@@hudsonpro I second this. You could basically build a workout primer class by making a breakdown of the muscles a person would want to work out, how that happens, and then you could use those information videos as references on what muscles to group together for workouts.
@; there's lots of sci-fi movies, lots of metal and hip-hop songs, lots of suspense books - lots of everything, really. The world could stop creating any new content and we'd have more than enough to keep us satisfied. But like food, sometimes old content can feel expired, that's why it's always good to keep creating, keep things fresh and keep finding new ways to examine old content. Fitness is no different.
I love that you guys always emphasize that building muscle, exercising and being healthy is SIMPLE. So many want you to think it’s such a complicated and difficult thing to do or understand but you guys really boil down all the BS and emphasize the simplicity of these things.
That’s because they don’t really understand the complexity. And you don’t really need to. You can make semi decent gains for years without actually knowing the science of bodybuilding....if you’ve got vitamin S you can make gains without knowing what you’re doing for pretty much forever.
They do that in hopes you find them to be the one to fill all the knowledge gaps you may have and support them in the process. The truth is health and wellness is free and remarkably simple.
The science is exceptionally complex but like most things you dont need to understand the science to benefit from it. I cant properly explain the technology about how TVs work but I can turn it on...
I have been lifting weights since I was nine...I am 71 now. The first gym I went to with my uncle was a Vic Tanny Gym in Pasadena. And the first time there was a man called Jack LaLane....Both of them told me almost the EXACT thing you are speaking of in terms of building muscle. Its HOW YOU DO THE EXERCISE...not how much you use. You are dean on in what your teaching today.....Congratulations for being intelligent and show how it really should be done.....Kudos
I'm sure this comment has been made, but I love that the Buff Dudes don't tear apart other UA-cam fitness personalities. They do a great job maintaining positivity in fitness. This is the biggest factor that has gotten me back into lifting. Thanks Buff Dudes!
My best gains on my stubborn biceps has been slow eccentric. Lowering from full contraction very slowly. 3-4 seconds to straight arm. I even cheat up by swinging for 2-3 after I reached failure but I lower the weight as slow as I can. I find that slow extension builds a lot more strength than focusing on contraction alone. I prefer dumbbells on an incline bench for this when I’m a barbell guy for everything else.
its crazy how much min maxing people do in the gym... i feel like the only thing you have to know for workouts is: you have to do it for years and you have to keep increasing the weights (and diet obviously). EVERYTHING else just makes the growth slightly faster, but like emphasis on slightly. I get it for youtubers, thats like one or two vids of content but for everyone else... just keep doing it, you will get there as long as you dont stop. thats the secret.
I’ve tuned into this channel for years. Worked as a personal trainer for a bit, gone through several of my own training phases/modalities. In a world that is completely over saturated with training advice, Buff Dudes remains the standout for advice, charismatic videos, and honesty. So glad to see they’re still making content, and keeping it 100.
I’ve been incorporating more sets of arms on my squat, bench and deadlift days and have been seeing steady progress. Not only in strength but size gains. Thank you guys for all the amazing content and tips. You got me on the right track to being BUFF!
He is absolutely right. Took me awhile to get my biceps to where they are now...plus I'm 45 so it was a challenge. Ego lifting isn't what helps. I start off with lightweights and then I go heavier with each set...contracting the muscle is more important than lifting the weight, so if it's difficult and you can't do more than 5 reps on the first set, it means the weight is too heavy for you...get your ego out of it...you'll get stronger...your muscles will adapt eventually...focus on contracting the muscle as he said, don't worry about the amount of weight. Do what you can, and not what your brain is telling you...listen to your body first.
Some say you can only grow muscle by doing heavy weight and low reps some say low weight and heavy reps I guess it depends on the person. As a beginner like me it's hard to decide what's the right way to go
@@ikedewinter1213 change it up...always change it up...I'll go super heavy sometimes with barbell curls and dumbell curls..then do more reps with straight bar cable curls and concentration curls
@@ikedewinter1213 probably both. Lol. I like to start heavy with the curls and drop down each set. You're still targeting the same muscle but it's getting more and more fatigued so the lighter weight allows you to keep working it till it's really exhausted like he talked about.
It's important to acknowledge where the muscle begins and ends, and how it weaves into the shoulder. Knowing how that works helps you keep your shoulders in check so you're not risking a bicep tear.
@@nattokami9598 for biceps, pretty much. Rarely rarely does a natural tear a bicep compared to roiders. The muscle strength gainz far out pace the tendon strength gains. Satisfied?
This is totally not true. I’ve completely torn a bicep and I’ve never used roids. More and more men are tearing biceps nowadays due to age, overuse and participating in competitive sports into middle age and old age.
Please do a video on triceps and overall arm growth. As we know, your triceps and shoulder muscles add a ton to the look of your arms. It isn't all just biceps!
@@fryloc359 Reverse curls, wrist curls and extensions will isolate the forearms, whereas weighted pull ups, heavy shrugs and dead lifts will also build forearm muscles along with other muscle groups.
I have been working out for 43 years. In the last ten years, I finally figured out how to lift weights. Sure you can “move” weights. Even heavy weights. Until I learned to “squeeze”, SQUEEZE HARD! That is total contraction and really made growth in my 50’s. And varying hand positions is everything.
Same here. I'm 59 been working out 44 yrs and just in last year I've learned how to do it right. If I had known this in the 70s 80s I would have a lot better body today...you live and learn
@@VulgarDisplay007 yep. Anyone can “move” weight! Even heavy weight. But when you actually squeeze the muscle through the entire rep, keeping the “load” on the muscle, so no lock out or hanging, now THAT!…is taking it to the next level! Let me know what you think after trying it.
one thing that has helped me a lot is strengthening my rotator cuffs. Basically moving them from a front lat spread position to a crab/most muscular pose, getting to know where they are and how they activate. I had a very bad habit of unknowingly using them to cheat the weight up, and it gave me a lot of shoulder problems. But if you know how it feels when they move, and if they're well developed, it will help stabilize and ultimately strengthen your entire arm chain of muscles.
