Group: Experienced Exercise

Created: 2012/01/01, Members: 50, Messages: 19484

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pair of questions on biceps work

Robott
Robott
Posts: 29
Joined: 2006/12/17
United States
2006/12/23, 10:08 PM
1)in your experience working with your own physiology, what's the single most effective ex. for adding mass to bis ?

2)lately, i've heard a lot of athletes i respect running down concentration curls as a vanity exercise at best, or completely useless. i know that it's an easy exercise to cheat on if your form doesn't keep the shoulder still, but are they really pointless ?
Devinm
Devinm
Posts: 270
Joined: 2006/06/01
United States
2006/12/23, 10:29 PM
barbell curls. concentration are not useless, the add peak and define the biceps though.

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Veni,Vidi,Vici.= I came, I saw, I conquered.- Ceasar
2006/12/24, 05:30 PM
the whole curl is a vanity exercise. For most athletes it's a waste of time.

best exercise for what you're looking for is a CHIN UP and PULL UP variations.....reason being you will have functional strength....your body will know how to work as a unit.....other good exercises being Dynamic Rows and BORs

Concentration curl is like the most isolation bicep exercise....Can you get a bit of gains from it? probably esp when starting out....is it best thing to do? not even close...

If you're an athlete...you should be striving to get stronger, faster, more agile, etc....not be concerned with what's the best exercise for your getting your biceps bigger...(if I deduced wrong that you're an athlete...my apologies)
bb1fit
bb1fit
Posts: 11,105
Joined: 2001/06/30
United States
2006/12/24, 05:35 PM
Concentration curls are nothing but a pump exercise. You cannot use enough weight for proper overload in most cases.

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\"If it ain\'t broke, you aren\'t trying.\"

Robott
Robott
Posts: 29
Joined: 2006/12/17
United States
2006/12/24, 08:00 PM
save for a few pick up games of deck hockey, i'm not an athlete. my motivations for pumping iron are (not sure about the order of priority) to stay active, and push myself as far as i can...

give me more information on dynamic rows and BORS. i'm humble enough to admit that i've never heard the latter mentioned, ever.

big thanks in advance, and merry xmas.
Robott
Robott
Posts: 29
Joined: 2006/12/17
United States
2006/12/27, 11:28 PM
i searched the site, and google, but still don't know what BORs are...:dumbbell:
7707mutt
7707mutt
Posts: 7,686
Joined: 2002/06/18
United States
2006/12/28, 07:47 AM
BOR= Bent Over Rows (using a barbell)

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Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack!

Warning:Deadlifting going on!

7707mutt@freetrainers.com
Robott
Robott
Posts: 29
Joined: 2006/12/17
United States
2006/12/28, 03:49 PM
thanks, mutt.

any other advice in renovating my arms program ?
2006/12/28, 04:42 PM
Yep. Bent Over Rows. Dynamic Rows are essentially BOR except you start out as in deadlift and create momentum with your lower back before the actual row. Both are very good exercises as you can go very heavy. I would also highly recommend going heavy on a chin up or a pull up by strapping extra weight to your body via a chain belt, backpack, rope, etc....same principles apply to chin ups as any other exercise...
7707mutt
7707mutt
Posts: 7,686
Joined: 2002/06/18
United States
2006/12/29, 07:48 AM
I suggest that if you are still a beginner (less than 1 year total training) to KISS (Keep It Simple Stupid). Start off with the Momma of arm mass barbell curls. I also like DB curls alternating arms (meaning do one rep with the right the one with the left etc). To tell you the truth that is pretty much all I did for arms when I trained them. Now i hardly do them that much....Also a good switch up every now and again are preacher curls and hammer curls. Concentration curls and the like are ok if you are an advanced trainer in my opinion. Think of it like this....you would not street race your honda without building it up....same with arms why do con. curls and the like with out the mass there to build on? I have said this before and will say it again...my arms got to 19inches by doing BB curls and DB curls for sure, but I also credit my BOR and Dead lifts I have done for 12 years for the size....that is my 2 cents.

