How can I jump 10lb in dumbbell curls?

[webnewland]

I've been doing 35lb for a while and want to move on to higher weight, but the way my dumbbell works is that the next level must be at least 45lb, I've been doing 6 sets of 10's with the 35's for both arms everyday for a couple of weeks now, and still unable to do a full set of 45's without using my body to support it. Anyway I can make the transition easier?
*no job right now, so stuck with these dumbbells at home*
Thx

 

[Heisenberg]

Just do as many as you can with the 45's. Eventually you'll be able to do full sets.

 

[Metalloid]

Do as many 45lbs as you can, even if it is not a full set. But do not, I repeat, DO NOT use any muscle except your biceps. If you start to cheat and use your back or whatever, you won't get any stronger.

Also, try a few at 50 or 55lbs, even if you can only do 1 or 2.

 

[Syringer]

Do forced reps. Use your other hand to force the weight up after you can't do anymore, and concentrate heavily on the negatives.

 

[TheVrolok]

60 reps each arm everyday? You're asking for a torn arm.. you gotta give muscles a break.. while you're lifting they're breaking down, it's after you lift that they build back up(hopefully more than originally).. maybe a break every other day or something.. I only do bi's 3 times a week, Mon/Wed/Fi, and I've never really had a problem increasing weight.. Who knows, maybe it's just a personal thing.

 

[webnewland]

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
60 reps each arm everyday? You're asking for a torn arm.. you gotta give muscles a break.. while you're lifting they're breaking down, it's after you lift that they build back up(hopefully more than originally).. maybe a break every other day or something.. I only do bi's 3 times a week, Mon/Wed/Fi, and I've never really had a problem increasing weight.. Who knows, maybe it's just a personal thing.

Would doing that be bad for my arms? Been doing that for 2 - 3 weeks now and my arm feels fine after the workout and the next day. Which also explains why I don't understand my inability to increase 10lb. Before I've been increasing at 5lb increment, but 10lb just seems to be a bit too much.

 

[TheVrolok]

Originally posted by: webnewland

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
60 reps each arm everyday? You're asking for a torn arm.. you gotta give muscles a break.. while you're lifting they're breaking down, it's after you lift that they build back up(hopefully more than originally).. maybe a break every other day or something.. I only do bi's 3 times a week, Mon/Wed/Fi, and I've never really had a problem increasing weight.. Who knows, maybe it's just a personal thing.

Would doing that be bad for my arms? Been doing that for 2 - 3 weeks now and my arm feels fine after the workout and the next day. Which also explains why I don't understand my inability to increase 10lb. Before I've been increasing at 5lb increment, but 10lb just seems to be a bit too much.

I've *always* been told by everyone I've ever spoken to about lifting to *never* work the same muscle group everyday. It's just too easy to strain a muscle, and secondly, for the aforementioned reason that muscles need to time build back up after being broken down by lifting.

 

[Yossarian]

2 times a week for biceps is more than enough. you are way overtrained. take a week off immediately, your bi's are probably a mess.

 

[RaiderJ]

The recovery phase of weight training is JUST as important as the lifting phase. Also, instead of doing the same workout, try mixing it up. If you switch every week to a new exercise that work your biceps in a different way, you'll get much stronger, much faster. There are two muscles in your biceps, hence the prefix "bi".

Also, instead of just the weights, also add in some toning/stamina style lifting. This may seem to not help overall strength, but if you keep the muscle "guessing" as to what you'll be doing next, it will constantly have to work to keep up. This is why you'll gain so much strength right off the bat, you making the muscle do something different, and it adapts very quickly, but will level off after a while.

Also, decide what your goal is for lifting. If its only to lift 45lbs, then might as well only lift those weights. You'll eventually be able to lift those if you keep at it.

 

[dafatha00]

You will not gain if you don't give your muscles some time to rest. You need at least 2 days rest minimum after working out each muscle group.

 

[StageLeft]

Others have posted advice here but might I also add that jumping from 35 to 45 is a huge jump. It's more than a 25% increase in weight! i don't think I've ever increased anything by that amount. Not to say it can't be done but going from where 35 is a good set to where 45 is at least an OK set is a great leap.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: TheVrolok

Originally posted by: webnewland

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
60 reps each arm everyday? You're asking for a torn arm.. you gotta give muscles a break.. while you're lifting they're breaking down, it's after you lift that they build back up(hopefully more than originally).. maybe a break every other day or something.. I only do bi's 3 times a week, Mon/Wed/Fi, and I've never really had a problem increasing weight.. Who knows, maybe it's just a personal thing.

