Bodybuilding Tips and Tricks

This workout targets the long (outer) head of the biceps muscle.

Incline Dumbbell Curls: - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 6, 6, 12, 12
Close-Grip Barbell Curls: - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 10, 10, 12
Standing Cable Curls: - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 6, 8, 12, 12
Hammer Curls: - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 10, 8, 6

Rest time between sets: 1-2 minutes
Be sure to do 1-2 warmup sets or 5-10 minutes of cardio (or both) before beginning the first exercise.

Barbell Curls - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 6, 10, 12, 12
Dumbbell Preacher Curls - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 8, 10, 10, 12
Hammer Curls - 4 sets; Rep Scheme: 10, 10, 12, 12
Reverse Curls - 3 sets; Rep Scheme: 8, 10, 12

Rest time between sets: 1-2 minutes
Be sure to do 1-2 warmup sets or 5-10 minutes of cardio (or both) before beginning the first exercise.

“Running the Rack” is an advanced technique which will totally fry your targeted muscle group. To “run the rack”, you’ll perform multiple sets back to back with no rest in between. For each set, you’ll go to failure, then decrease the weight and immediately do another set to failure. You’ll repeat this process until you’ve completed your prescribed number of sets. As an example, someone doing alternating dumbbell curls might start with 50lbs (in each hand) and work to failure, go immediately to 40lbs. to failure, and then drop to 30lbs. and finally 20lbs. to finish up. You just need to determine how many sets you want to complete beforehand so you know what weight to start with and how much to decrease it by each set. This is an excellent technique to employ if you want to really “feel the burn” but, like most advanced techniques, running the rack should only be attempted by experienced lifters and should not be performed every workout (this will help you avoid overtraining).

Here are a few sample workout routines that will serve you well for overall biceps development:

Routine 1
Standing barbell (or E-Z curl bar) curls
Alternating incline dumbbell curls
Standing (or seated) hammer curls
One-arm cable curls

Routine 2
E-Z curl bar preacher curls
Standing dumbbell curls
Reverse grip barbell (or E-Z curl bar) curls
Standing (or seated) concentration curls

Routine 3
Standing barbell (or E-Z curl bar) curls
Machine curls
To-the-front hammer curls
Cable curls with rope attachment

In all three of these routines, I start with a basic mass-building exercise, then move on to an isolation-type move, and then finish things off with a high isolation or peak building movement. I’ve also provided one exercise in each routine that will put some extra stress on your wrists and forearms as well as your biceps. Its important to develop your forearms and wrists as you progress or they will be prone to injury as you curl heavier and heavier weight.