If you are trying to build big biceps, you need to figure out what role lifting heavy weights and light weights plays in your growth. I will tell you right now, you need to find a way to lift both heavy and light if you want to build your biggest biceps possible. Here’s why.
To start, it is important to define what we are talking about when we refer to lifting heavy or light. In general, the heavier lifts are the compound movements that incorporate multiple muscle groups into the performance of the exercise. In the case of the biceps this would be a weighted chin up as a perfect example, or even a heavy barbell cheat curl. In both, the biceps are certainly not the only muscles working to execute that lift. Your back, lower back, abs, and traps are contributing heavily to getting this done.
On the other side, doing exercises like spider curls and strict dumbbell curls with lighter weights are more isolated movements and involve a more focused attack on developing the mind muscle connection with the muscle you are working.
Now, it’s important to point out that research has strongly shown that even in a compound movement, it is possible for you to activate a component muscle of a lift by focusing more heavily on it when doing the exercise. For example, even though the weighted chin up is a compound movement for many muscles as just shown you can more heavily target the biceps if you focus hard on their contraction during the movement.
So where does this leave you specifically?
Well, you first want to determine if you are someone who does or does not have a good mind muscle connection with your biceps and then act accordingly. The two ways to quickly determine this is to assess how your biceps feel when you train them. If you never feel curls, chinups, or any other biceps exercise in your biceps but rather feel them in your forearms, shoulders and lower back then you likely do not have a good connection with that muscle.
Secondly, if you contract your biceps in their most shortened position (which is elbow flexion, shoulder flexion and a supinated forearm) and cannot do so with enough force to cause discomfort when you squeeze as hard as you can, then you very likely do not have a good mind muscle connection with your biceps.
So here, you would want to dial back the use of heavier biceps work in favor of the lighter more focused exercises. Of course, you wouldn’t want to abandon the weighted chin up all together since it has many other benefits for you as one of the best pulling exercises you can do. You simply wouldn’t rely on it as the biceps building exercise in your arsenal given how it is being undermined by your lack of biceps recruitment capabilities.
Build up your connection with the lighter weights and leave your ego at the door. As you improve this, your performance in the big lifts will not only improve but your ability to feel the muscle on these lifts will be greatly enhanced. If you already have this in place, then a reliance on the lighter exercises should diminish but not be abandoned completely since the reinforcement is important for maximizing both the athleticism and aesthetics of your arms.
If you are looking for a complete program that shows you how to master this step by step without any missed exercises, be sure to click on the link below and visit the ATHLEAN-X website for workouts that will guide you day by day.
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Damn, those biceps are bigger than my…… FINISH IT OFF
Dude your totally awesome. Love your training videos.
God that's a lot of talk 😴 i
best video from you so far thanks ! 🙂
Not hearing Jeff say both are better are killing your gains
After taking the thumbnail picture, Jeff switched the weights from hand to hand and made the same pose to avoid muscular imbalance
by me is light weights better…i became 51 cm arm with light weights without doping
I can't tell you how much I've learned from this channel over the years. I've been lifting on and off for over twenty years, but I've become more consistent and stronger than ever in my 40's nowadays because of the info I have access to here.
Dude your voice pisses me off
What if there was a way to build up ur dong size? What kinda lifts would you be doing with it? Would there be like a penis day? There would be like these big dudes in front of a mirror, pants off with a rope around tally whackerz attached to a small dumb bell at the other end. Counting how many reps they could do before their bonerz died. Would it be gay or impressive? Maybe both right?
THANK YOU, JEFF!
Well what if you work the pyramid method going lite to heavy to lite?
I see so many lifting like the 2nd water bottle 🙈
Light for me is enough right now
1:30 "so when I move the 3 together, I can do with withal lot more force"
>dislocates thumb
He has more power than we ever thought before…
Hey
Great video, I'm in London UK and trying to find your weight belt/band that you use for weighted Chin ups, please what is it called or manufactured by as I can only find chains on a belt.
Many thanks and keep up the great informative work.
Jeff once told Chuck Norris to roundhouse kick with his left leg and right leg simultaneously to prevent muscle imbalance.
What about holding the weight eaither outward or inward ? Does this contribute to any muscle fiber tear or growth
Great video. Muscle/ mind connection
Holy cow this dude's biceps swallowed his triceps.
Jeff's body fat percentage is so low, he lives in mortal fear of paper cuts.
Can anyone can tell me in the short what Jeff said?
I bet Whenever Jeff Poop , he does it Slowly for good Muscle Contraction.
So face pulls?