built like a t-rex

[Sunka]

Ok genetics is kicking my ass when it comes to biceps. I work arms about once a week for about 1 hour. My triceps look great but I have nothing showing on the bi's just not sure what I'm doing wrong. I do about 4 sets of 15 on curls and some pull ups to work them out.
Looking real out of proportion with 14" measured prior to working out and almost all triceps.
Shoulders are doing ok at 56" and chest around 47" , bloody forearms at 14" also. Anyone have any suggestions? Getting kinda desperate especially since my shirts are starting to look funny on me

[ironwill2008]

I work arms about once a week for about 1 hour.....


....... I do about 4 sets of 15 on curls and some pull ups ..

Is this your entire biceps workout for a week?

[jobronze]

1. If 1x/week is not working then you might need to cycle in a higher frequency for 4-6 weeks.

In fact if you have already built a good amount of mass and the bi's are truly a weak point, you may simply need to do a bicep specialization routine and put some of your better body parts on maintenance mode just for a few weeks.

2.The long head of the biceps is mainly responsible for the "peak". Curls that keep your palms up completely supinated hit the long head more.

3. Building up the brachialis (the little bump between the bis and tris) gives the illusion of a bigger biceps...enter hammer curls.

4. MIND-MUSCLE-CONNECTION... focus and the stretch and contraction. SQEEEEEZE.

[Sunka]

I will try maintenance and upping the work out on them. Will just need to research a better routine for them. Hopefully I will see a difference after 4-6 weeks.

[GuyJin]

Another thing you might consider when training--aside from working out more or changing your exercises--is wrist position. Many people when they curl the bar/dumbbell often bend their hands toward their body and that shifts the emphasis of the curl to the forearms. You might try going a bit lighter than what you usually do and position your wrists from a neutral position to a slight 'away' one. That will ensure your biceps gets most of the stress instead of the forearms.

[Sunka]

Another thing you might consider when training--aside from working out more or changing your exercises--is wrist position. Many people when they curl the bar/dumbbell often bend their hands toward their body and that shifts the emphasis of the curl to the forearms. You might try going a bit lighter than what you usually do and position your wrists from a neutral position to a slight 'away' one. That will ensure your biceps gets most of the stress instead of the forearms.

Always wondered why forearms would wear out first while curling. I will definitely give this a shot. Thanks again

[JOHN GARGANI]

SUNKA: your measurements are all askance!

if you have a 47 inch freakin' chest, and only 14 inch arms, then you would look positively hilarious.....

in fact, a true 47 inch chest at only 5 feet 9 inches, is QUITE big.....

at my peak, in my late 20s, I got my expanded chest measurement to 48 inches, and , at that time, my arms were over 18 inches, pumped, so, something seems very wrong with your numbers here.....

and to tell you the truth, from the description of what you do for your biceps, I'm sure you are off on these numbers.....

please, verify this a lot better and we can continue this discussion on here in a positive manner that could benefit you.

[Sunka]

The numbers came from the trainer at the gym and I do happen to look quite ridiculous atm. The trainer took these prior to my workout. Bf was calculated at 18% at 215lbs. Hence the original post, I'm definitely trying to fix it. They joke at work calling me silver back but I really want to be a bit more proportional. I know I need to cut the body fat down more but was hoping to put a few pounds on before that. I am still learning the nutrition part of it but I am learning.

[Sunka]

Another thing you might consider when training--aside from working out more or changing your exercises--is wrist position. Many people when they curl the bar/dumbbell often bend their hands toward their body and that shifts the emphasis of the curl to the forearms. You might try going a bit lighter than what you usually do and position your wrists from a neutral position to a slight 'away' one. That will ensure your biceps gets most of the stress instead of the forearms.

Just finished arms and was trying it with the wrist bent
That was probably the best bicep workout in ages. I definitely felt the burn for once in the biceps before the forearms. Will try to change things up along with this

[jgreystoke]

Ok genetics is kicking my ass when it comes to biceps. I work arms about once a week for about 1 hour. My triceps look great but I have nothing showing on the bi's just not sure what I'm doing wrong. I do about 4 sets of 15 on curls and some pull ups to work them out.
Looking real out of proportion with 14" measured prior to working out and almost all triceps.
Shoulders are doing ok at 56" and chest around 47" , bloody forearms at 14" also. Anyone have any suggestions? Getting kinda desperate especially since my shirts are starting to look funny on me

Pullups have very little carryover to bis. Mostly upper back. A compound barbell movement with little carryover would be rows. The pronate grip has a lot more carryover to forearms, brachialis, brachioradialis, lol. Great forearms FTW.

