“The single biggest mistake that most beginners make is putting up 100% of their effort into the positive (concentric) part of the rep, paying no attention to the negative (eccentric) segment” – 6 x Mr. Olympia Dorian Yates.
Right from the ignoring the negative half of the rep to working out biceps on a lats day, we have covered all the top mistakes that you should never make to build strong and sleeve bursting arms. Here they are –
1) NEVER NEGLECT THE NEGATIVES
Eccentric training is very crucial for all muscle groups be it pecs or triceps. However, with Biceps, eccentric contraction finds a lot more attachment than others. You may wonder what’s the big deal with this eccentric training?
Eccentric or negative contraction is of grave importance for building muscles as it has a vital role to play in triggering the muscle hypertrophy process.
So, to bulk up biceps and get the most out of your bicep workout routine, you should focus equally or rather more on the negative part of the rep. I would suggest lowering down the weights a bit slower than curling up, that is, about 2-3 seconds in every rep.
You can even go lighter on weights to get more control over the motion. And believe me, maximising on eccentric training every time will give you the pump of your life.
You should also read – 3 Biceps Training Tips to Maximize Arm Development
2) NEVER ENGAGE YOUR SHOULDERS
Well, every trainer out there has his story to sell about building big biceps which may not always be true as this one – Raising shoulders and elbows while curling. Many of the trainers or I might say Bodybuilders still believe that raising shoulders a bit while doing curls will help them get better squeeze in the biceps. And that’s totally wrong.
Raising shoulders backing elbow will not only take away the contraction from the biceps but will also engage your deltoid muscle which is not fair for a bicep curl.
You should also read – Kickass Bicep Workout Routine Tips from Top Bodybuilders
3) NEVER CURL WITH EITHER WRIST OR FOREARMS
It’s quite obvious to get a minimal pump in the forearms while working out biceps. But there’s something wrong with your technique when you get more pump in the forearms instead of biceps.
Many a time, people start biceps curls by contracting their forearms a bit. It shifts the primary focus from biceps to forearms. And even more badly, people often curl their wrists at the top of the motion just to get their rep completed.
All these minor flaws deprive biceps of a great pump and stretch. The only way to involve more of biceps and less of forearms and wrists into curls is by keeping the wrists in line with the forearms and keeping the same posture throughout the exercise.
You should also read – 3 Reasons Your Biceps are Still Flat
4) NEVER GET INTO A WRONG POSTURE
How to curl in an incorrect position?
Answer – Either uses too much momentum or keeps leaning back to and fro.
Leaning way to the back and using too much of momentum are two very common culprits who will not only snatch away the stress on the biceps but also incline you towards injuries in the longer run.
If it’s the weights that are making you lean back or use too much of momentum, then I would suggest you go and grab a light weight. Now, perform the exercise with correct posture and not doing things that will take away tension from biceps. And once you have mastered the motion on light weights, work your way towards heavier.
5) IF BIG BICEPS ARE YOUR PRIORITY THEN NEVER TRAIN THEM AFTER BACK
You would certainly disagree with me on this one but believe me, when I say that if you want to take your bicep workout to next level, then you should stop training your biceps after lats.
You need to know that by the time you have finished your lats routine, you have probably got little energy resources left with you to go further with the workout. And now when you hit biceps, it’s become a bit messy.
Rather you should include an arm day in your routine so that you can go on with full intensity in your bicep training as well.
Also published on Medium.
