Biceps

[xemaro]

I know that RM is the max you can lift one time so my question is does it work for Biceps to or is it for only bench pressing?

[Psychostick]

It's for any lift.

[Rahf]

You've answered your own question.

[xemaro]

So if I was to do dumbbell curls how many sets and reps should I do to gain biceps?

[Benji]

Do rows and pull ups instead.

[xemaro]

I dont have a pullup bar.

[Ted Stewart]

I dont have a pullup bar.

Then improvise one. I do pullups on pipes, low tree branches, and anything else that can support my weight. The most pullups I've ever done in a short period of time was using the frame of a chain link fence door back at my parents farm.

[xemaro]

Well how much sets of pull ups should I do? I can do like 9 pullups at once.

[Rahf]

You're not educated enough to start training.

Your goals determine what you do in the gym.

[Kimimaro]

lol...Dude you should learn the specifics of how muscle building/strength building works. It will surely answer all of these types of questions.
And be more specific as to what exactly your wanting to see out of your biceps.

[Kimimaro]

You're not educated enough to start training.

Your goals determine what you do in the gym.

Better said.

[Rahf]

Building biceps sucks.. Go for core strength.

[Syn]

biceps are small...

[Steve]

lmao

[shengoikee]

lmao

[Skilzat85X]

Triceps own biceps.

[mr popular]

I love how skinny people recommend back movements for building larger biceps... haha...

While it is true that your biceps won't make noticable gains unless you increase overall body mass, ignoring bicep movements when you want bigger biceps is just stupid.

If your biceps are fully stimulated from rows and pullups then you are not doing them correctly.

[compleks]

Compound pulling movements are a much more valuable exercise anyway.

At 17 I can't imagine any reason why he would need to isolate his biceps. Not that it was my advice, but I do agree.

[Trickstar]

If you want big looking arms go for triceps.

[Gusch]

I love how skinny people recommend back movements for building larger biceps... haha...

While it is true that your biceps won't make noticable gains unless you increase overall body mass, ignoring bicep movements when you want bigger biceps is just stupid.

If your biceps are fully stimulated from rows and pullups then you are not doing them correctly.

Define what you consider to be "stimulated" and why a pullup, if done correct, doesn't "stimulate" them to full extent.

[Rahf]

Define what you consider to be "stimulated" and why a pullup, if done correct, doesn't "stimulate" them to full extent.

I consider stimulated = a good frickin' pump.

[anfeyd]

But pump is not a good indicator of workout efficency, so you can go a whole workout without stimulating your muscles?

[Ashtar]

If your biceps are fully stimulated from rows and pullups then you are not doing them correctly.I think that depends more on the ratio of the strength in their back compared to biceps. If you had a real strong back and weak biceps then I could see them being the limiting factor even though it's really meant to work the back, and doesn't work the biceps directly like a curl.

[mr popular]

But we're not talking about hypothetical weaknesses...

the point here, is that pullups, and rows... are BACK exercises. If you are doing them with improper form, then you probably are curling yourself up to the bar, or curling a bar up to your stomach while bent over.

Sure, your biceps will be ACTIVATED during these movements. But guess what, your biceps are activated during a bench press as well to stabilize the elbow and hold the hands in a position where the ulna is rotated inward. But would you do nothing but benching to build larger biceps? Of course not, because it's a completely insufficient training stimulus.

A good principle for maintaining back stimulation through a chinup: think about keeping your forearm perpendicular to the ground, and beginning the movement (from the hang) by pinching your shoulder blades together and shrugging first, then pulling up (with a perpendicular lower arm)

same starting form for rows.

And you can't say that compound movements are "more valuable" when all a person wants is bigger arms, because in that case they WOULD NOT BE more valuable. It's one of those things that is just relative...

It's extremely rare that you'll find a person with impressive arm development, that has never done any direct arm work.

I mean of course the original poster is a dumbass and I didn't intend on helping him, because he will never make any progress anyway based on his attitude. But I thought it was funny that people who probably have very small arms, are telling him to do back movements in order to build larger biceps (because they read it in some article somewhere on the internet)

Think for yourselves...

~Brian

[chicanerous]

Sure, your biceps will be ACTIVATED during these movements. But guess what, your biceps are activated during a bench press as well to stabilize the elbow and hold the hands in a position where the ulna is rotated inward. But would you do nothing but benching to build larger biceps? Of course not, because it's a completely insufficient training stimulus.
That's a really bad example to use. The difference in "activation" between a synergist and a stabilizer is huge, so much so that that example doesn't illustrate anything but an understanding of anatomy.

