I always see people have arguments over what’s better for biceps: lightweight/high reps or heavy weight/low reps. People argue and argue and you might also wonder, which one is better? Should you do light or heavy? Well my answer to that is: why not combine best of both worlds?
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Changing up your bicep routine every couple weeks or so can be truly beneficial. Try going heavy with fewer sets for a month, and then switch up to lighter weight and more reps another month. Worst-case scenario, one of those methods will not work for you, then you just stick to the one that does. No matter what you do however, strict form is important. Makes sure to get a good squeeze at the top of your curl and CONTROL the weight down, stretching your arm just about all the way (do not lock out your elbows at the bottom, this will take stress of your biceps). Standing there and swinging yourself to 10 reps will not do much for you. Of course it goes without saying that if you truly want big arms, then just working your biceps intensely will not do. Compound movements (squats, deadlifts, pull-ups) ALONG with isolation exercises for biceps and triceps combine to result in arm growth.
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Here are sample routines for 2 different months, changing up the rep range.
Weeks 1-2 (Heavy, rep range 6-8)
Standing Barbell Curls – 4×8
Incline Dumbbell Curls – 4×8
Preacher Curls – 4×8
Concentration Curls – 4×8
Hammer Curls – 4×8
Weeks 3-4 (Light, rep range 12-15)
Preacher Curls – 4×12
Wide-Grip Standing Barbell Curls – 4×12
Overhead Cable Curls – 4×12
Hammer Curls – 4×12
Concentration Curls – 4×12
ALWAYS mix up the order and exercises in your routine. Your muscles eventually get adapted to a specific routine, and hence the growth slows down. Here’s Lou Ferrigno’s take on the topic: “If I were to do the same routine every workout, my biceps would eventually adapt to the exact kind of stresses I’m putting on them and not respond. To combat that, I’ll reverse the order, swap out different exercises for my usual ones or just mix up the entire workout on occasion. Joe Weider calls it the Muscle Confusion Training Principle, and I’m a strong believer in it.”
To conclude, all of our bodies are different. I suggest trying out the workouts I listed for a few weeks and see how your biceps feel. If you find that going light does not work for you, then just stick to the heavy routine. No harm will be done.
Writer Bio
Name: Davit Torosyan
Age: 20
Occupation: Student
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