The one thing that has helped me is not trying to lift the weight so much as focusing on just flexing my biceps as hard as I can to make the weight move. It's a different feeling. Seems to tear shit up pretty well.
This video was 90% useless BS. High reps (18-20ish) with lighter weights (if you can do more than 20, it's too light) and doing drop sets. I tried a lot of different workouts and nothing came even close to working the way light weights with 20-ish reps worked. First weight, do 20 reps, drop 2.5 to 5 lbs and do another 18-20, continue doing this until you can't do 20 of 5 lbs. This works great for triceps and bicep exercises. My arms literally exploded doing this. I started doing all my arm exercises on a cable machine and that seemed to really help with things like elbow pain. Overall, I was pushing close to 20,000lbs on arm day and none of the weights were over 45 lbs per arm.
@@MAGAMAN dude you missed the point entirely. Your high rep plan works FOR YOU, doesn't mean other methods are bunk. I'm gonna assume lower reps and heavier weights didn't work for you because of form and lack of time under tension. It's likely you went too fast on the eccentric and cheat curled with heavier weight sacrificing time under tension. With your lighter weights your form is easier to maintain and you're gaining more time under tension with more reps.
@@MAGAMAN he said the most important thing and that is that you have to activate the biceps. How you will do it it's up to you but whatever you do you have to sqeeze the hell out of biceps. Personally I do both low and high reps for biceps with heavy and light weight. But by low rep I mean 8-10 and hight 15-20. Anything below 8 reps for biceps is kind of stupid.
Great video! As someone with a long reach, biceps have always been my trouble spot. Biggest thing for me was your first tip, lowering the weight and focusing on the contraction. Can't say mine are where I want them to be yet, but I know my workouts are much more impactful from that one tip alone.
I appreciated this video. Sometimes it seems like its complex and we're missing something, when in reality it's simple, and the reason for not seeing the results we want could boil down to something as simple as improper diet, things take time, or irregular workout schedules.
I like to do several pulses at the top of each bicep curl to really hit the muscle intensely. Usually midway through the second set is when the biceps start to give out and my form falls apart with other muscles taking over. So I'll stop and rest 20-30 seconds between each rep to make sure I'm hitting the same part of the muscle with every rep/pulses until the set is complete. That short rest gives the muscles just enough recovery to do another rep the exact same way without cheating and losing the effectiveness of the rep. Takes a little longer but it WORKS. My biceps are pumped like crazy afterwards and I know I did each rep nearly perfect.
Picked up heavy barbell curls as a full body compound movement from Jim Wendler, who talked about it being one of the best all around strength builders when done correctly, fully braced and flexed, strict. Coupled with weighted chin ups, about all one needs for exceptional size and strength. One of my favorite exercises I've never actually seen anyone use in the wild is the "texas arm wrestler curl," which I saw on T-Nation way back in the day. Also another solid one to add to the normal exercises.
Awesome advice! Some extra things that some don't know is that pronated grip curls focus more on your Brachialis. Thumbs facing up (halfway between pronation and supination) focuses more on your Brachioradialis. Though both Brachialis and Brachialradialis don't contribute much to the biceps bulge as the Biceps Brachii does, these are important muscles to hit that run over the elbow joint and contribute to how strong your elbow flexion is.
First! Stay buff.. always full of inspiration. 💪🏅biceps are often a challenge. I think the "simplicity" you mention is the key. Thanks for reinforcing Brandon
It's easy for your form to fall apart on biceps because they fatigue quickly and other muscles like shoulders and lats will take over and "cheat" for the bicep. My form starts to go during the second set of bicep curls so at that point I stop and rest 20-30 seconds between each rep to give it just enough recovery to do one more good rep hitting the exact same part of the bicep with no cheating. Takes a little longer to finish the set but I know I've done it right.
A 38 yr old listing since I was 15. One of the biggest things that changed my physique for the better Was learning how to lower the weight and focus on mind muscle connection. The other big thing is knowing what weight to use for what exercise to hit reps in the 12-15 range. Instead of doing 8-10 range.
Yes. Muscle hypertrophy is amazingly simple. Progressive overload and consistency. That's it. Everyone as you pointed out try to show you the "special way", or the "secret hack", etc. Just push/pull/curl the weight and up it when it gets easy or increase the number of sets to make sure you are actually working out (not like the people at the gym who have been going for years but look like they started a week ago). Listen to your body and push it. Thats it.
as a personal trainer for over 35 years as well as body builder in my younger days, I would say this video is top 3 of all bicep information/workout and explanation I have ever seen. I would even argue it is top 1. This should be like top 5 videos for biceps everyone should watch, ever... thank you for this. I try to explain this to my clients but I might just cheat and just ask them to watch this. LOL thank you
There was a book on P.O.S. training, it was the best book on training I have EVER read. I believes it applies here. The Biceps are a simple muscle group as you say. Excessive 1. Standing biceps dumbbell curls. Light weight to start . Great midrange movement. Excessive 2. Preacher curls with a straight bar, Light weight super slow movement, focusing on the fell. Peak or contraction movement. Excessive 3 Incline dumbbell curls focus on the stretch.... Great video!
Regarding the bent over concentration curl you do. I do the same thing but with the arm hanging straight down, I don't get resistance when I curl it right off the bat. However I did come up with a variation on that curl that I'd love to share. 1. Get into position to do curl with dumbbell in hand. 2. With arm hanging straight down, move hand inwards until you feel the weight just starting to stress the bicep. That will be your staring position. 3. Curl weight up towards the chest. 4. With dumbbell up at your chest, drag it from the nipple furthest away from your curling arm to the nipple closest to your curling arm. 5. Really squeeze the bicep as you do it. 6. Reverse the motion and return to the starting position. In simpler terms: You're doing a horizontal drag curl that brings the dumbbell across the chest in a bent forward position.
This video style is probably more import than most workout vids. When you know a lot about working out it can seem very simple, but too often people on the outside look at it as some weird physical/magic combo and don't feel they can get a grasp of the concepts involved. It really is simple, it just involves dedication and time and to put that first makes the rest fall in line.
