HELP -- Trying to get another INCH on Biceps

15-Inch-Biceps · 12-27-2003, 10:20 AM

First, I really like this board and the people on it. Everyone seems very positive.

So -- my New Year's Resolution (among others) is to get my biceps up to 16" (as you may have guessed from my nick, they're 15" now).

This may not sound like much to you guys, but I'm only 5'8" at 145 lbs., so 16" would be pretty good for me.

I've done everything -- worked them from every angle, very heavy reps, excruciatingly heavy with spotter, took in lots of protein, ate a lot. . .etc., etc., . . and I can't get them past 15.

(When they're pumped, I get them to 15 and a half, 15 and three quarters, sometimes the left bicep hits 16" briefly. But I want to get them to stay that size.)

Any suggestions? I've done barbell curls, dumbbell curls, machine curls, pullups, preachers, concentration. . . any advice would really be appreciated. HELP ! ! !

plouffe · 12-27-2003, 11:12 AM

Give them rest. Work them no more than once every 5 days. Use heavy ass weight man.. Prince just posted a great article on the biceps...

* Hook him up Prince.

Goodluck.

Nate · 12-27-2003, 11:35 AM

I could be wrong, but it sounds like you might be overtraining them. Biceps are a very small muscle group, and they're doing quite a bit of work during other exercises; back in particular. Try to lower your volume.

As for specific movements, I suggest trying incline dumbell curls. Be sure to get a good stretch at the bottom.

**Mudge** · 12-27-2003, 12:17 PM

Biceps are about 1/3 of the arm man, worry about the triceps.

Grant_73 · 12-27-2003, 02:14 PM

For your height and weight you have good size arms. You are arms would be good sized on someone who is about 15-20 pounds more than you.

**Mudge** · 12-27-2003, 02:20 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Grant_73
For your height and weight you have good size arms. You are arms would be good sized on someone who is about 15-20 pounds more than you.

I was the same size as him as a freshman in high school, if he wants to be bigger then I say go for it.

It annoys me when people say "bigger biceps" when they mean arms though.

Yanick · 12-27-2003, 02:29 PM

Dude, as long as your eating enough and gaining muscle (and maybe fat to go along with it) you will grow. You can do all of the arm routines you find on the internet but if your diet is bad...your not getting anywhere.

**Mudge** · 12-27-2003, 02:57 PM

Arms should grow with the rest of you anyway, so I agree, just train and eat.

ponyboy · 12-27-2003, 03:05 PM

Agreed - you can't gain size in one area beyond a certain extent just like you can't reduce it in one area without gaining some mass all over. It usually takes about 10 lbs. to gain one inch on your arms.

At 5'8" and 145 your arms should look pretty impressive by now anyway. Why focus on them so much? The last thing you want is for your body to look imbalanced and have big arms and small everything else.

Dat Le · 12-27-2003, 04:33 PM

And then u'd have to change ya name to 16 inch biceps.

tjwes · 12-27-2003, 04:48 PM

try to gain 7-10 pounds of bodyweight and your arms will be bigger.You most likely will have to add some mass to the body.Stick to the basics,don`t overtrain,and eat like a big dog.Good luck!

**Mudge** · 12-27-2003, 06:59 PM

I'm thinking 10-12 pounds at his height, if he stays balanced.

tjwes · 12-27-2003, 08:49 PM

That`ll work !!

NBaldwin · 12-27-2003, 10:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Mudge
Biceps are about 1/3 of the arm man, worry about the triceps.

15-Inch-Biceps · 12-28-2003, 07:35 AM

Thanks very much for all the good comments. Really appreciate it! I will take the advice.

Question: Say I want to gain 12 lbs. this year -- one pound per month (I'm the poster boy for hardgainers) -- that would get me up to about 155 -- 157 by the end of next year.

How do I figure, then, exactly how many calories I should take in per day to gain one pound per month? Is there a formula?

Thanks again for all the great advice, and if anybody knows how to figure out the above, let me know. . . appreciate it.

tjwes · 12-28-2003, 07:45 AM

This isn`t too scientific but just add 300-500 calories to your diet every week until you start to gain weight.A food journal should be used, and you should write down everything you eat ,even junk food.Once you figure out how many calories you need you`re all set.try to get the cals from good protein and carb sources instead of calorie dense junk food or you`ll put on too much fat!

flexster · 12-28-2003, 12:00 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by plouffe
Give them rest. Work them no more than once every 5 days. Use heavy ass weight man.. Prince just posted a great article on the biceps...

* Hook him up Prince.

Goodluck.

Where is the thread for this one? thanks

HoldDaMayo · 12-28-2003, 12:35 PM

this is tough... being a hardgainer.. I'd say Bulk very hard for a month like 1500 calories over normal per day!, then cut for a month, then bulk for a month, then cut... you will get much better results imo... adding 500 more calories won't do that much... you need MASS... your metabolism will torch that 500 calories...

**Prince** · 12-28-2003, 02:51 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by plouffe
Prince just posted a great article on the biceps...

