Unbreakable Plateau

[lorax]

Hi Cathe!

I was wondering if you had any suggestions for breaking a bicep plateau. I have all of your strength training tapes and alternate rotations every 4 - 5 wks. The most I can lift on my best day is a 30 lb barbell and 15 lb dumbbells but 99% of the time I have to stay with a 25lb barbell and 12lb dumbbells to keep good form. Those are the weights I use for PS & S&H - for MIS, CTX and PH I have to go lighter still x( . I've got nice definition in my biceps but I've been at this same weight forever and it's frustrating. I thought for sure S&H would break this cycle but, alas, still the same :-rollen . However, S&H has improved all my other muscle groups (woo-hoo!!! :-jumpy )

Hope all is well with you and the "bun in the oven"

Lorrie

 

[lorax]

just bumping

 

[kristina]

Hey Lorrie,
Just wanted to share two things whilst you wait for Cathe to respond:

1. If you are getting the muscle response you want, and the "look" you want,and aren't pushing for strength gain for any particular reason beyond what you have now--why worry about the amount of weight just for the weight sake. When it gets too easy, and the muscle stops responding, you will know it is time to add.

2. Method that works for me when trying to increase strength:

increase the weight, but do LESS reps per set.
Every week add another rep or two until you max out that weight. The important thing is to squeeze out that extra rep (of course,as you mention, with good form).
In my experience, usually adding more reps at the lower weight does NOT help you handle the heavier weight. You have to start using it, even if only for a few reps (then drop back to your maintenance weights if you wish to finish the set)

Hope that is worth at least a little more than you paid for it! Regards, Kristina

 

[lorax]

Thanks Kristina - sounds like a plan to me! I just can't understand why the weight I've been using has never gotten "too easy" after all this time. Maybe my biceps are just maxed out at this weight - hmmmm. But I'm going to try your suggestion. I'll try 8 reps with a 30lb barbell and 8 with 15 lb dumbbells (I always seem to start losing my form around then at this weight) and and see what happens.

Look out Arnold - here I come

Lorrie

 

[gvaughn]

Different Angles

Hitting the biceps muscles at different angles may make a difference, as it certainly did for me. With access to a cable machine, or resistance tubing and a door attachment, you can do overhead curls, or curls on an incline (you bend over and pull the cable from behind you).

Preacher curls, concentration curls, and seated incline curls may be good as well.

I realize most of this requires access to some gym equipment, but it seems really hard for me to get a wide variety of bicep exercises with just barbells and dumbbells at home.

Gretchen

 

[lorax]

RE: Different Angles

Thanks Gretchen! I'm going to dust off my husband's weight bench, which has cable attachments, and try your suggestions. It's also got a little cushioned pad that adjusts for preacher curls. The only reason I haven't used the bench very much is that it's in our garage and we live in FL - so it's about 1000 degrees out there with no a/c only a pathetic little ceiling fan!

Lorrie

 

[Cathe Friedrich]

Hi Lorrie! You have gotten great advice here. I'll just add that working negatives sometimes helps me break through plateus (and makes me so darn sore too;-)). This works best with a spotter, so have someone handy. Do any bicep exercise as you normally would and when you can do no more, quickly have the spotter lift the weight up for you and then take about 8 to 10 seconds to lower the weight down. Do this for as many reps as you can stand(ie: when you start lowering slowly but your arm is giving out and the weight just wants to fall, then its time to stop with the negatives). Then move onto the next exercise and follow the same pattern. Good Luck!