Strength

Any unique tips for growing a larger bicep?

Unique Tips for Growing Bigger Biceps - Sneak Them In!

So the question is, any unique tips for growing a larger bicep? Well, for me, I have such big biceps already that I don't really need to work them. Just kidding. Is obviously to prioritize that. So obviously, if you're younger, you can train at larger volume and a little bit more frequency, but also just micro dosing them. So even if it's a leg day or whatnot, to do one or two, three, one or two, three, four sets of elbow flexion type exercises. You can sneak those in and it doesn't have to be the priority of the workout. The other thing is to work them in different ranges. So work them in a very lengthened position and get them strong in that. And then as you fatigue, you can make the weight lighter or make the exercise easier as you fatigue. And just remember at the very end of elbow flexion, there's little to no torque moment arm on the elbow flexors. So sometimes just working them where they're the strongest also in that 90 degree angle will help. And also doing compound movements, not just the elbow flexion type exercises, the pull-ups, the rows, even though rows can be more or should be more of a lat type exercise, but to superset those. So you could do the large compound movements, for example, do pull-ups and then superset those with some elbow flexion curling type exercises. So hopefully that helps and gives you a little bit of a variety on things that you can do and choose for your workouts.

To grow larger biceps, prioritize them in your workouts, micro dose them by doing one or two sets of elbow flexion exercises throughout the week, work them in different ranges and don't forget to do compound movements such as pull-ups and superset with elbow flexion curling type exercises.

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When it comes to growing larger biceps, I have a few unique tips to share. First of all, prioritize bicep training by incorporating exercises specifically targeting the biceps. Even on leg days or other workout routines, you can include one or two sets of elbow flexion exercises for the biceps. It doesn't have to be the main focus of the workout, but you can sneak them in.

Another tip is to work the biceps in different ranges of motion. Strengthen them in both lengthened and contracted positions. As you fatigue, you can adjust the weight or make the exercises easier to continue working the muscles effectively.

Keep in mind that at the end of elbow flexion, there's little to no torque moment arm on the bicep muscles. So working them where they're strongest, typically at a 90-degree angle, can be beneficial.

Additionally, don't just rely on isolation exercises for the biceps. Incorporate compound movements like pull-ups and rows into your routine. While rows primarily target the lats, you can superset them with elbow flexion exercises to engage the biceps as well.

By following these tips and adding variety to your workouts, you can work towards growing larger biceps.

To up my workouts, should I start by increasing my weights or do faster or more reps?

Maximize Workouts: Exploring Holds, Stances, and Direction of Force

So the question is, to up my workouts, should I start by increasing my weights or do faster or more reps? Well, first let's work on control and adding holds at different places in the range. So halfway down you can hold three seconds, lower it down to that point, hold three seconds, go all the way down another three seconds, and then try to come up for three seconds. So crazy threes, crazy fives, hold 10 seconds, come up, make it reactive. So you have to stop on command. The last thing that I like to do is add weight. And then the other thing is your stance. So worry about if you're doing something standing up, change where you're standing, change your foot position. The last thing that you should change is the weight, change the direction of force that's coming at you. So hopefully that helps, and reps are one thing, but how fast are you doing the reps? How slow are you doing the reps? So try the holds, try the stances, try the direction of where the force, where the machine, where the cable is pulling you, your grip in and out, wider, narrower, and it's a completely different animal, completely different workout. So hopefully that helps, and look forward to hearing more.

To increase your workout, focus on control and adding holds at different points in the range of motion. Utilize different stances, directions of force, and grips to make the workout more challenging. Finally, add weight when you are comfortable with the movements to further increase difficulty.

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To enhance your workouts, whether to increase weights or focus on faster or more reps, there are a few strategies to consider. First, prioritize control and add holds at different points in the range of motion. For example, you can hold for three seconds halfway down, three seconds at the lowest point, and three seconds on the way up. You can also experiment with longer holds, such as ten seconds, and make the movement reactive by stopping on command.

Another aspect to explore is your stance or foot position. If you're performing exercises while standing, try changing where you stand and altering your foot position. This can provide a different challenge and engage different muscle groups.

Lastly, consider adding weight or changing the direction of force. Changing the weight load or the direction from which the force is applied can create a new stimulus for your muscles.

Remember, it's not just about the number of reps, but also the speed at which you perform them. Experiment with different holds, stances, and force directions to create a varied and effective workout routine.

What are good external exercises for your shoulder?

