Biceps - Preacher Curls, Hammer or DB Curls??

[rustler2001]

I am going to be making a change in my work out program in the next week or so for my Biceps, currently i do this:

4 x EZ Bar Curls
2 x Hammer Curls
2 x DB Curls

Which of the following do you think i should introduce and use or change:
DB Preacher curls, EZ Bar Preacher curls, hammer or straight DB curls.

Which does anyone think is the best for busting the biceps and making them grow, and what do you think of my number of sets?

Cheers

[Big_G1986]

I think you should ditch the stupid dinky isolation movements and reap the benifits of heavy ass rows and pull ups.

[magicmatt]

i do bis once a week. i do 4 exercises with 3 sets each. i change the 4 exercises every week, wors great. i try to do 2 with dumbells and 2 with barbells.

[JekDaMuscleFlex]

besides the preacher (which is an isolation exercise) from this list of options you've given, your in theory going to be doing the same thing as you are now.

Personally if you want mass go with compound movements, straight bar curls, hammer grips curls, chinups.. whatever then if you want more definition go with more isolation type exercises like for example the preacher..

otherwise i think your missing the point of it all.. because you are going to effectivly do the same amount of "damage" to your bicep using an ezybar as you would a straight bar, except ezybar tends to be easier? on the wrist and the motion of curling.

however the other thing is, that if we look at it in terms of keeping things fresh, the alternative exercises may do you some good, as it is always a good thing to hit your muscles with something new and unexpected.

We always say check out this routine.. but why does it have to be routine? things that are routine tend to be boring and unmotivate you, keep it fresh and exciting! Thats not to say change your whole routine from week to week, but you dont necessarily have to be doing the same thing everytime you hit the gym.

This is all in my opinion.. feel free to comment

[ThickAsABrick]

Experienced BODYBUILDERS must do isolation movements to improve weak(er) points. Compounds are not enough. Please stop perpetuating misinformation.
Thanks.

I think you should ditch the stupid dinky isolation movements and reap the benifits of heavy ass rows and pull ups.

[JekDaMuscleFlex]

Experienced BODYBUILDERS must do isolation movements to improve weak(er) points. Compounds are not enough. Please stop perpetuating misinformation.
Thanks.

in big's defense, by the means of this question and the way he's articulated it, i get the impression that the author of this thread is no experienced bodybuilder? but that being said, nothing wrong with isolation but clearly this guy wants mass, and a straight forward formula for that would be

compound movements = maximum tensity = mass

[rustler2001]

Cheers people, tell me something, i now see what i have been doing in the case of just isolated movements on my Biceps, JekDaMuscleFlex, so thanks for that. What would you / someone suggest then as a 12 set "routine", for the biceps on biceps day.

I work out 7-8 times every two weeks, so every other day if i can help it.

I also forgot to mention earlier, i use a home gym as such, but free weights (olympic), so havent got cables etc to wrok with.

Cheers

[The Brotherhood]

while i find the excercise board a really good source of info, its got too many of these "omg im so hardcore" dumbasses that keep perpetuating "BIG 3 BIG 3 IF YOU DONT DO THESE (agreed) and ONLY THESE (not agreed) you suck.

Lets see how far your calves grow without direct work, or bis after awhile, or hams/glutes grow after awhile with only squats.

Yes, Deads pullups squats are the basis of mass. But its not enough.

And as for mass of bis, Chinups and straight bar/ ez curls remain king to me. Any other movements are to fatigue/work the muscle or whatever, and anything will pretty much do.

Cheat Cable Curls are pretty good for a hard hit once in awhile too (Cable because barbell is just asking for an injury)

[JekDaMuscleFlex]

what is your weak point, for me its width of my bicep so i hit my bi's with hammers more so than i do straight bar curls etc..

but really

just keep in mind

ez bar curls
hammer curls
pullups (really good for the bis, just contract and hold tight at the peak for a couple seconds)

but again these r not the end all be all of bicep exercises,

and then if you still want hit them wit some isolation exercises too, its really up to you and your goals.