Thank you for this Brandon! I've been lifting weights for a while now & really just do what I've been told to. Really enjoyed learning why I've been doing it.
Super weird seeing a serious video from y'all but absolutely love it. I usually like the vids because you do a great job of explaining the exercises without trying to sound "fake smart" to garnish views like I feel like a lot of youtubers out there do, but this video was a great explanation of everything you need to know about the biceps muscle and good, simple exercises to help them grow. Would have loved to hear you talk about brachialis and brachioradialis as they are also both elbow flexors as well and brachialis can help the bicep look more full since it sits deep to the belly of the biceps, but overall was a no-bs, well put together video, thank you lads!
I think for every body part, do one bread and butter full ROM exercise. Then do heavy partials in the bottom of the rep in a full stretch (incline curl heavy bottom 1/3rd), then finish with exercise that is ,most difficult in the fully contracted point (e.g. spider curls) pump the shit out of the contraction beyond failure techniques. For me this really worked. It also makes you really think about which exercises stretch the 2 attachment points furthest from eachother. And how to best perform it so the resistance curve is hardest at that point (e.g. cables, bands, dumbells?) , then the opposite, and think where are the 2 attachments closest. You cant really hammer these 2 ranges in the same exercise. So I recommend partials.
Hi Dude, I am an Australian and 63 male, I use to be a truck driver and done it for over 20 years, during that time I strengthen up my upper body strength and it came in handy as if I slip I could hold my body weight. 1 am 80 kilos and only a short man, anyway one night I played table pool 8 ball over there, and in his garage and it tin and had a good spin and so being a little drunk I thought I would try some chin ups, and full chip ups and I got out 6 and it was my limit, I got the young ones in 40 and younger and they couldn't do anymore than 2 that surprised me, next few days I never felt sore, cause I knew I had the strength. Now lately I do biceps curls but I use Blue stone to do it as I can't afford weights, I do 5 sets of 20 but take a small break between them, I do them completely straight and slow and get them up. I do have a few longer ones and may try them, but I do get pumped and I also feel my chest is up too. I haven't done stuff like this for 25 years, and I am careful what I do, push too hard too soon and you damage a muscle, it takes a long time to heal, Thank you for the video Dude, even old guys like me what to get muscle. Some times you have to be inventive and use what is around you to build up muscle.
Please make this a series. Love the simplicity of the knowledge you're putting out. I preach these same fundamentals to people in the gym when they approach me and start asking questions.
Funny....I'm sure you would say the same about my physic, many haters do, but 100% legal supplements only and im the type that would admit it if I was juicing cause I don't give a ish what anyone thinks. You provided no proof of your claim just a salty message. Either way his advice is spot on and that's what my comment was in reference to.
@loyal and faithful Not really sure what you're referring to. This guy has multiple videos covering a variety of topics relating to all things about lifting including the nutritional aspect which is the foundation to training for a good physic. You literally accused him of taking steroids but offer no proof of such a claim. I'd say that's being pretty salty. I can also assure you it is possible to get his current build by being purely legit and living the lifestyle he promotes on his channel. Now if he looked like Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman I'd agree with your accusation. I'm not saying if he does or doesn't juice cause I don't know for sure but from what I gather neither do you and no disrespect, but making that baseless accusation makes you sound like a hater, and I'm still confused about what bad or misinformation he put out in this video.
There is a big difference between moving weight and contracting muscle. Too many beginners are confused as to what they want from training. For a beginner, getting stronger means a larger muscle. So, they're inclined to disregard the simple mechanics to actually contract the muscle. Solid video. Thanks.
Correction at 5:12... Supersets work opposing muscle groups, like doing a bi's set then jumping right into a tricep set. Compound sets double-down on the same muscle group. Many people often confuse the two. Good info. After my 30 years of a ton of gym time, he's spot on. Thanks for posting.
Massive help!! What none of the others said was elbow flex. Was always doing rep to feel the burn but never got the full development. Thanks soo much honestly!
Did dude just say 'bicepital groove'? (10:10) 😂😂 👌I'm 50 in March, been training since the late 80s and have never heard that before. I subscrined immediately hahaha. Nice!
Been working on my biceps lately I have gained some size, never really focused on biceps really, always focused more on triceps since the triceps make a bigger portion of your arm and it gives the biceps a overall bigger look, I’ve been doing these 3 bicep workouts and they work and are simple to do STAY BUFF EVERYONE💪
This is great content. Keeping things simple is NOT a bad thing, not at all. No matter the muscle or movement, the idea that there's a "SECRET" exercise or technique that's required for big gains is nonsense.
I'm 52, been training for all of my adult life. At this point my specific biceps routine has dropped to a finishing lift. One exercise. Low cable, one handed curls with an angle of attack that stressing from behind you a bit. The reason ? It's because if you are a hard back trainer, even if your attempting to isolate, you've effectively worked your arms. You cant, no matter your form, do back work without bending at the elbow, engaging your arms. The amount of weight your handling is far in excess of any iso arm lift. Having a really good back program has essentially worked your arms already. Adding excess volume on that is unnecessary. Of course, everyone's different.
Also, please remember - dont make "everyday arm day". Arms get work on chest, back, and shoulders. Too much focused attention will f*** your s*** up! Stay Buff! Stay Safe, fam!
Superb video! All good points! My fav biceps workout is Standing Barbell Curls to Forehead... My fav arm pump is Preacher curls to Incline narrow hand Pushups!!! The pump is EPIC borderline Bursting!!! Stay Buff!!!
I started doing preacher curls on a machine, and it really allowed me to progress, and made any kind of cheat impossible as well as allowing me to just focus pull with my biceps
Been a subscriber for a while but been off and on with my own development. Really been extra motivated the last few months and it feels different than the last, I really want to get shredded and I’ve been enjoying all your guys videos again.
You guys have helped so much with my workouts and almost everything I know has come from you guys, you have a video for almost everything. Never leave you guys are kings 💪
Got back to it this year started with Lighter weights. 1st learning and making the mind muscle connection doing more reps Being patient before increasing weight. I'll do my 1st set at the lighter weight it warms me up but most importantly establish Form and the Muscle to mind connection. The next set I increase the weight that i'm working out with. Good info 👍👍
If your arms are struggling to grow give blood flow restriction bands a try. I put an inch on my arms using them. Took about 6 months. Less joint stress as well since your forced to use lighter weights. The pumps are insane.
