Bicep training

[BBAddict]

I've been having a terrible time getting my biceps sore after bicep training the last couple months. I almost always feel soreness in my biceps after back day, which obviously also works bis. Am I doing something wrong in my bicep workouts? I've tried doing all different exercises and tried changing the reps per set.

Any other suggestions on what to switch up to get that wonderful soreness in my bis? I just feel a lot better about my workout when I have that soreness the next couple days.

[Mr I]

I havn't a clue of your current training routine but the abvious answer would be to hit the bicep from a different angle than normal; use preachers (DB or BB), seated curl (supernate or open palm), vary reps, EZ bar, cable (overhead crucifix style or from the floor or preacher style)

3 x 7's i.e. 7 fully extended to half way, 7 half way to fully contracted and 7 full range without pause.

otherwise

change weight/reps i.e. heavy one week and light the next with more reps.

[BBAddict]

Originally posted by Mr incredible
I havn't a clue of your current training routine but the abvious answer would be to hit the bicep from a different angle than normal; use preachers (DB or BB), seated curl (supernate or open palm), vary reps, EZ bar, cable (overhead crucifix style or from the floor or preacher style)

3 x 7's i.e. 7 fully extended to half way, 7 half way to fully contracted and 7 full range without pause.

otherwise

change weight/reps i.e. heavy one week and light the next with more reps.

I dedicate one day to biceps and forearms and do 3 sets of 3 different exercises, not including warmup sets. I usually start with barbell curls, go to a dumbell curl of some sort and then do one lift that will target the brachialis. If I still feel really strong, I may do concentration curls or drop weight curls to finish it off.

To switch things up, I have tried different speeds of the lifts, changing to anywhere from 4-6reps to 12-15reps. I've tried different angles of many lifts. I've tried doing purely cable workouts, purely free weight workouts. I've even tried just doing like 6sets of one lift and like 18sets (which I kinda know is wrong) of a buncha different lifts. I've also tried doing more weight than I can really do and just doing negatives and also less weight than I usually do and just focusing on squeezing all the way through each rep for a high number of reps.

Actually, the one thing that worked really well was superseting back and bis, but then I already knew that back made my bis sore, so that wasn't surprising that that worked.

I definitely haven't lost any strength or size-I've gained a little on both, but I just can't get that soreness that I get in every other muscle. :(

[wheyman]

It sounds like to me that you over working your bi's. I did the same thing a while back and I adjusted my routine. After a while it will be hard for your bi's to get as sore as they used to b/c they are hit often.

You hit them on back day, a little on chest day and then your arm day. Plus, you are probably flexing them without even realizing it when you are at home.

Try taking off of arms for a month and then do like 3-4 total sets for bi's, make them intense sets. By this I mean weight, form and rest time.

That's my two cents anyway.

[Mr I]

Originally posted by BBAddict
I dedicate one day to biceps and forearms and do 3 sets of 3 different exercises, not including warmup sets. I usually start with barbell curls, go to a dumbell curl of some sort and then do one lift that will target the brachialis. If I still feel really strong, I may do concentration curls or drop weight curls to finish it off.

To switch things up, I have tried different speeds of the lifts, changing to anywhere from 4-6reps to 12-15reps. I've tried different angles of many lifts. I've tried doing purely cable workouts, purely free weight workouts. I've even tried just doing like 6sets of one lift and like 18sets (which I kinda know is wrong) of a buncha different lifts. I've also tried doing more weight than I can really do and just doing negatives and also less weight than I usually do and just focusing on squeezing all the way through each rep for a high number of reps.

Actually, the one thing that worked really well was superseting back and bis, but then I already knew that back made my bis sore, so that wasn't surprising that that worked.

I definitely haven't lost any strength or size-I've gained a little on both, but I just can't get that soreness that I get in every other muscle. :(

You sound pretty dedicated to me bro, its impressive in itself that you have tried lots of different stuff. May I suggest that you don't get too hooked on creating soreness? I appreciate that its a fullfilling feeling when you ache the next day and it does give some indication of a hard workout but I don't accept that it always promotes growth, and I don't accept that you need that soreness to achieve growth.

Example I was training for a regional juniors with a new training partner who used to compete in the National Mr's. He note early on that I needed more fullness in my arms and at 19yrs old (28 now) I'd already been training a few years in a typical late teens style, I would go mad, train till I puked on legs day time after time always sore the next 2-4 days.

He forced me to up the weight on barbell curls to like 135lb with reasonable form for two-three sets then 2 sets of alternate dumbell curls to follow. I hated the workout because I felt stupid using more weight than I could really handle with precise form, and also because it didn't seem to make me sore the next days.

The point is even though I wasn't hardly sore like when I did loads of reps, my arms really grew and my physique looked more balanced. Ergo, the muscle was getting stimulated all the same.

If you really want soreness then having regard to your current workouts I'd suggest starting with preachers for 3 working sets avery other week as your first excercise, try to get an angle not to reclined, more toward vertical and aim for 10 rep sets with the heaviest weight that you can genuinely really squeeze the muscle and get the blood in there. That blowtorches my bicepts to the point where I struggle to do the nex movement, it really stresses the insertion point when done as a first excercise using a flat barbell.

just my 2pennies