Training
Do you want to use muscle tension, isometric potentiation and unilaterally enhanced neural drive to your advantage? In other words - do you want to build bigger biceps? Then try the following.
Alternating curls with constant tension
Start with both arms in the fully contracted position - the top point of curls. Lower the working arm while keeping the non-working arm tensed near the highest position. Curl the working arm until both arms are contracted again. Then switch arms and perform one repetition with the other arm. Continue alternating repetitions until you have completed the set.
The benefits of this are as follows:
- The biceps are under constant tension. While the non-working arm is waiting to be used, it remains isometrically tensed, which recruits more motor units.
- You are performing a unilateral, dynamic movement. This increases the activation of the motor units of the working muscles, which means that recruitment and stimulation of more motor units is promoted.
- The dynamic action is followed by an isometric action. The disadvantage is that you can't use as much weight, so you can't cause as much muscle damage. That's why it's important to use this exercise as a secondary biceps exercise after a heavier exercise.
Want some variety? Use the same technique with dumbbell Scott curls.
Tip: Perform deadlifts - shoulder raises for a big trapezius
Build up your stubborn trapezius, combine trap bar deadlifts with shoulder raises (shrugs) in one effective exercise
By Dr. John Rusin
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-for-big-traps-do-the-deadlift-shrug
Want to build a thick trapezius? By combining two proven trapezius building exercises into one exercise, you'll shock your entire trapezius into new growth. The upper, middle and even that stubborn lower trapezius will be pushed hard with a heavy old-school load. Perform trap bar deadlifts with shoulder raises to train the trapezius from all angles and with different types of contractions.
Deadlift with shoulder lift
- Move the trap bar upwards with a deadlift movement.
- Raise your shoulders up to your ears in the top position and hold the top position for a full second before lowering the weight slowly and in a controlled manner.
- After 3 to 5 shoulder lift movements, lower the trap bar back down to the floor. This is one repetition.
- Perform 5 to 8 repetitions per set in this way.
Aim for some serious volume. The trapezius responds very well to isometric and constant muscle tension. Perform this exercise on an upper body day or a specific back training day, progressively increasing the weight over the course of 4 to 5 sets until you reach a weight that allows you to perform 3 to 4 work sets with perfect rhythm and tempo.
Remember that tempo is key - so don't fudge the shrugs at the highest point or artificially reduce the range of motion by arching your upper back or retracting your neck. Move the weight as slowly as possible, keep your neck and upper back in a neutral position and tolerate the pain.
Why does this exercise work?
This exercise incorporates isometric, concentric and eccentric actions of the trapezius, but also targets the secondary muscles that play a role in stabilizing the spine, which increases the amount of tension generated by all three aspects of the trapezius muscle. Holding this tension for 45+ seconds will also get your heart rate racing, giving you a huge conditioning component in addition to strength and hypertrophy training.
Tip: Take the 30 second front squat challenge
Test your guts and improve your squat weights with the help of this brutal challenge
By Ben Bruno
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-take-the-30-second-front-squat-challenge
This challenge is simple, but far from easy. You've done wall sits (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-wV4Venusw) before, right? Take this exercise, multiply it by 1,000 and you've got isometric holds on front squats.
Front squats with isometric hold
- Get into the lowest position of a front squat - just before the point where your hamstrings touch your calves.
- Hold this position for as long as possible. Ideally, do this in a power rack so that you can drop the bar onto the rack pins when you're done.
Start with 50 kilos on the bar until you can hold this position for at least 30 seconds. Once you have reached this point, you can increase the weight to 65 kilos. From then on, start increasing the duration of the hold. Anything over 30 seconds with 65 kilos is pretty damn impressive. Do this exercise at the end of your training session as your legs won't be able to do much after this. Interestingly, after performing this exercise twice a week for 6 weeks at the end of my lower body workouts, my front squats felt much better and I felt much stronger at the bottom of the movement. So this exercise has value beyond the challenge.
Tip: Improve your pull-up performance with the "Hang an Pack" method
Stop jumping into your pull-up start position. Get strong at the bottom of the movement with this method
By Kelli Keyes, Abby Keyes
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-improve-your-pull-up-with-the-hang-and-pack
Struggling with pull-ups - especially when it comes to getting out of the starting position? Try a hanging lowering of the shoulder blades. The cool kids refer to this as a "hang and pack."
The hang and pack method
This exercise will improve your grip and help you get stronger from the bottom position, which will help you with full range of motion pull-ups.
1. pull your shoulder blades down and together without moving your arms as you hang from the bar with your arms straight.
2. hold this position for a few seconds and release the bar to allow your shoulders to relax and stretch.
3. repeat this for several repetitions and work on increasing the sets/repetitions you perform.
Tip: Perform pulldowns with straight arms for the latissimus
Challenge your latissimus and improve your V-shape with this exercise
By Christian Thibaudeau
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-straight-arm-pulldowns-for-lats
Most people find it difficult to push their latissimus really hard. Aside from those exercisers who are already latissimus dominant, pull-ups and lat pull-downs quickly become more arm exercises than lat exercises. Similarly, if you are not already latissimus dominant, rowing exercises will mainly work the middle back rather than the latissimus. The solution: Use a shoulder extension exercise to train the latissimus. In a shoulder extension, the biceps and middle back are not involved, so they are not used to compensate. In a shoulder extension exercise, the arm is moved from top to bottom in the direction of the body. The exercise that utilizes this movement pattern is called extended arm pulldowns.
Pulldowns with outstretched arms
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=soX7zhZ7yfQ
While overpulls also use this feature, extended arm pulldowns are superior when it comes to maximally targeting the latissimus, as the tension is more constant throughout the range of motion, whereas dumbbells or a barbell only provide overload for half of the movement.
Pulldowns with arms extended also include the teres major, which is a good thing as this completes the look of the latissimus and increases the width of your back while also working the posterior shoulder muscles. However, these two muscles are not strong enough to relieve the latissimus, so the latissimus will do most of the work.
Grip and angle of the trunk
A shoulder extension is stronger and more effective when the shoulders are rotated inwards, as is the case when you use an overhand grip (palms facing down). So always use the same type of grip (overhand grip) but vary the grip width. Also change the angle of your torso for more variation. A more upright posture of the torso will put more strain on the lower part of the latissimus. If you lean slightly forward, you will feel this exercise more in the upper part of the latissimus and the teres major. Try both versions.
And here's the key aspect: if you're doing an isolation exercise to target a specific muscle group, then you should experiment to see in which position you feel the most tension in the muscle you want to stimulate. Remember that the goal is not to perform an exercise from point A to point B - it's more about using the exercise to load the muscle you want to train. So the most important thing will always be to feel the right muscle doing the work.