Exactly! In Romania we have a trainer/body builder that said the exact same thing: there are no specific exercises. Just try the 3 different angles of the arms and you are fine
I use very similar exercises - 1) standing cable curl with back to the machine, standing further away - pretty much a standing version of the incline curl from this video - you pull the weight/curl from behind of your body 2) Ez barbell curls and 3) isolation curl, seated or bent over. I've been lifting for 25 years. Just like life in general, building muscles is very simple, but it's not easy. You have to be consistent and work on yourself. You lift, you eat, you rest. Also, basic stuff works.
Just one small addition, the biceps tendon also crosses partly over the shoulder, so there's a small degree of shoulder flexion involved as well. This compound movement is why gymnasts have large biceps. This is what is going on in the "cheat" curl.
From a movement perspective I would add pronation to supranational rotation to the curl. Especially the incline curls. The full job of the bicep is to bend the elbow, flex the shoulder (long head) and supination of the forearm. Just my 2 cents.
100% true, too often we find these fitness influencers trying to do fancy exercises to make the untrained eye believe that hey these guys or girls are doing something different than everyone else, when sticking to the basics will always prevail 💪🏽
Thank you for a concise...simple to understand and patient video describing how to tain bi's...very cool...so many vids that are shouting at you..in ur face aggressive and as you say biased towards there views...or sometimes not even there views but they will sell out completely just to make money n promote something they want you to buy...Good job...love this!!!
To break through a plateau, I did the German Volume Method which works great. Try cable curls too. I do them with an easy bar attachment. I actually lay on the ground and use the low pulley. You can keep elbows stuck to the ground or bring them up and curl to your forehead. You'll get a great pump with relatively low weight because your biceps will be under constant tension throughout the movement.
PHOENIX TRANSFORMATION loves this simple approach. I am nearing the close of my 7th decade, with 56 years of lifting: free weights, machines, biking, jogging. Still feeling the BURN! .
Absolutely outstanding video! Truly phenomenal work. It’s highly informative and super helpful. Thank you so much for such amazing content and all the great advice! Your wisdom is extremely valuable to us. The effort you guys put into creating these awesome videos is truly commendable. I greatly appreciate it. You guys are incredibly inspiring! 🙏
I hate being told what to do, rather explain why it should be done that way. What I've always loved about your content is that you present information in an entertaining and easy to digest format. But I also love stats and studies and really getting down into the raw, gritty data and that's what I go to Jeff Nippard for. I don't even really like his workout videos that much but he gets so incredibly nerdy about the how and why of things and usually cites his sources so that I can go after the fact and read them for myself.
I Love that you come clean on this video. Loving your three favorite biceps exercises there are keepers.Thank you for sharing with that, saying I am now a subscriber. 💪😎
Excellent advice - this is really all you need if you want your biceps to grow. What helped me start to see good bicep gains was focusing on the contraction. I'll start with a lighter weight warm-up set and really focus on it... do some partial reps right in the contraction sweet spot too... FEEL the bicep contracting... focus on the eccentric too, don't just drop the weight. That's the stuff 👍
Make this a series for every muscle group
Glad you enjoyed it Corenko. Me and Brandon were discussing the same thing, as we have a few cool ideas for some other muscle groups.
@@hudsonpro What about the pinky toe? Everyone always focuses on the big toe.
@@hudsonpro I second this. You could basically build a workout primer class by making a breakdown of the muscles a person would want to work out, how that happens, and then you could use those information videos as references on what muscles to group together for workouts.
@; there's lots of sci-fi movies, lots of metal and hip-hop songs, lots of suspense books - lots of everything, really. The world could stop creating any new content and we'd have more than enough to keep us satisfied. But like food, sometimes old content can feel expired, that's why it's always good to keep creating, keep things fresh and keep finding new ways to examine old content. Fitness is no different.
@; everything HAS been said. It's now about coming at it from a unique viewpoint.
I love that you guys always emphasize that building muscle, exercising and being healthy is SIMPLE. So many want you to think it’s such a complicated and difficult thing to do or understand but you guys really boil down all the BS and emphasize the simplicity of these things.
That’s because they don’t really understand the complexity. And you don’t really need to. You can make semi decent gains for years without actually knowing the science of bodybuilding....if you’ve got vitamin S you can make gains without knowing what you’re doing for pretty much forever.
Its simple, but requires a lot of dedication and discipline.
They do that in hopes you find them to be the one to fill all the knowledge gaps you may have and support them in the process. The truth is health and wellness is free and remarkably simple.
@@stanleykassim2839 What can you succeed with in life that doesn't take dedication and discipline?
The science is exceptionally complex but like most things you dont need to understand the science to benefit from it.
I cant properly explain the technology about how TVs work but I can turn it on...
I have been lifting weights since I was nine...I am 71 now. The first gym I went to with my uncle was a Vic Tanny Gym in Pasadena. And the first time there was a man called Jack LaLane....Both of them told me almost the EXACT thing you are speaking of in terms of building muscle. Its HOW YOU DO THE EXERCISE...not how much you use. You are dean on in what your teaching today.....Congratulations for being intelligent and show how it really should be done.....Kudos
I'm sure this comment has been made, but I love that the Buff Dudes don't tear apart other UA-cam fitness personalities. They do a great job maintaining positivity in fitness. This is the biggest factor that has gotten me back into lifting. Thanks Buff Dudes!
No they rather lie... your biceps isn't growing because you don't take enough gear.
My best gains on my stubborn biceps has been slow eccentric. Lowering from full contraction very slowly. 3-4 seconds to straight arm. I even cheat up by swinging for 2-3 after I reached failure but I lower the weight as slow as I can. I find that slow extension builds a lot more strength than focusing on contraction alone. I prefer dumbbells on an incline bench for this when I’m a barbell guy for everything else.
its crazy how much min maxing people do in the gym... i feel like the only thing you have to know for workouts is: you have to do it for years and you have to keep increasing the weights (and diet obviously). EVERYTHING else just makes the growth slightly faster, but like emphasis on slightly. I get it for youtubers, thats like one or two vids of content but for everyone else... just keep doing it, you will get there as long as you dont stop. thats the secret.
