A tale of two biceps: how I built my 23" guns

Flex, August, 2004 by Ronnie Coleman

PRINCIPLE 5| HIGH REPS

Think in terms of the pump-handle analogy: With each repetition, you're pumping more blood into the muscle area, so the more times you pump, the better. The quality of the pump you feel is a gauge for the weight you should be using: If you feel the joint receiving more stress than the muscle, you're doing too few reps, which means the weight is too heavy; if you're only getting a surface burn, without a deep pump, you're doing too many reps, which means the weight is too light.

PRINCIPLE 6| COUNT REPS

Do not use "failure" to end a set. That allows you to quit at will, which is almost always earlier than you should. Instead, establish a specific number for the repetitions you will do for that set. That commits you to a quantitative goal, and it is the only way you will progress. The next workout, try to exceed that number. I make sure I surpass my goal every set: If my goal is 10 reps, I'll do 11 or 12; if my goal is 12, I'll do 13 or 14.

PRINCIPLE 7| STRENGTH AND MASS

I always train for both, because to me they are one and the same. The stronger you are, the faster and bigger you can grow, so continuously try to increase your lifts; but never at the expense of correct form. Cheating won't make a muscle bigger or you stronger. Some bodybuilders try to increase strength by increasing their reps with the same weight, but I prefer increasing the weight using the same reps. As the weight increases, the dynamics of stabilizing and supporting it change. This activates more stresses and muscles than would otherwise be involved by a mere increase in reps.

PRINCIPLE 8| POWER-PLUS EXERCISES

Every workout should contain at least one power movement to build strength and mass, plus one "bodybuilding" movement to increase the size of an isolated muscle. This ensures that neither mass nor separations will be neglected.

PRINCIPLE 9| CHANGE EVERY WORKOUT

Consecutive workouts are never exactly the same. I change something every time, even if it's as minor as the angle of an exercise. There are more valid training techniques than can be accommodated in any single workout. So, if I substitute a different exercise every workout, over time I'm utilizing every exercise of value, without straying from my basic mass-building routine.

PRINCIPLE 10| SUPERSET

The best technique for sustaining a pump and for driving that pump all the way through the biceps is to superset. However, for me, that term includes giant sets, drop sets and any similar technique for prolonged nonstop sets. Supersets involve performing two biceps exercises, alternating sets back and forth, nonstop. Giant sets are three or more biceps exercises, one set each in round-robin fashion. Drop sets are the same exercise but dropping the weight over nonstop sets, such as when doing nonstop down-the-rack dumbbell curls. I swear by supersets; in fact, I incorporate them in two out of three workouts.

PRINCIPLE 11| TWICE-A-WEEK WORKOUTS

As a small muscle group, biceps become pumped very quickly, but they also recover quickly, so you need to hit them frequently. I've found that, even though I use extremely heavy weight--200 pounds for barbell curls and 90 pounds for dumbbell curls--my biceps grow best from twice-a-week workouts. If you're at a stage where you're using half that weight, you might even try training your biceps three times per week.