Bigger Biceps ?

[ians]

Need a little help !

My bicep development has hit a sticking point and i am finding it very difficult to both increase my weights and add any new size/shape to my biceps !

My current routine is as follows :-

Standing Barbell Curls (E-Z Bar) - 3 x 8-10 reps
Alternate Seated Dumbbell Curls - 3 x 8-10 reps
Reverse Grip Culs (E-Z Bar) - 3 x 8-10 reps
Dumbbell Preacher Curls - 3 x 8-10 reps
21's Cable Curls - 3 x 21

I do this routine after training Back !

Any help would be great Thanx

 

[101Tazman]

Sounds like you may be overtraining. I would adjust your set down to 6 to 8 sets total. May need to adjust your deit also. Protein intake? How often are you training?

 

[Robboe]

That is quite a routine you got there.

The reason you're not adding size or strength is cause you are really overtraining them dude.

After heavy back training all you need is like 2 sets of curls. Then go home, rest and grow.

You do more volume for your biceps than i do for any large bodypart. Drop volume.

 

[Robboe]

Originally posted by 101Tazman
Sounds like you may be overtraining.

lol!

*Hands Tazman the understatement of the century award*

 

[ians]

I currently train on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday with the follwing split

Monday - Chest, Triceps & Abs
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Back, Biceps & Abs
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Shoulders, Legs & Abs
Saturday - Cardio
Sunday - Repeat i.e. Chest, Triceps & Abs

I also try and take in the recommended 1.5-2grams of protein per ib of body weight per day !

Although - other people have also told me that my training routines are a bit long - generally lasting ~70 to 90 mins

Any recommendations or tips ????

 

[ZONE]

1) Take Sundays off
2) Choose 2 of the 5 bicep routines you do now and then only do that.. and then switch it up every work out... ie..

Do

Standing Barbell Curls (E-Z Bar) - 3 x 8-10 reps
Alternate Seated Dumbbell Curls - 3 x 8-10 reps


week 1 then do


Dumbbell Preacher Curls - 3 x 8-10 reps
21's Cable Curls - 3 x 21

week two.... then Maybe

Alternate Seated Dumbbell Curls - 3 x 8-10 reps
Reverse Grip Culs (E-Z Bar) - 3 x 8-10 reps
Standing Barbell Curls (E-Z Bar) - 1 x 8-10 reps

Week three.. then start over.....

 

[Robboe]

Originally posted by ians
I currently train on a Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday with the follwing split

Monday - Chest, Triceps & Abs
Tuesday - Rest
Wednesday - Back, Biceps & Abs
Thursday - Rest
Friday - Shoulders, Legs & Abs
Saturday - Cardio
Sunday - Repeat i.e. Chest, Triceps & Abs

I also try and take in the recommended 1.5-2grams of protein per ib of body weight per day !

Although - other people have also told me that my training routines are a bit long - generally lasting ~70 to 90 mins

Any recommendations or tips ????

I actually like this split, only i think you should only do abs once a week and that you should do shoulders after chest on pressing days.

What kind of cardio do you do? if it's "hard" cardio then you may wanna take a day off after that too. Not mandatory, but could be an option.

Training every other day is a good idea as far as hormone effects come into play.

Your sessions are so long cause i suspect your volume may be too high. Your biceps volume defintely is.

What does the sets scheme for the rest of your exercises for other parts consist of?

 

[LittLe FraNk]

the bicep and tricep have the fastest recovery time....

try a different techinque slow reps...i go u go....or somthing dif

 

[ians]

Originally posted by The_Chicken_Daddy

What does the sets scheme for the rest of your exercises for other parts consist of?

Heres my Chest & Triceps routine as an example

Week 1
Flat Bench Dumbbell Press - 3 x 8/10
Incline Dumbbell Press - 3 x 8/10
Flat Bench Press - 3 x 8/10
Inclined Dumbbell Flys - 3 x 8/10
Lying French Press
Seated Overhead Press
Tricep Bar Pressdown
Dips

Week 2
As above - but i will pyramid through the first three exercises for each bodypart i.e. do 12,10,8,6,4 !!

The following week i will go back to 3 x 8/10 reps ........and so on !

What do you think ??

Everyones comments have been very helpfull........cheers guys and gals

 

[101Tazman]

TCD How should I take that?

 

[LAM]

way to many sets for such a small muslce.

Originally posted by LittLe FraNk
the bicep and tricep have the fastest recovery time....

what ? please explain.....

 

[Arnold]

that bicep routine might be okay once a month as a shocker, otherwise it's way too much volume.

 

[barc77]

I agree with everyone, to much volume for bi's.


Little Frank,
Why do bi's and Tri's have a quicker recovery time?

 

[Neil]

Littlefrank has been reading the Arnold's encyclopedia, we should cut him some slack

To answer the original question if you want bigger arms you need a bigger body. Eat lots and stick to the compound moves with 4-6 sets of direct bi/tri training and you will get bigger arms. Just remember it won't happen overnight, you have to be patient.

 

[Robboe]

Just in jest, Tazman.

 

[LittLe FraNk]

Originally posted by Prince
that bicep routine might be okay once a month as a shocker, otherwise it's way too much volume.

in this quote who are you reffering to me??
is my last post nota good idea for the question he asked?? in his first post??

 

[SonnyB]

He just listed 15 sets attacking one muscle group. Whooo. I don't think I've ever done 15 sets stressing one muscle group . I do 5 or 6 sets and eat a lot of protein, and they are growing. As the person above my post said YOU MIGHT BE OVERTRAINING. Sonny

 

[LittLe FraNk]

ow

 

[Lightman009]

Yeah, I agree with everyone else, you are probably overtraining. I know from experience that it may not seem like you are overtraining at first because you feel like you have the energy, but after cutting my workouts down I have seen incredible gains. Just try cutting your routine back, and see what happens.

 

[ians]

Cheers guys - thanks for your comments !!

Due to your comments in this thread i have posted another - "Think im Overtraining" which shows my whole training programme ! Please have a look and give me your comments !

 

[Big_Andy]

give it a rest for 10 days.
Then come back and do something like heavy 5X5 lifts. Maybe do negatives.

 

[KnightPredator]

Originally posted by The_Chicken_Daddy
That is quite a routine you got there.

The reason you're not adding size or strength is cause you are really overtraining them dude.

After heavy back training all you need is like 2 sets of curls. Then go home, rest and grow.

You do more volume for your biceps than i do for any large bodypart. Drop volume.

Sometimes things work for others. Meaning that i use to train arms for 30 mins every day and well they grew and grew, and until i hit 19 they were the same as my age, example, 18-18"... I myself can't overtrain arms, err, at least when i was younger i couldn't . The best exercises that i used was top 3.

one arm concentration curls
preacher curls
preacher- one arm hammer curls

 

[Burner02]

On your chest / tri day...you've got more exercises for tris than for chest.

you are doing twice the workout for the same angle. (dumbell & barbell)
Take one of each off. Put in something like a decline or flye movement to hammer all angles of the pec.
Example of what I do:
Incline Dumbell Press
flat barbell press
standing cable flye

next workout:
Flat bench
dumbell bench
decline bench

What I am doing, which seems to work for me due to time restraints is,
1st exercise = 5 sets
2nd set = 3 sets
3rd set = 3 sets

1st two of five exercises are usually lighter weights for warm up.
If I have time, will throw in two exercises for tris * 3 sets.