Need some tips for my bicep-work please.

[BlueCorsair]

Right, I seem to be lagging in the bicep-growth department. Though I have trouble gaining size anywhere at all being an ectomorph, I am at *least* gaining noticeable strength in most muscle groups (able to add at a couple of pounds of weight to exercises per week, though some body parts are hitting a plateau).

My biceps refuse to co-operate however. I generally do:

3x sets (6 reps each usually) of standing EZ-bar curl
3x sets (also 6 reps or so) of preacher curls
and finally,
1-2x sets of hammer curls and/or cable curls

My biceps are definitely one of my weaker groups, and I find any more than 7 or 8 sets total, regardless of the exercise, reduces them to jello. The same can be said of my triceps, but they are stronger (and of course larger) than my biceps, so that's fairly inconsequential.

Am i missing anything in particular? To answer one question you may ask, the reason I don't use a regular barbell is that with my tiny frame, my wrists can't handle the weight terribly well. So I use an EZ-bar, throw a 25lb plate on each side, and use that. Adding in the weight of the bar (what does a typical EZ-bar weigh? 20 lbs?) that's a challenging weight for me, and the third set of standing curls is a struggle to do properly, and I often have to drop 10lbs to do three proper preacher sets.

The only idea I have is that I'm using a weight that is in a way, *too* heavy for my arms, and so they're blown out after only a couple of sets.

Any tips would be appreciated

Last quick question - I also use an EZ-bar for military press exercises - is this alright? I use it for the same reason as I use it for biceps. It certainly seems to work the shoulders quite well, but despite memorizing as much as I can from this board, I can't recall anyone ever mentioning using one for this exercise.

 

[Mr.No]

Read this (posted by Prince). It really helped me realize where I was making a mistake...


Excerpt: Chapter 8
Are You Working Your Biceps To Their Fullest?
(You May be Surprised)

There'll be no preface to this article. There isn't any need to discuss the appeal of the bicep muscle and its importance to one's overall appearance. Everyone already knows that. Instead, let's get right to the point: Biceps training is probably the most simple form of all bodybuilding exercise, yet thousands of bodybuilders fail to stimulate bicep growth with ample success. There's a reason for that. There's also a solution. If you're among those who never seem to get a good bicep pump and would like to rectify the situation, read on.

You're Not Going To Believe This, But...
Although it's rarely addressed, the standard curl doesn't directly affect the bicep -- at least that's the case with some people. It all comes down to your anatomical make-up. For an unlucky bunch, the main contributor is the brachialis muscle, which runs underneath the outer part of the bicep. That's the muscle most responsible for drawing the hand toward the shoulder. Naturally, as the resistance is increased, the muscle fibers of the bicep come into play, which is why heavy curling will increase bicep size.

Simple, right? Maybe not. Since everyone's point of insertion is different, for some, the brachialis may absorb the majority of stress, thus, the biceps function becomes limited. In other words, the biceps will only receive as much stress as the brachialis will allow.

More Weight = More Growth. But Where?
The obvious solution of increasing the stress on the biceps would be to simply increase the weight, but as many of you may have realized, that tactic doesn't always work. Have you ever used an extremely heavy weight for curls only to wind up with sore forearms the following day? That's because the additional stress was, once again, handled by the brachialis. They're a very efficient muscle. Unfortunately, by being so efficient, they rob the biceps of additional growth stimulation. You may be able to lift more and more weight, but the biceps remain the same size. Very frustrating.

A New Angle On Things:
If you're an advanced bodybuilder, you may have tried a series of angles in order to better isolate the bi's. This is a necessary part of anyone's training. We all need to discover how to hit a muscle with the optimum force and in the case of the biceps that won't budge, the key is to try and eliminate the brachialis as much as possible.

Whatever Works Best --Do The Opposite.
By examining which movements most directly work the brachialis, we can comprehend what not to do. Hammer curls, for instance, will work the forearms and brachi and, interestingly, are easier than standard biceps curls. There's no wonder a cambered bar was once referred to as an "EZ" curl bar. Sure, you can handle more weight -- because it takes the strain off of the bicep! It would then stand to reason that positioning the wrist in as opposite a direction as possible would take the stress off of the brachialis and place it more onto the bicep. Therefore, keeping the wrist as straight up as possible will stress the bicep more directly. In the case with dumbell curls, keeping the wrist a little outward with the pinky higher than the other fingers is better yet. Of course, when doing barbell curls, a wide grip with a straight bar will most directly work the fibers central to the bicep.

