Biceps & Triceps...
Although biceps and triceps don't help you much in something requiring strength, still they are the most important parts when comes to showing off!! And they do a damn good job in impressing someone. Really. They are quite small and are easy to develop and maintain. There are many stupids with weird advices and still more complaining of no results. Just remember that you work your biceps whenever try to pull something. Pushing something will work triceps. So, the exercises are straight foreward. Also they are not as huge as legs or back are, so they need comparatively less exercise. Also if you are doing your back, shoulders, pecs etc properly, you are already worling your biceps and triceps. So, if you do them any often them required, you'll never get results. Juststeady your routines for such things and don't overdo anything and you'll get all the bulk you ever dreamt of.
The compound exercises are :
Barbell Curls : This is the elementary compound exercise for biceps. Just stand/sit with a straight back (read backbelt), hold the barbell with a shoulder width underhand gip, keep you hands straight and upper arms (elbows especially) tightly press against the sides. Now steadily rotate your arms curling the weight up. Your elbows should not be moving. This is important as by moving elbows, you work your delts and back too. Seems good isn't it, That your other body parts are getting the workout too ?? The only problem is that this takes the weigth off your biceps and remember its the biceps you were trying to work. Another problem is that some people don't keep their back straight. If you bend foreward, you won't be able to kepp your elbows still and if you bend the other side, you won't get all the workout. Still another problem is that some guys don't go all the way down in the negatives. Going all the way down (and slowely) is important for stretching.The isolation exercises are :
Barbell Curls (overhand) : This is the same as the above curls except that the grip is overhand. They work branchii which is very important for that full and balanced look. The procedure and dos & don'ts are the same as above.
Alternate Dumbell curls : This works upper forearms (branchii) as well and is a good compound exercise. Sit/stand holding dumbells in a underhand grip. Your palms should be facing your thighs. Curl the weights up and when its almost 3/4th distance up, rotate the palms outwards so that your palms face upwards (or the normal stance in barbell curls). Again don't lean and go all the way down. This exercise is a good substitute for the overhand barbell curls.
Presses : All kind of presses, ir exercises that require you to push forward work your triceps. Examples are bench presses, push ups etc. The more your close your grip is, the more it gets worked. Thats why your are not allowed to do bench presses with close grip!!
Dips between benches : This is an excellent beginner's compound exercise for triceps. You may choose to use parallel bars but with a bench your triceps get a better workout. Place your palms on a bench. Your fingers should be pointing towards you and the lower palm should be on the bench. Make a good grip and place your legs on another bench before you. Your legs should be straight throught the set. Now with a steady pace go down and the same way up. Use weight as shortly as possible.
French Presses : This is a good but a little clumsy and slightly injury prone compound exercise. Here, you hold one dumbell overhead with straight arms. Lower the dumbell by curling it downwards behind your head and back again. This constitutes one rep. It takes some work from shoulders and other supporting muscles to balance the weight overhead, so a good form is very much necessary. You may injure yourself if you don't do it properly or if you use too much weight. So, you better use lesser weight t first get into the form and for warmsups.
Nose crushers : This is again a compound exercise and requires EZ curl bar. Grip the bar in an underhand close grip overhead. Slowely lower it in a curling movement to your nose. Push overhead to the starting position. Simple. But again injury prone, so do warmups with low weights to get the feel of it and have a apotter ready if you by any chance crush your nose (LOL).
Lying Triceps Extensions : This is a very cool compound triceps exercise, but like other freeweight triceps exercises, it requires good from. The movement is a combination od nose crushers and french presses. Lie down on a bench and raise the weight straight up. This is the starting position. Now curl the weight back (while keeping your upper arm steady) to yhe back of your head. Press it up to the starting position. It is very simple but requires a really good form and excellent shoulders to keep the upper arms steady. If you move the upper arm too much, you'll be working your lats instead of triceps.
Preacher curls : This is a very good compund and isolation exercise!! Here your elbows movement are restricted by holding them against a flat surface (preacher bench). The procedure is the same as the other two except the fact that a preacher bench is used. If you use both arms, it works as a compund exercise otherwise (single arm) it becomes isolation one. Its a good substitute for normal curls and is better in respect of bulk gain.For complete biceps developement, you need to do barbell curls/preacher curls, alternate dumbell curls and concentration curls. Since concentration curls is for isolation, you need to do more reps of these.
Concentration Curls : This is a very effective isolation exercise. The mechanism is the same as the preacher curls except that you don't need a preacher bench or a flat surface. Instead, you use your thighs as the support. I hope you've guessed the stance by now. Sit with a comparatively light weight dumbell and press it against your inner thigh (lean forward). Curl up and down. Simple. This is very important for those peak lovers too.
Pulley pushdowns : This is my favourite and one of the best isolation exercise for triceps. The mechanism is the exact opposite for biceps curls. Press your elbows to your sides and curl the hadle down by contracting your triceps. Its very simple, injury free and very effective to do.
Kickbacks : This is a good isolation exercise and is essential for any triceps routine. It resembles the rear lateral raises. Bend over at the waist and bend your lower arm squeezing your triceps hard and back in a controlled fashion. Its sort of dangerous as lateral raises are for back. So wear a belt and keep your tummy tight.
