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I want to get bigger biceps, and I wondered, how many different exercises should I be doing when targeting the biceps? I am a beginner, I am overweight, 198lbs and I am 5'6 tall. I can curl a 40lb dumbbell once. Anyhow, I was hoping to turn some of that fat into muscle. I read online that 4 exercises, low heavy reps, for 3 sets, is the best way to get there. Any tips? I know the deadlift and squats are great to build muscle fast, anyhow thank you for your time.
A little basic physiology: muscles can be made to grow just like growing callouses on your hands---if you use a rake, say, with soft hands, you get a blister and the skin wears off. It grows back thicker, if you give it time. If you use the rake again before the skin heals, you tear it down again and have lost time and have to start the healing process over again.
Same with muscles. Enthusiastic, energetic teenagers are famous at exercising too hard and too often and fail to make the gains they expect. Be patient. Exercise one muscle group (arms, legs, torso) one day and give it 3-5 days before you do it again. Everybody is different. Those who can eat a horse and not gain weight probably need longer rest between sessions (5 days maybe). Easy keepers can take shorter rest intervals (3 days).
As far as specific exercise technique, research shows muscles get stronger & bulkier with higher weights/fewer reps than from low weight/high rep. You need to exercise the muscle to the point of fatigue-- it's that last rep that you can't quite do that builds muscle, not the reps before it.
Just do standard exercises. You don't need three different moves to build a bicep-- a simple curl does the job quite well. Don't do moves that seem awkward or difficult. Eg-- a standard military press is much easier to do than a behind-the-head press--that's because our shoulders aren't meant to lift heavy weights in that manner, rotating the shoulder awkwardly as we lift . It's a good way to injure yourself.
BTW- don't forget to exercise your triceps if you want to increase bulk up your "biceps."
If you want bigger arms, you should also exercise the brachialis, which is the muscle under the biceps. To do so, perform reverse curls, i.e. with your palms facing away from you. In that position ("pronated wrist", in medical terms), the biceps is non-operative and the brachialis does all the work. The brachialis is a smaller muscle though, so you will have to use a lighter weight than when you're doing regular curls. I am a physical therapist and lift weights, too.
I don't think you're going to see any muscle definition at that weight anyway, so I would focus on overall fitness if I were you rather than targeting body parts at this point. Focus on general strength, fitness, and a clean diet. I'd recommend dropping 30-40 lbs. using a combination of strength training and cardio. I just use basic curls for biceps, nothing fancy. I believe the key is going to failure when you work out. That is what forces the muscle to grow.
Well, you could spend your time doing multiple sets of something like standing barbell curls, then dumbbell curls, followed by preacher or concentration curls. And, if done properly, I’m sure your biceps will get bigger. But don’t expect to break a sweat.
Or...
In that same amount of time, you could do several sets of chin ups, deadlifts and bent-over barbell rows. And not only will your biceps get bigger, but so will your forearms, upper and lower back, traps, core and shoulders. And you’ll definitely break a sweat.
Nothing is going to give you better overall results than focusing on basic compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, chins, etc. Not saying isolation exercises don’t have their place, but they take a back seat to the basics.
Fat doesn't turn into muscle. That's a big misconception of novice lifters. However, with added muscle your body will burn fat at a faster rate, even while stationary so they are linked together in that respect. Lift heavy weights, do your cardio and eat relatively healthy (give yourself a cheat day once a week to stay sane) and good things will happen.
I want to get bigger biceps, and I wondered, how many different exercises should I be doing when targeting the biceps? I am a beginner, I am overweight, 198lbs and I am 5'6 tall. I can curl a 40lb dumbbell once. Anyhow, I was hoping to turn some of that fat into muscle. I read online that 4 exercises, low heavy reps, for 3 sets, is the best way to get there. Any tips? I know the deadlift and squats are great to build muscle fast, anyhow thank you for your time.
It's best to focus on your entire body and not one muscle in your case...You have to envision the body working as a whole, collective unit, and not in isolated, individualized parts. You want to build a solid, balanced and well proportioned physique.
As you stated you are a beginner, it's best to build a preparatory foundation with simple bodyweight excercises such as pushups, pullups (hard at first), squats and core work such as planks, mountain climbers (slow) and slow, controlled crunches, low in repetitions. Until you can move your body through space safely and effectively, then you can commence with weight training. My reasoning is that it's best to control your own weight before conquering external resistance and implements. I would say personally speaking and while it may vary from person to person, an average of 1-3 months should be spent on calisthenics, but again, opinions will differ.
Once you get the basic bodyweight movements down and build your base, it's best to focus on the fundamental, but effective compound movements such as squats, bench, deadlift, overhead press and rows. Pullups can be carried over into weight training, as well as weighted pushups. Dips, IMO is also an interchangeable exercise and like pullups, can be hard to do at first. Dips hit the triceps and chest very hard when done correctly.
Once you get good at the weights, then I would add basic barbell curls. You also have to take into consideration that your biceps are getting hammered with pullups, rows and yes, certain squats such as front, where you are holding the bar in a semi-isometric pattern. Biceps is a very easy muscle to over train and injure. Proper form takes priority over big weights, so while it's tempting to show off to your gym buddies, it's not cool getting injured and sidelined. Also, keep in mind that the triceps comprises the vast majority of upper arm mass, not the biceps, it's antagonist partner.
You cannot turn fat into muscle, but you can burn the fat off and build muscle with a structured cardio program and of course, you will have to improve your diet.
A lot of novice lifters (I'm guilty and convicted of this) when they first start out expend too much energy on "beach muscles", i'e' biceps and pecs even though they have their place in the functional spectrum. I benched and curled until my eyes popped out and while I looked good, my functionality was not at it's optimal level. I also tried to follow the routines of my favorite bodybuilders and of course, that didn't pan out so well. I as a younger lifter wanted instant gratification and placed logic and sense behind my emotions and drive. Nothing wrong with having drive, but when it's misplaced in the realm of fitness and strength straining, nothing good occurs.
Your best bet would be to seek out a qualified coach or trainer to show you how to do everything properly, including body weight exercises. Would you drive a car without instruction? Of course not (or I hope not). My logic applies to exercise and weight training in the same fashion so you don't get hurt. No shame in this at all. It's also advisable to get a complete medical exam before starting any fitness program, no matter your age.
There are also endless resources online and YouTube that you can research as well. You will get a multitude of opinions, beliefs and methods regarding fitness, so it will be overwhelming. Take what works for you and go with it. I am NOT a fitness expert, but just sharing advice from my years of training, trials, errors and mistakes. Good Luck.
Last edited by Gil3; 07-16-2018 at 01:56 PM..
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