* Hook him up Prince.

http://www.ironmagazine.com/bodybuilding_truth.php

tjwes · 12-28-2003, 03:49 PM

Cut for a month ,bulkk for a month?? Why? At 1500 calories a day he will gain weight,but it will be fat.Add in the 300-500,if that isn`t enough,add in more.The object is to build muscle not just get heavier.Anyone can gewt fat by eating like a pig.It takes time for the body to adjust to increased cals like this.The slower the better.You`ve got plenty of time.Rome wasn`t built in a day.Who wants bigger arms if their waist looks like shit?

HoldDaMayo · 12-28-2003, 06:24 PM

seriously, hard gainers need lots of calories... their bodies will burn off the calories very easily without building more muscle, if you add clean calories you won't gain much fat at all...

Trying to gain mass and trying to stay lean at the same time is a good way to get the slowest gains or no gains at all...

Yanick · 12-28-2003, 07:03 PM

from my experiences with so called 'hardgainers' is that they are not being held back by their metabolism being so fast, its more a factor of not eating enough. I know tons of people who ask me how to get big, i obviously tell them to eat more. When they tell me they eat a ton of food a day i tell them to write down everything they eat for a day or two. After i actually count the cals and everything they are eating like 2k/day (which is okay if you sit on your ass all day, but not when you do resistance training).

**Mudge** · 12-28-2003, 07:41 PM

There are plenty of people that think they are eating alot, but they never track the stuff. Likewise these are the types that say they "just can't gain weight."

97% of us are 'hardgainers' after the first 6-12 months.

12-27-2003, 10:20 AM	#1
15-Inch-Biceps Next Stop: 16 inches Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 39	HELP -- Trying to get another INCH on Biceps BODYBUILDING SUPPLEMENTS High Quality Supplements For Bodybuilders and Athletes. www.ironmaglabs.com First, I really like this board and the people on it. Everyone seems very positive. So -- my New Year's Resolution (among others) is to get my biceps up to 16" (as you may have guessed from my nick, they're 15" now). This may not sound like much to you guys, but I'm only 5'8" at 145 lbs., so 16" would be pretty good for me. I've done everything -- worked them from every angle, very heavy reps, excruciatingly heavy with spotter, took in lots of protein, ate a lot. . .etc., etc., . . and I can't get them past 15. (When they're pumped, I get them to 15 and a half, 15 and three quarters, sometimes the left bicep hits 16" briefly. But I want to get them to stay that size.) Any suggestions? I've done barbell curls, dumbbell curls, machine curls, pullups, preachers, concentration. . . any advice would really be appreciated. HELP ! ! !

12-27-2003, 11:12 AM	#2
plouffe is bulking Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: Michigan Posts: 1,786 Photos: 6	Give them rest. Work them no more than once every 5 days. Use heavy ass weight man.. Prince just posted a great article on the biceps... * Hook him up Prince. Goodluck.
	These are my favorite faces : - - - Personal Bests: Bench - 235 Deadlift - 315 X 17 Squat - 315 X 11 40 yrd. - 4.65

12-27-2003, 11:35 AM	#3
Nate Registered User Join Date: Jul 2003 Location: here Posts: 321	I could be wrong, but it sounds like you might be overtraining them. Biceps are a very small muscle group, and they're doing quite a bit of work during other exercises; back in particular. Try to lower your volume. As for specific movements, I suggest trying incline dumbell curls. Be sure to get a good stretch at the bottom. Last edited by Nate : 12-27-2003 at 01:44 PM.
	www.projectnothing.com

12-27-2003, 12:17 PM	#4
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,966 Photos: 1	Biceps are about 1/3 of the arm man, worry about the triceps.
	Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

12-27-2003, 02:29 PM	#7
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,798	Dude, as long as your eating enough and gaining muscle (and maybe fat to go along with it) you will grow. You can do all of the arm routines you find on the internet but if your diet is bad...your not getting anywhere.
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,798	"...we have to remember that training is a complicated dance of stimuli and response. Our goal is to understand how to manipulate the stimuli in order to evoke the responses we desire." -Nathan J. Polenchek

12-27-2003, 02:14 PM	#5
Grant_73 Registered User Join Date: Nov 2002 Location: Escondido, CA Posts: 163	For your height and weight you have good size arms. You are arms would be good sized on someone who is about 15-20 pounds more than you.

12-27-2003, 02:57 PM	#8
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,966 Photos: 1	Arms should grow with the rest of you anyway, so I agree, just train and eat.
	Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

12-27-2003, 03:05 PM	#9
ponyboy Training Trainer Elite Member Join Date: Apr 2002 Location: Running around somewhere Posts: 2,608 Photos: 1	Agreed - you can't gain size in one area beyond a certain extent just like you can't reduce it in one area without gaining some mass all over. It usually takes about 10 lbs. to gain one inch on your arms. At 5'8" and 145 your arms should look pretty impressive by now anyway. Why focus on them so much? The last thing you want is for your body to look imbalanced and have big arms and small everything else.
	Today I can do what others will not so that tomorrow I will do what others cannot. The difference between winners and losers is that winners do things that losers don't want to do.

