do you do biceps?

[Immortal]

Does anyone here do bicep curls anymore for working out? I feel like chin ups and row work pump my biceps enough but I always see people doing bar and dumbell curls. Would working out biceps give them any more advantages than they do by chin ups and row work?

[Stephen Johnson]

Does anyone here do bicep curls anymore for working out? I feel like chin ups and row work pump my biceps enough but I always see people doing bar and dumbell curls. Would working out biceps give them any more advantages than they do by chin ups and row work?

A couple of sets of "curls for the girls" at the end of a workout doesn't hurt.

It might even be a good idea if your back exercises like rows and chins are done primarily with a pronated (overhand) grip. This grip places the biceps at a mechanical disadvantage, so they might not be getting as much direct work as they need to grow. Just a theory on my part.

[TimD]

I've always done a lot of dips and or close grip benches combined with curl grip chins, and for me thzt's been more than enough for the biceps, but it could never hurt, like Stephen says, to finish off with a couple of sets of some type of curl, especially if they're lacking, if you have gas left over in that session. Just my .02
Tim

[pdellorto]

I occasionally do curls, and for my clients I often throw in a superset of curls and triceps exercises at the end of one of their workouts. It's usually this specific:

3A) Biceps 3 x 10-15
3B) Triceps 3 x 10-15

...and I make a game day decision on what it is. I vary them up all the time. Did neutral grip pullups or pulldowns or rows? Maybe curls or reverse curls. Did supinated grip pulls? It's hammer curls today. Grip giving you a little trouble? Thick handle curls.

It's just some extra work for useful and important muscles that are also a source of vanity. So people feel good ending this way, it doesn't hurt, and it's not a lot of extra work. It often noticeably helps by getting them a little extra arm work, possibly a little extra muscle, and - importantly - gives me another few sets to cue them on proper technique, tight abs while lifting, and help cue other lifts. It's a lot easier to explain how hand position affects muscle involvement when you're doing curls than pullups, but the knowledge feeds back into their big lifts.

It's all upside to me, as long as you don't overdo it.

[Immortal]

wow, tody I pretty much answered my own question, my biceps are very very very sore after giving them there own workouts after my back lifts. So I might not have been using them to the amx after all and my bicep workout wasnt that tough

[xshawnxearthx]

I always throw 2-3 sets of bi's or tri's at the end depending on what day it is.

[GTO]

I haven't done them in about 4 months, but I'll start throwing in a set or 3 with summer coming up. Rows and chip ups or pull ups, (whatever you want to call it, I alternate grip each set anyway) keep them in respectable shape.

[Oscar_Actuary]

how's going 60% working for ya Immortal ?

[KenDowns]

As a beginner one thing I noticed about curls, as depicted on the exrx.net site, is how many ways there are to cheat.

So I enjoy curls as the ultimate form-enforcing exercise. If I can maintain perfect posture and complete the rep with no twisting, bending or other nonsense then it's a good set.

[RobertB]

Yea I've had this in my head recently too (think were on the same stage of training quite often Immortal) - I have stuck with the principles of linear sets of 5 for a year now and I think I've earned the right to add some isolation :)

I did triceps for the last 3 weeks and they do look a bit better, can't really tell how much stronger (not been tracking them, just throwing some sets of 12 out) but I think I'll do biceps too now. I have a bit of a weird frame because my arms are long and wirey but my legs are quite thick so to be perfectly honest I want to do body builder type stuff on my arms for some aethestics, presumably at the least the tricep work will help my bench anyway.

I think RobertScott said he's similar build to me but more on the lean side/slightly slimmer and he does some specific arm work for a similar reason, I'll let him speak for himself though :)

[Ironman]

Sure I do biceps. It's a must for bodybuilding. You don't have to do all that much though.

[Jungledoc]

I used to do them. But the girls paid so much attention to me that it got to be embarrassing, and my wife was getting annoyed, so I have cut them out.

[robertscott]

every successful bodybuilder trains their biceps directly. Success leaves clues

[robertscott]

I used to do them. But the girls paid so much attention to me that it got to be embarrassing, and my wife was getting annoyed, so I have cut them out.

at least your massive bi's take some of the focus off that hideous face of yours.

Bwahahahaha

[Jungledoc]

I used to do them. But the girls paid so much attention to me that it got to be embarrassing, and my wife was getting annoyed, so I have cut them out.

at least your massive bi's take some of the focus off that hideous face of yours.

Bwahahahaha

Hmmm. If you weren't on the opposite side of the world, I'd come over there and show you hideous!