dumbell curling help

I

ineedperfection

0
I am stuck with curling for weeks and I haven't been able to efficiently add any weight to my dumbell.

I orginally started standing up straight and doing a dumbell curl. There has been no improvement.

Just a few days ago I started doing seated preacher curls and my biceps finally feel like they've been beaten with a bat a few times. However, I read that I can't use just that (. I need another bicep exercise. This is fine but I don't know which one to do and how to make it work efficiently. It seems when I use slightly lower weights, I work my forearms more with a standard dumbell curl.

Does this mean that I have a muscle group that just isn't strong enough and I should lower the weight a lot...or am I using improper methods.
 
You might be unconsciously cheating. That is why when you do the preacher curl it hurts. Stand with your back pressed against a wall when you do your standing curls and see if it is harder. If it is you are probably cheating.
 
well I don't do much leg work

I alternate every other day with either a or b with one rest day every week

a:
bench press (3 sets; I reach 5 reps per set and I add 2.5lb on each side)
some tricep workout with dumbells which I don't know the terminology for (3 sets and 15 reps)

b:
curling (3 sets, 5-15 times depending on exercise) I do sitting preacher and standard dumbell curls
ab roller to work abs (3 minutes of rolling)
I use dumbells to do some sort of back exercise that I read about (where I lay the dumbell on the ground and get on my kness and bend over the weights and lift them upwards) (3 sets times 10reps)


In addition, I sometimes mix in a calf exercise where I hold the bar and get on my toes


3x a week I run the treadmill for 5-10 minutes
at 7mph-7.5mph at elevation 10

My diet is pretty bad. I drink a protein shake in the morning or just water and go to school with a water bottle. When I get home around 12 or 2 pm (alternates everyday), I basically eat tons of food. I don't eat anything until around 8pm and then again at 11pm. During that long interval when I don't eat, I am usually sleeping since I go to sleep very late.

Not as efficient as it can be...but I've actually been working out more than ever in my lifetime in the past few weeks. I remember before I would start benching and quit..start benching and quit.
 
My guess is. . .

You're doing it with poor form. I had the same problem. I use to use 40 LB dumbbells when doing bicep curls (12 reps). I wasn't getting any burn and I was pissed. I researched it on the internet and found out that my form was a mess. Finally, when I got my form in tune I got the burn. I had to drop the weight by 10 pounds to 30 LB weights, in order to do it w/ proper form. My weight went down but at least I was getting results with it.

My favorite biceps exercise is the barbell curl. It keeps me in good form and I find that it gives me the most intense pump and burn. The other biceps exercise you could do is hammer curls. It's my least favorite biceps exercise but it gets the job done.
 
bicep curls suck...
if your diet sucks...your gains will probably suck.
chinups and pullups are far superior to curls.
you should work your whole body, because your body will eventually refuse to grow more on your biceps if the rest of your body is lagging. it wont allow imbalances.
 
Proteinboy said:
bicep curls suck...
if your diet sucks...your gains will probably suck.
chinups and pullups are far superior to curls.
you should work your whole body, because your body will eventually refuse to grow more on your biceps if the rest of your body is lagging. it wont allow imbalances.
Click to expand...

Chinups and pullups target the back (specifically the latissimus dorsi muscle) muscles, not the biceps. So, chinups and pullups won't work your biceps nearly as much as dumbbell curls or barbell curls. With chinups and pullups (along with any other back exercise), the only thing that the biceps do is stabilize the exercise and serve as synergists. With that being said, chinups and pullups are in no way superior to curls when it comes to working out the biceps. They are good back exercises; they are not biceps exercises.
 
rows, chins, and pullups are good compound exercises that will make the biceps grow. You're biceps might be more shot after curling, but if i wanted big arms, i would rather do chins than curls. so id say chins/pullups beats bi curls alone. A combination if the two is probobly the best way to go if you want big bi's.
 
How does that work?

Chinups and pullups target the back. If he's looking for exercises that target the biceps, why would you recommend back exercises? Biceps are worked out during chinups & pullups, but they only serve as stabilizers and synergists, not the target muscle group. The job of biceps with pullups is no different than the job of triceps during the bench press; they're both stabilizers.

One question: If I'm looking for a biceps exercise for my routine, why would you give me back exercises when they're already part of my routine?

If he's already doing pullups and chin ups and he's asking for biceps help, why tell him that he should do pull ups and chin ups for biceps when he's already doing them?
 
well, none of us were infact recommending a biceps exercise, your right about that. We are just trying to help him out, it seems like he is a newbie to this, and probobly doesnt know about how compound movements will put more mass and strenght on him.
We dident want to answer his question, we just want to help him :p
I just thought he was focusing too much on curls to build his biceps and thought it would be a good idea to enlighten him to the fact that compound pulls for the upper back is what will put the most size and strenght in the biceps.

And if he really wants a good bi exercise, he already mentioned sevral in his first thread, so i dont see the problem. Personally, i like preacher curls, because it doesnt allow me to cheat.
 
wait...so I should put more ephasis on pull-ups and chin-ups. I can't do a lot right now..maybe one or two...so I don' t think I should start these yet.
 
yes, you should. if you can get another person to help you, they can hold your legs while you do chinups. it gives you assistance. if nobody will help you (like they wouldnt me), just grab a chair and when you cant do any more, put your feet gently on the chair and push up with your feet as much as you need but try your hardest to use your upper body to do the pull.

lat pulldowns are an alternative. a weak alternative. i recommend assisted chinups, for most ppl, they are easier than pullups. work your way up; youl get there
 
Reverse pullups are always a good alternative as well. Honestly, I think that it is worth it to be doing pull-ups and chin-ups over lat pulldowns - alter it so that they fit your level.
 
For curls I always drop the weight and do more reps, like 12-15 and then move on when I increase my reps. Then after that I can move up 5 pounds per arm.
 
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