Close grip supinate(palms towards you, ie curl grip) chins have a lot of carryover to bis.

Close grip straight bar curls,/spider curls/concentration curls are great to hammer your curls directly with a protocol like 5 x 10 a COUPLE TIMES A WEEK. Bis don't need a week to recover.

If your curls are more like hammer curls with a neutral grip, then you are taking emphasis away from biceps, and onto the forearm, brachialis, brachioradialis......etc.

If the weight you are curling hasn't gone up in the last month/quarter/year, you can't expect bigger bis. So train progressively. Get your scheduled reps in decent form. Reward yourself by adding 5lbs next time. Repeat as often as you can. Even if it was only 5lbs a month, that's a lot of extra weight next year.

When your curls are twice as strong, your bis should be bigger.

Tris contribute twice as much to upper arm size as bis. If you neglect, your arms will stay small.

Parallel bar dips with upright torso have a lot of carryover to tris. Close grip bench/board presses/bottom up pin presses/floor presses are compounds with great effect on tris.

Skull crushers/French press/tri pushdowns are great isos for bis.

Hammer tris TWICE A WEEK for 5 x 10. That should do it.

Unless you train progressively, adding weight to the bar regularly, don't expect results. When your CG bench and tri pushdowns are MUCH stronger, your tris should be a lot bigger.

Lift WELL and prosper.

[Sunka]

Pullups have very little carryover to bis. Mostly upper back. A compound barbell movement with little carryover would be rows. The pronate grip has a lot more carryover to forearms, brachialis, brachioradialis, lol. Great forearms FTW.

Close grip supinate(palms towards you, ie curl grip) chins have a lot of carryover to bis.

Close grip straight bar curls,/spider curls/concentration curls are great to hammer your curls directly with a protocol like 5 x 10 a COUPLE TIMES A WEEK. Bis don't need a week to recover.

If your curls are more like hammer curls with a neutral grip, then you are taking emphasis away from biceps, and onto the forearm, brachialis, brachioradialis......etc.

If the weight you are curling hasn't gone up in the last month/quarter/year, you can't expect bigger bis. So train progressively. Get your scheduled reps in decent form. Reward yourself by adding 5lbs next time. Repeat as often as you can. Even if it was only 5lbs a month, that's a lot of extra weight next year.


When your curls are twice as strong, your bis should be bigger.

Tris contribute twice as much to upper arm size as bis. If you neglect, your arms will stay small.

Parallel bar dips with upright torso have a lot of carryover to tris. Close grip bench/board presses/bottom up pin presses/floor presses are compounds with great effect on tris.

Skull crushers/French press/tri pushdowns are great isos for bis.

Hammer tris TWICE A WEEK for 5 x 10. That should do it.

Unless you train progressively, adding weight to the bar regularly, don't expect results. When your CG bench and tri pushdowns are MUCH stronger, your tris should be a lot bigger.

Lift WELL and prosper.

Thanks that was very imformative

[GuyJin]

Just finished arms and was trying it with the wrist bent
That was probably the best bicep workout in ages. I definitely felt the burn for once in the biceps before the forearms. Will try to change things up along with this

---

Good to know. The wrists-bent-back technique works best, I've found, with preacher curls or concentration curls. With barbell curls or d'bell curls, because of the relatively heavier load, it's best to keep the wrist straight. Another twist in this twiscourtesy of Charles Poliquin--is to curl the weight up with your wrist curled toward you, and then bend it back on the negative. You could do that with preacher curls (barbell) and a slightly heavier weight OR you could use a lighter weight and keep the wrists bent back during the positive as well as the negative. Your choice.

Since I don't know what kind of equipment you have available, I just used examples from a barbell/dumbbell perspective. I imagine this would work well with machines and cable exercises, too.

[MichaelCJ]

Hammer tris TWICE A WEEK for 5 x 10. That should do it.

Wisdom. I'd agree that doing that for bis as well is the way to go: but my preference would be for heavy incline DB curls, such that you can manage 5x10 (just!)

Unless you train progressively, adding weight to the bar regularly, don't expect results.

And this too. Take note.


edit: Measlies on spread, dammit. :/

[Sunka]

all the advice has really helped. I talked to a trainer today also about the arms. I told him the measurements that the girl gave me and he informed me that she was in training and had done it wrong. He remeasured me at 17". For some reason I see my arms as being puny. It could be all in my head.
I will keep working them with all the advice given. I have actually noticed the burn for once.