Don't Feel Biceps Working Out (10 Points)?

Question

I do bicep curls with a weight that's heavy for me. I can do 7 reps on the first set, 4 reps on the second set, and 4 reps again on the third set.

I hold the dumbbell with my palm facing my side, then lift the dumbbell up to my shoulder, or close to it. My elbow stays locked to my side, and when I have fully lifted it my palm is facing me.

When lowering the dumbbell I basically do the opposite, elbow in place. I do the curls fairly slowly too.

Why don't I really feel my bicep working much?

Answer 1

your probably lifting your elbows making your shoulders do all the work and the biceps none at all. try to keep your elbows at your side and just lift from your elbow to your wrist up.

Answer 2

if you are doing the technique correctly then the weight isn't heavy enough or try doing the exercise quickly. a common misconception is that all weight exercises should be done slowly.

don't do 1 set of 7 and then 2 sets of 4, keep it consistent. do 3 sets of 5 or 6 or 2 sets of 8. increase the weight or increase the speed. in my opinion you should increase the speed as power is more important than simple strength

Answer 3

Whenever you lift you need to concentrate on the muscle group you are wanting to work.  If you don't feel it in that place then go to a lower weight until you can.  You are cheating and using different muscle groups to lift the weight.  

btw i prefer hammer curls to build up my biceps.

http://www.ebicep.com/hammer-curl.html

Answer 4

I am a competitive bodybuilder so I think I might be able to help. It sounds like you are going to heavy. If you are trying to get the muscle to grow then you want to use a weight that you will fail in the 8 - 12 rep range. That is the area that is going to spur the most growth. Also you want to do more than just one kind of curl. There are two muscles in the biceps. So you need to use different angles to work both heads. Try to shoot for 9 to 12 sets with the 8 - 12 rep range. If you do those two things that should help you.

Answer 5

The most important part of weightlifting is proper form. This goes double for curls. Use less weight and do them as perfectly as you can. Use a curling "Preacher" if you can.

Answer 6

ok i def think i c the problem.  First off, if DB curls r the only thing that ur doing, that is the first problem.  If this is true then u should add in 2 more exercises.  But the real problem is ur rep scheme.  For the majority of the ppl in this world, 4 reps on curls is too heavy, which puts the majority of the stress on the elbow joint instead of the biceps.  Cheating also becomes a factor in this stage b/ the weight is usually too heavy, but u said u ulitize proper form so if thats true then theres no prob there.  What u need to do is use a weight that allows u to fail in the 8-12 range.  Im the same way, if i go below 6 reps, i feel it more in my elbows and dont feel i got a good biceps workout.  So try doing 8-12 reps for ur working sets.  Heres what i normally do if i do DB curls: 30lbs/12reps, 45lbs/10reps, 60lbs/8-10reps, 65-70lbs/8-10reps.  This is what u should try to be doing.  Keeping ur reps in the 8-12 and going to muscle failure on the last set or 2.  Also, if u have to cheat up the last rep or so, then so be it.  This can help u achieve more growth b/c if u would just stop, then fine, but there r smaller muscles in the upper arm (such as the coracobrachialis,

brachialis, brachioradialis) that r not completely fatigued.  This means that u will not stimulate all the type IIx fibers, which r the ones that can grow larger than all the others.  Of course if u have to cheat from the first rep or 2 then ur going to heavy.  Also, make sure its only slight cheating (leaning back a bit at top of rep, slight swing at beginning, etc).  This has helped me and many others obtain size in many muscles (include arnold, who basically started the whole cheating curl).

And if ur palm reaches ur shoulder, u may be going up to high causing ur elbow to move from its place at ur sides.  Of course, everyone is different and ur bicep muscle belly and tendon might not be as long as most which allows u a greater range of motion.  This is something that ull have to check when u r doing the lift.  If u notice that ur elbow is coming forward from ur sides, then u shouldnt go up that high, if it doesnt then keep doing what ur doing.  

One last hint would be to over emphasize the supination at the top of the rep.  When ur bringing the DB up to ur shoulder, keep turning the palm a bit more.  I.E., instead of having ur palm facing ur shoulder, it will be turned slightly more to the outside.  Just try this without weight right now.  Put ur hand over ur bicep muscle and curl up like u normally would and feel it contract.  Now wen ur at the top try to supinate ur hand a bit more, u will feel it contract harder.  The reason behind this is b/c although the bicep muscle is a strong flexor of the elbow, it is also the strongest and main supinator of the hand.  U will feel a much better contraction and pump after a few sets doing this.

good luck and email me if u may have ne other questions

NEW INFORMATION!!

Yea i have heard of that.  I read through it once and it seemed good when i was reading it, but once i got to the breakdown of the workouts and exercises, i new right there that it wasnt that great of a program.  Of course, some ppl will get good results from it, but i new it wouldnt work for me and prolly wouldnt work for most ppl.  If most of the workouts seem to be working well for u then, by all means, keep at it.  However, from what ur saying about the bicep not working, u should definitely change it.  Of course in the end its up to u entirely.  Most people (including me) cannot get good bicep workouts from heavy curls in that low of a rep range.  In ur case, it might be that ur myofibrils r not developed enough for a low rep range to work.  I suggest that u try the 8-12 range (u can go to 6 at times if u want).

Ur right about that program, it isnt bullshit, but the thing that most people (and the writers of that program) 4get is that what works for person A might not work for person B, C, D, etc.  We r all very different.  Lifting is a trial and error exercise.  If something isnt working, u find something that does work and u stick with it until it stops and then repeat.  At one point or another (which in sure u know), our bodies will adapt to the stresses that we put them through, so we have to ulitize a different stress.  Also, i do recommend using heavy weight and lower reps at certain points.  One will never gain the maximum amount of muscles mass without it.  This is simply because our muscles can be considered lazy, they only use as many fibers as it takes to overcome a given load; no more, no less.  Which is y the tension needs to be overloaded at times to force the muscles to recruit more and more fibers (esp type IIx, b/c they r the largest,strongest and have the capacity to grow the largest, they also use the largest motor units).

One final thing about these programs online and in magazines, is that they mostly go from experience (which is definitely important), but i always use lots of experience from myself as well as the research i do.  Which 99% of the time is very accurate.

So basically, i still suggest that u try the mid-rep range and c how that goes, but once again its up to u in the end.  If u do decide to try the lower reps, u should still try some of the other techniques i suggested b4.  They may help u obtain a more successful bicep workout.

good luck and lemme no wat u think