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Curl Jockeys, get outta the squat rack!

Warning:Deadlifting going on!

7707mutt@freetrainers.com
wrestler125
wrestler125
Posts: 4,619
Joined: 2004/01/27
United States
2006/12/29, 01:21 PM
Yea, I'd skip dynamic rows for most people. They require a lot of coordination to do properly, and aren't necessary for beginners.

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Iron and chalk.
Robott
Robott
Posts: 29
Joined: 2006/12/17
United States
2006/12/29, 10:14 PM
mutt- jsyk (just so you know)i've been lifting for a little more than 2 years.

wrestler125
wrestler125
Posts: 4,619
Joined: 2004/01/27
United States
2006/12/29, 10:32 PM
I still wouldn't recommend dynamic rows. And you're probably still a beginner. It's not a put down, if anything it's a good thing... You'll respond better to many forms of training.

Hell, I don't even do them regularly (and when I do, its with a sandbag, keg, etc.)

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Iron and chalk.
Robott
Robott
Posts: 29
Joined: 2006/12/17
United States
2006/12/30, 12:55 AM
is it worth training the different heads of the biceps/triceps on different days ?
Robott
Robott
Posts: 29
Joined: 2006/12/17
United States
2007/01/02, 08:26 PM
and while i'm soliciting opinions- am i better off training arms on their own day, timing it so that the bis/tris ex oppose each other, or would it help to seperate them on opposing days ?
ecle5c
ecle5c
Posts: 1,312
Joined: 2003/07/10
United States
2007/01/04, 02:01 PM
If you're stuck on doing arm specific lifts, then I would recommend a back/tri day and a chest/bi day. That way they get a direct and an indirect workout in the same week.
BIGKATT
BIGKATT
Posts: 82
Joined: 2006/12/19
United States
2007/01/10, 12:17 AM
HAMMER CURLS and Zottman curls...:cool:
bigandrew
bigandrew
Posts: 5,146
Joined: 2002/10/21
United States
2007/01/10, 12:59 PM
robot don't over think the arms, they will grow, they will grow in junction with your body.


This isn't proven by medical research or anything...but the saying goes, to add one inch to your arms you need about a 5-10lb gain of over all body mass/size.

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Get your bicep curling, cut off shirt, matching workout outfit wearing,flexing in mirror "toned" wanna-be ass , out of my squat rack!

Don't talk to me, only thing that should be moving is the bar.
Robott
Robott
Posts: 29
Joined: 2006/12/17
United States
2007/01/10, 08:16 PM
so, right now i'm doing arms 2x each week on the same day as shoulders, going very heavy with lower reps. the BORs are a new edition to my routine, and quite honestly i love doing them, mebbe too much. :big_smile: the current plan will run for about 3-4 weeks before i switch things around again.

i'll post on results as they appear.
adalos
adalos
Posts: 174
Joined: 2006/02/04
United States
2007/01/11, 01:27 PM
the most gains i've seen in my bicep strength is due to doing weighted pullups/chins. nothing else in my routine has changed, so i have to give the credit to that exercise. i don't even do dumbells exercises at all any more for my arms.
2007/01/11, 02:59 PM
yep...same thing with me....I have gained a lot of strength in my arms...as well as size....doing mostly chin ups...with some pull ups for variation..
ecle5c
ecle5c
Posts: 1,312
Joined: 2003/07/10
United States
2007/01/11, 05:07 PM
I agree also, same results. I also experienced gains in other areas, but this was because I wasn't wasting time doing bicep isolation moves and had more time/energy to do compound moves.

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Quoting from adalos:

the most gains i've seen in my bicep strength is due to doing weighted pullups/chins. nothing else in my routine has changed, so i have to give the credit to that exercise. i don't even do dumbells exercises at all any more for my arms.
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