Bicep Curls - Only gaining inside?

[harrymate]

Hey Guys,

I've been doing some bicep curls with free weights. I'm 16 and currently curling around 12kg.

I've noticed that when I tense my bicep, I only really see the muscle on the "inside" and nothing on the outside. Why is this? Am I exercising it wrong?

Thanks

[k9pit]

Although this thread may go into "don't worry about the inner/outer biceps head, just curl, blah blah blah" my tip for you is this:

Try 2 different curl types in your workout...
1 with straight supinated grip / no elbow flare - i.e., straight bar barbell curls, DB preacher curls, seated incline curls, or even straightbar chinups
1 with flared elbow supinated grip - i.e., EZ-Bar curls, SuperCurl (an EZ-Bar variant) curls.

If I could start my lifting life over from scratch, I wish I took this strategy from the get go.

[ironwill2008]

Hey Guys,

I've been doing some bicep curls with free weights. I'm 16 and currently curling around 12kg.

I've noticed that when I tense my bicep, I only really see the muscle on the "inside" and nothing on the outside. Why is this? Am I exercising it wrong?

You're 16 and relatively untrained, and by your avi, light in body weight.


Give it time.


Don't forget to eat.

[lee__d]

Keep adding mass.

[Engineer_Guy]

I doubt you've seen much change working with 12kg DB's.

[Pump Freak 86]

You're 16 and relatively untrained, and by your avi, light in body weight.


Give it time.


Don't forget to eat.

This. You haven't made enough progress to figure out if you've done anything wrong yet. You are off to a good start, so keep at it.

[KingOfLimbs]

Close grip targets the outside bicep.

[harrymate]

Although this thread may go into "don't worry about the inner/outer biceps head, just curl, blah blah blah" my tip for you is this:

Try 2 different curl types in your workout...
1 with straight supinated grip / no elbow flare - i.e., straight bar barbell curls, DB preacher curls, seated incline curls, or even straightbar chinups
1 with flared elbow supinated grip - i.e., EZ-Bar curls, SuperCurl (an EZ-Bar variant) curls.

If I could start my lifting life over from scratch, I wish I took this strategy from the get go.

Ah okay, cheers. I've asked for a straight barbell for xmas!

Keep adding mass.

I just eat more carbs?

I doubt you've seen much change working with 12kg DB's.

It's the maximum I can lift for 12 reps without having bad form. Hopefully I'll eventually increase the weight. (I do my bicep curls standing up)

Close grip targets the outside bicep.

Sorry to be newbish, but what do you mean by close grip?

[Farugen]

I just eat more carbs?



Sorry to be newbish, but what do you mean by close grip?

When people on these boards say "eat," they literally mean just that: eat. Eat everything in sight. Don't worry about "getting fat" (you won't, as long as you're active and you keep lifting). You won't see *any* muscle gain if you don't eat more. Protein is very important--but don't worry about counting macros or anything yet. Just eat, eat, eat--peanut butter, almonds, put olive oil on everything. Oh, also eat.

Close grip means just use a closer grip--your hands should be closer together than usual when curling. But that doesn't apply since you only have dumbbells. Wait until you get the straight bar. If I were you, I would also ask for an EZ-Curl bar. Or, better yet, ask for a GYM MEMBERSHIP. You will make gains tremendously faster in a gym than at home. You won't improve your physique by just doing arms, after all.

[harrymate]

When people on these boards say "eat," they literally mean just that: eat. Eat everything in sight. Don't worry about "getting fat" (you won't, as long as you're active and you keep lifting). You won't see *any* muscle gain if you don't eat more. Protein is very important--but don't worry about counting macros or anything yet. Just eat, eat, eat--peanut butter, almonds, put olive oil on everything. Oh, also eat.

Close grip means just use a closer grip--your hands should be closer together than usual when curling. But that doesn't apply since you only have dumbbells. Wait until you get the straight bar. If I were you, I would also ask for an EZ-Curl bar. Or, better yet, ask for a GYM MEMBERSHIP. You will make gains tremendously faster in a gym than at home. You won't improve your physique by just doing arms, after all.

