Bicep Training

Arms, I just love a strong pair of arms. I have started working on mine again, they just seem to have lost their size, and I think I just didn't give them the attention they needed for a while.


I hate the skinny look....(this picture was taken Saturday morning after training back and biceps- about 2 hours post workout). I have started to concentrate more on them when I train.


I have been following Charles Poliquin and have been introducing his methods into my daily routine. When I searched for a new trainer, I looked for one specifically trained in Poliquins methods, and I am lucky to have found Roy so close to my home.


So many people think you need to have fancy equipment, know fancy moves or have special "as seen on TV" gadgets. I rarely use any machines, and I detest group training- I am a free weight gal. I can do a lot with some dumbbells and barbells.


What does my back and bicep training consist of these days? Chin ups, lots of them. Enough to make you want to retch. Dips, that hits the back, biceps, triceps, lats and even chest a bit. Over and over, even I start to hate it.


I do e-z bar curls, off set grip curls, single arm rows (heavy, 50 pounds!).  I do low rows, very slowly, heavy weight.  


I have found that using a stopwatch and timing the "time under tension" which I aim for 30 to 40 seconds per set depending on bodypart being trained, and then a 60 to 90 second rest period between sets has resulted in a much better workout. I am concentrating on the lifting, maintaining the correct tempo, and resting only enough as necessary.


Try it. For the smaller muscle groups I am hitting about 30 seconds, the larger, 40. The rest periods correspond, 60 seconds for the 30 second sets and 90 seconds for the 40 second sets.


I guarantee you will walk away feeling much more accomplished and you will have focused better. I think my arms speak for themselves.


Take a look at Charles and his "trainee" below. (email subscribers will need to navigate to the blog to view the video below.)

Chin Ups and Pull Ups

My 16 year old son wants to get big and ripped- so who does he turn to?

Mom!  

First step? I bought this and I love it!  The very first "as seen on TV" product I have ever purchased, although I do not watch TV so I have never seen it, I only saw it in the stores.

It's called an Iron Gym and the website has them two for one! buy two and split the cost with a friend. I just bought this at Bed, Bath and Beyond for more...rats!

Pull ups and chin ups are one of the best exercises you can do for the entire body! For muscle growth (Hypertrophy), don't "kip" them (AKA Crossfitters), but concentrate on a slow eccentric move, that's the lowering portion. The eccentric move is what counts, the concentric (pulling up) really doesn't mean much to you.

Pull ups are more difficult, they work the back more; chin ups are easier, they work the biceps more. Whats the difference? Chin ups are done with a supinated hand. That means your hand (the open part) is facing up at you, like if you were to try to eat soup with your hand!

I have a hard time doing many pull ups, but I am very good at chin ups, I do them quite a bit, with body weight and with weight around my waist.

If you are just starting, and cannot do one yet, don't fret!  I had to learn, when I first started training with SC I couldn't do any (I may be slightly exaggerating to make you feel better- I think I could do 2 or 3), and he would help me up (hands around waist) and then I had to lower myself as slowly as possible, about the count of 10. 

You can use a resistance band, I have a short video here where I demonstrate one. (Email readers will need to navigate to the blog to view the video).

If you don't have an SC, or a resistance band, use a chair to stand on -It won't be as buff or good looking as SC, but it will do what is needed. Stand on the chair, then pull your knees up kind of hop up and off the chair and the slowly lower. Do this as many times as possible.

Once you no longer need a chair, or band the goal is to bring your chin up and past the bar, then lower yourself all the way down. straight arms, those half way down arms are not complete reps!

Maintain a tight core, feel your back and lats pulling you up and controlling the movement down. Some find it best to bend at the knees, bringing the heels up towards the glutes, keep those abs tight, tight, tight!

Soon, you can strap a kettlebell around your waist and pull yourself up, then lower yourself.

Pull ups will develop your back, your lats, biceps, triceps, abs (yes, keep the core tight and it will). This is one of the basics, everyone should have these in their repertoire!

The 16 year old - got his driver license today...eeek! At least I am still needed to cook and train him! We are doing chin ups every night before bed now too.

Back and Biceps with Alicia

I went to spend some time with my father in law, but that didn't stop me from hitting the gym!

There is a woman who lives across the street from him, Alicia. We met at Christmas when I was there. Alicia started reading my blog, we became friends and I gave her some diet and training help, all over email and face book.

She has lost 6 pounds since January, all on her own! That's great!

When Alicia heard I was coming she got a day pass at her gym, we would meet Friday at 5:00 a.m and it was back and biceps day for me, so that's what we planned to attack.

The parking lot at the gym was surprisingly full so early. Alicia explained she usually goes to the women's section. I told her I had never heard of a gym that had a separate men's and women's section.

She explained that they don't really have separate sections, but that the men train in one area and the women in another. She then looked at me and said "I think we are probably going to the men's section though today?" "Yes! you bet we are!" I replied.

She smiled, she was up for the challenge.

Turns out the "men's section" is the free weights, and she was right, we were the only women there.  Actually at one point I think a woman came in for a couple minutes, but she wasn't there long, maybe it was the novelty of me, the half naked woman training in the gym.

A couple times men offered to move elsewhere, so we could do what we want, I think Alicia was a bit surprised. So many women are intimidated in the free weight section, not only because they may not feel they know how to perform the exercises, but because of the men. I have only ever had good experiences and have become friends with the men in my gym, in fact I think I intimidate most of them!

I had a great time, It was fun to help someone else and try to explain the reasons for doing things a certain way, what muscle to feel being worked, how to avoid engaging those traps....

So what did we do? All exercises were performed at a maximum weight allowable to continue through 10 reps with good form.

Lat pull down, wide grip 3x10
Lat pull down triangle or narrow grip 2x10
Barbell bent over row 3x10 superset with
chins 3x5 (assisted if necessary, work to unassisted and then up to 10)
Low cable row wide grip 3x10
Low cable row triangle grip 2x10
EZ bar biceps curl 3x10
1 arm dumbbell row 3x10
Incline dumbbell biceps curls
Face Pulls 3x10
Iso Back Row (hammer strength) 3x10 each
Back Extensions 3x10


This evening a little birdie told me that Alicia was going back to the gym the next day - and to the men's section!  You go girl!

Tomorrow? I meet Maria and it is leg day!

Arnold

I got this book as a Christmas gift last year, I haven't finished reading it yet, there is a lot of information!

I like the way it is laid out, he has many pictures (mostly of himself naturally), talks you through the exercises and then has a section that covers each muscle group, so I can quickly flip through and pick out some things to incorporate into my written plan when I need to write it up every month.

It's important to vary your exercises, not only to keep the body guessing and work all the different muscles, but to keep from getting bored!

Something as simple as hand grip can make a difference, or the number of reps.

Here is my binder, I keep all my training logs here and can go back and see what I was doing (they don't all fit, I have all those on excel). I also record weight here too.

It's big, I carry it everywhere in the gym, but it has my Gymboss, mouthguard, cut up tube socks for kettlebell snatches, lifting straps, and some business cards...

In the last week I have tried two new things out of Arnolds book, and I am feeling both quite a bit.

For biceps, he talks about using an "arm blaster", he says it isolates the biceps and is a great tool, but rare in gyms. Well, guess what we have hanging on the wall at Courtside Club? An arm blaster! Here is Arnold using one:

The other trick for side delts is something called "Burns" after performing each set of lateral raises: Take very heavy dummbells and hold them out with totally straight arms about 10 inches from your thighs for as long as possible- but at least 30 seconds.

My biceps and shoulders were crying for days!