The advanced version
Once you have mastered the basic technique, you can use the advanced version, which combines both positions. Initiate the pulldown with your torso leaning forward. As you approach the point in the middle of the range of motion, slowly lift the torso to finish the movement in an upright position. When you do this, you will feel the strongest possible tension in your latissimus.
To learn how to perform this exercise, you should use a slower speed of movement than usual and focus on maintaining tension in the latissimus. Try to keep the speed constant throughout the repetition. It should take about 2 seconds to perform the concentric part of the movement - maybe even three.
"Wait, I can feel my triceps!"
The long muscle head of the triceps is also involved and may take some of the stimulation away from the latissimus, which means you really need to focus on your latissimus. Only use weights where you can focus the tension on the latissimus. Keeping your elbows very slightly bent (just hard enough to prevent hyperextension) and not changing the elbow during the set will also help to minimize triceps involvement.
Tip: Take on the 30 kilo goblet squat challenge
Get stronger and improve your mobility. All you need is a kettlebell or dumbbell.
By Eric Bach
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-take-the-65-pound-goblet-squat-challenge
With heavy weights, goblet squats become a brutal exercise that tests the strength of your legs, front core and upper back. Add isometric holding on the front end and you've got the fight of the century.
The challenge
1. grab a dumbbell or kettlebell. Between 20 and 40 kilos is plenty for experienced exercisers.
2. keep your chest up and move into the bottom position of the squat movement. Hold the bottom position for 15 seconds.
3. after 15 seconds, move up to the fully extended position and then perform as many goblet squats as possible - up to 15 repetitions. If you can do more than 15 repetitions, increase the weight.
Start with 20 kilos and stick with this weight until you can perform the isometric hold and a full 15 repetitions. At this point, increase the weight in 2.5 to 5 kilo increments.
Exercise form is the determining factor - if you find that you are not getting all the way down and/or your exercise form is slipping, reduce the weight and work on your technique. If you manage to perform a set with over 30 kilos, this is a sign of impressive mobility, stability, mental strength and endurance.
Tip: Use descending sets for mass gains
This classic training technique can help anyone build muscle - including you.
From John Meadows
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-drop-sets-for-size-gains
Descending sets have been around since the invention of the dumbbell. The concept is amazingly simple, yet effective. Train to exhaustion, then immediately reduce the weight and perform more repetitions. Continue in this way until complete failure. Obviously this technique works exceptionally well with dumbbell exercises such as side raises or bicep curls and the same applies to exercises such as cable tricep presses where you use a cable pulley. Barbell exercises are also possible if you have a training partner to help you reduce the weight on the bar.
How much should I reduce the weight?
A good rule of thumb is 20% of your working weight per reduction. So if you perform 8 repetitions of an exercise with 100 kilos, you reduce the weight by 20 kilos or 10 kilos per side. This should allow you to perform 3 to 4 more repetitions depending on the exercise used, your training experience and your muscle fiber composition.
By T Nation | 01/30/16
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/tip-do-the-constant-tension-alternate-curl
There are very few absolute truths in the world of bodybuilding. Remember when it was considered proven that squats were bad for your knees and "safer" alternatives like leg extension machines came into fashion? Remember the days when everyone knew for sure that dietary fats were bad for you and that a high protein intake would make you explode faster than you could say protein shake? Remember the days when experts laughed at bodybuilders because these muscular fools thought they could actually change the shape of their muscles? It seems like yesterday's facts are becoming today's fallacies.
But wait, you might say, it's a fact that you can't change the shape of a muscle by working out! Everyone knows that so-called "shaping exercises" are bogus, right? Well, according to Dr. Jose Antonio and author Mike Meija, there might be something to that old idea after all. We'll let you decide.
Bodybuilding or body sculpting?
During the Renaissance, mankind witnessed some of the best sculptors the world has ever seen. Men like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci were famous for their ability to take a simple object like a piece of marble and transform it into a visual masterpiece.
Fast forward to today and you'll find that modern technology has made this kind of old-world craftsmanship virtually obsolete. But there is still one group of people who appreciate such attention to detail: Bodybuilders!
You only need to go to any gym and you will see these people working on every inch of their body. You'll see them maltreating their muscles with exotic exercises of all kinds from every conceivable angle to ensure the most symmetrical development possible. But can bodybuilders really shape their bodies by isolating specific parts of a muscle? Or is this simply a pipe dream and a throwback to the training ideologies of the 1970s?
A new look at regional hypertrophy
The question of whether it is possible to target specific areas of a muscle has been hotly debated for years. Many experts in the field of strength training believe that once a muscle has been stimulated to contract, all the fibers that make up that muscle will respond in the same way, which would mean that any growth will occur evenly across the entire muscle.
These experts do not accept the view that you can activate different regions of the same muscle by varying the exercises you perform. On the other hand, there are those who believe that it is not only possible to target specific parts of a muscle, but that this can also change the shape of a muscle!
One such expert is Dr. Jose Antonio. Dr. Antonio, who is widely regarded as one of the country's leading scientists, has recently written a comprehensive literature review on the subject of local hypertrophy. Since this review, published in the Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, is quite scientific in nature, Dr. Antonio has allowed me to present my interpretation of his findings to a wider audience. Among the more interesting points he addresses are the following:
- Why an individual muscle cannot simply be described as a collection of muscle fibers running from attachment point to end point.
- Studies show that you can selectively recruit different segments of a muscle not only depending on the type of exercise used, but also depending on the weight used.
- There is no single "best" exercise that can maximize the growth potential of a particular muscle.
To make Dr. Antonio's position easier to understand, I've categorized his results into three main areas:
- Muscle fiber type
- Subdivision of skeletal muscles
- Electromyography (EMG) studies
Muscle fiber types
There are two basic types of skeletal muscle: slow-contracting and fast-contracting muscle fibers, each with different characteristics:
- Slow-contracting muscle fibers are your endurance fibers. They are highly oxidative (meaning that they rely on oxygen for energy production), do not develop high levels of tension and are extremely resistant to fatigue.
- The fast contracting muscle fibers are divided into two groups
- Fast oxidative glycolytic fibers (FOG) or type IIa fibers: these fibers have both a high oxidative and a high glycolytic (anaerobic) capacity. These are the fibers you use the most during activities such as basketball or middle-distance running.
- Fast glycolytic fibers (FG) or type IIb fibers. These fibers are your little power plants. They are the fibers you rely on during short, maximal sprints or training with maximum weights. These fibers contract powerfully and quickly, but fatigue just as quickly.
Admittedly, this is an oversimplification of the classification of the different muscle fibers, but for the purpose of this article, it is quite sufficient.