[ThickAsABrick]

but that being said, nothing wrong with isolation but clearly this guy wants mass, and a straight forward formula for that would be

compound movements = maximum tensity = mass

Sure, but I'd still say that a better formula would incorporate both compounds and isos, with the isos becoming more important as the person becomes more advanced.
People that think Isos are useless are inexperienced/and or not bodybuilders.

[JekDaMuscleFlex]

Sure, but I'd still say that a better formula would incorporate both compounds and isos, with the isos becoming more important as the person becomes more advanced.
People that think Isos are useless are inexperienced/and or not bodybuilders.

hey im not disagreeing, like i said i hit my biceps with isolated movements on my chest and shoulder day, and then compound on my arm days, so i completely can see where you are coming from.

[ThickAsABrick]

hey im not disagreeing, like i said i hit my biceps with isolated movements on my chest and shoulder day, and then compound on my arm days, so i completely can see where you are coming from.

I know man. My comments weren't aimed so much at you as at all the people who spout off the same nonsense all the time.

[JekDaMuscleFlex]

I know man. My comments weren't aimed so much at you as at all the people who spout off the same nonsense all the time.

yer u seem to be pedantic about it, hehehe thats okai i didnt take it as a personal thing just sharing an opinion with another user is all

[rustler2001]

So in total then, i should be looking to do:

Biceps day:
4 x EZ Bar Curls (stood up, leaning against a wall)
2 x Hammer curls

anything else, as this doesnt seem enough sets? And i am not far off from what i was doing in the first place??

On days that i am doing back and shoulders i tend to do some exercises which are compound to my biceps.

Cheers

[Big_G1986]

while i find the excercise board a really good source of info, its got too many of these "omg im so hardcore" dumbasses that keep perpetuating "BIG 3 BIG 3 IF YOU DONT DO THESE (agreed) and ONLY THESE (not agreed) you suck.

Lets see how far your calves grow without direct work, or bis after awhile, or hams/glutes grow after awhile with only squats.

Yes, Deads pullups squats are the basis of mass. But its not enough.

And as for mass of bis, Chinups and straight bar/ ez curls remain king to me. Any other movements are to fatigue/work the muscle or whatever, and anything will pretty much do.

Cheat Cable Curls are pretty good for a hard hit once in awhile too (Cable because barbell is just asking for an injury)

my calves are currently 19" I have never trained them directly.


Im not talking about big 3, Im talking about the big ones, Benchpress,Overheadpress,Cleans,Snatches,Squats,De adlifts,SLDLS,Rows,Pullups,Dips.

Unless you have 18" guns and a neck that can only be described as "non-exsistant" you do not need dinky isolation movements.

have fun curling, your moving some serious weight Brah! Ill be over in the power rack actually making progress.

[Big_G1986]

Experienced BODYBUILDERS must do isolation movements to improve weak(er) points. Compounds are not enough. Please stop perpetuating misinformation.
Thanks.

I never said otherwise.


This man is not an experianced bodybuilder.

[rustler2001]

OK, well now that i am slightly more informed, tell me - which muslce groups are best to train with each other:

Shoulders, triceps and back
Chest, Biceps, back and Abs.

And before anyone mentions, lower half, I have had a leg injury which doesnt allow me to squat, due to a knee cap being misplaced in my youth. (so cant do squats, etc)

[ThickAsABrick]

Not everyone can get 18 inch guns without "dinky isolation movements."
I know I didn't.
Nothing wrong with doing both.
I'll stop beating this dead horse now.

Unless you have 18" guns and a neck that can only be described as "non-exsistant" you do not need dinky isolation movements.

[King Crush]

Why's everyone diss isolation lifts? There not bad if you add them to your compunds. Just make sure you do your compund lifts first, because they take more out of you.