Unlock Strong and Healthy Shoulders with External Rotation

So I'll go, excuse me, I'll go off on a little tangent on this one, but the question is what are good external exercises for your shoulders? I think what you're meaning is what is good external rotation exercises for your shoulders. So if we look at our shoulder here, this is kind of internal rotation, this is external rotation. So a lot of the pushing exercises that we do, lat pulldowns, bench press, all that stuff, sitting at a desk, riding the bike, sports, gravity is focused on internal rotation. So I love that question. External rotation is just gonna help the health of your shoulders, your posture, you're gonna look better, you're gonna feel better, and then the chain reaction all the way down. So to get to the exercises here, so T's, W's, laying on, and I should probably demo this one, but laying on your back, sorry, laying on your stomach, keeping your head down, squeeze your butt, relax your ankles, but focus on driving your belly button down, you're on your stomach, your arms are on the side in a neutral position, and focus on just externally rotating them. So you're on the ground, externally rotate, and then try to drive them back. So picture myself laying on the ground, I'm gonna drive my shoulders into external rotation, and then try to drive them down, hold that, so you're gonna be pinching all this infraspinatus, external rotation type stuff, and see if you can hold that for, you know, 10-15 seconds, relax and do it again, and then you go to those classic T's and W's. You can do those also standing up, where it's easier, and then as you lean forward, you can do the same T's and W's, kind of like as if you're in a deadlift position, so you just hip hinge and do the same thing. Hopefully that helps that out, helps you out, and I need to show some demos on that one.

When it comes to good external rotation exercises for your shoulders, some of the best exercises include laying on your stomach and externally rotating your arms, as well as doing T's and W's in a standing or deadlift position.

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The question is about good external exercises for the shoulders, specifically focusing on external rotation. External rotation exercises are important to maintain shoulder health, posture, and overall well-being. Internal rotation exercises, such as pushing movements in various activities, tend to dominate our routines. To target external rotation, some effective exercises include T's and W's. Another exercise involves lying on your stomach with your head down, squeezing your butt, relaxing your ankles, and externally rotating your arms while driving them down. Hold this position for 10-15 seconds and repeat. T's and W's can also be done in a standing position or with a hip hinge movement similar to a deadlift. Demonstrations would be helpful in understanding these exercises better.

How can I change my grip when I bench to work different muscle parts?

Maximize bench press gains with strategic grip changes

All right, so I brought my expert with me on this one, Super Muscle Maddy. The question here is how can I change my grip when I work, when I do bench to work different muscle parts? So the first thing is barbell presses are always going to be a staple in lifting. I prefer the dumbbell because it's a little bit more safer and joint friendly depending on joint mechanics, depending on the makeup. And it's a good place to play around with some of the variations that I'm going to talk about. So to put it real simply, anything farther away from a joint is going to put more torque on it. Anything closer to the joint is going to put less torque on it. That's just a real simple one. And when I'm talking about the dumbbells is start with doing the bench press type motion on the ground with dumbbells. So you're in that sit up position, your feet are underneath you, and let's do a bench press where you're on the ground or a pressing motion where your elbows are really close to the body and you're pressing up. So that's going to put more emphasis on elbow extensors, so tricep type stuff, and it's going to put more torque on the elbow. That can be good, that can be bad. Then you can bring your elbow out a little bit more away from you and start pressing that way. Then you can actually go to a almost like a curl type motion where you drop the dumbbell to the ground, you curl it, so it's a bicep type thing, and then you press it. So play around with the positioning where you're actually on the ground in that sit up position and you have those dumbbells and you're doing presses and just play around with where you put those elbows and you're going to feel it in different positions without me even saying anything. So enjoy that. It's safer. If you do drop the dumbbell, you can just drop your elbow and then toss it.

When trying to work different muscle parts when doing bench pressing, use dumbbells instead of a barbell and experiment with positioning your elbows closer or further away from your body. This will put more or less torque on your joints and you'll be able to feel the difference.

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To change your grip when benching in order to target different muscle parts, there are a few variations you can try. I'll bring in my expert, Super Muscle Maddy, to help explain.

First, it's important to note that barbell presses are a staple in lifting, but using dumbbells can be safer and more joint-friendly, depending on your joint mechanics. So let's focus on variations using dumbbells.

To simplify things, remember that the farther away from a joint your grip is, the more torque it will put on that joint. Conversely, a grip closer to the joint will put less torque on it.

Start by doing a bench press motion on the ground with dumbbells. Lie in a sit-up position with your feet underneath you and perform a bench press where your elbows are close to your body. This will emphasize the elbow extensors, such as the triceps, and put more torque on the elbow joint.

Next, try bringing your elbows slightly farther away from your body and perform the pressing motion. This will target different muscle groups and distribute the torque differently.

You can also try an almost curl-like motion where you drop the dumbbell to the ground, curl it, and then press it. This will engage the biceps and provide a different stimulus.

The key is to play around with the positioning while on the ground in a sit-up position, using dumbbells for presses. Experiment with different elbow placements and you'll feel the variations in different muscle parts without needing specific instructions.