[compleks]

And you can't say that compound movements are "more valuable" when all a person wants is bigger arms, because in that case they WOULD NOT BE more valuable. It's one of those things that is just relative...

I was expecting that one.

But lets face it, all 17 year olds want are bigger biceps and chest. In this case I still argue that compound movements are infinantly superior to isolation work, regardless of what he wants.

How many people look back on their days of curling and wish they had been squatting instead? If the original poster takes the initiative, he may not waste the next few years in the gym.

[mr popular]

Compleks: The OP is a dumbass and I am willing to bet he will never be muscular or strong. If he wants bigger arms and a 6-pack, that isn't unachievable. Lots of people have done it, and they still don't care about how strong their squat is or how pathetically small their back musculature happens to be...etc...

He didn't ask for us to decide what is best for him by tricking him into doing something that won't work based on what he wants. What will happen when he goes to the gym and does rows and pullups for bigger biceps, and doesn't get them? He will either quit, or (more likely) come back to TricksTutorials bitching about his fucking biceps.

chicanerous: yeah it was a loose example you're probably right haha. But it doesn't take away from my point i don't think.

if bigger biceps is your goal, then you need to focus on your biceps and gain weight.

We're not this kids parents, we're not his coach.

Personally I say let him fail. I HOPE he takes most of the suggestions here.. haha

~Brian

[compleks]

If his goal is bigger biceps, then he needs a smack upside the head.
And who better to deliver that slap but TT?

I'm not his coach, or his mother, and he may well fail at life. But the least we can do is let his failure be a fault of his own character, and not because of shitty information given by a forum.

Also, I still believe rows are a good method of training biceps. Rows and chinups are not a 'back exercise', they are a pulling exercise.
Bench press is not a chest exercise, it is a pushing exercise. I'm sure you will agree that benching (pushing) can develop large and powerful triceps. So why won't pulling build large, powerful biceps?

Without using your biceps (brachialis, etc...) in any pulling movement, there would be absolutely no elbow flexion. Good luck with that.

/End pointless rant.

[Empire]

At the very least it's rather pointless to include isolated bicep exercises into your regimen. I just kinda chuck in one or two at the end of my back day or something and it does the job.
The average biceps are about one pound of muscle--both arms combined, that's like 3% of your muscle mass. So why are so many idiots in my gym committing 50% of their training to it.

[chicanerous]

I like using bicep curls to deal with the tendonitis that can crop up if you're doing a lot of heavy lockout and high velocity work (e.g. jerks, supports, etc.). Other than that, they're great in conjunction with rows and pull-ups if you want bigger arms. :tongue:

[mr popular]

Compleks: You get no extra points for acknowledging that big movements don't completely isolate any particular muscle group. People that have been training seriously ALREADY UNDERSTAND THAT, but that doesn't mean they're all gonna change up their routines that get results, for some movement-pattern BS

Unless you are a genetic wonder, benching and rowing for arm size will leave you with.... *gasp*.... small arms! Who would have thought completely ignoring direct arm work would give me 14 inch arms!?

Empire: Why the fuck would you just "chuck in one or two at the end"? The biceps are an important muscle too, why not give them an intelligent amount of attention?

Nobody here is suggesting we all go to the gym and do nothing but bicep curls, and avoid big compound movements. For the best results, you would do BOTH...

I honestly think we should go back to the old saying "big muscle groups first, smaller muscle groups last", and stop spouting off this "compound" and "isolation" horseshit that is muddying everything up and pissing me off.

[Kimimaro]

I've always assumed being massive and bulky would be a downer on tricking o_O...
I'd prefer to have a build such as Anis's. Stength>Mass for me. : )
Though this isn't really a reply.

[Empire]

Empire: Why the fuck would you just "chuck in one or two at the end"? The biceps are an important muscle too, why not give them an intelligent amount of attention?
Nobody here is suggesting we all go to the gym and do nothing but bicep curls, and avoid big compound movements. For the best results, you would do BOTH...
I honestly think we should go back to the old saying "big muscle groups first, smaller muscle groups last", and stop spouting off this "compound" and "isolation" horseshit that is muddying everything up and pissing me off.