Why do you need to know all this? Because these different muscle fibers are recruited based on the intensity of your efforts. In other words, how hard you train dictates which fibers are recruited to perform a particular task. For example, according to the usual progression of muscle fiber recruitment, the slow-contracting fibers are recruited before the fast-contracting fibers. As the intensity (or in this case the amount of weight you use) increases, your nervous system begins to recruit fast-twitch fibers to a greater extent.
However, there are certain situations, such as performing heavy negative repetitions, where it is possible to preferentially recruit your more powerful fast-twitch muscle fibers (7). According to Dr. Antonio, this seems to suggest that it is possible to selectively recruit different muscle fibers depending on the type of exercise you are performing.
What makes the idea of selective muscle fiber recruitment even more interesting is the fact that these different fibers are randomly distributed across a given muscle. So if it were actually possible to selectively use a specific muscle fiber type in isolation, the result would be non-uniform hypertrophy, which would essentially change the shape of the muscle.
Admittedly, this can be observed more often in fast-contracting fibers, which tend to hypertrophy proportionally more than slow-contracting fibers, especially at heavier resistances (1, 5).
However, Dr. Antonio emphasizes that this doesn't mean you should completely ignore the growth potential of slow-contracting fibers. In fact, there may be a way to train that allows these fibers to achieve similar development. The point is that there is no single training protocol that will consistently produce growth in the range of all your different muscle fibers. For this reason, it is imperative that you periodically vary both the amount of weight you use and your set and repetition scheme in order to continue to make progress.
Skeletal muscle subdivision: divide and conquer
What lends further credence to the whole concept of targeted training is something known as skeletal muscle subdivision. Simply put, this describes the fact that a muscle can be divided into several separate segments depending on how it is activated by your nervous system.
Dr. Antonio explains this as follows: "An individual muscle is more than simply a collection of muscle fibers that run across the entire muscle belly and are activated by a single muscle-nerve interaction. In other words, different areas of the same muscle can be activated depending on the demands of the specific situation."
A perfect example of this is the trapezius - a large kite-shaped muscle that makes up a significant portion of your upper back. Because of the way this muscle attaches to your skeleton, the trapezius can be divided into three separate areas (upper, middle and lower), each of which can be isolated by a specific exercise (1).
For example, while an exercise such as shoulder raises (shrugs) will train the upper area, a rowing exercise will train the middle area of your trapezius more effectively. Lastly, a lat pulldown, which requires you to pull your shoulder blades down, will work the lower portion of the muscle best.
This is just one of countless examples of why it's important to include a variety of different exercises in your training program to ensure well-rounded muscle development.
EMG: A closer look
Still not convinced that it's possible to isolate certain parts of a muscle? A look at the relevant studies might change your mind. In his article, Dr. Antonio refers to several studies that have used electromyography (EMG) measurements to determine the actions of muscles surrounding a specific joint. An EMG measurement measures the electrical activity of a muscle both at rest and during its contraction.
The fact that many muscles do not show a consistent EMG response during certain exercises suggests that there is a region-specific response to resistance exercise (2, 3). In fact, one study showed that after 6 months of performing leg extensions, subjects showed a 19% increase in muscle mass in both the upper and lower quadriceps, while the increase in the middle region was only 13% (8).
A similar study conducted in the upper body concluded that 12 weeks of triceps training produced significant growth in the middle portion of the muscle, while there was virtually no change in other areas (4).
Perhaps the best example of a region-specific EMG response involves abdominal muscle training. For years, there has been an ongoing debate among fitness experts as to whether the abdominal muscles can be divided into upper and lower segments. Many argued that because the primary muscle in this area - the rectus abdominus - is a long muscle (running from the pubic bone to the costal cartilages of the fifth, sixth and seventh ribs), any abdominal exercise should stimulate the entire muscle equally. However, this turned out to be factually incorrect!
It has been clearly shown that the upper and lower segments of the rectus abdominus have different innervations, which means that they can respond selectively to different exercises (6, 9). While a crunch movement will place more stress on the upper region, reverse crunches and hanging leg raises should also be included in the exercise program to work the lower abs. (And yes, it's okay to talk about "upper" and "lower" abs!)
In addition to the EMG research cited by Dr. Antonio, there is also an exciting new book that uses a different type of technology to show how muscles respond to resistance training. In his book Target Bodybuilding, respected scientist Dr. Per A. Tesch uses magnetic resonance imaging studies to show not only which muscles, but also which areas of a muscle are preferentially loaded during a selection of different popular bodybuilding exercises (10).
The book is designed to help the reader eliminate any guesswork from training. Want to know how a specific grip affects biceps development? Are you looking for the best exercise to give your triceps that characteristic horseshoe shape? Or maybe you're more interested in the effects that the positioning of the feet during squats has on muscle engagement during squats.
Whatever you want to know, just turn to the relevant page of the book and you'll get a detailed insight into the effects each specific exercise has on your muscles.
Practical applications
What does all this mean in practice? How can you use this information to your advantage in the gym? The way I see it, you have several options. You can either isolate specific areas of a particular muscle or you can try to cover everything by working a muscle from every conceivable angle in every training session.
For example, let's say you're training your pecs. Is it better to focus mainly on the upper area of the pecs during one training session and primarily on the middle and lower area during the next training session? Or should you try to perform at least one exercise on the flat bench, one exercise on the incline bench and one exercise on the reverse incline bench during each training session? Considering the fact that very few of us have perfectly symmetrical development, I would say that option number 1 is the better choice.
Admittedly, the ability to bring those "little problem areas" up to par with the rest of your body in terms of development is fascinating - at least to me. No more scoffing at underdeveloped lower latissimus or weak inner calves. That being said, once you've corrected these minor imbalances, you'll have plenty of time for a more well-rounded approach.
Final thoughts
Putting all this science to one side for a moment, there is also plenty of practical advice to support the effectiveness of targeted training. Looking at all the athletes who train with weights, there is no doubt that bodybuilders consistently show the most impressive levels of muscle development. This is because their primary goal is not to train to improve their ability to perform a particular sport, but to achieve the highest level of muscle size, shape and symmetry.
In doing so, they realize that there is no "best" exercise and no ultimate program to continuously grow their muscles. Perhaps the rest of us can now begin to appreciate what bodybuilders have known for decades: it is possible to change the shape of a muscle! And maybe as a result, you'll be able to sculpt a body that would have made Michelangelo envious.
References:
- Antonio, J. Nonuniform response of skeletal muscle to heavy resistance training: can bodybuilders induce regional hypertrophy? J. Strength Cond. Res.14(1):102-113. 2000.
- Barnett, C., V. Kippers, and P. Turner. Effects of variations of the bench press exercise on the EMG activity of five shoulder muscles. J. Strength Cond. Res. 9:222-227. 1995.
- Glass, S.C., and T. Armstrong. Electromyographical activity of the pectoralis muscle during incline and decline bench presses. J. Strength Cond. Res. 11:163-167. 1997.