I’ve tuned into this channel for years. Worked as a personal trainer for a bit, gone through several of my own training phases/modalities. In a world that is completely over saturated with training advice, Buff Dudes remains the standout for advice, charismatic videos, and honesty. So glad to see they’re still making content, and keeping it 100.
Love the fact that y'all are always and honest and transparent about the road to gainz; great work as always!
I’ve been incorporating more sets of arms on my squat, bench and deadlift days and have been seeing steady progress. Not only in strength but size gains. Thank you guys for all the amazing content and tips. You got me on the right track to being BUFF!
@@robertmarche9953 I love when people choose to stay natural
Same here. Increased volume because, naturally, I have(had) small arms, now my arms fill my shirts
He is absolutely right. Took me awhile to get my biceps to where they are now...plus I'm 45 so it was a challenge. Ego lifting isn't what helps. I start off with lightweights and then I go heavier with each set...contracting the muscle is more important than lifting the weight, so if it's difficult and you can't do more than 5 reps on the first set, it means the weight is too heavy for you...get your ego out of it...you'll get stronger...your muscles will adapt eventually...focus on contracting the muscle as he said, don't worry about the amount of weight. Do what you can, and not what your brain is telling you...listen to your body first.
Some say you can only grow muscle by doing heavy weight and low reps some say low weight and heavy reps I guess it depends on the person. As a beginner like me it's hard to decide what's the right way to go
@@ikedewinter1213 change it up...always change it up...I'll go super heavy sometimes with barbell curls and dumbell curls..then do more reps with straight bar cable curls and concentration curls
@@ikedewinter1213 probably both. Lol. I like to start heavy with the curls and drop down each set. You're still targeting the same muscle but it's getting more and more fatigued so the lighter weight allows you to keep working it till it's really exhausted like he talked about.
It's important to acknowledge where the muscle begins and ends, and how it weaves into the shoulder. Knowing how that works helps you keep your shoulders in check so you're not risking a bicep tear.
Roiders tear biceps that’s pretty much it.
@@DrTopLiftDPT Sure man natural lifters definitely aren't at risk of muscle tears
@@nattokami9598 for biceps, pretty much. Rarely rarely does a natural tear a bicep compared to roiders. The muscle strength gainz far out pace the tendon strength gains. Satisfied?
This is totally not true. I’ve completely torn a bicep and I’ve never used roids. More and more men are tearing biceps nowadays due to age, overuse and participating in competitive sports into middle age and old age.
@@launchpadmcquack4971 I guess you’re one experience disproves the whole generalized trend. I’m wrong
Please do a video on triceps and overall arm growth.
As we know, your triceps and shoulder muscles add a ton to the look of your arms. It isn't all just biceps!
They did make a video on triceps (if I'm not mistaken it was Brandon too). That video is actually how I found this channel
Add forearms to that, skinny forearms look funny.
@@fryloc359 best forearm workout by far....deadlifting without straps. I promise you hahaha
@@fryloc359 Reverse curls, wrist curls and extensions will isolate the forearms, whereas weighted pull ups, heavy shrugs and dead lifts will also build forearm muscles along with other muscle groups.
@@colto8284chin ups!😁
I have been working out for 43 years. In the last ten years, I finally figured out how to lift weights. Sure you can “move” weights. Even heavy weights. Until I learned to “squeeze”, SQUEEZE HARD! That is total contraction and really made growth in my 50’s. And varying hand positions is everything.
Same here. I'm 59 been working out 44 yrs and just in last year I've learned how to do it right. If I had known this in the 70s 80s I would have a lot better body today...you live and learn
Wow that's awesome, guys I'm 54 years old and have been training years, just squeeze intentionally all the way through the rep???
@@VulgarDisplay007 yep. Anyone can “move” weight! Even heavy weight. But when you actually squeeze the muscle through the entire rep, keeping the “load” on the muscle, so no lock out or hanging, now THAT!…is taking it to the next level! Let me know what you think after trying it.
What do you sqeeze
@@greer2402 the muscle you are working.
one thing that has helped me a lot is strengthening my rotator cuffs. Basically moving them from a front lat spread position to a crab/most muscular pose, getting to know where they are and how they activate. I had a very bad habit of unknowingly using them to cheat the weight up, and it gave me a lot of shoulder problems. But if you know how it feels when they move, and if they're well developed, it will help stabilize and ultimately strengthen your entire arm chain of muscles.
The one thing that has helped me is not trying to lift the weight so much as focusing on just flexing my biceps as hard as I can to make the weight move. It's a different feeling. Seems to tear shit up pretty well.
Brandon out here cutting out the bs and giving us straight, _simple_ facts about bicep development.
This video was 90% useless BS.
High reps (18-20ish) with lighter weights (if you can do more than 20, it's too light) and doing drop sets. I tried a lot of different workouts and nothing came even close to working the way light weights with 20-ish reps worked. First weight, do 20 reps, drop 2.5 to 5 lbs and do another 18-20, continue doing this until you can't do 20 of 5 lbs. This works great for triceps and bicep exercises. My arms literally exploded doing this. I started doing all my arm exercises on a cable machine and that seemed to really help with things like elbow pain. Overall, I was pushing close to 20,000lbs on arm day and none of the weights were over 45 lbs per arm.
@@MAGAMAN did you even watch the video wtf
@@MAGAMAN dude you missed the point entirely. Your high rep plan works FOR YOU, doesn't mean other methods are bunk. I'm gonna assume lower reps and heavier weights didn't work for you because of form and lack of time under tension. It's likely you went too fast on the eccentric and cheat curled with heavier weight sacrificing time under tension. With your lighter weights your form is easier to maintain and you're gaining more time under tension with more reps.