Don't Preach.
The preacher curl is a favorite among many bodybuilders but it, too, is more of a brachialis exercise. Think it builds the lower bicep? Can't happen. The entire bicep is either activated or not. There is no "lower" bicep. What the preacher bench does is alleviate stress at the top of the motion making it essentially a "half" curl. So why is it that many champion bodybuilders exalt its effectiveness? It comes down to anatomy. In a fortunate few, such as the phenomenal Larry Scott, the brachi will develop under the bicep resulting in a higher "peak." We should all be so lucky.

The Laid Back Approach:
Going with the "opposite" concept, the best way to circumvent any assistance from the brachialis would be to not lean forward, as is the case with the preacher bench, but to lie backward. Incline curls on an angle of 45 degrees or lower, will place greater emphasis directly on the biceps. Eliminate preacher curls from your routine and replace them with an equal amount of sets of incline curls and you'll notice the difference immediately.

A Unique Cable Curl For Bigger Bi's:
If that deep down ache in the pit of your biceps has been eluding you, here's a movement you're really going to like. Pay special attention to how it's performed, for any deviation won't bring the desired result.

* Set the cables on each end of the station at their lowest position.
* Use a weight that will allow for good form. It's better to go for more reps than to cheat with too heavy a weight.
* Grab a handle with each hand using an underhand grip and step forward so that your arms are drawn slightly back.
* Keeping the elbows as close to your sides as possible, curl the weight up.
* Do not allow the elbows to be drawn up during the curl! This is important! Jutting the elbows up will only displace the stress onto the anterior deltoid and the pectoral minor. Keep the arms down and your elbows back and let the biceps take on the strain.
* Don't let the fist "curl" toward you. Keep the wrists level throughout.
* Come to a complete contraction. Squeeze hard at the top of the movement.
* Do 10 reps and keep the rest between sets to under a minute.

Try and make this move the only exercise you use the next time you work biceps and concentrate on making the biceps work throughout the concentric and eccentric movement. Six to ten sets should get the job done if the intensity is high.
If you've been getting better at curling but have no additional bicep size to show for your efforts, the problem may be that you really haven't been working your biceps at all! Start applying some of these bicep isolating techniques and you soon may realize that there's a lode of untapped muscle on those upper arms. Dig in and get it.

get the entire ebook: The Bodybuilding Truth

 

[BlueCorsair]

Nice article, cheers. I'd never seen that one.

I do get a bicep "pump" and soreness (always the damn soreness) for a day or two after, but I guess I've been missing the right exercises after all.

Looks like I *have* to use a barbell then!

Forgive the stupid question, but we're talking the same barbell as one would use for bench pressing aren't we?

How much do they weigh again?

 

[PreMier]

The one on bench weighs 45lbs. They should have straight bars that are shorter for bicep curls. If not tell the manager to order some.

 

[tjwes]

My advice would be to drop the reps of 6 and increase them to a pyramid of 12,10,8,6,12 or so.Get a good pump and train as hard as possible.I know a lot of people will say the standard pat reply that a pump is not a good indicator of a good workout.Screw that a pump has many benefits and I think you`ll get a skin tight pump with more reps.Also being an ectomorph myself I can tell you that a correspong increase in arm size is around the corner if you gain bodyweight.Eat more! Good luck.

 

[BlueCorsair]

Cheers to both of you. I appreciate your time.

Unfortunately my gym has no shorter barbell. They're freaking nuts, I know. I'll see if they can get one. The EZ bar just doesn't cut it anymore obviously.

Prince's article makes a lot of practical sense (no surprise there) - but that leaves barbell curls, incline curls, and the cable curl exercise as the only exercises that won't drag the forearm in too much it seems.

With no barbell at the gym (those bastards, heh) that leaves me only two exercises. Peachy

 

[plouffe]

Originally posted by PreMier
The one on bench weighs 45lbs. They should have straight bars that are shorter for bicep curls. If not tell the manager to order some.

At my gym they have them :-D

 

[Mr.No]

Use barbell for the bench press. This is what I've been using all the time since my gym also don't have the shorter ones. You don't have to go heavy if you can't. Start with the bar only and work your way up. (Use 5lb, 10lb, 15lb...etc. on the each side). As tjwes said, you can do more reps, and I would do the last set to the failure (4-6 reps) with the maximum weight.

 

[Mex]

I saw it in a Mike Mentzer book, but I tried front pull downs (which is supposed to be a back exercise) does work out your biceps quite well, when you bring the back down to your nipple level. I do that first, then go for hammer curls and preacher curls.

Edit: I just realized my "soreness" comes from the hammer curls - the preacher curls I do in a machine that has the twisted "Z" bar, and my hands are pointing outward. So I guess that's actually a good exercise, while the hammer curls are just working my forearms.