- Kawakami, Y., T. Abe, S.-Y. Kuno, and T. Fukunaga. Training-induced changes in muscle architecture and specific tension. Eur. J. Appl. Physiol. 72:37-43 1995.
- Kraemer, W.J., S.J. Fleck, and W.J. Evans. Strength and power training: Physiological mechanisms of adaptation. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 24:363-398.1996.
- Lipetz, S., and B. Gutin. An electromyographic study of four abdominal exercises. Med. Sci. Sports 2:35-38. 1970.
- Nardone, A., C. Romano, and M. Schiepatti. Selective recruitments of high-threshold human motor units during voluntary isotonic-lengthening of active muscles. J. Physiol. 409:451-471. 1989.
- Narici, M. V., H. Hoppeler, B. Kayser, L. Landoni, H. Claasen, C. Gavardi, M. Conti, and P. Cerretelli. Human quadriceps cross-sectional area, torque, and neural activation during 6 months of strength training. Acta Physiol. Scand. 157:175-186. 1996.
- Sarti, M.A., M.S. Monfort, M.S. Fuster, and M.D. Villaplana. Muscle activity in the upper and lower rectus abdominus during abdominal exercises. Arch. Phys. Med. Rehab. 77:1293-1297. 1996.
- Tesch, P.A. Target Bodybuilding. Human Kinetics, Champaign Ill. 1999.
https://www.t-nation.com/training/made-to-order-muscle
By Mike Meija
Have you stopped making gains? If so, then it might be time to change what you're doing in the gym. This article will give you 15 tips on how to get your training back on track and keep growing.
The human body is amazing. No matter what we ask of it, it will adapt - and quite quickly. The body's quick adaptations to change are the reason why bodybuilders and strength athletes reach plateaus. You know what I'm talking about - you don't get more muscular and you don't get stronger, no matter how hard you train.
The whole process of building muscle is about your body adapting to increasing loads and increasing stress. Put simply, it works like this:
- Move X kilos of weight and your body grows to cope with this.
- Increase the weight to X kilos and your body builds more muscle to cope with this too
- etc., etc.
If it were that simple, we'd all be big and muscular!
As experienced exercisers know, if you use the same program week after week and month after month, you will not achieve continuous growth. The human body simply adapts too quickly to the stresses and strains. Once your body has adapted to the stress of your current program, it will see no need to continue growing.
Regular changes to your training sessions are essential for long-term muscle growth. Professional bodybuilders use constantly changing training cycles, altering their exercises and using advanced training techniques. Based on their experience, they know exactly what type of training and diet they need to build muscle and burn fat.
So what can you do to change your training program and break through plateaus? There are plenty of techniques used by the pros to stimulate new growth. Here are 15 techniques you can use to change your program and build more muscle.
15 ways to change your training program
1. increase the intensity
Intensity builds muscle. I put this point first because I believe it is the most important of all. A lot of the techniques mentioned in this article will increase the intensity of your workouts. Descending sets, supersets, negative reps and slow reps are all classic examples.
Other ways in which you can increase the intensity of your training sessions include reduced rest times, circuits, forced repetitions, etc. If you've been using the same program for a while, it's easy to become blinded. You think you're training hard, but in reality your intensity level has slowly decreased without you realizing it.
2. change your exercises
For each muscle group, there are a number of different exercises that can be used to train that muscle group. A lot of exercisers use the same exercises week after week. They skip exercises they don't like.
To keep growing, you need to train your target muscles with a wide range of exercises. You should change your exercises regularly. Many experienced bodybuilders never do the same workout twice.
3. include descending sets in your program
Descending sets are one of the shock techniques that can help you break through plateaus if performed correctly. Descending sets work by forcing more repetitions by gradually reducing the weight. This pumps more blood to the target muscle group and causes more microtraumas - small muscle fiber tears - which promote more growth after the muscle tissue is repaired.
Descending sets are easy. Do a set until you can't do another repetition, reduce the weight, do another set, reduce the weight...etc. You can do between 3 and 6 sets.
One of the most popular types of descending sets is a method known as "down the rack". In this variation of descending sets, most commonly used in dumbbell curls, you start with your normal working weight and, after reaching muscle failure, continue the set with the next lighter dumbbell available until you reach the lightest one.
4. change the days on which you train each muscle group
Changing the order of your training days can have a big impact on your results. In general, you should train your weakest muscle groups at the beginning of the week when you still have the most energy. However, as with everything in your training program, you will benefit from changes.
One point to remember when making such changes, however, is that you need to ensure you give each muscle group enough rest - keep in mind that the muscle group may be used as a secondary muscle group on another training day. For example, you shouldn't train your biceps on Monday and then train your back on Tuesday - you need your biceps as a secondary muscle group in all your back pulling exercises. You can also cycle your training days so that the first day of your training week focuses on a different muscle group each time.
5. supersets consisting of a multi-joint exercise and an isolation exercise for the same muscle group
One of the most effective ways to promote muscle growth in a stubborn muscle group is to perform an isolation exercise after a heavy multi-joint exercise. One of the best examples of this would be bench presses followed by flying movements. Here you finish your set of bench presses as normal and then immediately perform a strict set of flying movements with dumbbells without rest.
You don't need heavy weights for the second set. Your focus should be on muscle contraction. This means that you perform the repetitions more slowly and consciously tense your muscles at the highest point of the movement.
Here are some good supersets of multi-joint exercises and isolation exercises:
o Barbell shoulder presses and front raises
o Close bench presses and lying tricep presses (skullcrushers)
o Squats and leg extensions
o Bench presses and flying movements with dumbbells
o Pull-ups or lat pulldowns with a wide grip and pull downs with arms extended
o Pull-ups with an underhand grip and barbell curls
6. weekly cyclical changes in the number of repetitions
A weekly cyclical change in the number of repetitions works as follows:
- Week 1: Perform 12 repetitions per set
- Week 2: Perform 10 repetitions per set
- Week 3: Perform 8 repetitions per set
- Week 4: Perform 6 repetitions per set
- Week 5: start again at week 1
No one knows exactly how many repetitions you should perform for optimal muscle building. What we do know is that this range is between 6 and 12 repetitions. Therefore, you should play it safe by starting with 12 repetitions and reducing the number of repetitions to 6 over the course of 4 weeks, increasing the weight from week to week.
If you are doing everything right with your diet (which should be the case if you want to use any of the techniques described in this article), then you should find that you can use significantly more weight for 12 reps in week 5 than in week 1.
7. change the number of days you train
When building muscle, less is often more. If you want to become more muscular, then you should not train more. This is one of the most common mistakes that beginners often make. You think that reducing the number of training days from 4 to 5 to 3 days a week will build less muscle? Then you're wrong, your body will probably benefit from the extra rest.
