Biceps for dummies

I cannot seem to get a decent burn on my biceps, no matter what I do..

Put another way, I don't seem to be increasing my strength by any measurement on any bicep curls. I've tried the various machines at the gym with preacher-curl type platforms, I've tried pullies, and I've just now started to go with dumbbells while standing.

Does anyone have suggestions for a 'hard-to-screw-up' bicep exercise?

Thanks

BLink Brian Link in St. Paul, Minnesota

The 'burn' is irrelevant.

Anything can be screwed up.

If you want to increase your strength at curls, then do all the things you'd do to increase your strength on some other exercise. If you're always working them the same way, then start working them differently. Start working in some different rep ranges and start working in different intensity ranges. Increase the frequency that you work them for awhile, and then decrease it again.

But.

If your purpose is to make your arms bigger, then you really should probably concentrate more on your triceps than your biceps. It's OK to do biceps work but guys with big arms usually have quite a bit of mass in their tris and frequently their biceps are really kinda dwarfed by their tris.

Watson (the pencil neck) Davis

chinups 1-arm barbell curls

1 arm 'barbell curls'??? Is this done with an Olympic bar and 2 plates?

Gak. I knew after I wrote it I shouldn't have said 'burn'. Trying to use jargon I don't fully understand..

You've all figured out what I really meant, namely how to increase the mass of my upper arms..

BLink Brian Link in St. Paul, Minnesota

On Tue, 31 Dec 2002 07:13:44 GMT, spodosaurus

Bicep Exercises and info:
http://exrx.net/Muscles/BicepsBrachii.html
http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/ DBInclineCurl.html
http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Biceps/DBCurl.html
http://exrx.net/WeightExercises/Brachioradialis/ DBHammerCurl.html (forearm targeted as well)

Keep in mind though that by working the rest of your upper body, your arms will grow be default because they're involved in virtually every exercise you do. Therefore because of this fact, try completing your major muscle group exercises (compound exercises) first, then finish with your arms (isolated exercises). Good luck!