Bicep Training (2 Times a week)

[Michaelmmm]

Q: How many exercises is good for biceps to gain major mass?

~I currently do this TWICE a week on Mondays/Fridays:

-Close Grip Pull ups x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Hammer Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Regular Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Heavy Curl x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Barbell EZ Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Preacher Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)

-Is 6 exercises for Biceps too much? My friend said that 3 for arms such as tri/bi should be MAX due to over working it will only tone/ have the effects of cardio, rather than build mass. True or False?

[Marius_Ursus]

I have a problem with absolutes when it comes to training. It usually is answered best with, "It depends."

What are your goals?

What (and how much) are you eating?

What are you doing for your triceps?

What's the percentage intensity of that rep range for you?

[gs425e]

going for heavier wieghts and lower reps would be a better choice....

[hammerfelt]

Add reverse curls to your routine.

http://www.criticalbench.com/reverse...igger_arms.htm

[Marius_Ursus]

May as well add cable curls.

[Get-n-fit]

Is it too much??? For me...yes, for you...it depends, how much training are you giving you major muscles groups? I wouldn't train bi's twice a week and chest or back once. If you have the time to train everything twice a week go for it, I personally wouldn't dedicate that much time to a minor muscle group, I do 3 direct bicep exercises a week and 3 direct tricep per week, other than that they get worked pretty hard indirectly. But, as I said, this works for me, you have to figure out what works for you. If your sacrificing compounds to work bi's then I'd say it's too much.

[ljimd]

Try it. If you don't/do get the results you want, your knowledge will have grown.

[Michaelmmm]

I've been doing these 4 (below), for a while now and I've not seen super results. I've been bulking maybe for half a year. ( Might have spent half that time cutting too by mistake due to diet mistakes), but nonthe less I've been doing the above 6 for the past 3 weeks. I also go 5-6 For Back/Chest/Tri/Shoulders too.

-Regular Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Heavy Curl x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Barbell EZ Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Preacher Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)

[trev71]

-Is 6 exercises for Biceps too much?

Roughly, it seems about twice as much... but again.. as others have said.. it depends on a few factors.
- Eats
- Goals
- The rest of your routine

I generally do 3 exercises, 4 sets per, for direct Bicep work.
Eating well above maint.. growing.

[Electricheadd]

Do you do 18 sets up squats and deadlifts to match?

[Marius_Ursus]

Michael without knowing anything at all about your real goals, diet, rest, or rest of your routine, I'm going to shoot from the hip and tell you that you can give what you're doing six weeks then reassess your progress.

My gut tells me you're not going to like the results, but you never really know until you go through it.

[ironwill2008]

I've been bulking maybe for half a year. ( Might have spent half that time cutting too by mistake due to diet mistakes),

^^^^ This might have something to do with your lack of progress.

[Corbi]

I've been doing these 4 (below), for a while now and I've not seen super results. I've been bulking maybe for half a year. ( Might have spent half that time cutting too by mistake due to diet mistakes), but nonthe less I've been doing the above 6 for the past 3 weeks. I also go 5-6 For Back/Chest/Tri/Shoulders too.

-Regular Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Heavy Curl x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Barbell EZ Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Preacher Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)

I see guys like you in the gym daily, day in and day out with same fukkin arm routine curling their asses off in a futile effort. Keep it up, I enjoy the laughs.

[Phattso]

Way too many sets, IMO. At least for me. Quality over quantity. This morning I did 8 total sets of Bis, but I make every rep count. Once per week. But, nothing is wrong with 2X per week, but moderation is key.

[Jetigen]

Q: How many exercises is good for biceps to gain major mass?

I usually don't do more than 2 biceps exercises per workout as compound exercises like rows, deadlifts, presses tax biceps too. From my experience the best biceps mass gaining results are achieved when 1 compound and 1 isolation exercises are done. My favorite combination is shoulder-width/close-grip chin-ups and Nautilus biceps machine curls.

