Monday AGAIN?!
Monday workouts come in two parts; chest and biceps. Now, that we reviewed the first part of this regimen, we’re onto the “guns”. It does not matter which body part you do first, I usually switch between chest and biceps during sets to give my muscles a break. The biceps muscles are exercised in multiple weight lifting techniques, even some that you would not expect. However, it is imperative to use methods that isolate the muscle for it to grow exponentially.
There are copious exercises that could work, but here are a few of my favorite ones. Usually, I start with Bicep Preacher curl. These actually come from Arnold Schwarzeneggers’ workout. It consists of you leaning your arms over a tilted platform, while curling weights.
This can be done with a straight bar or with individual free weights. Either way, lifting by using this technique solely targets the bicep muscle. By extending your arms, it stretches the muscle. Then when you bring the weights to your chest, it contracts the muscle, causing it to rip and tear the muscle. When these tears heal it makes the muscle larger.
Other than these types of curls, there are various other forms you could do that so a similar job. Another one that was on Arnold’s regimen is the Concentration curls. These start on a diagonal angle, with a concept sim
ilar to the Preacher curls regarding the muscle movement. There are Reverse Barbell curls and Low-Pulley curls which are very similar in form. The both involve a vertical movement. The only difference between these positions is that the Reverse Barbell curl stresses the bicep muscle and a section of the forearm.
Whether you prefer pulleys or free weights both get the job done. You can choose to use one, or to practice both. I prefer to do both because it is important to vary your workouts. It increases your chances of continuing your exercises because it prevents you from getting bored. In addition, it also exercises different fibers and sections of the muscle. The free weights allow you to have a fluid motion. However, with this freedom, it allows for an increased chance of injuries. This is why performing with correct form while doing these methods is imperative. The pulley weights provide a more restricted movement, which makes it is hard lift incorrectly. This training technique is good for beginners, but it is also a sufficient advanced technique.
While completing these weight lifting movements, make an effort to utilize both heavy and light weight. For heavyweight days, make sure to restrict yourself to only an 8 rep maximum. This is so your muscles don’t tire out mid-workout. As you increase the weight, you should decrease the number of reps. If you are going for a new personal record, all you need is 1 or 2 reps of that weight. These reps should be done in a set of 4. This is to prevent injuries and muscle strain. If you were to lift lighter weights, this should be done in a high number of reps. It can be anywhere from 10-12 reps in sets of 4. As you slowly, increase the weight you must decrease the number of reps. If you were to decrease the weights during the sets, then you should increase the number of repetitions. This training regimen helps produce muscle mass and muscle definition. However, your results always depend on how much you effort you are willing to put in to molding your ideal body.