Bicep Hardgainers... What turned the corner for you?

[CementPizza]

I have a heck of a time with biceps.
Any one else out there who is/was a hardgainer and was able to get some
good results.

What did you do?

[BigNeck]

What do you do right now for them?

[CementPizza]

Ok, various exercises on various days... BUT...

Cable curls.
Straight Bar curls.
Hammer curls.
Preacher bench machine.

[BigNeck]

Rep/sets? What day (arms, back/etc), how many times a week?

[Justin_Haines]

For me, time.

They are always growing, but slowly. I couldnt tell you what makes them grow. Alot reccomend the barbell curl and I did find that exercise to really give them a good pump as well as my weight went up. Most use the EZ bar tho, due to wrist pain with a str8 barbell.

[ScottMcDWVU]

I think more important than how he's training is how the progress has been. Have you been using the same weights for the same reps for awhile? Do you feel the exercises in the biceps to begin with?

How about your overall muscle gain? On par with the biceps or has everything grown significantly but them?

[CementPizza]

3 sets of any of the 3 exercises.

Usually between 12-8 reps per exercise.
So, a total of 9 sets.

1 time per week.

I work bi's and Tri's on the same day.

Day 1. Back & forearms
Day 2. Chest & abbs
Day 3. Legs & abbs.
Day 4. Arms.
Day 5. Shoulders. & abbs.

[Justin_Haines]

Ok, various exercises on various days... BUT...

Cable curls.
Straight Bar curls.
Hammer curls.
Preacher bench machine.

No dumbells huh? the bicep is used for two movements, curling the arm, and twisting the wrist. dumbells allow to combine both in one movement.

[Black_Label]

I stuck Bis with back. Heavy between the leg rows hit arms hard.

Use dumbells for sure. Hammer curls. Something i found i liked. put a bench at an incline, grab dumbells and sit down, now let your arms dangle (keep the angle light so you aren't popping your shoulder) then without moving from the shoulder to the elbow curl up. Nice way to keep very strict form and focus on the arms. You can use curl or hammer curl hand position

[CementPizza]

I think more important than how he's training is how the progress has been. Have you been using the same weights for the same reps for awhile? Do you feel the exercises in the biceps to begin with?

How about your overall muscle gain? On par with the biceps or has everything grown significantly but them?

I can make gains on my chest, shoulders and back with a very standard workout. Just about any standard exercise makes them pump and respond.

My biceps are different. It seems like I can never get a pump... and they lag.
I have been increasing a little weight... but slowly. I seldom feel the exercises in the biceps. That is the big problem.

[BigNeck]

3 sets of any of the 3 exercises.

Usually between 12-8 reps per exercise.
So, a total of 9 sets.

1 time per week.

I work bi's and Tri's on the same day.

Day 1. Back & forearms
Day 2. Chest & abbs
Day 3. Legs & abbs.
Day 4. Arms.
Day 5. Shoulders. & abbs.

If 8-12 reps isn't working, i'd try lower...and heavier, anywhere from 6-8. Try different exercises.



Edit: Try difference methods, like giant sets/ super sets. Has your weight for these exercises been going up?

[ITHURTZ]

EZ bar preacher curls, seated dumbell curls

You need to stick to a rep range and a solid routine, not just doing whatever. Going from 8 reps to 12 reps one day wont get you anywhere. Stick to 8 reps and do 4 sets

8 reps
8reps
8reps
6 reps. Keep doing this weight until you get 8 reps for all 4, then add 10lbs to the bar and repeat the process so your once again at 8 8 8 6, this time youll be 10lbs heavier.

[Justin_Haines]

try the barbell. it works for me.

[Gaskicker]

How often do you mix up the exercises? Maybe dropping an exercise? For me I have found bicep exercises need to be changed every few weeks. I gain for 3-4 workouts then level off. Maybe finish with an intense, strict drop set or superset with another bicep movement. You could try shortening your rest between sets as well. Overall though, I think variety and intensity is key. And good form.

[ITHURTZ]

DO NOT change workouts every few weeks. You need to stay at it for MANY months. You cant progress when you keep doing different ****. 3 months would be a absolute minimum and imo thats even to little of a time.

[IronAbrams]

DO NOT change workouts every few weeks. You need to stay at it for MANY months. You cant progress when you keep doing different ****. 3 months would be a absolute minimum and imo thats even to little of a time.