@@MAGAMAN he said the most important thing and that is that you have to activate the biceps. How you will do it it's up to you but whatever you do you have to sqeeze the hell out of biceps. Personally I do both low and high reps for biceps with heavy and light weight. But by low rep I mean 8-10 and hight 15-20. Anything below 8 reps for biceps is kind of stupid.
@@MAGAMAN i agree this is a long winded video.
Great video! As someone with a long reach, biceps have always been my trouble spot. Biggest thing for me was your first tip, lowering the weight and focusing on the contraction. Can't say mine are where I want them to be yet, but I know my workouts are much more impactful from that one tip alone.
I appreciated this video. Sometimes it seems like its complex and we're missing something, when in reality it's simple, and the reason for not seeing the results we want could boil down to something as simple as improper diet, things take time, or irregular workout schedules.
I like to do several pulses at the top of each bicep curl to really hit the muscle intensely. Usually midway through the second set is when the biceps start to give out and my form falls apart with other muscles taking over. So I'll stop and rest 20-30 seconds between each rep to make sure I'm hitting the same part of the muscle with every rep/pulses until the set is complete. That short rest gives the muscles just enough recovery to do another rep the exact same way without cheating and losing the effectiveness of the rep. Takes a little longer but it WORKS. My biceps are pumped like crazy afterwards and I know I did each rep nearly perfect.
Picked up heavy barbell curls as a full body compound movement from Jim Wendler, who talked about it being one of the best all around strength builders when done correctly, fully braced and flexed, strict. Coupled with weighted chin ups, about all one needs for exceptional size and strength. One of my favorite exercises I've never actually seen anyone use in the wild is the "texas arm wrestler curl," which I saw on T-Nation way back in the day. Also another solid one to add to the normal exercises.
Awesome advice! Some extra things that some don't know is that pronated grip curls focus more on your Brachialis. Thumbs facing up (halfway between pronation and supination) focuses more on your Brachioradialis. Though both Brachialis and Brachialradialis don't contribute much to the biceps bulge as the Biceps Brachii does, these are important muscles to hit that run over the elbow joint and contribute to how strong your elbow flexion is.
First! Stay buff.. always full of inspiration. 💪🏅biceps are often a challenge. I think the "simplicity" you mention is the key. Thanks for reinforcing Brandon
It's easy for your form to fall apart on biceps because they fatigue quickly and other muscles like shoulders and lats will take over and "cheat" for the bicep. My form starts to go during the second set of bicep curls so at that point I stop and rest 20-30 seconds between each rep to give it just enough recovery to do one more good rep hitting the exact same part of the bicep with no cheating. Takes a little longer to finish the set but I know I've done it right.
A 38 yr old listing since I was 15. One of the biggest things that changed my physique for the better Was learning how to lower the weight and focus on mind muscle connection. The other big thing is knowing what weight to use for what exercise to hit reps in the 12-15 range. Instead of doing 8-10 range.
Been following this channel for 10 years ... Buff Dudes proved to have Ultimate knowledge, Consistency and Dedication..So much offered..thank you.
I've always loved the silliness of this channel and it's content, but i absolutely love when they make serious not full on comedy videos like this one
Yes. Muscle hypertrophy is amazingly simple. Progressive overload and consistency. That's it. Everyone as you pointed out try to show you the "special way", or the "secret hack", etc. Just push/pull/curl the weight and up it when it gets easy or increase the number of sets to make sure you are actually working out (not like the people at the gym who have been going for years but look like they started a week ago). Listen to your body and push it. Thats it.
as a personal trainer for over 35 years as well as body builder in my younger days, I would say this video is top 3 of all bicep information/workout and explanation I have ever seen.
I would even argue it is top 1. This should be like top 5 videos for biceps everyone should watch, ever...
thank you for this. I try to explain this to my clients but I might just cheat and just ask them to watch this. LOL
thank you
Thanks for the anecdotel tip
If you've been a personal trainer for 35 year why would you need this information?
There was a book on P.O.S. training, it was the best book on training I have EVER read. I believes it applies here. The Biceps are a simple muscle group as you say.
Excessive 1. Standing biceps dumbbell curls. Light weight to start . Great midrange movement.
Excessive 2. Preacher curls with a straight bar, Light weight super slow movement, focusing on the fell. Peak or contraction movement.
Excessive 3 Incline dumbbell curls focus on the stretch....
Great video!
Regarding the bent over concentration curl you do. I do the same thing but with the arm hanging straight down, I don't get resistance when I curl it right off the bat. However I did come up with a variation on that curl that I'd love to share.
1. Get into position to do curl with dumbbell in hand.
2. With arm hanging straight down, move hand inwards until you feel the weight just starting to stress the bicep. That will be your staring position.
3. Curl weight up towards the chest.
4. With dumbbell up at your chest, drag it from the nipple furthest away from your curling arm to the nipple closest to your curling arm.
5. Really squeeze the bicep as you do it.
6. Reverse the motion and return to the starting position.
In simpler terms:
You're doing a horizontal drag curl that brings the dumbbell across the chest in a bent forward position.
This video style is probably more import than most workout vids. When you know a lot about working out it can seem very simple, but too often people on the outside look at it as some weird physical/magic combo and don't feel they can get a grasp of the concepts involved. It really is simple, it just involves dedication and time and to put that first makes the rest fall in line.
As always Buff Dudes keeping it real and giving you the facts to help you.
Thank you for this Brandon! I've been lifting weights for a while now & really just do what I've been told to. Really enjoyed learning why I've been doing it.
All of this was just advice. Do whatever the FKKK you wanna do!!!
1:02 I get a car like that, unlock the door and a protein shake is already prepared waiting for you.
Super weird seeing a serious video from y'all but absolutely love it. I usually like the vids because you do a great job of explaining the exercises without trying to sound "fake smart" to garnish views like I feel like a lot of youtubers out there do, but this video was a great explanation of everything you need to know about the biceps muscle and good, simple exercises to help them grow. Would have loved to hear you talk about brachialis and brachioradialis as they are also both elbow flexors as well and brachialis can help the bicep look more full since it sits deep to the belly of the biceps, but overall was a no-bs, well put together video, thank you lads!
