Good old fashioned bicep curls
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Funny how sometimes ya go full circle. When I first got into weights, curls was basically all I did, bear in mind these were the days of limited internet access and all I had was a few weights as opposed to a gym membership.<br />
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Anyway, my chin up progression has stagnated a bit and I've incorporated barbell curls back into my routine, 3 sets of 5 reps going pretty farkin heavy. I'm really feeling the burn with these and enjoying lifting heaps more than back in the day ( obviously much of this is down to training other bodyparts as well ! )<br />
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Anyone else doing these bad boys too ? need to grab me a few dumbbells so I can do some hammer curls as well. -
I always chuck in a few sets on Fridays towards the end of my shoulder/abs work and mainly because I usually have casual friday which means t-shirts and well....suns out = guns out!<br />
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Like to do heavy DB curls - seated and a slight twist in the movment - do maybe 3 sets of 6-8reps. And then follow it up with standing EZ bar curls - usually 2 sets wide grip and 2 sets narrows of 10 reps with minimal rest. Get a good pump that way. Usually superset the EZ bar curls with some triceps work....dont forget the triceps as decent triceps make the arms look so much bigger.<br />
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Havent done any hammer curls for a while nor preachers etc. Might be good to shake things up a bit. -
I always do three sets (3 times per week). The first two sets are easy; the final one is killer.<br />
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First set is puny, usually 1/3rd weight of the max. weight (used on my final set) for the full reps (12-15). Helps stretch the muscle.<br />
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2nd set, I go with the full max. weight, and curl 1/3rd the reps (usually about 6). Not difficult. Again, stretching the muscle and preparing for the last set.<br />
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Third set is the blowout, I use the maximum weight, and target my reps (12-15), and then I keep curling until I cannot lift any more. The muscle is usually burning hot, and generally all muscle tissue development will come from the last few lifts you can barely move.<br />
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(I know lots of guys in the gym who are mentally lazy on these last few reps and quit before pushing themselves, and then they wonder why their muscles aren't growing...) <br />
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When the reps increase from my strength, I increase the weight on my next workouts, but follow the same routine. Works for me.<br />
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My biggest worry is "balance" I remember watching Jesse the Body back in his prime flexing enormous triceps, biceps and chest, but his legs were not as developed and always looked skinny by comparison, and I am loathe to get a top-heavy look. -
[indent=1]I've taken my weight right back down for curls. I was hitting three sets of 12 (standing) but ended up swinging too much in the last few reps of each set.[/indent]<br />
[indent=1]I'll do two lighter sets now - reeeeeal slowly so I can feel the stretch. Then I finish up on something heavier - I sometimes throw in a barbell set of curls as well.[/indent] -
I have been doing ez bar curls super setted (real word?) with hammer curls...arms are screaming by the end, but seem happy the next day...
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I like the old 21s as well with the barbell and nice and slow. The last few reps are always tough.<br />
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For a while prior to last summer I was doing 10 of 10 so 10 sets of 10 reps of barbell curls with 30seconds rest between sets. Only do it at like 75% of what you would normally do and the first few sets feel pretty easy but from 6 or 7th set onwards its killer. Get an explosive pump though. I'm sure my bicep had its own dam pulse driving home. Was twitching away something chronic lol -
On the dumbells, are you lifting with any differential between your arms? I am right-handed... On bicep curls I can do greater weight and/or reps with my right arm than I can with my left. Conversely, doing overheads with the dumbell I can do more max. reps with my left than my right, so there's more strength in that shoulder and tricep. My arms physically [i]look[/i] the same, but there is a definite difference in actual exercise weight there, and I've been scratching my head about it for a couple years. I used to do a lot of boxing and baseball when I was in my late teens and early 20s and wonder if that's the way my arm strengths naturally developed in training and balance, and whether any amount of weight training through my late 40s is going to change it...
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I actually thought I could notice a difference in size of left vs right last year but the tape measure tells me otherwise. It must be more in the shape then that makes me see a difference with the right having a better peak.<br />
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Have heard about imbalance being common with boxers so there could be something there.<br />
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If doing DB curls I will make sure i'm either doing them both at once or left arm first. -
Different schools of thought on them. I am going through the heavy with slightly iffy form at the end ( ie moving the back a wee bit to help and after all some people emphasise the "negative" portion of the curl ) while others say go lighter with strict as a strict thing form. I'm getting some great burn from the former technique though as described and will also chuck some "Cheat curls" in as well every now and again. Arnie himself spoke highly of these.<br />
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Red Terror I think everyone is stronger( if only by a little bit ) in their dominant arm ( in my case my left ) yet strangely enough I can grip harder in my right which I possibly put down to heaps of guitar/bass playing ( ie it is my fretting hand ). Great for beating guys in arm wrestles ( either hand <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/knuppel2.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':knuppel:' /> ) -
Interesting variation is with a single kettlebell. Do one set gripping the vertical part of the handle (palms facing each other) and another set of skull crushers - don't use the handle, but cup the KB in both hands.<br />
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The different grips mean you exercise in a slightly different way than usual, and are also good for the forearms. Also you need to do them slowly - otherwise you'll have 20kg of cast iron hurtling towards your nads. -
my right stronger than my left, so I always do left arm first when do one arms, and match it with my right.<br />
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last few reps a bit of cheating is always OK, especially with heavy weights, gets your body used to lifing the heavier weight through the range of motion where it can, and you sson gain the bit ofstrength needed in the failing parts! only on heavy though, and you always start as strict as you can.<br />
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as per my thread, we;ve been doing the old fashioned standing, alternate DB curls on our current programme, and been a blast, best bicep workout for months! -
Voltron we're posers, nothing wrong with that <img src='http://www.daimenhutchison.com/rugby/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/eusa_whistle.gif' class='bbc_emoticon' alt=':whistle:' /><br />
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However noticing a bit of tennis elbow in my right arm so will ease it back a tiny bit and apply plenty of deep heat. -
what is the difference between a little cheating and having someone spotting you?
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[quote name='MN5' timestamp='1335672929' post='283344']<br />
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However noticing a bit of tennis elbow in my right arm so will ease it back a tiny bit and apply plenty of deep heat.<br />
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Been there done that mate. It's a real annoying one and impacts so many movements but there are some good stretches/exercises you can do to make sure its well warmed up etc -
[quote name='JK' timestamp='1335674462' post='283350']<br />
Been there done that mate. It's a real annoying one and impacts so many movements but there are some good stretches/exercises you can do to make sure its well warmed up etc<br />
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Me too pal, even a bit of pain when I lean it on a table. A bit of a break and the above mentioned Deep Heat and I'll be sorted. -
[quote name='taniwharugby' timestamp='1335218599' post='282298']<br />
I have been doing ez bar curls super setted (real word?) with hammer curls...arms are screaming by the end, but seem happy the next day...<br />
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This is an interesting one. While highrep supersets certainly give you a good pump at the time are they the best for building muscle in the long term? -
not doing that high reps, am doing about 75-80% max weight and then doing sets of 12-10-8-6-4.<br />
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I only did those super sets the once, have decided to try and up the weight for the main exercise considerably, so will see. -
[quote name='BartMan' timestamp='1335317316' post='282496']<br />
my right stronger than my left, so I always do left arm first when do one arms, and match it with my right.<br />
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last few reps a bit of cheating is always OK, especially with heavy weights...<br />
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That's what I do with my left. When I can't lift any more, I'll cheat with the right assisting, and then use the left exclusively to control the weight for the lowering. I'm not sure how much muscle is developed that way, but it's what a trainer told me years ago, so I stick with it.