very high reps.

[eazy57]

Interesting top. I trained arms this morning. Since my last cycle I've had tendonitis pain so most curls are challenging. 

I start with spider curls lying chest down on an incline bench. One light set, then 3 as heave as my pain tolerance will allow. This takes all shouldes out of the movement completely. Using an wide grip on a EZ-bar also alleviates pain in my joints as well. 

The I usually move to a standing concentration curl, or a single arm plate loaded machine preacher curl. Again. this exercise is easy on the joints and I can still lift near the top of my weights as I was on cycle. 

Then I go to a cable curl. Can be with the rope attachment for a hammer grip motion or the bar. This too  I find is easy on the joints for some reason. 

Then I finish with a preacher curl. Either barbell or plate loaded hammer strength machine. Machine is easier on the joints but weights are the same. 

I superset each exercise with a triceps exercise. Anything from skullcrushers to close-grip bench press to triceps push-downs (V-bar, straight bar, or single arm), dips, triceps presses, incline triceps presses, and sometimes kickbacks. 

Lifting heavy through this mild injury is my goal at the moment as I bright into my next cycle. 

The exercises that @musclebeauty mentions should be go to's in almost every program. 

I'm just offering some alternatives who those fighting tendon inflammation and pain. 

Great Post @musclebeauty

[thetrojan]

that's a forearm killer as will, anybody tried this before, tired it today, my forearms hate you @musclebeauty

[Talon]

Monday is arm day for me my favourite day also next to back day. I will run this on Monday and report back ill be slamming 500mcg of IGF per bicep too

 

[Frank.Castle]

I always love trying new things in my routine.  Keeps my body guessing.  Training is all about shocking the body so throwing a new exercise in here or there I find really makes a difference for me.  Thanks @musclebeauty another great bit of info as always

[Zbignew]

I screwed up my biceps tendons a couple of years ago by going all-in on heavy low rep curls on top of an all ready full menu of back training. That was dumb.

It's only now that they're healed enough that I can curl and do chinups without pain again.

Now I curl light, high rep, and go for the pump.

[thetrojan]

On 11/17/2018 at 2:17 PM, Zbignew said:

I screwed up my biceps tendons a couple of years ago by going all-in on heavy low rep curls on top of an all ready full menu of back training. That was dumb.

It's only now that they're healed enough that I can curl and do chinups without pain again.

Now I curl light, high rep, and go for the pump.

thats smart bro, smart move taking it easy after the injury