A better way to bigger biceps

Fair warning: there are no biceps curls in this workout.

That may strike you as odd, considering the title of this article. But more than likely, the exercises in this training plan are the exact ones you need to perform in order to build your biceps bigger than ever. I hear lots of men complain that they have small arms despite having done masses of biceps curls. But the trouble isn’t their biceps. What’s limiting them is weakness in the muscles of their upper back, shoulders and core. In fact, that’s true for almost every slow-growing muscle group. So use what I call the 3-D Workout to shore up your weak spots by strengthening the muscles that surround your joints. After four weeks of working your muscles from all angles, you’ll find that you’re stronger in nearly every upper-body exercise, including the biceps curl. And that’s the foolproof formula for building more muscle.

DIRECTIONS
Complete this workout 3-4 days a week, with a day of rest between sessions. Do the exercises in the order shown, using these guidelines. EXERCISE 1
Perform straight sets, completing all your sets before moving on to exercises 2A and 2B. Rest for the prescribed time between sets. EXERCISES 2A AND 2B
Perform these exercises as a pair: do one set of 2A, rest for the prescribed time, then do one set of 2B and rest again. Repeat until you’ve completed all your sets. Treat 2B as a single exercise: do the prescribed number of reps (8-10) for each of the five movements (Y, T, W, L and I), and then rest. EXERCISES 3A AND 3B
Perform these exercises as a pair: do one set of exercise 3A, rest for the prescribed amount of time, then do one set of exercise 3B and rest again. Repeat this sequence until you’ve completed all your sets.

WIDE-GRIP DEADLIFT
2-3 sets; 6-8 reps; 2 minutes’ rest
Load a barbell and roll it against your shins. Bend at your hips and knees and grab the bar with an overhand grip, your hands about twice shoulder-width apart. Your lower back should be slightly arched, your arms straight and your knees bent about 90°. Without allowing your lower back to round, pull your torso back and up, thrust your hips forward and stand up with the barbell. Pause momentarily, and then take three seconds to reverse the movement and lower the bar to the floor, keeping it as close to your body as possible.

DUMBBELL OVERHEAD REVERSE LUNGE
2-3 sets; 8-10 reps; 1 minute’s rest
Hold a pair of dumbbells above your shoulders with your arms straight and your feet shoulder-width apart. Step backward with your right leg and lower your body until your front knee is bent 90° and your rear knee nearly touches the floor. Your front lower leg should be perpendicular to the floor and your torso upright. Pause, and then push yourself back up to the starting position as quickly as you can. Finish all your repetitions and then repeat the motion with your left leg. YTWLI RAISES ON A SWISS BALL
2-3 sets; 8-10 reps; 1 minute’s rest 2

Y: Lie facedown on a Swiss ball so your back is flat, your legs are straight and your chest is off the ball. Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, your palms facing each other. Without bending your elbows, raise your arms until they’re in line with your torso and they form a Y. Pause, and then slowly lower them to the starting position.

T: Turn your arms so your palms face out. Now raise your arms straight out to your sides until they’re in line with your body. Pause, and then slowly lower them to the starting position.

W: Bend your elbows slightly wider than 90º and hold them at your sides, your palms facing each other. Without moving your elbows, squeeze your shoulders together as you raise your upper arms and rotate your forearms outward. At the top of the movement, your arms should form a W and align with your body.

L: Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, your palms facing back. Keeping your elbows flared out, lift your upper arms by bending your elbows and squeezing your shoulderblades together. Keeping your elbows bent, rotate your upper arms back as far as you can. Pause, and then lower the weights back to the starting position.

I: Let your arms hang straight down from your shoulders, your palms facing each other. Raise your arms so they’re straight and in line with your body and form the letter I. Pause, and then slowly lower them to the starting position.

3A SWISS-BALL HIP EXTENSION AND LEG CURL
2-3 sets; 8-10 reps; 1 minute’s rest
Lie on your back on the floor and place your lower legs on a Swiss ball. Place your arms out to your sides at a 90º angle, your palms facing up. Now push your hips up so that your body forms a straight line from shoulders to knees. Without pausing, pull your heels towards you and roll the ball as close as possible to your bum. Pause, and reverse the motion by rolling the ball back until your body is in a straight line. Lower your hips back to the floor and repeat.

3B ALTERNATING DUMBBELL BENCH PRESS
2-3 sets; 8-10 reps; 1 minute’s rest
Lie face-up on a flat bench and hold a pair of dumbbells over your chest so they’re nearly touching each other. Slowly lower one dumbbell to the side of your chest. Pause, and as you press the weight back up to the starting position, lower the dumbbell in your other hand. Continue to alternate back and forth until you’ve done 8-10 reps with each arm.