[The Brotherhood]

my calves are currently 19" I have never trained them directly.


Im not talking about big 3, Im talking about the big ones, Benchpress,Overheadpress,Cleans,Snatches,Squats,De adlifts,SLDLS,Rows,Pullups,Dips.

Unless you have 18" guns and a neck that can only be described as "non-exsistant" you do not need dinky isolation movements.

have fun curling, your moving some serious weight Brah! Ill be over in the power rack actually making progress.

Yes, I do have fun curling and I will keep curling. I have just as much fun doing them as I have doing my Deads, squats, SLDLs, and all the other mass stuff.

Id like to see these 19 inch calves that grew without any stimulation whatsoever.

[Al Shades]

Do overhand curls.

[jmusclehead]

I am going to be making a change in my work out program in the next week or so for my Biceps, currently i do this:

4 x EZ Bar Curls
2 x Hammer Curls
2 x DB Curls

Which of the following do you think i should introduce and use or change:
DB Preacher curls, EZ Bar Preacher curls, hammer or straight DB curls.

Which does anyone think is the best for busting the biceps and making them grow, and what do you think of my number of sets?

Cheers

Maybe add spider curls instead of preacher curls. That exercise will give you a bigger range of motion that the preachers.

[Boridi]

Since when are curls compound movements? BB curls aren't compound, even if you go heavy and intense on them. Compound = multiple joints moved, isolation = one joint moved

[Al Shades]

Since when are curls compound movements? BB curls aren't compound, even if you go heavy and intense on them. Compound = multiple joints moved, isolation = one joint moved

Curls = Wrist, elbow, shoulder joint, Sacroiliac, ankle joint involvement.

[Defiant1]

I am going to be making a change in my work out program in the next week or so for my Biceps, currently i do this:

4 x EZ Bar Curls
2 x Hammer Curls
2 x DB Curls

Which of the following do you think i should introduce and use or change:
DB Preacher curls, EZ Bar Preacher curls, hammer or straight DB curls.

Which does anyone think is the best for busting the biceps and making them grow, and what do you think of my number of sets?

Cheers

YOU need to decide what is working and is not working. Everyone is different when it comes to exercise selection/effectiveness. There are general guidelines (example: start with BB curls not concentration curls) but past that it is up to the individual to decide.

See "Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding" re: chest training and individual differences for good examples.

[Enyap]

Will you people please STFU with your stupid compound only bias, please show me someone with big calves that never did a raise or big traps that never shrugged, and theres nothing wrong with throwing a couple sets of curls in at the end of your workout.

Edit-I just found a picture of Big G1986

http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showthread.php?t=745954

Wow Big G we all bow down to your amazing body. BTW I to want to see those calves.

[Tomos]

I must say plain old school dumbbell curls have given me the best def on my biceps. I only do them 2 times a week with a 5x5 set rep scheme and it is an add on to the Starr program I'm working with.

[Epihall]

I am going to be making a change in my work out program in the next week or so for my Biceps, currently i do this:

4 x EZ Bar Curls
2 x Hammer Curls
2 x DB Curls

Which of the following do you think i should introduce and use or change:
DB Preacher curls, EZ Bar Preacher curls, hammer or straight DB curls.

Which does anyone think is the best for busting the biceps and making them grow, and what do you think of my number of sets?

For change, you could drop the hammer curls for reverse bar curls for a couple weeks.

Cheers

I think your sets are fine, but I'd do 3 sets of bar curls and 3 sets of dumbell curls. What make my biceps grow best is going for a rep range around 10 reps with strict form.

[McCrack]

If u want to switch it up, incline dumbell hammer curls are wicked.

[piportil_l4]

I think you should ditch the stupid dinky isolation movements and reap the benifits of heavy ass rows and pull ups.

Sounds BAD, but it's 80% true , but when I do back i wanna do back , no biceps , I dont like too much compunds

Too much (more than 2) isolation for biceps is harmfull .