Bicep ruts

    Please onely post advice if you have the same problem as me or realy know your stuff...
 
    My weak points are my delts and arms especialy, my bicepts. theve been stuck for months, lots of them. no matter how much i try to push them I cant get them past a certain rut.
 
does anyone know a great shock routien I can try out?
 
 
 

interests: Matrial arts kickboxing and bodybuilding

5ft 6 1/2 /180lbs / age: 19

It is harder to generally progress in an isolated movement than a compound movement. So my advice is to focus less on the curls and more on the rows and vertical pulls, it's also hard to progress in overhead pressing, due to lack of leverage, so the best advice is just increase your calories and keep pushing.

If you're performing the overhead presses after flat benches or another "push" movement that includes the anterior delts as a synergist, then I'd recommend doing overhead presses when fresh. Same philosophy for the curls, if you're doing them after pull movements --- barbell rows, pullups, face pulls, then you'd generally want to do them on separate days. Training biceps with chest, shoulders with legs, triceps with back, etc.

Keep in mind you won't and can't gain muscle without gaining weight, so if you're not eating over maintenance calories you won't have nothing to grow from.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

MVP


...Keep in mind you won't and can't gain muscle without gaining weight, so if you're not eating over maintenance calories you won't have nothing to grow from.

OP, what has your total lean mass been like during this rut?  It's no joke -the only time my biceps respond to anything is when I'm gaining lean mass all over.  And true to the rule of thumb, it took gaining 15 pounds of lean mass (plus 5 pounds of new body fat) all over before I saw 1 inch on my pipes.

Like MVP said, don't waste a lot of time trying to hit the biceps directly.  It's a relatively tiny muscle with practically zero anabolic stimulus potential on it's own or in isolation.  Heavy rowing motions, chins, and pull-ups, mixed with an equal amount of holistic triceps work is the order of the day.  Don't forget, the triceps accounts for more than half of the upper arm girth.  I would even go so far as to say two thirds of it.

My home away from DBB

I have the same weak points as you.  Its just part of your genetics and like these guys said and I found out through my own experience, you have to work more on the real big movements and gain mass all over if you wanna see your arms get bigger.  Ive tried many specialization routines for my arms and shoulders but they only seem to grow when Im not focusing on them.  I bet your pullups and rows could use some improvement.  Work on those.

working on explosive phase
vertical: 35
weight: 206

Big 3: 300/440/515

Strength and growth come only through continuous effort and struggle.

veggeep

MVP


...Keep in mind you won't and can't gain muscle without gaining weight, so if you're not eating over maintenance calories you won't have nothing to grow from.

OP, what has your total lean mass been like during this rut?  It's no joke -the only time my biceps respond to anything is when I'm gaining lean mass all over.  And true to the rule of thumb, it took gaining 15 pounds of lean mass (plus 5 pounds of new body fat) all over before I saw 1 inch on my pipes.

Like MVP said, don't waste a lot of time trying to hit the biceps directly.  It's a relatively tiny muscle with practically zero anabolic stimulus potential on it's own or in isolation.  Heavy rowing motions, chins, and pull-ups, mixed with an equal amount of holistic triceps work is the order of the day.  Don't forget, the triceps accounts for more than half of the upper arm girth.  I would even go so far as to say two thirds of it.

Very good rule of thumb, i find it to be pretty darn close.

Goals by end of 2009:
Bench 205
Squat 255 ATG
Squat Clean 185

"There is no elevator to success, you must take the stairs."

Yeah the old 15lbs for an inch, 1 I wonder if the same philosophy applies to losing weight?

But yeah, the triceps are 2/3 of your upper arm as veg said, the way to add to your arm circumference is by hammering them. Plus you'll want balance at the joint, work the antagonist to every motion.

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

MVP


Yeah the old 15lbs for an inch, 1 I wonder if the same philosophy applies to losing weight?

Pretty much, I went from 195ish to 180ish and there was a pretty noticeable decrease, I would imagine 3/4-1" is what I lost with no strength loss. I wish I had taken the measurements.

My arms have been the first thing to shrink on my cut, they're down to almost under 15". From a little over 16".

ACE-CPT, NASM-CPT, AFPA-Nutrition Consultant 

MVP


My arms have been the first thing to shrink on my cut, they're down to almost under 15". From a little over 16".

Oh HELLLLLLL NO!  I ain't NEVER gonna cut now!

My home away from DBB

hmm i must of had a lot of water weight or something as ive dropped 15 pounds thus far and ive lost around a quarter of an inch.

Lucky me :D