Rate bicep/forearm routine

[BeginnerGainz]

So for the uninitiated, I do my forearm flexor work first on my lower body days, then stretch the sh!t out of my biceps after.

Here is the plan:

On lower 1, I’ll do…
-DB curls (did EZ bar curls this past Thursday but don’t really care for it with heavier weights) one working set 8-10, back off set of 11-15
-Cable rope hammer curls, one top set of 10-12
-Cable staggered bar reverse curls, one top set of 10-12

And on lower 2…
-Preacher curl machine, one top set of 8-10, back off of 11-15
-Incline DB curls, one top set of 10-12
-Zottman curls, one top set of 10-12

So that gives me 8 hard sets for the forearm flexors a week.

[EiFit91]

So for the uninitiated, I do my forearm flexor work first on my lower body days, then stretch the sh!t out of my biceps after.

Here is the plan:

On lower 1, I’ll do…
-DB curls (did EZ bar curls this past Thursday but don’t really care for it with heavier weights) one working set 8-10, back off set of 11-15
-Cable rope hammer curls, one top set of 10-12
-Cable staggered bar reverse curls, one top set of 10-12

And on lower 2…
-Preacher curl machine, one top set of 8-10, back off of 11-15
-Incline DB curls, one top set of 10-12
-Zottman curls, one top set of 10-12

So that gives me 8 hard sets for the forearm flexors a week.

I think it’s great that you are doing reverse curls - I didn’t use to and I think it (imbalance between wrist flexors and wrist extensors) contributed to my tendonitis.

I now do two sets of reverse curls for every regular curl, as the wrist flexors get worked during all my pulling anyway.

So my only thing to add based on my personal experience - which may not apply to you at all - would be to watch out for muscle imbalances that could arise from too much wrist flexor use relative to wrist extensors in the very long run.

I think wrist flexors are similar to front delts in that it’s so easy to end up overtraining them.

[Heisman2]

If wanting to hit the biceps from various angles consider:
- doing 1+ movements with a reverse grip (you're doing this)
- doing 1+ movements with a hammer grip (you're doing this)
- doing 1+ movements with the upper arms starting behind your body as this will place the biceps on a greater stretch (you're doing this with the incline DB curls)
- doing 1+ movements where you get the maximum resistance at the point of peak contraction, such as with spider curls (you're not doing this)
- doing 1+ movements with a preacher or reverse cable set-up (latter would be like incline dumbbell curls but with a low pulley) such that the hardest part of the movement is at the beginning of the curl (you're potentially doing this with the preacher curl machine)

So perhaps change out the cable rope hammer curls with spider curls. I realize this was a lot of text for 1 minor suggestion.

If you do not do direct forearm work and want to start, I would do dumbbell wrist curls, EZ bar reverse wrist curls, and then set up a cable to do supination and pronation movements. This will only take 5 minutes total to do 1-2 sets of each movement with each arm. Stick to 10+ reps per set initially.

[BeginnerGainz]

I think it’s great that you are doing reverse curls - I didn’t use to and I think it (imbalance between wrist flexors and wrist extensors) contributed to my tendonitis.

I now do two sets of reverse curls for every regular curl, as the wrist flexors get worked during all my pulling anyway.

So my only thing to add based on my personal experience - which may not apply to you at all - would be to watch out for muscle imbalances that could arise from too much wrist flexor use relative to wrist extensors in the very long run.

I think wrist flexors are similar to front delts in that it’s so easy to end up overtraining them.

Now that is an interesting observation I didn’t even think about! Thanks!

If wanting to hit the biceps from various angles consider:
- doing 1+ movements with a reverse grip (you're doing this)
- doing 1+ movements with a hammer grip (you're doing this)
- doing 1+ movements with the upper arms starting behind your body as this will place the biceps on a greater stretch (you're doing this with the incline DB curls)
- doing 1+ movements where you get the maximum resistance at the point of peak contraction, such as with spider curls (you're not doing this)
- doing 1+ movements with a preacher or reverse cable set-up (latter would be like incline dumbbell curls but with a low pulley) such that the hardest part of the movement is at the beginning of the curl (you're potentially doing this with the preacher curl machine)

So perhaps change out the cable rope hammer curls with spider curls. I realize this was a lot of text for 1 minor suggestion.

If you do not do direct forearm work and want to start, I would do dumbbell wrist curls, EZ bar reverse wrist curls, and then set up a cable to do supination and pronation movements. This will only take 5 minutes total to do 1-2 sets of each movement with each arm. Stick to 10+ reps per set initially.

Thanks for chiming in! So for peak contraction that is what I use EZ bar and DB curls for, I don’t go all the way up to the shoulder (that would make the biceps lose tension) I stop at peak contraction and hold it before lowering the weight.

[Heisman2]

Now that is an interesting observation I didn’t even think about! Thanks!



Thanks for chiming in! So for peak contraction that is what I use EZ bar and DB curls for, I don’t go all the way up to the shoulder (that would make the biceps lose tension) I stop at peak contraction and hold it before lowering the weight.

That's my point actually; with the spider curls you get the peak contraction as your hands approach the shoulder. It is rather difficult to achieve that with any other bicep movement. Give them a try if you never have, just simply lean over a bench in an incline position (facing behind the bench) and do one arm or both arms at the same time.

[smokinal]

That's my point actually; with the spider curls you get the peak contraction as your hands approach the shoulder. It is rather difficult to achieve that with any other bicep movement.

Absolutely....spiders and drag curls do that best. With those movements, you have the full load at full contraction.



And try this variation of BB curl

And I'm not saying you shouldn't do a traditional BB curl, this^ is just another twist on it. I do these about every 4th arm day.

[BeginnerGainz]

Absolutely....spiders and drag curls do that best. With those movements, you have the full load at full contraction.



And try this variation of BB curl

And I'm not saying you shouldn't do a traditional BB curl, this^ is just another twist on it. I do these about every 4th arm day.

Man I’ve been trying to rep you for a while but apparently I still need to rep more people or something lol

[smokinal]

Man I’ve been trying to rep you for a while but apparently I still need to rep more people or something lol

No sweat brother....happy to help if I can