Would doing that be bad for my arms? Been doing that for 2 - 3 weeks now and my arm feels fine after the workout and the next day. Which also explains why I don't understand my inability to increase 10lb. Before I've been increasing at 5lb increment, but 10lb just seems to be a bit too much.

I've *always* been told by everyone I've ever spoken to about lifting to *never* work the same muscle group everyday. It's just too easy to strain a muscle, and secondly, for the aforementioned reason that muscles need to time build back up after being broken down by lifting.

Thats a body builder taking to you...........

Olympic Lifters train twice a day and squat and work legs everyday. Granted that legs are much stronger and tougher then your arms though.......

I would not work my arms out every day though. Arms are small and so are the joints.......though my friend has 18inch arms!

 

[StageLeft]

Oh wow I just read you're doing biceps every day. Needless to say they are now grossly overtrained and that is why your progress has stagnated. I'd seriously take a week off. Don't lift a freaking thing. They will do nothing but grow over this time. Then cut your arm workouts down to a couple times a week at most. I personally do mine every 6-7 days.

 

[DaiShan]

Originally posted by: webnewland

Originally posted by: TheVrolok
60 reps each arm everyday? You're asking for a torn arm.. you gotta give muscles a break.. while you're lifting they're breaking down, it's after you lift that they build back up(hopefully more than originally).. maybe a break every other day or something.. I only do bi's 3 times a week, Mon/Wed/Fi, and I've never really had a problem increasing weight.. Who knows, maybe it's just a personal thing.

Would doing that be bad for my arms? Been doing that for 2 - 3 weeks now and my arm feels fine after the workout and the next day. Which also explains why I don't understand my inability to increase 10lb. Before I've been increasing at 5lb increment, but 10lb just seems to be a bit too much.

Bicepts generally don't get sore as those are the muscles you use the most (besides muscles in your legs of course) Working out the same muscle group every day is a bad idea, especially with as many reps as you are doing. Any particular reason you are doing 6 sets of 10? Try doing less sets like 3 but do as many reps as you can, if you find that 10 is really all you can do at a time, I suggest working them every other day shooting for more reps, when you can do like 15 or so, go to the 45, you may only be able to do 7, but you can build from there. The important thing is that you aren't trying to work that muscle group every day like that.

 

[acidvoodoo]

maybe change to 2 sets of 10 bicep curls at 45lb and 2 sets of 10 hammer curls at 45lbs after

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: Skoorb
Others have posted advice here but might I also add that jumping from 35 to 45 is a huge jump. It's more than a 25% increase in weight! i don't think I've ever increased anything by that amount. Not to say it can't be done but going from where 35 is a good set to where 45 is at least an OK set is a great leap.

Correct. All about percentages. If you haven't trained at all and start to train you can get BIG increases in strength for the first 6 months. Maybe a year.

But after that you will be lucky to get gains of more then 20% in a WHOLE year. This is of course when you get further in to your training.......

that 10lbs is about 28.5% increase. You will not do that. Try and hit 40lbs instead.

What type of curls are you doing?

Do them strictly. Don't use your back or lean backwards. That does not help you work the arms.

Do pull ups they are good for your biceps.

Do some hammer curls on a bench sitting down at an incline.

Remember you have to hit the 3 areas of your arm.

 

[PG]

How can I jump 10lb in dumbbell curls?

Listen to the advice of others in this thread and don't work the same muscles every day.
Also, learn to do the big compound movements like squats and deadlifts. They stimulate the entire body and will help you get stronger everywhere. I don't quite understand some people's fascination with biceps. Obviously you aren't working your back very hard because with any rowing or pullup type exercise the biceps get tired and fail first. Don't forget the back, the lats have the greatest potential of all upper body muscles.

As for olympic lifters lifting almost everyday, sure they do, but they are elite athletes and they represent a few individuals at the end of the bell curve. Average people they are not. The olympic lifts also are done quickly and need a lot of skill so the weights used aren't anywhere near a max for what the althletes can move around.

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: PG

How can I jump 10lb in dumbbell curls?

Listen to the advice of others in this thread and don't work the same muscles every day.
Also, learn to do the big compound movements like squats and deadlifts. They stimulate the entire body and will help you get stronger everywhere. I don't quite understand some people's fascination with biceps. Obviously you aren't working your back very hard because with any rowing or pullup type exercise the biceps get tired and fail first. Don't forget the back, the lats have the greatest potential of all upper body muscles.

As for olympic lifters lifting almost everyday, sure they do, but they are elite athletes and they represent a few individuals at the end of the bell curve. Average people they are not.

