Biceps 101

Starting slow....

When I as 19 I was a 138 pounds soaking wet, I decided to change that through weight lifting. On my 24th birthday I was 219 pounds, with a 31 inch waist, and 17 inch arms. This wasn't something that happened overnight, nor will it for you. I can suggest the program I used, but it is very rigorous and quite physically taxing. I can also tell you that you will never get big biceps if you ignore the rest of your body. You must design your program around your biceps, building all the muscles that are used, your deltoids, triceps, traps and forearms are mandatory to increase the strength of your biceps.

I went all out, and at the apex of my weightlifting years I could curl and rep 210 pounds. Today in my mid-40's I can still rep out sets with 120-145 pounds, but I am not as big or as stroing as I used to be.

I do not believe in long regimens that last 6 or 8 weeks, I believe that the best way to build mass is to keep changing your workout every few days. I recommend for a starter that you work your arms in groups, with light weights and tons of reps. This lays a foundation for growth, and also allows you to get your form down, which you will need as you increase the weight you use.

Do not immediately focus on your biceps, wait until you have developed endurance and stamina. Work all the muscles, get your body ready before you try to gain mass. It is vital that your body be able to work with the weight, if you do not have a solid foundation, you are going to end up hurting yourself. You can do a lot of damage, and possibly even end any chance of ever lifting again if you go for too much too soon.

Combine exercise with your lifting, push-ups, pull-ups and dips are great exercises for increasing stamina and strength. 

Super set as often as you can, put you arms and shoulders through the shredder with light weight and varied exercises. Example: With 15 pound dumbbells, do 25 curls per arm, as soon as you are done do 25 wrist curls, follow that immediately with 25 pushups, and finish with 25 donkey curls that will stress the triceps. The next set, do they same thing except jumble the order. You will feel the results, your body will feel tighter in just a few weeks, and your stamina will definitely be much better.

I believe that once you can do a full arm and shoulder work out with light weight, doing 50 repetitions per set, for 10 sets, you are ready to start a power program that will increase both the strength and mass of your biceps, triceps and forearms. At this point I suggest getting a lifting program that works for you. Everyone has a different program that they have found maximizes their growth and strength.

I do warn you, do not get into power lifting, or mass building and forget the importance of keeping the lighter weight/high rep routine in your workouts. It is essential to keep mass that you combine power with endurance.