8. negative repetitions
Negative repetitions are extremely helpful in building strength when it comes to increasing training weights and muscle mass and breaking through plateaus. Negative repetitions are repetitions where you focus on the negative (lowering) part of the movement by using very heavy weights (above your 1RM weight or your maximum weight for a repetition) and very slow repetitions.
For most types of negative repetitions you will need a training partner. If you train alone, you don't even need to think about this technique - you will only injure yourself.
Good examples of exercises that work well for heavy negative reps include bench presses, barbell Scott curls, close bench presses, pull-ups (where you jump up and slowly lower yourself) and leg extensions.
Tip: Can only do a few pull-ups? Do as many as you can manage and finish the set with negative repetitions. This will help you build strength quickly. Use a wide grip to emphasize your latissimus and not your biceps.
9. slow (controlled) repetitions
Slow reps are all about control and contraction. Using a lighter weight and a slower speed of movement, you perform the same number of repetitions.
You should use a 3-1-3 tempo, which means the following:
- Count "one one thousand" three times on the downward movement
- Pause for "one one thousand"
- Count "one one thousand" three times on the upward movement
Using slow repetitions, you perform the same number of repetitions you usually use, but your muscles are under tension for a much longer period of time.
10. alternate & hold under tension (aka partial reps)
Like slow reps, alternating reps work the muscle group harder by keeping it under tension for a longer period of time. To do this, you use an exercise and modify it by not performing a full repetition. An example would be alternating dumbbell curls. Instead of letting your left arm hang down while your right arm performs a curl movement, you keep your left arm slightly bent and under tension.
As a result, the blood cannot drain out of the muscle (the pump is therefore maintained), which makes the muscle work extremely hard to hold the weight. After the set, your muscles will have been under tension for twice as long as with regular alternating curls.
You can use this technique with many dumbbell exercises such as dumbbell shoulder presses, dumbbell bench presses, dumbbell tricep presses and kickbacks.
11. change the order of your exercises
If someone asked me what order they should do their exercises in, I would tell them to do the heavy multi-joint exercises first, followed by isolation exercises. However, as with everything else in your training, your body will adapt quickly. So change the order of your exercises...do dips first on chest day, leg extensions before squats, etc.
12. pre-fatigue your muscles
Pre-fatigue is another one of those plateau-breaking techniques that has been around for ages. By using this technique, you pre-fatigue the muscle group you want to train with an isolation exercise and then immediately perform a heavy multi-joint exercise for the same muscle group. Here are some good examples:
o Leg extensions followed by squats
o Flying movements followed by bench presses
o Flying movements for the rear shoulder muscles followed by rowers
o Front raises followed by barbell shoulder presses standing
13 Forced repetitions
Forced repetitions are easy. Start by performing as many strict repetitions as you can without assistance and then get a training partner to help you force 2 or more repetitions. You can use forced reps to get 2 more reps out of it (e.g. you try to do 12 reps instead of your 10 regular reps) or you can increase the weight by about 15% and use your training partner to force your regular 10 reps.
14. pyramid sets
As the name suggests, pyramid sets start with a low weight and work your way up and/or back down to a heavier weight. After you have completed your warm-up, perform the first set of your pyramid with a weight that allows you to complete 12 repetitions with good form. Your next set will be 8 to 10 reps, the next 6 to 8 reps and the following 4 reps. Correct technique is important here - so don't fumble. You should perform slow and controlled repetitions for all sets.
15. take a week off
Rest is the most abused aspect of training with weights. Bodybuilding is not like running a marathon - less is more. Sometimes you will find that a week off training is the best thing for you. Our bodies (and minds) need regular rest from intense resistance training. Our training puts stress on the whole body - not just our muscles.
How do you know when to take a week off? You will know, your body will tell you. However, a rough guideline is every 8 to 12 weeks.
Conclusion
So there we have it. Now it's time for you to get back to the gym and put some of these techniques into practice.
Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/switch-up-your-bodybuilding-routine.html
If there's one muscle group that adds a sense of dominance and masculinity to a man's body, it's the shoulders. They crown a slim waist (and hopefully an impressive V shape) and make your upper body look well proportioned - and sometimes even bigger than it really is. If you're not training your shoulders in the same intense way as your biceps and triceps, then you're missing out on something crucial.
If that's not enough to convince you, then this will: when we asked 25 women for their opinion on the "sexiest" body part on a man, shoulders dominated.
One woman said: "A big upper body - defined back, defined shoulders and defined arms. I like a man who has the strength to lift me up..."
If you don't care what women think, then you should consider that a set of strong shoulders will make your life easier. Everyday movements such as playing sports or carrying suitcases will become easier. In addition to this, you will reduce your risk of injury while performing back and chest exercises and make training sessions less stressful - both for your mind and your muscles.
We spoke to Noah Bryant, C.S.C.S., co-author of The Size and Strength Blueprint, about the 10 best exercises for thicker and broader shoulders. His statement read:
"To successfully build some monster shoulders, you need to be aware of the fact that the shoulders are made up of three muscle heads: the front shoulder muscles, the side shoulder muscles and the back shoulder muscles. For symmetrical growth, you should always start your training with the heavy multi-joint exercises and then train all three muscle heads with lighter isolation exercises."
On shoulder day, choose 2 to 3 multi-joint exercises and 3 to 4 isolation exercises to build round shoulder muscles, a muscular trapezius and a wider upper body that will stand out even under your thickest winter sweaters.
1. overhead shoulder press
*Multi-joint exercise
This is one of the best exercises for developing the entire shoulder musculature. While most exercisers think that the bench press is the ultimate upper body exercise, the overhead press is a really powerful muscle building exercise. If you have a healthy back and shoulders, you don't make any rookie mistakes and you perform the exercise correctly, then shoulder growth is practically guaranteed. You'll also get the added benefit of training your triceps.
The correct execution:
- Grip the bar with a grip that is slightly wider than shoulder width. (This will vary from person to person)
- Make sure your elbows are vertical (perpendicular to the floor and not pointing out to the side).
- Your feet should be slightly wider than shoulder width apart. With the bar in front of you resting on your front shoulder muscles, engage your legs, glutes, back and abs and begin to push the bar up.
- You will need to move your head back slightly to get it out of the way of the bar as it moves upwards. Once the bar has passed your ears, you can move your head back to its normal position.
- Fully extend your elbows with the bar directly over the center of your head. Raise the shoulders at the highest point of the movement to engage the trapezius and prevent injury and impingement associated with pain.
- Make sure you do not perform push presses. Do not bend your knees to "explode" upwards with momentum. This would make your legs the primary acting muscle at the beginning of the movement and not your shoulders.
Perform 3 to 5 sets of 5 to 8 repetitions.