Videos like this are far and few between, and it is why I trust you guys. Thank you.
I think for every body part, do one bread and butter full ROM exercise. Then do heavy partials in the bottom of the rep in a full stretch (incline curl heavy bottom 1/3rd), then finish with exercise that is ,most difficult in the fully contracted point (e.g. spider curls) pump the shit out of the contraction beyond failure techniques.
For me this really worked. It also makes you really think about which exercises stretch the 2 attachment points furthest from eachother. And how to best perform it so the resistance curve is hardest at that point (e.g. cables, bands, dumbells?) , then the opposite, and think where are the 2 attachments closest. You cant really hammer these 2 ranges in the same exercise. So I recommend partials.
That’s excellent advice.
Hi Dude, I am an Australian and 63 male, I use to be a truck driver and done it for over 20 years, during that time I strengthen up my upper body strength and it came in handy as if I slip I could hold my body weight. 1 am 80 kilos and only a short man, anyway one night I played table pool 8 ball over there, and in his garage and it tin and had a good spin and so being a little drunk I thought I would try some chin ups, and full chip ups and I got out 6 and it was my limit, I got the young ones in 40 and younger and they couldn't do anymore than 2 that surprised me, next few days I never felt sore, cause I knew I had the strength. Now lately I do biceps curls but I use Blue stone to do it as I can't afford weights, I do 5 sets of 20 but take a small break between them, I do them completely straight and slow and get them up. I do have a few longer ones and may try them, but I do get pumped and I also feel my chest is up too. I haven't done stuff like this for 25 years, and I am careful what I do, push too hard too soon and you damage a muscle, it takes a long time to heal, Thank you for the video Dude, even old guys like me what to get muscle. Some times you have to be inventive and use what is around you to build up muscle.
Please make this a series. Love the simplicity of the knowledge you're putting out. I preach these same fundamentals to people in the gym when they approach me and start asking questions.
Funny....I'm sure you would say the same about my physic, many haters do, but 100% legal supplements only and im the type that would admit it if I was juicing cause I don't give a ish what anyone thinks. You provided no proof of your claim just a salty message. Either way his advice is spot on and that's what my comment was in reference to.
@loyal and faithful Not really sure what you're referring to. This guy has multiple videos covering a variety of topics relating to all things about lifting including the nutritional aspect which is the foundation to training for a good physic. You literally accused him of taking steroids but offer no proof of such a claim. I'd say that's being pretty salty. I can also assure you it is possible to get his current build by being purely legit and living the lifestyle he promotes on his channel. Now if he looked like Jay Cutler or Ronnie Coleman I'd agree with your accusation. I'm not saying if he does or doesn't juice cause I don't know for sure but from what I gather neither do you and no disrespect, but making that baseless accusation makes you sound like a hater, and I'm still confused about what bad or misinformation he put out in this video.
There is a big difference between moving weight and contracting muscle. Too many beginners are confused as to what they want from training. For a beginner, getting stronger means a larger muscle. So, they're inclined to disregard the simple mechanics to actually contract the muscle. Solid video. Thanks.
Correction at 5:12... Supersets work opposing muscle groups, like doing a bi's set then jumping right into a tricep set. Compound sets double-down on the same muscle group. Many people often confuse the two. Good info. After my 30 years of a ton of gym time, he's spot on. Thanks for posting.
This channel always has such a high integrity when providing real and accurate information. Can definitely trust this one.
Ive been lifting for 40 years , thats one of the best videos Ive seen as an instruction
Massive help!! What none of the others said was elbow flex. Was always doing rep to feel the burn but never got the full development. Thanks soo much honestly!
And I've been training for about 3 years and biceps are seriously lacking. Such a great video, really helped me!
I'm 56 and I watch your channel before I work out UA-cam is better because of the way you present the content honest
I'm glad I found you guys. I was watching V shred every day, and I kept getting injured. Keep up the good hard work!
Did dude just say 'bicepital groove'? (10:10) 😂😂 👌I'm 50 in March, been training since the late 80s and have never heard that before. I subscrined immediately hahaha. Nice!
Been working on my biceps lately I have gained some size, never really focused on biceps really, always focused more on triceps since the triceps make a bigger portion of your arm and it gives the biceps a overall bigger look, I’ve been doing these 3 bicep workouts and they work and are simple to do STAY BUFF EVERYONE💪
It's so funny how you can tell when it's Michaela holding the camera - Brandon's whole demeanor changes. It's pretty adorable tbh
This is great content. Keeping things simple is NOT a bad thing, not at all. No matter the muscle or movement, the idea that there's a "SECRET" exercise or technique that's required for big gains is nonsense.
Your video style is evolving or maybe it's just me. Either way this is awesome
I'm 52, been training for all of my adult life. At this point my specific biceps routine has dropped to a finishing lift. One exercise. Low cable, one handed curls with an angle of attack that stressing from behind you a bit. The reason ? It's because if you are a hard back trainer, even if your attempting to isolate, you've effectively worked your arms. You cant, no matter your form, do back work without bending at the elbow, engaging your arms. The amount of weight your handling is far in excess of any iso arm lift. Having a really good back program has essentially worked your arms already. Adding excess volume on that is unnecessary. Of course, everyone's different.
My low back is weak and sore on the left side just above the bone.. like a itch I can't scratch or a muscle I can't stretch 🤣 been trying everything
I tried the same thing for a long time but it didn't work. I had to have a dedicated arm day. Everyone is different.
I stay away from incline curls. Messes with my shoulders and elbows also.
Concentration curls are a nice exercise to do. I like that.
Also, please remember - dont make "everyday arm day". Arms get work on chest, back, and shoulders. Too much focused attention will f*** your s*** up! Stay Buff! Stay Safe, fam!
I curled daily when my arms weren't responding and it helped. Noobs need volume
Superb video! All good points! My fav biceps workout is Standing Barbell Curls to Forehead... My fav arm pump is Preacher curls to Incline narrow hand Pushups!!! The pump is EPIC borderline Bursting!!! Stay Buff!!!