That's pretty bad blanket advice.

Stay on a routine as long as it's still giving you gains; if something is not working after 6-8 weeks than you obviously need to reevaluate your progress.

[stangkiller]

http://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/musc..._workouts3.htm

[Mcnults]

slowing down the negative + spider curls

[Gaskicker]

DO NOT change workouts every few weeks. You need to stay at it for MANY months. You cant progress when you keep doing different ****. 3 months would be a absolute minimum and imo thats even to little of a time.

That may work for you, but not for me. Plus you're young, things won't happen for you quite so easy in your 30's and beyond.

[ITHURTZ]

That may work for you, but not for me. Plus you're young, things won't happen for you quite so easy in your 30's and beyond.

you could be correct as I speak from my experience. But as the skinny kid said above dont listen to him. You NEED to stick to a routine to see progress. How the hell are you going to see growth in 6 weeks? Unless your juicing it AINT gonna happen. These aint 18's for doing a trillion things because I get bored and failed to stick to a routine.

[Big Arm Big Pay]

I don't really have slow gains in biceps but when I had a seperate day just for biceps and a seperate day just for triceps, after 2-3 months my arm grew a half inch which I have retained til this day. Also another thing that really helps if you arm day is far away from your chest and back day, Do a 1x20 set for triceps on chest day and a 1x20 for biceps on back day.

[ny58]

one tip is to do bi's first in the week or after a rest day when u r fresh. . i change my routine weekly.. . on the PRRS system .. week one all power/strength exercises max weight low rep (3 minutes rest between each set). . week 2 all rep range. . 8- 12 reps moderate weight (45-90 seconds between each set). . week 3 is all supersets and drop sets till failure.
heres an article from the creator of this program. .

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=6398381

hypertrophy (muscle growth) occurs optimally at 6-12 reps. . .but there are other factors such as building ur strength and muscle endurance that will allow u to lift more in the hypertrophy phase. .

[IronAbrams]

you could be correct as I speak from my experience. But as the skinny kid said above dont listen to him. You NEED to stick to a routine to see progress. How the hell are you going to see growth in 6 weeks? Unless your juicing it AINT gonna happen. These aint 18's for doing a trillion things because I get bored and failed to stick to a routine.

2 months is a pretty decent amount on time to stick to a given routine provided you've been lifting for at least a year (Intermediate level of programming). BUT AS LONG AS YOU'RE GETTING RESULTS, milk that damn program for all you can.

I'm generalizing for body parts in general, obviously you have to go by feel on smaller muscle groups like say the biceps and lateral delts where inches of growth take years.

[Gaskicker]

OP, any of this gonna be of help?

[jerkamania]

Hey op...You soooo have to try this out man!!! IT BURNS!!!!! especially the first one!

http://youtube.com/watch?v=oLtuzdbEdRo

All the best dude!

[DaveyC22]

i didn't really get a good contraction in my bi's for a while.. i started reading about the muscle and mind connection and although it sounds corny, it has worked for me so far. visualize the bicep doing all the work.

[TonySturch]

I alternate between heavy / low rep DB curls on some days, then others ill use lower weight, super slow sets, and really twist at teh end. Get that pinky finger really up further than the index. I do EZ bar, hammer, and preacher curls too, but the DBs really seem to make the most out of my time.

[rusrious]

bent over dumbbells curls , heavy weight, failure, blast them guns

[ThisHolyDude]

weightd chin ups FTW

[hotsauce3333]

DO NOT change workouts every few weeks. You need to stay at it for MANY months. You cant progress when you keep doing different ****. 3 months would be a absolute minimum and imo thats even to little of a time.

Are you kidding me? have you ever heard of the three week phenomenon, or whatever you would like to call it. It's when you do really well on a program for three weeks, and then on the fourth week, your body has adjusted and your progress halts. Thats why when you start a new program/exercise/tempo you react so well, because your body is NOT used to it, and it cannot adapt quickly enough, so results are the result! We are made to adapt! If we are made to adapt, why would sticking with the same program for a really long time ever work for us? c'mon dude, stop reading those magazines, and check out some real info. Try http://www.elitefts.com/ or most of the stuff on here, or t-nation. maybe you will learn something.