triceps or biceps first on arm day?

[alwaysgrowing]

I decided to start a new thread to ask this, hoping the other one will die. On arm day, do you guys do triceps and then biceps, or the other way around?

[Stonecold54]

i would say personal preference. I personally don't need as much bicep work so I would start with triceps to be fresh.

[The_Grinder]

You could always switch it up every week....

[FitnessBrat]

I alternate - do a bi then a tri - also alternating which I start with...

[redback]

what needs the most work? Bi's or tri's? Focus on the weak one first, that said there are no rules, just listen to your body.

[The_Grinder]

Sometimes when I alternate bi and tri movements throughout my workout, I'll do bi's first because i feel it makes my tri lifts stronger. For example, If I do 3 sets of hammer curls before weighted dips I can do like 5 more reps on the dips.

[alwaysgrowing]

i was thinking of alternating, which it seems like i'll do. switch it up every 4 weeks.

[beefcake]

Bi's and Tri's are antagonist muscles. They make each other stronger. That's why I do supersets with them. Do a set for bi's and then do a set for tri's. Works the same as doing chest and back. When i'm not feeling too great, i'll start with bi's first and then do tri's last.

[coffee-guy]

Bi's and Tri's are antagonist muscles. They make each other stronger. That's why I do supersets with them. Do a set for bi's and then do a set for tri's. Works the same as doing chest and back. When i'm not feeling too great, i'll start with bi's first and then do tri's last.

You're not saying that you can lift more during a workout with your biceps if you work triceps with them are you??? If so, could you please explain this to me?? I understand that as you gain strength in one the other benefits but I've never heard of it benefiting the person during the workout??

[beefcake]

You're not saying that you can lift more during a workout with your biceps if you work triceps with them are you??? If so, could you please explain this to me?? I understand that as you gain strength in one the other benefits but I've never heard of it benefiting the person during the workout??

I don't really know all the science behind it, but I believe there was a study that was done that confirmed that it helped. Not for sure if it makes you stronger, but it does help you get out a rep or two more than you would. That's why you see a lot of guys do a couple pull ups under the bench press just to get the lats warmed a little bit. Arnold used to train back and then chest also for that reason.

[coffee-guy]

I don't really know all the science behind it, but I believe there was a study that was done that confirmed that it helped. Not for sure if it makes you stronger, but it does help you get out a rep or two more than you would. That's why you see a lot of guys do a couple pull ups under the bench press just to get the lats warmed a little bit. Arnold used to train back and then chest also for that reason.

Cool - I understand the benefits of it - just never knew it actually helped during the workout itself (like I know a strong back creates a stronger bench and so forth - just never knew it helped like you're speaking of)...

[Bouncer]

I don't really know all the science behind it, but I believe there was a study that was done that confirmed that it helped. Not for sure if it makes you stronger, but it does help you get out a rep or two more than you would. That's why you see a lot of guys do a couple pull ups under the bench press just to get the lats warmed a little bit. Arnold used to train back and then chest also for that reason.

absolute nonsense. i love ya brother but that is just not correct. you were saying that triceps make the biceps stronger and vice versa. warming up a muscle is one thing but doing a bunch of curls is not going to make you stronger on a set of skull crushers.

[beefcake]

absolute nonsense. i love ya brother but that is just not correct. you were saying that triceps make the biceps stronger and vice versa. warming up a muscle is one thing but doing a bunch of curls is not going to make you stronger on a set of skull crushers.

Have you tried it though? These are sets that have to be done back to back with each other. It has something to do with the relaxation of the antagonist muscle when the agonist muscle is being contracted. A lot like a rubber band effect. Sometimes you hear powelifters talk about how their back comes into play when they're on the bench press. I'll need to do more research to find out why it works. Below is an experiment between a group who did just bench press and a group that did bench press and then a bench pull.



Acute Effect on Power Output of Alternating an Agonist and Antagonist Muscle Exercise During Complex Training
Friday, April 08, 2005

Researchers from Edith Cowan University suggest the alternating of agonist and antagonist muscle exercises may be useful in ballistic power training. The purpose of this study was to determine if a complex training method consisting of alternating agonist and antagonist muscle movement patterns had an acute effect on agonist power output.

Twenty-four experienced college-aged rugby players were randomly and equally assigned to control (Con) and experimental (Antag) groups. After a specific warm-up, participants performed a pretest that consisted of five explosive bench press-style throws set at a 40kg resistance with the Plyometric Power System training device. Following the pretest, participants in the Antag group performed a prone bench pull (load set at 50% of 1RM), explosively, for eight repetitions. Each group had three minutes of recovery before post testing. The repetition with the highest concentric average power output was chosen and recorded for analysis.

Results from the Con group were relatively unchanged, whereas the Antag group saw a significant increase in acute agonist power output. Researchers suggest that the antagonist intervention strategy may reduce breaking phase time in the ensuing agonist muscle movement. In turn, an increase in force, speed, and power may result.

Baker D, and RU Newton. (2005). Acute Effect on Power Output of Alternating an Agonist and Antagonist Muscle Exercise During Complex Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19(1):202 – 205.

[Bouncer]

Have you tried it though? These are sets that have to be done back to back with each other. It has something to do with the relaxation of the antagonist muscle when the agonist muscle is being contracted. A lot like a rubber band effect. Sometimes you hear powelifters talk about how their back comes into play when they're on the bench press. I'll need to do more research to find out why it works. Below is an experiment between a group who did just bench press and a group that did bench press and then a bench pull.



Acute Effect on Power Output of Alternating an Agonist and Antagonist Muscle Exercise During Complex Training
Friday, April 08, 2005

Researchers from Edith Cowan University suggest the alternating of agonist and antagonist muscle exercises may be useful in ballistic power training. The purpose of this study was to determine if a complex training method consisting of alternating agonist and antagonist muscle movement patterns had an acute effect on agonist power output.

Twenty-four experienced college-aged rugby players were randomly and equally assigned to control (Con) and experimental (Antag) groups. After a specific warm-up, participants performed a pretest that consisted of five explosive bench press-style throws set at a 40kg resistance with the Plyometric Power System training device. Following the pretest, participants in the Antag group performed a prone bench pull (load set at 50% of 1RM), explosively, for eight repetitions. Each group had three minutes of recovery before post testing. The repetition with the highest concentric average power output was chosen and recorded for analysis.

Results from the Con group were relatively unchanged, whereas the Antag group saw a significant increase in acute agonist power output. Researchers suggest that the antagonist intervention strategy may reduce breaking phase time in the ensuing agonist muscle movement. In turn, an increase in force, speed, and power may result.

Baker D, and RU Newton. (2005). Acute Effect on Power Output of Alternating an Agonist and Antagonist Muscle Exercise During Complex Training. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research, 19(1):202 – 205.

i think it has more to do with warming up then "antagonist" muscles.

[Mr I]

I don't really know all the science behind it, but I believe there was a study that was done that confirmed that it helped. Not for sure if it makes you stronger, but it does help you get out a rep or two more than you would. That's why you see a lot of guys do a couple pull ups under the bench press just to get the lats warmed a little bit. Arnold used to train back and then chest also for that reason.

I've certainly heard this before and I practice it. I really enjoy going from standing curls to skull crushers and then pressdowns to preacher machine.

I feels to me like it frees up the opposite tendon or relaxes it so that I don't get tennis elbow anymore doing skull crushers this way. Assuming I warm up. This certainly gives me more confindece to lift