First off, you can't give 'an intelligent amount of attention;' that hardly makes sense. Secondly, as I stated, the biceps account for a mere 3% of your muscle mass, and thus, are not important comparably. I'm not saying there's anything wrong with doing bicep curls, but I am saying that there's no reason to give them more attention than say, your forearm.
And those terms aren't muddying things up, it's actually rather clarifying. Big/Small muscle groups does not mean the same thing.

[Rahf]

I've always assumed being massive and bulky would be a downer on tricking o_O...
I'd prefer to have a build such as Anis's. Stength>Mass for me. : )
Though this isn't really a reply.

It's a matter of being able to utilize that mass. And Juji has pretty much proven that you can trick efficiently at 85+ with a shitload of it being lean mass. Although I reckon it will slow you down after a certain point yer. I'm after the fitness type bod myself but it will take me at least a year to achieve anything close to that.

[anfeyd]

Empire: Why the fuck would you just "chuck in one or two at the end"? The biceps are an important muscle too, why not give them an intelligent amount of attention?

Important for who? You?

[mr popular]

Who the fuck was talking about tricking!? We were talking about the best way to build bigger arms.

If your only desire is to be good at tricking then just lose fat and lift weights for power.

Empire: an "intelligent amount of attention" means planning to hit the biceps, with intent, in an intelligent way, with the goal of making them bigger. Why couldn't you understand that?

And I know that "compound" doesn't mean the same thing as "big", but for bodybuilding purposes I think the phrase I mentioned is just a better guideline than the hoity toity shit that is trendy these days.

I could say, compound movements first, isolations afterwards... but then idiots start spouting off, and people ask questions like "is a calf raise a compound movement LOLZ!?"

unnecessary jargon.

[Rahf]

Who the fuck was talking about tricking!? We were talking about the best way to build bigger arms.

If your only desire is to be good at tricking then just lose fat and lift weights for power.

Empire: an "intelligent amount of attention" means planning to hit the biceps, with intent, in an intelligent way, with the goal of making them bigger. Why couldn't you understand that?

And I know that "compound" doesn't mean the same thing as "big", but for bodybuilding purposes I think the phrase I mentioned is just a better guideline than the hoity toity shit that is trendy these days.

I could say, compound movements first, isolations afterwards... but then idiots start spouting off, and people ask questions like "is a calf raise a compound movement LOLZ!?"

unnecessary jargon.

*Hands mr. popular a downer*

Chill mate. We just sidetracked abit on the tricking part. Logically that would always be part of the discussion seeing as the theme of these forums are tricking.

[compleks]

Yeah, chill out Mr. P.

Go check out some serious powerlifters and tell me they have small arms. Then ask how much direct arm work they do.

[mr popular]

Actually, most powerlifters do direct arm work. Haha. It would be stupid of them not to....

And chill out? Am I yelling a lot or something?

Everytime I respond to a thread it suddenly becomes TricksTutorials VS. Mr Popular haha.

But while we're sidetracked, having bigger arms wouldn't really affect your tricking ability. It would probably help prevent injuries, in fact.. It never hurts to have some contractile meat on your bones when you're crashing into the ground every week..

Hey Rahf, how much are you weighing right now? Weight still going up?

~Brian

[Rahf]

Actually, most powerlifters do direct arm work. Haha. It would be stupid of them not to....

And chill out? Am I yelling a lot or something?

Everytime I respond to a thread it suddenly becomes TricksTutorials VS. Mr Popular haha.

But while we're sidetracked, having bigger arms wouldn't really affect your tricking ability. It would probably help prevent injuries, in fact.. It never hurts to have some contractile meat on your bones when you're crashing into the ground every week..

Hey Rahf, how much are you weighing right now? Weight still going up?

~Brian

It's not that you are yelling. But your posts according to my interpretation are straight to the point (which is good.) but you also formulate yourself in an aggressive manner sometimes. You give good advice and speak your mind which is great. But just keep it mellow, no need for harsh words or anything like that mate. Just be cool! Not everyone takes this extremely seriously and you can't convince them by being an army sarge :wink:

And yer, last weight check was +1,5kg in 2 weeks which is satisfactory. I'll give the next update in the March report.

[mr popular]

WELL I GET PISSED GODDAMNIT

but thats cool, I'll keep my eye on the updates. If you don't lose your desire i think you'll actually do really well building muscle. Keep it up chief!