Monster Biceps Blaster Arm Workout
Bill L's Biceps Monster Mass
<Bill, I'm curious - how would your ultimate mass building arm routine look for the advanced bodybuilder? Exercises, sets and reps. Henrik >
Henrik, What a truly excellent question. In response to Tom's recent query about doing 6 (or even 3??) sets for biceps, I was critical. Believe I used the term "warm-up" in there somewhere. Since I never got to post an arm workout back when Laree was looking for Mass Blast and Fit & Lean, here's what I think an arm workout should look like. Even when done *after* shoulders or back (15-20 sets minimum, thank you very much), which would be my usual Tues/Fri routine. You'll notice a lot of volume. Nobody (except maybe dd himself) likes volume training more than I. 60 set heaven.
So, without further adieu, cue the superset music please ... (George Thorogood & the Destroyers or ZZ Top preferred ...) Call this Arm Mass Blast #5. I put the weights in only to show that I pyramid sets virtually all the time. To me, it combines the movement with increased load. Sometimes more, sometimes less. Adjust for yourself. Also, when I say "supersetted with," I mean do the bicep movement, then go straight to the tricep equivalent with no rest in between. Back and forth. No dilly-dallying. Maybe 30 seconds at most between each bi/tri combo. However, between each of the four supersets take a two minute break maximum.
Look out. Get out the warning signs and keep the children away: Serious Arm Work Ahead.
Straight Olympic Bar Curls: Very strict at the start. A *bit* of cheating on the last set or two, but best form possible. THE basic mass builder. Like American Express, don't leave home without it.
95
X 10
115 X 8
125 X 8
135 X 8
145 X 8
Supersetted with: Tricep pushdowns (our machine has the double pulleys, so this is lighter than it looks). Strict form. Elbows very tight. All the way up and down. We're looking to get the joints and muscles fully warmed up here.
110
X 15
120 X 12
130 X 12
140 X 10
150 X 8
Moving on to ...
Seated Incline Dumbbell curls. I like these because there is little or no cheating and full back support. Although I've done them with the supinating wrist twist, I think they're more effective with the palm up at all times forcing the bicep to carry the full load at all times. Either way, we're looking for ultimate peak here. Visualization and focus counts bigtime, but your mindset should be on POWER!!
30
X 15
40 X 15
50 X 12
60 X 8
70 X 8
Supersetted with: Single dumbbell French Presses. Seated or standing. VERY deep on the bottom. 95% of lockout at the top. No half reps. The arms should be bent well past 90 degrees at the bottom and the db should be touching well into the middle of the back. This really starts the blood flushing.
70
X 15
80 X 15
90 X 12
100 X 8
110 X 8
Next up: Preacher bench curls. Starting with the bar (35 lbs) and two dimes on each side. We've also done this from this starting point, adding 5 on each side until 145 or 155. By my count, 8-9 sets done that way. This is the final big hit on the biceps for the day, with a complete pre-exhaust from the preceding work. Full concentration. Make these count. No cheating. ALL BICEPS. The last set should bring you to failure.
75
X 10
95 X 8
115 X 8
135 X 8
145 X 6
Supersetted with: Tricep rope/ extensions. Back to the cable stack. Rope extended out over the head. These are very smooth.
Same weights and reps as with pushdowns, but you should be getting a bit tired here. Work it.
Finally: DB Concentration Curls. You know the drill. Sit on a bench with arm at full extension. No swinging the upper body or anything else. Focus on the peak. Your entire thought process should be completely drilled into the fibers that constitute the biceps peak. Probably why they call them concentration curls.
25
X 15
35 X 15
45 X 12
55 X 10
65 X 8
Triceps. Thought you were done? HA!! No. This is the most difficult of all. Actually, I've rarely ever seen anyone do these but my training partners and I. Time to suck it up. Presenting...
Straight Olympic Bar Lying French Presses. What? Unlike cambered style, these are the equivalent of the straight bar standing curls. A small cheat allowed. Howso? The bar is brought down behind the head instead of to the forehead. Why? Partly for a more complete extension at the bottom, allowing the bar to touch the bench, and partly because these are a HEAVYWEIGHT exercise. Serious forehead damage possible with the arms already exhausted as above. You did the strict form and focus stuff up above. No kidding here, the ULTIMATE TRICEP MASS BUILDER. Don't believe me? Try them at this point in the workout, after giving the above a serious go. If these don't make your triceps bloom like a prized horseshoe-shaped orchid in a Hawaii hothouse, take up another pastime. Will also provide huge bench press gains. No messing around here, as the last couple of sets should be taking everything you've got.
95
X 10
115 X 8
135 X 8
145 X 8
155 X 8
Oh, yeah ... finish off with 4 sets of 10 strict seated forearm curls. Blow 'em up like Popeye ... or, Draper. Same thing.
Then, as Ving Rhames said to Tom Cruise in Mission Impossible #1, you are: "Toast ... Toast."
By my count, 20 sets each for bi's and tri's. Could be more if you were having a good day and got carried away on the preacher bench. Plus the forearms. My first lifting coach used to say, "son, just when you think you can't do any more and your arms feel like they're going to explode all over the walls, that's when you reach down for more. *That's* where the growth comes from."
Could life get any more fun than that? No.
Good luck, Bill
PS: Laree, after *that* workout, can I go to Hennessey's? Just on Friday? No? Didn't think so ...
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Here's Henrik's Big Gainer Routine
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