12-27-2003, 04:33 PM	#10
Dat Le Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 8	And then u'd have to change ya name to 16 inch biceps.
Dat Le Registered User Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 8

12-27-2003, 04:48 PM	#11
tjwes "You Can`t Flex Fat" Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 456 Photos: 8	try to gain 7-10 pounds of bodyweight and your arms will be bigger.You most likely will have to add some mass to the body.Stick to the basics,don`t overtrain,and eat like a big dog.Good luck!
	My Website: http://www.geocities.com/timbuktuweights/ My Forum: http://timwescott.proboards18.com/index.cgi

12-27-2003, 06:59 PM	#12
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,966 Photos: 1	I'm thinking 10-12 pounds at his height, if he stays balanced.
	Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

12-27-2003, 08:49 PM	#13
tjwes "You Can`t Flex Fat" Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 456 Photos: 8	That`ll work !!
	My Website: http://www.geocities.com/timbuktuweights/ My Forum: http://timwescott.proboards18.com/index.cgi

12-28-2003, 07:35 AM	#15
15-Inch-Biceps Next Stop: 16 inches Join Date: Dec 2003 Location: Los Angeles, CA Posts: 39	Thanks very much for all the good comments. Really appreciate it! I will take the advice. Question: Say I want to gain 12 lbs. this year -- one pound per month (I'm the poster boy for hardgainers) -- that would get me up to about 155 -- 157 by the end of next year. How do I figure, then, exactly how many calories I should take in per day to gain one pound per month? Is there a formula? Thanks again for all the great advice, and if anybody knows how to figure out the above, let me know. . . appreciate it.

12-28-2003, 07:45 AM	#16
tjwes "You Can`t Flex Fat" Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 456 Photos: 8	This isn`t too scientific but just add 300-500 calories to your diet every week until you start to gain weight.A food journal should be used, and you should write down everything you eat ,even junk food.Once you figure out how many calories you need you`re all set.try to get the cals from good protein and carb sources instead of calorie dense junk food or you`ll put on too much fat!
	My Website: http://www.geocities.com/timbuktuweights/ My Forum: http://timwescott.proboards18.com/index.cgi

12-28-2003, 12:35 PM	#18
HoldDaMayo Just call me Mayo Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 1,917 Photos: 4	this is tough... being a hardgainer.. I'd say Bulk very hard for a month like 1500 calories over normal per day!, then cut for a month, then bulk for a month, then cut... you will get much better results imo... adding 500 more calories won't do that much... you need MASS... your metabolism will torch that 500 calories...
	Are you kidding me????

12-28-2003, 03:49 PM	#20
tjwes "You Can`t Flex Fat" Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Upstate New York Posts: 456 Photos: 8	Cut for a month ,bulkk for a month?? Why? At 1500 calories a day he will gain weight,but it will be fat.Add in the 300-500,if that isn`t enough,add in more.The object is to build muscle not just get heavier.Anyone can gewt fat by eating like a pig.It takes time for the body to adjust to increased cals like this.The slower the better.You`ve got plenty of time.Rome wasn`t built in a day.Who wants bigger arms if their waist looks like shit?
	My Website: http://www.geocities.com/timbuktuweights/ My Forum: http://timwescott.proboards18.com/index.cgi

12-28-2003, 06:24 PM	#21
HoldDaMayo Just call me Mayo Elite Member Join Date: Oct 2003 Location: Oceanside, CA Posts: 1,917 Photos: 4	seriously, hard gainers need lots of calories... their bodies will burn off the calories very easily without building more muscle, if you add clean calories you won't gain much fat at all... Trying to gain mass and trying to stay lean at the same time is a good way to get the slowest gains or no gains at all...
	Are you kidding me????

12-28-2003, 07:03 PM	#22
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,798	from my experiences with so called 'hardgainers' is that they are not being held back by their metabolism being so fast, its more a factor of not eating enough. I know tons of people who ask me how to get big, i obviously tell them to eat more. When they tell me they eat a ton of food a day i tell them to write down everything they eat for a day or two. After i actually count the cals and everything they are eating like 2k/day (which is okay if you sit on your ass all day, but not when you do resistance training).
Yanick Amor Fati Join Date: Jul 2002 Posts: 3,798	"...we have to remember that training is a complicated dance of stimuli and response. Our goal is to understand how to manipulate the stimuli in order to evoke the responses we desire." -Nathan J. Polenchek

12-28-2003, 07:41 PM	#23
Mudge Pizza the Hut Super Moderator Join Date: Jun 2002 Posts: 22,966 Photos: 1	There are plenty of people that think they are eating alot, but they never track the stuff. Likewise these are the types that say they "just can't gain weight." 97% of us are 'hardgainers' after the first 6-12 months.
	Kinesiology Vote @ Top 25 Deads Comp Bench Motivation Bench form MaxCalc Charles Poliquin When I let go of what I am, I become what I might be. Lao-Tzu I don't know any sources so don't ask - thanks

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