Bigger biceps blog

[Shaun]

Hello everyone.

This will be my log for obtaining larger biceps muscles.

That is all.

[Shaun]

Been doing the Texas Method for just over three weeks now. The Texas Method, Starting Strength and Madcow's 5x5 are the only things I've ever made any progress on since I originally noticed the inadequacy of my biceps muscles in October 2008.

Since then it's been a bumpy road (although unfortunately my upper arms have remained fairly smooth). I've gained, lost, regained, spent a whole year going nowhere, and now back to making progress. I've experimented with Westside, three day splits, upper/lowers, you name it, and not gotten anywhere with any of them.

So I know what I must now do if I am to make my biceps muscles less pathetic.

My lower body has always been far stronger than my upper body, and far easier to get stronger too.

My PRs are:

Squat: 185kg
Bench: 92kg
Deadlift: 210kg
Press: 78kg
Power Clean: 92kg? (Was a while ago; foolishly have not cleaned in a while.)

Tonight's session:

Volume day week 4

Squats:

138 x 5/5/5/5/5

Not too bad. Form was better than last week, although wasn't quite making as good a use of the bounce as I could have on all reps.

Bench press:

78 x 5/5/5/5/5

Not too bad apart from the last rep of the third set. Probably went too quick again.

Deadlifts:

170 x 5

Easy enough. Tried out a new technique with hips higher at the starting position, and it feels much better. More leg drive at the start, stronger lockout contribution from hamstrings and and also shorter ROM.

Then did some arms, but couldn't find my favourite EZ bar (the only one that's ends actually spin) so did some triceps push downs and curls on a crappier bar.

Stretched and home.

[Shaun]

Recovery day week 4:

Front squats:

60 x 3
70 x 3
80 x 3
90 x 3

These were extremely easy from a legs point of view, the only awkwardness was that I haven't had a bar in the rack position for a very long time. Going to keep doing these on recovery day since they're not really a leg exercise, but instead challenge my abs and thoracic strength, which will be beneficial for my squats, whilst aiding recovery.

Press:

62 x 3/3/3

Not too hard, but biceps still very sore on these for some reason.

GHRs:

bodyweight x 10/10/10/10/10

First time doing these in a while. Did them barefoot and I can really feel them in my hamstrings now.

[Shaun]

Intensity day week 4

Good session tonight.

Squats:

165 x 5

Not the best form. Hips weren't nearly far enough back, knees were buckling a bit and far too quads dominant, but I got them all.

Bench press:

87.5 x 5

Nice PR. Spotter said I had lots more in me, too. (And he was a proper spotter that knew what he was doing as I think he is a lifter himself given by the way he trains; certainly not another "it's all you bro!" cunt.)

Power cleans:

80 x 3
90 x 1
92 x 1
94 x 1
96 x 1
98 x 1
100 x 1

Nice PR considering I've not cleaned in ages. Pretty damn hard and even had a miss in there somewhere (I think it was 94). For my five triples across next week (the recommend set and rep scheme on the Texas Method) I'll probably do 80-85 just to get reacquainted with the technique again.

Chins:

bodyweight x 3/5/4

Okay. Biceps were hurting quite bad initially though.

[Shaun]

Volume day week 5

Squats:

140 x 5/5/5/5/5

Not too hard, people said they looked fairly easy. For was also better this time too, kept elbows up and they felt absolutely fine too. Only problem is the dreaded butt-wink. Really need to get my ass in gear and research foam rolling, dynamic warm ups and better stretching.

Bench press:

79 x 5/5/5/5/5

Harder than the squats.

Deadlifts:

175 x 5

Pretty easy.

Skull crushers supersetted with curls:

bar + 25
2 x 10

Went later tonight and noticed quite a lack of benders doing shit that disrupts others' training and needlessly uses up power racks. Going to start going regularly at this time on my Monday workout.

[Shaun]

Recovery day week 5

Front squats:

90 x 3/3/3

Very easy.