Note: You may need to use a lighter weight than usual to ensure proper form of the exercise - and also because this exercise works smaller, less used muscles of your upper body.
2A Seated neck press
*isolation exercise*
This is another exercise for the entire shoulder musculature that can cause injury if performed incorrectly. However, when performed correctly, the seated neck press effectively trains your entire shoulder musculature.
The correct execution:
- Start in a seated position on a bench with a back pad.
- Grip the bar with your palms facing away from your body with a grip slightly wider than shoulder width.
- Push the bar up by extending your elbows into an overhead position, taking care not to hyperextend your elbows (this will keep your shoulder muscles under constant tension).
- Lower the bar behind your head, bending your head slightly forward (which means you should not extend your head and neck too far forward). Just before the bar touches your trapezius or the lower part of your neck (or before if it becomes uncomfortable), start pushing the bar back up.
Perform 3 to 5 sets of 6 to 10 repetitions.
2B. Alternating (unilateral) dumbbell shoulder press seated
*Multi-joint exercise
The one-armed execution (alternating one arm at a time) maximizes time under tension and helps identify and eliminate imbalances.
The correct execution:
- Start in a seated position with both dumbbells in the hyperextended arms position above your head with your palms facing forward.
- Slowly lower one arm at a time and then push the dumbbell back up.
- Hold your non-moving hand above your head with your elbow hyperextended (until the moving hand reaches the highest position of the movement again) or hold it motionless on your lap.
- Repeat this process using the other arm. Perform 4 sets of 6 to 8 repetitions per arm.
3. rowing upright with a barbell
*Multi-joint exercise
Rowing upright with a barbell trains your front and lateral shoulder muscle heads and also involves your trapezius. Pay attention to correct exercise form here too.
The correct execution:
- Grip the bar with a slightly narrower than shoulder-width overhand grip.
- Pull the bar straight up towards your chin, keeping the bar close to your body. There is no need to pull the bar up further than your chin. Pulling the weight higher will put unnecessary strain on your shoulders and any benefit is negligible. (This is the area where people get injured).
- Lower the bar back down to the starting position and repeat the movement. Perform 4 sets of 8 to 15 repetitions.
4th barbell front raise
*Isolation exercise
You are targeting your front shoulder muscles, but you can feel the fatigue setting in on your side shoulder muscles as well. Keep the weight light enough to perform the exercise with good form.
The correct execution:
- In a standing position, grab a barbell with an overhand grip about shoulder-width apart so that your palms are facing down.
- Stand upright so that the bar hangs down and touches your thighs.
- Pull your shoulder blades back and together and position the barbell about 10 centimetres in front of your body (this is the starting position).
- Move the bar upwards in an arching motion, keeping your arms completely straight and lift the bar up to shoulder height. Try not to move the bar with momentum or deflect it. Perform the exercise strictly so that you feel your front shoulder muscles moving the weight.
- Pause at the highest point of the movement and then lower the bar back to the starting position.
Perform 4 to 5 sets of 12 to 20 repetitions.
5. side raises on an incline bench
*Isolation exercise*
This is a great isolation exercise for your lateral shoulder muscles. Make sure you emphasize the stretch at the lowest point of the movement and perform the repetitions in a controlled manner.
The correct execution:
- Take a pair of dumbbells in your hands and sit on an incline bench with your arms hanging vertically downwards.
- Raise the dumbbells until your arms are parallel to the floor and the dumbbells are at shoulder height. Then lower the dumbbells again, keeping the weights under control the whole time.
Perform 3 to 5 sets of 12 to 15 repetitions.
6. face pull
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7jbLlULqPYc
*Multi-joint exercise
Face pulls train the rear shoulder muscles and - surprisingly for most people - also place an extremely heavy load on the lateral shoulder muscles. Face pulls also target the weak muscles of the shoulder blades, which help stabilize your shoulder joints - which is great for shoulder muscle health.
The correct execution:
- Use a cable pulley with the cable running over the top pulley and a rope handle attached.
- Start with the rope handle a few centimetres above your eyes.
- Grasp the rope handle with an overhand grip and take a step backwards so that the rope is under tension.
- Move your hips backwards and start pulling the cable. Place your elbows out to the side so that they are parallel to the floor.
- Pull the rope handle towards your eyebrows and then move it back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Perform 3 to 5 sets of 15 to 20 repetitions.
7. bent over side raise
*Isolation exercise*
Side plank bent over directly targets your posterior shoulder muscles (the back of the shoulders). The key is to perform the movement strictly to really reap its benefits.
The correct execution:
- Bend forward so that your torso is parallel to the floor, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your lower back in a natural arched position and do not hunch over.
- Let your arms hang straight down with your palms facing each other.
- Use your back shoulder muscles by squeezing your shoulder blades together to move the weights upwards in an arching motion until your arms are parallel to the floor. Your thumbs should be pointing towards the ceiling.
- Then move the weights back to the starting position.
Perform 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions.
8. incline bench I,Y,T's
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KJFUvyf1HbE
*Multi-joint exercise
Unlike some of the other shoulder exercises that focus on building muscle mass in the upper body, this exercise is focused on shoulder health. However, it will also give you the aesthetic you are after.
The correct execution:
- Lie prone on an incline bench set at a 45-degree incline with your arms hanging down vertically next to the bench and holding a dumbbell in each hand. (Your toes should be touching the floor).
- First, pull your shoulder blades together and lift the dumbbells up to the side of your body so that they form a "T" with your body. Then lower your arms back down to the hanging position.
- Then raise the dumbbells to head height, pointing them diagonally forwards and forming a 'Y' with your body. Then lower your arms back down to the hanging position.
- Finally, raise the dumbbells straight forward so that they form an "I" with your body.
- All of this counts as one repetition.
Keep the weight very light and perform 4 sets of 5 to 8 repetitions.
9. standing side raises and front raises as a superset
*Isolation exercises *
This is a combination of two exercises. First you perform a set of side raises and then immediately move on to a set of front raises to complete the superset.
The correct execution:
- Stand with your knees slightly bent and lean slightly forward with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Raise your arms to the side until your elbows (which should be slightly bent) are at shoulder height.
- Move your arms back to the starting position.
Note: Do not use a weight that is too heavy. You should not lift the weight upwards or use momentum to complete the movement. Make sure you don't raise your hands higher than your elbows (as this will take the weight off your shoulders). To really stimulate your lateral shoulder muscles, keep your elbows slightly bent and lift your upper arms to the side instead of in front of your body. This will ensure that you build overall shoulder thickness.
10. front raises
Front raises isolate your front shoulder muscles.
The correct execution:
- Stand upright with your feet hip-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand. Your palms should be facing downwards and about 10 centimetres in front of your thighs.
- Raise your arms in front of your body, keeping your elbows slightly bent.