Aha, thanks for the reply

This is probably stupid as hell, but even though I'm trying to bulk up - I still should avoid sweets? Right?
Thanks for the grip explanation!

Yeah, I would love a gym membership, for problem for me is actually getting to the gym!

[NZninja101]

Aha, thanks for the reply

This is probably stupid as hell, but even though I'm trying to bulk up - I still should avoid sweets? Right?

I strongly suggest you read the nutrition stickies. And the exercise stickies. Pick a simple novice routine and run it.



fyi, hammer curls hit the brachialis portion of the bicep quite hard. That's the outer portion.

[Farugen]

Aha, thanks for the reply

This is probably stupid as hell, but even though I'm trying to bulk up - I still should avoid sweets? Right?
Thanks for the grip explanation!

Yeah, I would love a gym membership, for problem for me is actually getting to the gym!

What the other guy said--just read some nutritional stickies. But in all hoenstly, from your pictures you can afford to eat whatever you want. But there is the IIFYM mindset (if it fits your macros) to consider. If your daily nutritional goal can be achieved by eating two Big Macs, there's no difference really between getting your nutrients that way and getting it from other sources. If you want to avoid those anyway, that's fine. But your diet is probably the most important aspect of your training. You want to be lean and shredded? Want six pack abs? That's all made in the kitchen. You obviously need to work out to get the muscle, but you won't get the real physique you want without a good diet.

Pitch the idea to your parents--they should want to help you enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

[AglassOfWater]

Close grip targets the outside bicep.

The brachialis

[Garage Rat]

Close grip targets the outside bicep.
I Agree with this!
Also
Cable rope hammer curls.
Close grip chins
Gironda drag curls(someone posted about these and had a video clip in another thread).
Reverse curls with ez curl bar.

[oryx2500]

Biggest advice:
Eat

And secondly focus more on back and your bieseps will come naturally.

Your young and new, just lift and eat lots, you'll fill out.

[harrymate]

I strongly suggest you read the nutrition stickies. And the exercise stickies. Pick a simple novice routine and run it.



fyi, hammer curls hit the brachialis portion of the bicep quite hard. That's the outer portion.

I'll go check them out now, thanks for the help!

What the other guy said--just read some nutritional stickies. But in all hoenstly, from your pictures you can afford to eat whatever you want. But there is the IIFYM mindset (if it fits your macros) to consider. If your daily nutritional goal can be achieved by eating two Big Macs, there's no difference really between getting your nutrients that way and getting it from other sources. If you want to avoid those anyway, that's fine. But your diet is probably the most important aspect of your training. You want to be lean and shredded? Want six pack abs? That's all made in the kitchen. You obviously need to work out to get the muscle, but you won't get the real physique you want without a good diet.

Pitch the idea to your parents--they should want to help you enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

Yeah, my parents support me 100%. The gym is 30 minutes away and it is hard getting there with school etc.!

Biggest advice:
Eat

And secondly focus more on back and your bieseps will come naturally.

Your young and new, just lift and eat lots, you'll fill out.

I will do! Can you recommend any back exercises I can do at home?

[Farugen]

Pull-ups (chin-ups hit biceps more) and bent-over dumbbell rows.

[oryx2500]

I will do! Can you recommend any back exercises I can do at home?

Bent over bb rows, db rows, pull-ups, chin-ups, shrugs.

[matjusm]

Hey Guys,

I've noticed that when I tense my bicep, I only really see the muscle on the "inside" and nothing on the outside. Why is this? Am I exercising it wrong?

Thanks

Perhaps you have an unrealistic expectation (taken from pictures of pro bodybuilders) of what you want your biceps to look like? I have no idea how you're judging something like the growth rate on the inner side of the biceps is higher than on the outer side of the muscle, things like these should be the least important details of one's training.