can anyone solve this dilemma???

[emmab]

I am a beginner and my biceps are just not responding. The problem I have is that I have a very limited range of weight that I can lift. At the gym I can use 5kg dumbells, but can only do 1-2 reps of the next weight up (7.5) which frustrates me. Also, I have a fairly noticeable stronger left arm than right, and this makes doing barbell exercises difficult, as my weak arm gets stuck quite quickly.
Any advice for how to get some muscle growth happening when you can't use much variety in weight???

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God give me the strength to lift all I can, the humility to accept what I can't lift, the wisdom to know the difference, and the determination to close the gap!!!

 

[Cackerot69]

Chins.

 

[bignate73]

emmab
im assuming you are a female.
stick with the 5kg and try slowing your cadence down for your positive (curling) and negative(letting it down). try a 3 sec/3sec. so 3 seconds up, 3seconds down. slowing your rep speed will ensure you are stimulating the muscle and not using momentum or swinging the weight. another thing to try is a cable curl, you use a low cable and curl up using a single ( 1 arm)or bar type handle(both arms). the weight stacks tend to be quite adjustable in the lower range and you can use it to progressively build up strength.

another thing.
when you train your back what exercises do you do? if you incorporate alot of basic, compound pulling movements, it can help get your biceps stronger. what i mean: seated cable rows, lat pulldowns, dbell rows etc. all use the biceps as well as the back.

 

[emmab]

Dont even say the word chins to me...even at my strongest when I was a national rep swimmer I couldn't even do one proper chinup!!!
As far as my back goes, I do one-armed dumbell rows, seated rows and an assortment of pulldowns. Should I keep back and bis separate, cos if I do back first my bis have had it before I hit them. Also, not matter how hard I try, I virtually NEVER am sore the next day, which is driving me nuts!!!

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God give me the strength to lift all I can, the humility to accept what I can't lift, the wisdom to know the difference, and the determination to close the gap!!!

 

[bignate73]

damn swimmers...their backs never get tired. i was a gymnast and my shoulders have probably been sore 3x in the 7 years i have been working out. weird huh?

it depends on your training routine. if you routinely do back and bis, chest tris, legs and shoulders, then just switch it up for a while. back and tris, chest and tris...etc.

your back never gets sore eh? have you used a slow rep speed as i mentioned earlier? i think that may wake up your back. good strong contraction and then nice slow negative.

 

[emmab]

I am very careful to use good slow controlled moves in all my exercises. My main problem is the small range of weights I can use. Most of the machines in our gym have at least 6kg increments, which is quite significant for a weakish female. And the dumbells are good in some exercises ie onearmed rows, tricep extensions etc, but even 5 to 7.5kg is quite a big jump for me.

 

[GenetiKing]

Try underhanded chins (palms facing you with a more narrow grip than overhand chins) if you cannot do regular chins. Most people are stronger on this version. Normally I wouldn't suggest this exercise as overhands are a much better movement in stimulating the lats but this is a unique case. These will recruit your lats to a lesser degree and involve the biceps more, just what you are need.

On a side note:
When I was a newbie, my entire right side was stronger and slightly bigger than my left (calves, pecs, traps, everything!) but after several years of hard training I've pretty much balanced out without any unilateral training...so I'm reluctant to suggest it.

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Backstage, '75 Olympia:

Serge Nubret, "I look like I can take you."

Arnold, "Keep looking."

 

[emmab]

I can't do even one chin-up, no matter how I face my hands...I can only do assisted ones (the chin up machine) so guess I will haev to persevere with those

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God give me the strength to lift all I can, the humility to accept what I can't lift, the wisdom to know the difference, and the determination to close the gap!!!

 

[bignate73]

those put some good emphasis on your back if you think of your hands as hooks and just pull from your elbows down. thats my visualization, works for me.

 

[Cackerot69]

"Normally I wouldn't suggest this exercise as overhands are a much better movement in stimulating the lats but this is a unique case. These will recruit your lats to a lesser degree and involve the biceps more, just what you are need."

Actually, undergrip chins are better for lat stimulation, too. They provide an increased range of motion, and your biceps (the weak link) will not give out as early, This will cause additional stimulation in the lats, becuase the set is prolonged. Pronating the hands will not take focus off the bi's, it will just put them in a weaker position, thus robbing the lats of stimulation.