If you are not seeing progress with your current routine, give a try to German Volume Training. Do just one biceps exercise (10 sets of 10 reps). Machine curls would be perfect for that.

[Tommy W.]

Cut your volume in half

[Bubbaxm2]

I have been doing them twice a week since the first of the year with nothing but positive results so far, but I am eating accordingly and listening to my body. I also do not do a ton of different isolated exercises when I do them because as others have said they get hit while doing other things.


Besides, if I do them twice a week I am still doing them 5 times less than some of the guys I see at the gym.

[Bando]

I've been doing these 4 (below), for a while now and I've not seen super results. I've been bulking maybe for half a year. ( Might have spent half that time cutting too by mistake due to diet mistakes), but nonthe less I've been doing the above 6 for the past 3 weeks. I also go 5-6 For Back/Chest/Tri/Shoulders too.

-Regular Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Heavy Curl x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Barbell EZ Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Preacher Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)

You are setting yourself up for bicep tendon problems with that routine. I would advise getting them good and warmed up and using 8 reps as your absolute Max. I used to do 12 - 15 sets of 8-12's and now I spend more time in recovery then doing actual work.

Get used to the fact that arm size is generally going to be in proportion to chest/back. If you do heavy deadlifts and bench, your arms will grow as a result.

[AC242]

No more than 2 bicep isolation exercises per session.

Generally I stick with preacher EZ curls and standing dumbbell curls, typically 5 sets, maybe 6 max. I can't see much quality in the movements happening beyond that.

[Basquiat]

Q: How many exercises is good for biceps to gain major mass?

~I currently do this TWICE a week on Mondays/Fridays:

-Close Grip Pull ups x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Hammer Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Regular Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Heavy Curl x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Barbell EZ Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)
-Machine Preacher Curls x3 (8-12 Reps)

-Is 6 exercises for Biceps too much? My friend said that 3 for arms such as tri/bi should be MAX due to over working it will only tone/ have the effects of cardio, rather than build mass. True or False?

I use to train like this many years ago.
I did get bigger biceps...but looking back, it was completely the wrong way to train.

I now focus on squats, deadlifts etc. with a few isolation exercises like biceps, triceps etc.
My general progress is much better and my biceps are definitely not lacking.

I am following a program now which alter every 3 weeks.
Currently this is what I do for biceps and triceps, once a week.
1 Warmup and then 1 work set of 10 reps for the following tri-set (without rest between sets...and 2 min rest between the bicep tr-set and the triceps tri-set)
Biceps:
Wide grip EZ bar curls
Reverse grip EZ bar curls
Neutral grip EZ bar curls

Triceps:
Reverse grip triceps push downs
Wide grip push downs
Neutral grip push downs

I do them slowly. 1 sec to lift the weight, hold it for 2 secs, lower in 3 secs.
When I am done, I sit on a bench and sob softly before I continue with the rest of program.

[Juggertha]

I run counter to what a lot of people on here say - I do not gain arm size/shape from deads, bench and squats - in fact, I no longer do "the big 3".

I too like to focus on arms similar to what you do BUT, I think you're doing way too many sets. As well, you're missing a major part/function of the biceps - it is not just used for lifting, but also rotation. By (apparently) not doing rotational arm exercises, I think you're short changing yourself.

[MecGen]

I doubt there is any real science behind this, so take it with salt. I read here somewhere that you need to add 15 pounds of mass to your body to add one inch to your arms...

For me the OP's arm routine would burn out my elbows in a couple weeks.

Regards

[drudixon]

Try it. If you don't/do get the results you want, your knowledge will have grown.

This. You never know until you try. That's said, be scientific about it so that you understand what's actually happening and learn. Write down everything.

[Bando]

I doubt there is any real science behind this, so take it with salt. I read here somewhere that you need to add 15 pounds of mass to your body to add one inch to your arms...

For me the OP's arm routine would burn out my elbows in a couple weeks.

Regards

May or may not be Broscience but sounds about right to me.

[polishedball]

You train arms everyday, see CT fletcher YouTube video. Don't forget to talk to em.