my biceps seem to take most training is this Genetics / muscle memory ?

[MuScLe CeLLs]

Hey guys, im hoping someone could help with some body science to a question i got,

ok then i want to know why my biceps can take more sets more punishment then say chest ?

im 27 but when i first started training 10 years ago, and i didnt know any better all i did with my home barbell set is do bicep curls, and over the years i have noticed even to this day, when i train arms its diff to chest, cause for instance im a big fan on H.I.T training, but my arms seem to want H.I.T and circuit and drop setting and supersetting and quite frankly i go way best the standard 12 - 15 sets most arms days, ok fair enough the weight goes down as the sets get higher but my arms just like it they get a real sweet pump on, and they heal fast from it unlike chest etc,

im just wondering if maybe how i trained as a teenager has let my arms take more, or is it all in my head and im over training them and ive probably lost inches to my arms i could of gained by sticking to a 12 set max routine etc,

also just to throw in a typical routine

i would start with my typical 20 kilo ez bar warm up, id like 50 reps get the muscles warm i even like to throw in a couple of bent over rows whilest doing these reps and maybe a quick 10 rep shoulder press, as i like to know the entire area being worked is well warmed up,

id then say do 4 - 5 sets h.i.t style with the ez bar,
4 - 5 sets tricep bar
sometime the tricep bar is being supersetted in with the ez bar again u get an amazing pump from this !
then ofcourse i get my dumbells not to mention i may do a couple of light barbell ( but i get those nasty forarm pains tho from barbells ) and then say finish with ultra lighweight ez bar 21's i dunno this could be like 20 sets plus some days,

but yet i just do regular 12 sets or so for chest h.i.t style and im done !

M Cells

[propionator]

You have to keep in mind that the bicep is a much smaller muscle then the pectoralis, so it doesnt require nearly the recovery time. And yes genetics plays a role in deciding which types of muscle fibers you have.

[RIPT]

Sounds like one of mother nature's screw jobs. I would do more/different excercises than just variations of BB curls also. Dumbell, concentration, incline, preacher etc.........

[steveman]

Since you have always done a high volume of arm work, there could be some adaptation that makes you more tolerable to high volume training sessions when working your biceps. However, It's no really measurable to compare your bicep to chest training since your direct bicep work is performed through isolation exercises and your chest work (I assume) includes compund movements. Compound movements comsume substantially more energy and you are more prone to fatigue.

Having bullet proof biceps is a positive. You can probably slam your back work pretty hard without the bicep fatigue that can be limiting for may people.

[LondonMuscle]

if the question is, does previous training experience influence recovery then the answer is most definitely yes!!

despite what many avid HITers may claim, as you become a more experienced trainer your ability to handle both volume AND intensity increases... u do not have to choose to train either hard and briefly or longer duration with lower intensity, instead u become more capable of handling both

think of a novice sprinter who is asked to run 10 sets of 100m sprints at maximum intensity... likely after the first set or two his force output will decrease considerably with each successive sprint bout where at the end he will likely only be able to jog 100m... then compare that to an olympic sprinter who can likely run all 10 sets of 100m sprints are nearly the same power output and therefore same speed

in the latter case the more experienced trainee can perform both high volume and high intensity work where the former must choose one or the other... the same would go for your arms if the training volume and experience is higher than other bodyparts

now of course genetics can play a role as well, but its not odd at all to require higher volume the longer u train, in fact u must increase volume over your lifting career in order to continue progressing optimally

[MuScLe CeLLs]

Originally Posted by RIPT

Sounds like one of mother nature's screw jobs. I would do more/different excercises than just variations of BB curls also. Dumbell, concentration, incline, preacher etc.........

Hey bro, ofcourse i do preacher curls, i even like getting my bench set on incline and leaning on it using it as a dumbell preacher curl, i should of said what i posted was how i kind of trained arms last time,

i dno why i just decided to double up the sets on ez bar, i do usually do just 3 - 4 sets, but i went to 5 or so sets, ok i will admit last time i didnt do any preacher type work,

but saying that i have sometimes supersetted tricep bar curls when i do my isolation excercises,

also i know u cant compare chest to biceps, but i like what london muscle said,

i would like to add if anyone can remember my post about should i throw in shoulders on chest day,

and if u see that thread , now i think about it with chest i always went heavey cause i always did a full tricep workout on that day too, so that would be the reason why i dont do large sets with chest but combine the sets of chest n triceps on the day, i could be way up there

tell u what i think im gonna write down everything i do next week and let the guys on here with the knowledge analize my notes,

cheers for the feedback guys,

M Cells

[RIPT]

In that case try all kinds of curls at all different angles with all different variables/intensifiers rep speed, high/low reps, supersets etc..........

[MuScLe CeLLs]

this is why i miss the gym , been training at home alot recently and im using the weights sets ive had for years so im guessing im doing similar routines to when i ws a teenager, i think i do just luv bicep work too, but i guess at a gym im missing all those nice preacher curl machines and ofcourse using the cable weight stacks,

i tell u what i been think about this alot, and i reckon i may over train biceps not with heavey heavey weight, im no super strong person etc, but i do reckon i overkill on sets as i said i will even go as low as 20 kilo on an ez bar and go for high sets untill my arms are just pumped,

again i guess its the way i trained them when i was a teen and didnt know any better !

M Cells

[RIPT]

Supination of the wrist is very important also............

[fasterfists1]

IMO, Yes genetics plays a big role. You even see it in juicers too, and most certainly natural BB´s too. Because you got some guys that have huge chests small biceps or others that have huge biceps arms and small chests, etc.

Now of course some guys may agrue that it is their training, BUT how can that be when these guys know what their weaknesses are and so therefore try to then focus or workout their smaller weaker muscles more than their larger bigger ones with no success. I have had to struggle emmensely to get a bigger chest for example but my arms or biceps grow very easy. Luckily I have been able to get my chest up to par with my biceps but I am talking serious muscle isolation work outs as well as training my biceps less.