I started doing preacher curls on a machine, and it really allowed me to progress, and made any kind of cheat impossible as well as allowing me to just focus pull with my biceps
Been a subscriber for a while but been off and on with my own development. Really been extra motivated the last few months and it feels different than the last, I really want to get shredded and I’ve been enjoying all your guys videos again.
Bravo. You have a clear undestanding of the mind muscle connection. Keep it simple!
Great concise and SIMPLE video, many others lack this simplicity as you stated.
One of the best videos on the subject. Great explanation on the reason behind each movement.
This is not only for biceps but for all muscles. Very serious from Buff Dudes, but no BS and very correct. Great job
1st guy i've listened to that makes sense and i've watched a lot of videos
You guys have helped so much with my workouts and almost everything I know has come from you guys, you have a video for almost everything. Never leave you guys are kings 💪
Great as always guys, all the best for Christmas and New year.
Got back to it this year started with Lighter weights. 1st learning and making the mind muscle connection doing more reps Being patient before increasing weight. I'll do my 1st set at the lighter weight it warms me up but most importantly establish Form and the Muscle to mind connection. The next set I increase the weight that i'm working out with. Good info 👍👍
If everyone decided to watch this channel, specially "How-To-REALLY" series, most PTs would have no clients. Bravo for making great value for FREE.
Sup Brandon and Hudson, and the rest of Buff family, have a badass week be safe!
If your arms are struggling to grow give blood flow restriction bands a try. I put an inch on my arms using them. Took about 6 months. Less joint stress as well since your forced to use lighter weights. The pumps are insane.
Great information!!! That Buff Dudes gym is so great!
Bro you're speaking the truth! That's what help my arms grow.
Exactly!
In Romania we have a trainer/body builder that said the exact same thing: there are no specific exercises. Just try the 3 different angles of the arms and you are fine
Great work on this one guys! I totally agree. Things are for the most simpler than what we think.
Would love to see more of this style of videos!
I use very similar exercises - 1) standing cable curl with back to the machine, standing further away - pretty much a standing version of the incline curl from this video - you pull the weight/curl from behind of your body 2) Ez barbell curls and 3) isolation curl, seated or bent over. I've been lifting for 25 years. Just like life in general, building muscles is very simple, but it's not easy. You have to be consistent and work on yourself. You lift, you eat, you rest. Also, basic stuff works.
Just one small addition, the biceps tendon also crosses partly over the shoulder, so there's a small degree of shoulder flexion involved as well. This compound movement is why gymnasts have large biceps. This is what is going on in the "cheat" curl.
Thanks for all that you guys do y’all have really helped me get in better shape. Just ordered my bulking book today and I’m ready to get huge
simple, that is what i like from you guys, I bought your super hero plan, and I love it, keep up the good work.
From a movement perspective I would add pronation to supranational rotation to the curl. Especially the incline curls.
The full job of the bicep is to bend the elbow, flex the shoulder (long head) and supination of the forearm. Just my 2 cents.
Great video Brandon! Very informative and non biased. 💪
100% true, too often we find these fitness influencers trying to do fancy exercises to make the untrained eye believe that hey these guys or girls are doing something different than everyone else, when sticking to the basics will always prevail 💪🏽
Thank you for a concise...simple to understand and patient video describing how to tain bi's...very cool...so many vids that are shouting at you..in ur face aggressive and as you say biased towards there views...or sometimes not even there views but they will sell out completely just to make money n promote something they want you to buy...Good job...love this!!!
To break through a plateau, I did the German Volume Method which works great. Try cable curls too. I do them with an easy bar attachment. I actually lay on the ground and use the low pulley. You can keep elbows stuck to the ground or bring them up and curl to your forehead. You'll get a great pump with relatively low weight because your biceps will be under constant tension throughout the movement.
You guys bring the true stuff and basic principles. thanks
PHOENIX TRANSFORMATION loves this simple approach. I am nearing the close of my 7th decade, with 56 years of lifting: free weights, machines, biking, jogging. Still feeling the BURN!
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Simple, perfect, easy to follow. This is why I love you guys. KBA Brandon!!
I really appreciate the super positive attitude and it's really nice way to start my day
Absolutely outstanding video! Truly phenomenal work. It’s highly informative and super helpful. Thank you so much for such amazing content and all the great advice! Your wisdom is extremely valuable to us. The effort you guys put into creating these awesome videos is truly commendable. I greatly appreciate it. You guys are incredibly inspiring! 🙏
I do have to say I’ve got a lot of gains from doing the rows.. from just doing them so I’m gonna keep doing it
dudes can you make this a series? this was extremely helpful. havent felt my biceps working since 2020 until this
I hate being told what to do, rather explain why it should be done that way.
What I've always loved about your content is that you present information in an entertaining and easy to digest format. But I also love stats and studies and really getting down into the raw, gritty data and that's what I go to Jeff Nippard for. I don't even really like his workout videos that much but he gets so incredibly nerdy about the how and why of things and usually cites his sources so that I can go after the fact and read them for myself.
Man I have missed the Buff Dudes. Glad to see you guys
Honest bodybuilding best workout channel on UA-cam.
I Love that you come clean on this video. Loving your three favorite biceps exercises there are keepers.Thank you for sharing with that, saying I am now a subscriber. 💪😎
These guys are wicked. So accessible, so down to earth. Inspiring stuff!
My hats off to you gents. You guys are a God send for the beginners out there. Stay Buff. 💪
Excellent advice - this is really all you need if you want your biceps to grow.
What helped me start to see good bicep gains was focusing on the contraction. I'll start with a lighter weight warm-up set and really focus on it... do some partial reps right in the contraction sweet spot too... FEEL the bicep contracting... focus on the eccentric too, don't just drop the weight. That's the stuff 👍
Strict elbow flexion, makes sense. I always try to have good form and now I'm lowering the weight if I have to in order to have perfect form.
Thank you for your honesty. Have lots of respect for you sir.
this is a pure science based video with the appropriate individualized disclaimers. well done.
Facts on facts my man. Keep it simple, do it right and consistantly and you'll get the gains.
Stay buff , following since 2015