Press:

63 x 3/3/3

Not too bad apart from last rep of last set which was an absolute grinder.

Biceps were also really sore today, too. Going to drop the arm isolation work on Mondays and replace with chins/dips to see if it persists. I've heard that direct arm work can be the cause of such pain and I'd like to see if that's the case with me.

GHRs with broomstick:

bodyweight x 10/10/10/10/10

Easy enough.

[Shaun]

Intensity day week 5

Squats:

167.5 x 5

Very difficult; much more so than last week.

Form even worse, too. What I'm going to do is, because I can already squat over four plates so don't have my ego getting in the way, is reset my squat on intensity day back to 160. There's no point in continually ramping up the weight when form is getting worse and worse. Best learn how to squat correctly (i.e. use all of the muscles on my legs, not just the quads) sooner rather than later.

I'm going to completely ditch front squats again as, apart from being useless for non-Olympic lifters, are probably messing with my squat form. The fact that my hips hurt on recovery day is because I'm squatting wrong, and as Rippetoe says: squatting correctly will unfuck the things that have been fucked from squatting incorrectly.

Bench press:

90 x 2
90 x 4

No-one I knew and trusted in the gym tonight so had to get some random guy to spot me. Failed after two reps on the first set because I kept having to explain to him to not touch the damned bar and to not get his hands in the way. Did the second set without a spotter and probably wouldn't have made the fifth rep at this point.

80 x 3/3/3/3/3

Form much improving.

Chins:

bodyweight x 5/4/3

Meh.

Stretched and went home.

[Shaun]

Volume day week 6

Squats:

142 x 5/5/5/5/5

Not too hard except that I keep losing hamstring tension.

I'm not sure whether it's because my posterior chain is not properly warmed up or flexible enough or because my abs aren't strong enough to let me lean forward enough. Also maybe I'm carrying the bar a little too high as well... but last week I did manage to stick my arse out a bit on some reps.

I keep saying I'm going to do some dynamic warm ups and foam roll but I never get round to researching it... entirely my own fault.

Bench press:

80 x 5/5/5/5/5

Not too difficult. I've noticed that reps feel easier if I keep my head on the bench and even push down a little bit with it, looking straight up at the ceiling.

Deadlifts:

180 x 5

Reps were very smooth and not slow I was told but they did feel quite heavy. Couldn't set my hips into as comfortable a starting position that I managed last time.

No arm work since I'm canning it to see if it's the culprit for my biceps pain on Wednesdays, so I did some chins and dips instead. Had to use some handled bar at weird angles so only managed 5 chins, then did 8 dips, then couldn't be arsed so stretched and went home.

[Shaun]

Recovery day week 6

Squats:

105 x 5/5

Press:

50 x 5/5

Having ate nothing but a burger all day these were harder than usual but still only used a minute or two's rest. Biceps still hurt on the press, though, so arm work is maybe not the culprit.

[Shaun]

Intensity day week 6

Completely gash session tonight.

Squats:

160 x 5

Worst form I've used in quite a while. All quads, knees buckling in, far too upright yet dropping chest...

I'm going to try out squatting in chucks. I'm connived that it's my relatively high heeled Ironworks that are conflicting with the positions required to perform a low bar, hips back style squat.

Then once I do that I'm going to stop the Texas Method and go back on Starting Strength. I'm going to dial my squat numbers right back until I learn to do it properly; this will mean that I'm fresher for benching, pressing and deadlifting, which is an added bonus. Then once Starting Strength no longer works I'll progress onto advanced novice until that no longer works.

I can already squat over four plates so it's time to put my ego aside and learn how to do them properly so I can remain injury free and have balanced lower body musculature.

Bench press:

92.5 x 3

Quite disappointed. Really slow and heavy. Almost certainly wouldn't have got the fourth; just wasn't in the mood... shit atmosphere at the gym. And knees were really achy after the squats.

Power cleans:

85 x 5/5/5

Only did three sets as these were beating the shit out of my elbows and wrists. Quads were really pumped up, though.

Went home.