- Pause briefly when the dumbbells are at shoulder height and then slowly move them back to the starting position.
Note: Do not use momentum and do not lower the dumbbells too quickly. You should keep the movement controlled and achieve a good contraction in your shoulders to improve stability through the shoulder joint.
Perform 3 to 5 sets of 10 repetitions of each exercise (which equals a total of 20 repetitions per superset).
Source: https://mensfitnessmagazine.com.au/broaden_shoulders/
Are your biceps lagging behind in their development? This article will show you how to get your biceps into the growth zone
What's the first muscle people want to develop when they start training? Some say chest or even latissimus, but I would put my money on the answer "biceps". The biceps aren't even the biggest upper arm muscle and in fact most of your upper arm mass comes from the triceps, but despite this, the biceps are almost always the showpiece muscle, which means people always want you to flex your biceps so they can see how big they are.
When I started training in 1980, the biggest arms belonged to Arnold and Lou Ferrigno. Arnold claimed (depending on the source) to have an upper arm circumference of 57 cm and Lou boasted 58.5 centimeters. However, Lou was also 7.5 centimeters taller than Arnold and needed more total body mass to look as bulky as Arnold at his best. So even though Lou's arms were bulkier in absolute terms, Arnold looked more muscular.
Most people find building biceps quite easy, but some - no matter what they do - can't get their biceps to grow. This is a problem that can plague top competitive athletes all the way to the Mr. Olympia stage. Lee Haney, the other eight-time Mr. Olympia has constantly worked to get his biceps up to par with the rest of his body.
This article will provide you with shock programs for weak biceps, as well as regular programs for use afterwards.
The anatomy of the biceps
The first step on the road to improving the biceps is to understand what this muscle does. This is important if you want to train this muscle correctly.
The biceps brachii
The term "biceps brachii" comes from Latin and means "two-headed muscle of the arm." The biceps brachii is a thick muscle that consists of two bundles of muscles:
- The outer or long muscle head, which starts at the external end of the shoulder blade
- The short or inner muscle head, which attaches to the coracoid process of the shoulder blade
These two bundles form a muscle that ends in a tendon that crosses the elbow and attaches to the radius of the forearm (a long bone that forms the outer part of the forearm).
The biceps has two primary functions: flexion of the elbow and outward rotation of the forearm. So here's what you need to know: the biceps not only lift the arm, but also allow you to rotate your wrist. This rotation of the wrist is important and is an often overlooked function of the biceps that we will address in the training programs that follow later. In addition to this, the biceps support the flexion of the shoulder.
The brachialis
The brachialis is a small muscle that is located underneath the biceps and supports the flexion of the elbow. The development of this muscle can contribute significantly to the size of your upper arm - some experts speak of up to 2.5 centimetres.
Possible causes of weak biceps development
So what are the causes of weak biceps? Many of the problems people have with bicep training can be attributed to incorrect exercise execution and overtraining.
Insufficient recovery
Those who are familiar with my articles know how important I believe recovery is. I've been in this business for almost 30 years, and I see it time and time again:
A young exerciser comes into my supplement store and tells me they want to get more muscular. When I start asking questions, I usually find out that they haven't been training long, or maybe they've been training long enough to know better and that they train every day with no rest days.
If I drill down further, in many cases I find out that they only train arms and chest. That's 7 bicep workouts a week - every week! I've said it many times in my articles - you grow between your training sessions as you recover, not by training as often as possible. It's really amazing how many people don't understand this. Training itself is a catabolic event, which means that muscle tissue is broken down. You need to provide your muscles with nutrients at the end of the training session and give them time to repair. If you don't do this, then your muscles won't grow - it's as simple as that.
How long do biceps need to recover? For the average natural exerciser, I would recommend just one bicep training session per week. This applies to all muscle groups, by the way. If you are young and have a lot of free time and are perhaps not natural, then you can train one muscle every 3 to 4 days. You can tell that regeneration is complete when you no longer feel any muscle soreness in your arm. In addition to this, you need to consider the regeneration of the nervous system, which is admittedly a bigger problem with large muscle groups, but still needs to be addressed.
A poor form of exercise execution
In terms of exercise performance, one of the problems people have with bicep training is an inability to focus on the muscle being trained. If you watch these people train, you'll see that their exercise execution form is poor - they're just lifting the weight up, working their lower back more than anything else. Their repetition speed is too fast and they don't really feel anything in the muscle they're trying to work - it's all momentum! If you can't feel the muscle working and you don't feel soreness in your biceps, then you need to rethink your technique. Perform your repetitions more slowly and focus on the form of the exercise. It is even better if you have an experienced trainer assess your exercise form.
Lack of variety
A lack of variation can also play a role. Remember that variety is one of the keys to progress: everything works, some things work better than others, but everything works for a while. Here we come back to the muscle soreness mentioned above. Even though muscle soreness doesn't equate to growth, it does mean that you've exposed your muscles to something new and unfamiliar.
If you have been doing the same program for months in a row, then you need changes because your arms have adapted to the program. Use a new program and you will be surprised at how sore your muscles will be.
Insufficient blood flow
Poor blood flow can also be a factor. High repetition sets and the use of intensity techniques can maximize the pump. In addition, there are two nutritional factors:
- Make sure you consume adequate amounts of carbohydrates during the hours leading up to your training session to ensure your muscles have enough stored glycogen. Not enough carbohydrates means no pump. When reducing your carbohydrate intake, use a cyclical approach where you consume more carbohydrate on training days and less carbohydrate on non-training days.
- Use a nitric oxide supplement. These supplements can significantly increase blood flow.
The neuronal component
Strength and muscle growth have a strong neural component. Poor neuromuscular pathways to the muscles result in poor muscle development. This relates to the so-called mind-muscle connection and also has something to do with the blood flow we just mentioned. Learning to feel a muscle when it is working involves a conscious focus on that muscle. You can try the following exercise to help you with this:
Contract a muscle through its full range of motion and pay attention to what is happening in the muscle and how it feels. Then transfer this to your training.
Nutrition and supplements
When it comes to nutrition and supplements for arm growth, you should keep your protein intake high (1 to 1.5 grams per kilogram of body weight) and pay attention to the timing of your protein intake: try to consume some protein every 2.5 to 3 hours.
Your carbohydrate intake should be in the range of 2 to 4.5 grams per kilogram of body weight, depending on your goals. When it comes to carbohydrates, your body will store anything it doesn't need for energy in the form of fat.
You can add healthy fats to your diet, but usually you don't need to actively manage your fat intake as fat is naturally found in so many foods.
Calorie intake should be 15 to 20% above consumption, depending on your goals. Experienced bodybuilders usually monitor their calorie and nutrient intake per meal and probably know their daily calorie requirements quite accurately. For those for whom this is not the case, my recommendations above are guidelines. The lower end is for people trying to lose fat and the upper end is for those trying to build lean muscle mass.
