Would it not be nice if you could buy bigger biceps? After all, in a country where bigger is often perceived as better (no, I was not thinking about a typical scene at the Hefner’s mansion) – if money is not an issue, it takes little effort to get bigger things.
But when it comes to arm workout, even a considerable effort on your part to build bigger biceps might not be enough. Sure, proven mass builders, such as standing barbell curls and preacher curls are great.
However, if you are not satisfied with the size of your arms, try something different – The Zottman Curl. This exercise works the biceps and its major supportive muscles. To work your biceps from more than one angel – lie face-up on a 45-degree incline bench, and use dumbbells that are 5 to 10 pounds lighter than you would use standing.
If you have been wondering about the pros, and what they recommend doing to get bigger biceps and a good pump, according to Flex, Gunter Schlierkamp recommends trying a peak contraction method.
“The purpose of a peak contraction is to squeeze more blood into the muscle that can be pumped into it with a normal set of repetitions. For dumbbell curls, I curl the dumbbells upward and turn my wrist slightly outward at the top, contract the muscle fully, hold and squeeze.
To feel how this tightens your biceps, extend your arms, squeeze your fists, and rotate your hands outward. If I’m using a straight bar, […] I simply curl as hard and controlled as I can, and hold the contraction at the top for a second or two.”
Here is a superset arm workout you may want to try:
V-bar pushdowns: Sets: 4, Reps: 15-20, 12, 8-10, 7-8 superset with Dumbbell hammer curls: Sets: 4, Reps: 15-20, 12, 8-10, 7-8
Seated cambered-bar triceps extension: Sets: 4, Reps: 15-20, 12, 8-10, 7-8 superset with Incline dumbbell curls: Sets: 4, Reps: 15-20, 12, 8-10, 7-8
Cambered-bar lying triceps extensions: Sets: 4, Reps: 15-20, 12, 8-10, 7-8 superset with Standing alternate dumbbell curls: Sets: 4, Reps: 15-20, 12, 8-10, 7-8
Dennis James uses pyramided sets and takes a slightly different approach to building arms.
According to the same source, for bigger biceps Dennis James does standing barbell curls or cambered-bar preacher curls: Sets: 3-4, Reps: 12, 10, 8. Standing or seated alternated dumbbell curls: Sets: 3-4, Reps: 12, 10, 8.
Standing two-arm cable curls or concentration curls: Sets: 3-4, Reps: 12, 10, 8. Dumbbell hammer curls (every other workout): Sets: 3-4, Reps: 12, 10, 8. For bigger triceps he does cable pushdowns: Sets: 3-4, Reps: 12, 10, 8.
Lying French presses (cambered-bar or dumbbell): Sets: 3-4, Reps: 12, 10, 8, overhead cable triceps extensions, one-arm cable pushdowns, dips or dumbbell kickbacks: Sets: 3-4, Reps: 12, 10, 8.