The biceps training debate isn't a debate if you truly understand the need to be strong all around. In addition, if you've ever worked with someone too weak to perform a push up and pull up, you find a way to put muscle on their body, anywhere!
Biceps are last on my list of "things to do" but to leave them out completely? My thoughts....
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iu0grAmV8aE[/youtube]
[youtube width="640" height="360"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK1Q1rmM8dw[/youtube]
Above, Throwback Training Video from The Original Underground, hitting 90 lb Power Hammer Curls at the end of a brutal garage workout.
In a nut shell, my thoughts on biceps are training are simple:
A few hard sets of curls of any type / variation will help build biceps tendon strength as well as aid in your pulling strength. The fact that an exercise will help me or you get stronger is all you need to know. Bang out a few hard sets and you're done in 5 minutes.
There are only so many pull ups, rows, etc that one can do.
There is NOTHING wrong with training a little bit in a fashion that feels good for the ego be it for yourself or if you're a coach, for those you train. If someone just deadlifted 495 for a few tough reps, then attacked 1 arm rows with 150 lb dumbbells and did glute ham raises, go ahead, bang out curls, you EARNED it.
On the flip side, if someone is so weak that they can NOT even perform a pull up, so all they did was pull / push a sled, farmer walk kettlebells and perform walking lunges, then hell, they just attacked the brutal basics, so go ahead, grab some dumbbells and bang out a bunch of reps of dumbbell curls. Get some blood pumping and do some bodybuilding work to put some muscle on that skinny frame anywhere and everywhere muscle can go!
Combat athletes are often times required to have high levels of isometric strength. Wrestlers, MMA Fighters, Muay Thai Fighters, etc are holding on to an opponents legs, neck, etc and the biceps get intensely worked.
The ONLY time the argument or debate against biceps training makes any sense is when someone is spending unnecessary amounts of time / energy on biceps and that particular someone is skipping out on the tried and true basics of muscle building.
If you're skipping the exercises below so you can spend time on curls, then you're likely NOT the typical reader of this blog, regardless, below are THE main stays of muscle building and strength.:
- Squats
- Benching
- Deadlifting
- Overhead Pressing
- Farmer Walk
- Chins & Dips
- Sled Drags
The basics are what deliver the goods for muscle building and strength gains, always and forever.
Stop crying about biceps training, hit the basics first & foremost and then finish off your training day with some heavy cheat curls and shut up!
11 Responses
Zach definitely are know your stuff you always have i hope the Crossfit community is listening to you and just to back this article up look at biceps of rich froning and dan bailey
sorry for the typos
Michael – hey, bro, not sure the crossfit community cares a whole lot about what I do, ha ha
Maybe some, but unless you’re front page news superstar or branded as a CrossFit Coach, the greater community doesn’t pay attention.
It’s a shame but it is what it is and what’s important is for me to help those who pay attention here!
Great stuff as usual Zach, always giving me more to think about! As a former baseball player, I lifted in HS and college without ever really knowing what I was doing. I got bicep tendonitis quite a few times during the season from curling too much so I moved away from them and went trictly with pulling movements for my bicep work. That was in the early 90’s, and now at the age of 42 I still stay away from curls. I throw in some grip work with my pulling movements and life is good. I do understand that to each his own, this is what has worked for ME…
Coach O, thnx, brotha!!!
Its pretty sad when the only people thought to have any training knowledge must have “crossfit” associations. Live and let live I guess.
exactly, homie
Hey Zach, you’re cool as hell lol. I was never taught proper training. I read the muscle mags that are 90% ads and full of b.s. that was 7 years ago. EVERYTHING you say has so much meaning because I was fortunate enough to see through the b.s. and train properly(form etc)… maybe it was a gift from The Lord but either way I’ve been extremely fortunate. keep bleeding the truth and never change unless its for the greater. Even though youre positive and motivated like .k other you still need to be told you’re doing a great thing man..
Like no other* and my message was sent before I was finished lol. I’ve been subscribed to your emails now for a while, but this is the first time I’ve ever commented on anything. It’s nice to know that I’m on the same page as you for the most part And I hope you don’t take that as an insult because I love being in good shape And taking it to the next level. I’m 29 but sometimes I feel like I’m in the wrong generation but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do with what we have, you know? Thanks for Reiterating all my hard work.
Jay big thnx for the positive words, bro, true, it’s nice to hear sometimes I am doing the right thing or a good thing b/c trust me, I get plenty of haters! ha ha
Yea man, I am 37 and it’s tough trying to figure out people who want fancy workouts or are lazy, I can’t relate or comprehend them and it’s tough running an internet biz when my heart knows I am doing the right thing although the hype, gimmicks and fads unfortunately make more money
It’s a shame but I am sticking to my integrity!
Ahhhh….training arms. Da Gun Show. Hitting the basics, hard and heavy WILL put size on your arms. Is it enough? For some, maybe. For MOST—-you can’t go wrong with 90lb cheat curls. 🙂
One thing i never understood what people’s beef was against power cheat curls. “It’ll ruin your back!” Really? You gotta be joking me. Everytime I pick up a heavy-ass weight…my entire upperback tightens up, when you do cheat curls in the fashion—you really maintain tightness–toughening up your posture, and getting brutally stronger. No matter what, there has always been a time when someone had to lift something “too heavy” where they used body english. I do not see how much stronger the back will get from curling light-duty weights. A combination of both works a body good. Cheat curling heavy weights will work the yoke and the back hard as well as your arms.
A personal favorite for building my arms is heavy zercher holds. Hell yeah.