I'm an Olympic Weight Lifter.

But I do think you can train your legs every day. I have hit my legs for almost everyday last week. But I have been training for about 2 years with my professional coach and club. I did some conditioning and such before hand though. Your legs are bigger and can recover faster then your arms.

Agree with you about doing more compound movements. And the back. Most people ignore the back and wonder why they get back pains when trying to squat........or they get hurt in squats because of no muscle development in the back........or they complain the bar feels heavy on the back.......

Through in some hypers.......

 

[Koing]

Originally posted by: PG

How can I jump 10lb in dumbbell curls?

As for olympic lifters lifting almost everyday, sure they do, but they are elite athletes and they represent a few individuals at the end of the bell curve. Average people they are not. The olympic lifts also are done quickly and need a lot of skill so the weights used aren't anywhere near a max for what the althletes can move around.

Wrong.

A training weight is typically 80% of PB lift. I dont' know about you but 80% is a lot to be lifting and yes its technical but 80% of a big figure is heavy. Training also goes up to 85%, 90% in cycles also.

1 week before a competition they will be doing singles or doubles at 90-95% max.

I clean 100kg off the ground pretty easily. I can jerk that no problems. To put 100kg above your head isn't easy and its not light. I weigh 77kg!

If you start to Olympic Lift its technique that bogs you down. But after a while its 2nd nature to do it so its no problems. Then its strength and speed that bogs you down........

Koing

(competition this Saturday )

 

[PG]

Thanks for the input, you have some good advice there.
I didn't quite say what I wanted to correctly so let me try to better explain. In powerlifting the world record for a deadlift is about 932 or so and the squat record is about 1103. The clean and jerk world record is about 586 or 587 if I remember correctly. Those are completly different lifts and not really comparable, but in olympic weightlifting less weight overall is used. So, that's one reason I think olympic lifters can lift more often than some other athletes. Well, that and they are very well conditioned and train smart.

Good luck with your competition.

 

[SP33Demon]

To jump from 35's to 45's is a huge jump, as others here have said. I've been working out hard (5 days a week unless I'm injured) for the past year, and it's taken me 6-8 months to jump up to this (I also benchpress 160 pounds over my weight now). Also realize, that's taking 5 protein shakes a day and 2 cans of tuna (we're talking strict diet here). You will not be able to do this overnight!

Also, you're doing too much! You should only be doing reps of 4-6 failure range going heavy to build mass. If you don't have dumbbells heavy enough at home, then either join a gym or yes your next best option is to up your reps to 10, but no more than 3 sets. Let me give you my original arm workout that I've been using for the past 2.5 months:

1)Straight Bar Curls 3 sets 4-6 failure rep range
2)EZ Curl Bar Curls 2X4-6
3)Dumbbell Hammer Curls 2X4-6

Lately (1.5 months ago) I strained a ligament and had to modify my workouts since then b/c the EZ Bar Curls were aggravating my elbow ligament and I had to take some time off:

1)Dumbbell Curls: 3X6@45lbs
2)Barbell Curl: 3X8@85lbs (Elbow still hurting so I went higher rep lower weight, usually do 105lbs)
3)Dumbbell Hammer curls: 2X6@40lbs
4)Reverse grip nautilus cable bar curl 2X6@70lbs (this will bulk up your outer forearm)

Additional Notes: If you can't do the full 6 reps, 4 is ok. Next week, stay at the same weight and just try and hit the 6 rep range. Do not feel the need to increase the weight every week, that was the mistake I made and hurt my elbow. Make steady progress and don't rush it, but be sure to keep up your diet/protein shakes.

 

[WinkOsmosis]

Whoa.. you didn't research before starting this 6 sets of 10 reps every day thing? Do you exercise other muscles??

 

[SyahM]

try alternate your biceps workout with triceps workout. Do at least 2 different variations of exercise per workout ie, hammer curls and reg. curls. Mind you, there are more variations but save them till you hit plateau. The key is you want to keep your muscle guessing, also feed them, rest them and it will grow in no-time.

Dont forget the whole-body workout exercise such as squat and deadlift. It increase the level of testosterone that you produce which will resulted in bigger/more muscle.

 

[DorkBoy]

Use the 45's for a rep or two (as many as u can without cheating) then immediately put them down and pick up the 35's and finish your set. The One, The Only Arnold used to do this

 

[Justin218]

I'm going to concur that your biceps are seriously overtrained. Take a week off and then only do curls every other day at most is what I'd say. And not even 6 sets, maybe 3. The number of sets is kinda a weird variable that is different for everyone though. Some people need to do more, some people need to do less.