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

Flex, August, 2004 by Ronnie Coleman

* Alternate sets. Do all repetitions for one arm first, then the other.

#7| TWO-ARM CABLE CURLS

Some bodybuilders talk about baseball biceps; I want bowling-ball biceps, and this is how to get them. Don't think for a minute that cables can't build mass; for biceps, they add lateral thickness and an iron-hard peak, by means of targeted stress. These are effective from any angle: below, above or straight ahead. The lower your arms, the more they hit the bottom of your biceps; the higher you hold your elbows, the more they work the upper part; straight ahead, they hit the peaks.

EXECUTION

* A wider grip directs the stress into the inner biceps heads. A narrower grip directs the stress toward the outer heads and the brachialis muscles.

* Do not pull with your shoulders or lats, and do not rock backward as you curl. Fix your upper arms in position, and don't move your elbows. At full contraction, squeeze hard and hold for a second.

* Resist during the extension to utilize the negative stress, but do not fully extend; maintain continuous tension.

* Keep the weight moderate so you can get a peak contraction with every rep.

#8| ONE-ARM CABLE CURLS

This is my satellite-guidance system for slicing the deepest separations into either end of my biceps insertions, depending upon whether I'm curling from below, from above, bent over or from straight ahead. I can also isolate either head, depending upon how I twist my hand.

EXECUTION

* Fix your arm in position and keep it there.

* Without swinging your elbow, and without pulling back with your body, curl the cable as though you're hitting a biceps shot.

* Watch what's happening in the muscle all the way through the movement.

* Accelerate the pull, build the burn and achieve peak contraction.

* Resist during the descent, making the most of the negative stress, but do not fully extend; maintain continuous tension.

* Alternate sets. Do all repetitions for one arm first, then the other.

SECTION FOUR

MY FAVORITE BICEPS WORKOUTS

EXERCISE                                SETS  REPS

Workout 1
Barbell curls                           4     10-12
Incline dumbbell curls                  3     12
Barbell or cambered-bar preacher curls  3     12

Standing cable curls (drop sets)        4X2   12
Workout 2
Standing dumbbell curls                 4     12
Machine curls                           3     12
  superset with
  Barbell curls                         3     10-12
Dumbbell hammer curls                   3     12
Workout 3
Cable curls                             4     12
Dumbbell preacher curls                 4     12
Barbell curls                           4     12
Workout 4
Dumbbell hammer curls                   4     12
Barbell curls                           3      8-12
  superset with
  Overhead cable curls                  3     12
Dumbbell preacher curls                 4     12
Workout 5
Barbell curls                           4      8-12
Incline dumbbell curls                  3     12
Barbell preacher curls                  3     12
Dumbbell concentration curls            3     12
Workout 6
Standing dumbbell curls                 4      8-12
Barbell curls                           3      8-12
  superset with
  Machine curls                         3      8-12
Dumbbell vertical preacher curls        3      8-12

MY FAVORITE SUPERSETS

EXERCISE                                SETS  REPS

#1 Barbell curls                        3      8-12
   with
   Machine curls                        3      8-12
#2 Barbell curls                        3      8-12
   with
   Overhead cable curls                 3     10
#3 Barbell curls                        3      8-10
   with
   Barbell preacher curls               3     12-15
#4 Barbell curls                        3      8-12
   with
   Standing cable curls                 3     10-12