As far as supplements go, whey protein, glutamine, creatine and a nitric oxide booster are good choices. A good multivitamin product and a good joint support formula also make sense. A pre-workout booster and a testo booster are optional.
The actual training
The training programs I'm going to give you are more intense than what you would usually use, as we are trying to "shock" the muscles into new growth. Unless otherwise noted, the concentric phase (upward movement) of repetitions should be explosive and the eccentric phase (downward movement) should be slow, over a 4 second period.
Some bicep exercises, such as barbell curls, require you to stop after about ¾ of the upward movement, because as soon as you reach a certain point, the load on the muscle decreases. At this ¾ point, you can hold the weight for 3 seconds for a better training effect before lowering it.
Biceps can be trained on back day or on a separate day together with the triceps. If your biceps are unusually weak, you can also train them on their own, but you should give them 3 to 4 days rest before training your back.
Biceps training sessions
Routine 1:
Warm-up: 3 light sets of 15 reps of SZ curls with a light weight.
- Set of 21 with the SZ bar and static hold: 2 sets.
In this exercise, first perform 7 partial repetitions over the lower half of the range of motion, then 7 partial repetitions over the upper half of the range of motion and then 7 repetitions over the entire range of motion with no rest between blocks.
At the top of the movement you stop just before the point where the load on the muscle stops. This is the only problem with SZ curls and barbell curls - you lose the load on the muscle in the last eighth of the range of motion. Always end the movement just before this point to maintain tension in the muscle.
Perform this exercise with an explosive but controlled upward movement followed by a slower downward movement. Hold the top point of the movement for 3 seconds on each partial repetition and hold the weight for 3 seconds after ¾ of the upward movement on the full repetitions.
- Dumbbell curls standing (with outward rotation): 2 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions.
As part of the function of the biceps is to rotate the wrist, you should use this to your advantage in your training. This technique was one of Arnold's favorites.
Start the exercise with your arms hanging down beside your body. As you begin to move the weight upwards, slowly rotate your wrists outwards, turning your thumbs away from your body. By the time you reach the top of the movement, you should have rotated the dumbbells outwards as far as possible. Consciously contract your biceps hard at the highest point of the movement before slowly lowering the weights again and rotating your wrists back. You can perform this exercise with both arms at the same time or alternately.
Hammer curls: 2 sets of 8 to 10 repetitions.
This is a biceps/forearm exercise that directly trains the brachialis, the small muscle that lies underneath the biceps. My method for this is to use a hammer grip to move the dumbbells straight up and down - not to the opposite shoulder as is often recommended.
Routine #2
Warm up as for routine #1
Descending triple sets - you are performing descending sets here because you are reducing the weight on each set and triple sets because you are performing 3 exercises in a row without rest.
- Squat curls seated: 8 - 10 repetitions.
This is actually a partial repetition/half repetition exercise as you perform it seated. It forces you to use very strict form, which puts a lot of stress on the biceps. Do not rest the bar on your thighs after each repetition. Stop the downward movement just before your thighs and start the next repetition. This generates a lot of tension in the target muscle.
- Dumbbell curls seated with outward rotation of the wrists (heavier): 8-10 repetitions.
- Dumbbell curls seated with outward rotation of the wrists (lighter): 8-10 repetitions.
Remember that this is all one set. Perform 3 sets of this combination. For triple set 1 and triple set 2, use repetitions with continuous tension and move the weight up and down slowly and in a controlled manner without pausing. In the triple set, use 3 burns at the end of each set. Burns are short partial repetitions to further exhaust the muscle.
- Reverse Scott curls with a SZ bar: 2 sets of 12 repetitions.
This trains the brachialis.
Routine #3
Warm up as in routine #1
Even though I believe in the basics, I'm always looking for something new to use in my programs. This routine includes two exercises that are probably rarely used by most people, but I have found that they really work the muscle hard. In fact, I feel these reps harder than any other exercise I've used:
- Cable SZ Curls - 2 sets of 8 reps,
Hold the highest point for 3 seconds and emphasize the negative part of the repetition. This is not a common exercise, but it maintains the load throughout the range of motion. - Pull Down Curls - 2 sets of 8-10 reps.
I've seen a version of this exercise where you sit at the latissimus machine and curl the bar behind your head. Good exercise, but this is not the same. Sit at a lat machine as if you were going to do lat pulldowns to the front and hold the bar with a tight underhand grip, with the grip so tight that your elbows are touching. Then pull the weight straight down. Don't try to curl the weight, just pull it down like a real lat pulldown for the back. This is a short range of motion and this exercise really works the biceps hard.
- Bent over reverse rows - 2 sets of 6-8 reps
Use a medium-wide underhand grip and pull the bar up as if you wanted to perform a bent-over row. The grip will focus more on the biceps than on the back. This was one of Dorian Yates' favorite exercises - so his fans will be familiar with it. Here, however, the focus is more on the biceps and less on the back - so use a weight that trains the arms.
Routine #4
Warm up as in routine #1
This will be a rest-pause session. There are a number of rest-pause variations, but we will use a version similar to the one Mike Mentzer used in the 1980s: we choose a weight with which we can perform 3 repetitions and perform 10 to 12 repetitions with this weight.
-
SZ curls in rest pause style:
Choose a weight that you can only perform 3 reps with. Then perform 12 repetitions by completing as many repetitions as possible, putting the weight down, counting to 8, picking the weight back up and continuing. Once you have completed 12 repetitions, rest for 2 minutes before reducing the weight if necessary and starting again. Two sets of this are enough.
-
Hammer curls: 3 sets of 15 repetitions.
Perform the last 5 reps of each set in dumbbell curls with outward rotation so that this becomes two exercises in one.
Regular bicep training
Try the following for regular training programs:
Routine #1
- SZ Curls - 3 warm-up sets performed in the following manner: 15 reps, 12 reps, 10 reps.
- SZ Curls - 3 work sets of 12 repetitions.
Use a weight with which you can do 8 repetitions and perform 12 repetitions in rest-pause fashion. This is an intense set, but not as intense as the shock programs above
- Scott curls - 2 sets, 8-10 reps.
- Hammer curls - 2 sets of 8-10 reps.
Execution of the repetitions: Use continuous tension - slow and controlled and no momentum during the movement.
Use this as a strength routine and increase the weight as often as possible, especially for the dumbbell curls.
Routine #2
- SZ Curls - After warming up, use this pyramid pattern: 12, 10, 8, 6, 4-6.
- Alternating dumbbell curls with outward rotation - 2 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Reverse scott curls - 2 sets of 10 reps.
Source: https://www.muscleandstrength.com/articles/bringing-up-your-biceps.html
