Bigger Biceps - How to Build Rock Solid, Jaw Dropping Guns
The bicep muscle tends to be the most commonly sought after muscle group that people want to improve.
This is because this muscle group is most commonly seen by others.
Big, lean arms convey strength and power, which is something most people that weight train desire.
In order to gain size and strength, as well as that lean muscle tone, the biceps must be trained hard, but also properly.
The bicep muscle group is a small muscle group consisting of the inner and outer heads of the muscle.
The most common mistake made by novice, and amateur weight trainers alike, is over working the biceps.
The fact that this muscle group is small means it needs less work to grow than larger muscle groups such as the back (lats) or chest (pecs).
With larger muscle groups, such as the pecs, one may perform five or six exercises, consisting of 3 to 4 sets each, to achieve the desired results.
If you apply the same training mentality to your biceps, you will over train them resulting in a lack of progress.
When training biceps, you should limit yourself to 3 to 4 exercises at most.
If your biceps are fresh, i.
e.
you did not just do back exercises which incorporate the biceps in the pulling maneuver, thus exhausting them prematurely, then a good exercise to begin your routine with would be a standing barbell curl.
In this exercise, load either a straight barbell or an EZ Curl bar with a weight that would allow you 10 to 12 repetitions.
Approach the bar and with your palms facing away from you, grasp the bar keeping your hands shoulder width apart.
Next lift the bar and let it hang against your legs.
With your back straight, curl the weight up towards your shoulder, making sure to keep your elbows and upper arms as still as possible.
By doing this, you are focusing on the bicep and making it do all of the work, thus getting the best result for the muscle group you are training.
If you cannot lift the weight in a controlled manner, then it is more than likely you are trying to lift too much weight.
Repeat this move 10 to 12 times, rest approximately 60 to 90 seconds, and begin the next set.
Do 3 to 4 sets and move on.
A great exercise to follow the standing barbell curl is seated dumbbell curls.
For this exercise you will need two dumbbells and a seat.
Sit in the seat with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
Let the dumbbells hang at your side, and with your back straight and flat against the back of the seat, curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
Again with this maneuver, make sure to keep your elbows in place and keep the movement controlled.
If you find yourself swinging the weight or incorporating your shoulders to complete the move, you are using too much weight.
Repeat this for 10 to 12 repetitions per set, and finish 3 to 4 sets.
You can either switch back and forth between left and right hands or curl both at the same time.
The latter adds difficulty to the move.
A variation to the seated dumbbell curl would be to sit in an incline chair.
The angle of the incline adds a bit of difficulty which will help the bicep grow.
Another great exercise for building size and strength is the hammer curl.
For this exercise, grab two dumbbells, one for each hand and stand with the dumbbells at your side with your palms facing your legs.
Then, keeping your palms facing inward, curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
This exercise is best done by alternating between left and right hands.
Do this 10 to 12 times for 3 to 4 sets.
This exercise focuses on the long head of the bicep, which gives the bicep that full, muscular look.
If you have completed 3 to 4 sets at 10 to 12 repetitions for each move, you may have done anywhere from 120 repetitions to 192 repetitions, which is more than enough properly work the bicep muscle group.
It is not uncommon for people to overtrain the bicep muscle group.
People believe if they train the biceps harder and longer, then they will yield the desire results, however this is a case where less is definitely more.
Another effective training tip, if bigger biceps is what you desire, is to train them on their own day.
Doing this lets you lift heavier weight which will result in bigger gains, however do not completely forget about them the rest of the time.
On the day you train back, when you finish, grab a couple of light weight dumbbells and complete 3 to 4 sets of light weight/high repetition curls.
This will flood your biceps with blood, which provides them with the nutrients to grow.
And since they have already been working a little to assist you with your back exercises, they need those nutrients.
This is because this muscle group is most commonly seen by others.
Big, lean arms convey strength and power, which is something most people that weight train desire.
In order to gain size and strength, as well as that lean muscle tone, the biceps must be trained hard, but also properly.
The bicep muscle group is a small muscle group consisting of the inner and outer heads of the muscle.
The most common mistake made by novice, and amateur weight trainers alike, is over working the biceps.
The fact that this muscle group is small means it needs less work to grow than larger muscle groups such as the back (lats) or chest (pecs).
With larger muscle groups, such as the pecs, one may perform five or six exercises, consisting of 3 to 4 sets each, to achieve the desired results.
If you apply the same training mentality to your biceps, you will over train them resulting in a lack of progress.
When training biceps, you should limit yourself to 3 to 4 exercises at most.
If your biceps are fresh, i.
e.
you did not just do back exercises which incorporate the biceps in the pulling maneuver, thus exhausting them prematurely, then a good exercise to begin your routine with would be a standing barbell curl.
In this exercise, load either a straight barbell or an EZ Curl bar with a weight that would allow you 10 to 12 repetitions.
Approach the bar and with your palms facing away from you, grasp the bar keeping your hands shoulder width apart.
Next lift the bar and let it hang against your legs.
With your back straight, curl the weight up towards your shoulder, making sure to keep your elbows and upper arms as still as possible.
By doing this, you are focusing on the bicep and making it do all of the work, thus getting the best result for the muscle group you are training.
If you cannot lift the weight in a controlled manner, then it is more than likely you are trying to lift too much weight.
Repeat this move 10 to 12 times, rest approximately 60 to 90 seconds, and begin the next set.
Do 3 to 4 sets and move on.
A great exercise to follow the standing barbell curl is seated dumbbell curls.
For this exercise you will need two dumbbells and a seat.
Sit in the seat with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
Let the dumbbells hang at your side, and with your back straight and flat against the back of the seat, curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
Again with this maneuver, make sure to keep your elbows in place and keep the movement controlled.
If you find yourself swinging the weight or incorporating your shoulders to complete the move, you are using too much weight.
Repeat this for 10 to 12 repetitions per set, and finish 3 to 4 sets.
You can either switch back and forth between left and right hands or curl both at the same time.
The latter adds difficulty to the move.
A variation to the seated dumbbell curl would be to sit in an incline chair.
The angle of the incline adds a bit of difficulty which will help the bicep grow.
Another great exercise for building size and strength is the hammer curl.
For this exercise, grab two dumbbells, one for each hand and stand with the dumbbells at your side with your palms facing your legs.
Then, keeping your palms facing inward, curl the dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
This exercise is best done by alternating between left and right hands.
Do this 10 to 12 times for 3 to 4 sets.
This exercise focuses on the long head of the bicep, which gives the bicep that full, muscular look.
If you have completed 3 to 4 sets at 10 to 12 repetitions for each move, you may have done anywhere from 120 repetitions to 192 repetitions, which is more than enough properly work the bicep muscle group.
It is not uncommon for people to overtrain the bicep muscle group.
People believe if they train the biceps harder and longer, then they will yield the desire results, however this is a case where less is definitely more.
Another effective training tip, if bigger biceps is what you desire, is to train them on their own day.
Doing this lets you lift heavier weight which will result in bigger gains, however do not completely forget about them the rest of the time.
On the day you train back, when you finish, grab a couple of light weight dumbbells and complete 3 to 4 sets of light weight/high repetition curls.
This will flood your biceps with blood, which provides them with the nutrients to grow.
And since they have already been working a little to assist you with your back exercises, they need those nutrients.
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