Remember, using dumbbells can be safer because if you need to drop the weight, you can simply drop your elbow and release the dumbbell. Enjoy exploring these variations and find what works best for you.

What types of lower body exercises should I be doing on a push day?

Optimize Your Workout: Key Lower Body Exercises on Push Day

I really like this question, so what types of lower body exercises should I do during a push day? So I always try to have a primary and a secondary. You can even have a third too. But so for example in this question it's a push day, so you're doing bench press, you're doing presses, you're doing any sort of pushing type exercises, dumbbell presses on the floor, push ups, etc. For example I have some knee issues just from OA from a little bit of arthritis, wear and tear and whatnot. So I'll do some quad stuff, some little baby squats, some terminal knee extensions, some band stuff, some hip stuff as an act of recovery in between. And that would be kind of my secondary if I was doing a push day. So anything that you're kind of lacking or you think you need a little bit more of. And for me that's taking care of my quads and taking care of my knee complex and my patella, I can't speak today, my patella and how it tracks. And working on things to keep my knees nice and fluid. So I'll work on some anterior stuff that day, quad type stuff. The next day say I was doing, or the next week I was doing push I might do a little bit more hamstring and glute type stuff. So it doesn't have to be real taxing but just something to keep those muscles working to aid with all the other stuff. And it'll definitely help you get through a more productive workout and not waste so much time.

During a push day, you should do lower body exercises that focus on your quadriceps and knee complex such as squats, terminal knee extensions, hip steps, and band exercises. This will help you work out more productively and avoid injury.

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I love this question about including lower body exercises on a push day. It's important to have a primary and secondary focus during your workout. On a push day, where you're doing exercises like bench press or dumbbell presses, you can incorporate lower body exercises as well. For example, I personally have knee issues due to arthritis, so I include some quad-specific exercises like small squats, terminal knee extensions, band work, and hip exercises as part of my recovery routine. These exercises help me take care of my quads and address any knee-related concerns. The key is to identify areas you may be lacking or need extra attention and incorporate relevant exercises accordingly. For instance, if you're focusing on push movements one week, you can target hamstrings and glutes the following week. It doesn't have to be strenuous; it's about keeping those muscles engaged to support your overall workout performance. By including lower body exercises on your push day, you'll have a more productive workout while optimizing your time in the gym.

For weight loss, would you recommend cardio or weights?

Cardio or Weights: The Key to Effective Weight Loss Revealed

So the question is for weight loss, would you recommend cardio or weights? Well, I'm going to shoot a question back to you. So if you go into any health club and you look at the people, and I'm going to stereotype the people that, actually you're going to stereotype the people that are on the treadmills, on the ellipticals. Look at them and then look at the people that are doing some sort of free weights, some sort of machines, and look at the body types. And you'll definitely see a difference of that person that's been on that rat race, on that treadmill, very dedicated, but doing that so-called cardio. So hopefully that answers your question, because you can definitely see a difference. And I'm not trying to be mean, but definitely, hopefully you've come to conclusion of what is the better way for weight loss. But now your aerobic fitness is super, super important, but if you don't have the muscular system to hold that, to hold your body together, your cardio is not going to be anything. So think about that. Hopefully that helps. And I think you just answered your own question.

Cardio and weight training are both important for weight loss. You can see the difference in body types of those who primarily do cardio vs those who incorporate strength training into their routine. Cardio is important for aerobic fitness, whereas strength training helps support your body and keep it together.

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Regarding weight loss, you asked whether I would recommend cardio or weights. I'll turn the question back to you. If you observe people in a health club, specifically those on treadmills or ellipticals versus those using free weights or machines, you'll notice differences in body types. This observation can provide insight into the effectiveness of different approaches. While aerobic fitness is important, having a strong muscular system is crucial for supporting and maintaining your body. Without muscle strength, cardio alone may not yield significant results. Consider this perspective as it may help you come to your own conclusion about the better approach for weight loss.

Neither AnyQuestion nor its Experts provide medical advice, diagnosis or treatment or otherwise provide professional healthcare services.

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Bryan Meyer answers your Strength questions. See all the advice Bryan Meyer has and get answers to your own Strength questions.

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Bryan Meyer is a leading expert in athletic performance coaching and the founder of B Meyer Training in Orlando. His client list includes Olympic medalist and goes beyond just NBA all-stars. Meyer and his training methods have been featured in ESPN, Sports Illustrated and Men’s Health. Meyer was an instrumental in getting Dwight Howard back from a potential ending injury and this exercise was used in his rehab and strength program. His brand has spread to China and he has plans to continue to help educate Chinese athletes and coaches on better training.  His passion lies in education and not only helping build better athletes, but better people.