How you see yourself, and how others see you

[Edward]

Originally Posted by Brat

You know, that's why appearance goals are not motivating enough for many people. Your friends and family love you for who you are, not how you look so they are not really a good place to look for constructive criticism (or they would be pretty shallow people). Not that there is anything wrong with wanting to look good from your fitness efforts.

The worst thing i find with friends and school mates, is when they say they don't want you to lose weight, they want you to be the fat teddy bear. Well i don't!

[GetSwoll]

I know your feeling, but my problem is just with my biceps for some reason. I can't tell if they really are small or if its my optical illusion, either way it makes me want to train them absurdly.

[Vas85]

Originally Posted by GetSwoll

I know your feeling, but my problem is just with my biceps for some reason. I can't tell if they really are small or if its my optical illusion, either way it makes me want to train them absurdly.

I love the bicep itself, but damn do i hate training it, i find it is the one muscle that when i train seems to take the most out of me... triceps are the easiest, i dont even break a sweat training triceps as hard as i want.. just bi's make me feel like i'm a machine with metal..

[Zackoz]

^^^ Same man. I actually hate the back and bicep workout...It feels like the biggest uphill struggle out of all the workouts...None of the exercises feel "comfortable"....(yes my form is correct lol)

[Todd]

Originally Posted by Zackoz

^^^ Same man. I actually hate the back and bicep workout...It feels like the biggest uphill struggle out of all the workouts...None of the exercises feel "comfortable"....(yes my form is correct lol)

Probably just need to work on establishing the mind-to-muscle connection for biceps and back. This will allow you to work the muscles harder, to the point where it actually feels comfortable and like you're working them sufficiently.

Establishing this important connection will come with time, concentration and learning to listen to your body.

[AndrewH]

Originally Posted by Zackoz

^^^ Same man. I actually hate the back and bicep workout...It feels like the biggest uphill struggle out of all the workouts...None of the exercises feel "comfortable"....(yes my form is correct lol)

Dude, are you serious? For me it's legs, I can't stand doing them! Come time TO do them, the workout itself kills me! Ive actually passed out right after i set the weights back up. I know, don't need to be critiqued, it just happened...lol

[Vas85]

Originally Posted by Todd

Probably just need to work on establishing the mind-to-muscle connection for biceps and back. This will allow you to work the muscles harder, to the point where it actually feels comfortable and like you're working them sufficiently.

Establishing this important connection will come with time, concentration and learning to listen to your body.

I do have that connection, its just when you get pretty heavy like 35kg+ dumbells, things start to make me feel like i'm lifting a little too much, even though i pull out 6reps

40kg 1arm, 1rep max, that is why i feel like i'm not human doing them, just takes the life out of me, i feel like i have a metally taste in my mouth after doing them, thats how hard they push my body.

Thats why i have kinda started to only train them directly once every two weeks, becuase of that hardcore-ness. :S

Legs, Back, (any indirect bicep work feels great, doesnt tax me beyond limits, ie chins, lat pulldowns, dl's) Chest I all love to train and a lot heavier too, i never train abs directly as I can't do no training when they are sore, and i can't afford to have them sore :S but yeah its the one bodypart I love but hate to train. Sounds funny but in my case just how it happens to be.

[Todd]

Originally Posted by Vas85

I do have that connection, its just when you get pretty heavy like 35kg+ dumbells, things start to make me feel like i'm lifting a little too much, even though i pull out 6reps

Then, you probably are. There is a big difference between being able to get a particular number of reps by slinging huge weight vs. getting those reps and knowing you've worked the intended muscle correctly by using a weight that is heavy enough, but not too heavy. When you go too heavy on anything, you lose the feel for that muscle doing the work the way it should be.

It's like if I were to curl 60 pounders ...I could probably squeeze out 5 reps, but I know I wouldn't get the same feeling (and stimulation) compared to if I used 50's and got 6 reps properly, where the targeted muscle was doing all the work, and I was able to mentally make that muscle connection for serious growth stimulation.

40kg 1arm, 1rep max, that is why i feel like i'm not human doing them, just takes the life out of me, i feel like i have a metally taste in my mouth after doing them, thats how hard they push my body.

Sounds like you're over doing it in the gym, and lifting beyond your true capacity for growth. In short, you should back off a bit and lift within the capacity for hypertrophy. The fact that you've got a metally taste in your mouth from doing biceps is a sign you are either not hydrated enough, don't have enough carbs in your system while working out, or you're simply over doing it....or a combination thereof.

Thats why i have kinda started to only train them directly once every two weeks, becuase of that hardcore-ness. :S

Again, sounds to me like you're over doing it just a tad. You should be able to train your biceps once a week easily. If you can't there is definitely something not right.

Legs, Back, (any indirect bicep work feels great, doesnt tax me beyond limits, ie chins, lat pulldowns, dl's)

I think if you just backed off a bit on the weight you're using for biceps training that you wouldn't feel taxed beyond your limits when working them.

[Vas85]

Originally Posted by Todd

Then, you probably are. There is a big difference between being able to get a particular number of reps by slinging huge weight vs. getting those reps and knowing you've worked the intended muscle correctly by using a weight that is heavy enough, but not too heavy. When you go too heavy on anything, you lose the feel for that muscle doing the work the way it should be.

It's like if I were to curl 60 pounders ...I could probably squeeze out 5 reps, but I know I wouldn't get the same feeling (and stimulation) compared to if I used 50's and got 6 reps properly, where the targeted muscle was doing all the work, and I was able to mentally make that muscle connection for serious growth stimulation.

When i'm doing my 35kg for 6reps i do do them constant and steady... proper reps just with the biceps i feel they are too taxing on the body for such a little muscle compared to others in the body.

Originally Posted by Todd

Sounds like you're over doing it in the gym, and lifting beyond your true capacity for growth. In short, you should back off a bit and lift within the capacity for hypertrophy. The fact that you've got a metally taste in your mouth from doing biceps is a sign you are either not hydrated enough, don't have enough carbs in your system while working out, or you're simply over doing it....or a combination thereof.

Not to sound like a complete ass i eat a lot of carbs Todd, i don't know if its an energy thing, i only do them at home actually.. and once a week for 4sets, thats it. While they have grown to 18.5inches and around 19 when pumped (bi's and tri's) I dont enjoy training them, and if i lift 20-25kg i can pump out the 10-15rep range and although it does feel like an awesome pump, doesn't get me as intensely as the higher weight does for 6reps.

Originally Posted by Todd

Again, sounds to me like you're over doing it just a tad. You should be able to train your biceps once a week easily. If you can't there is definitely something not right.

I do guess i'm probably lifting a fair bit, but my form isn't out of wack lifting upto my final set at 35kg, ive always had larger forearms than average joe even before training, and i see the benefits they have brought me with curling, I just don't find then a nice bodypart to train, I dont think I am overtraining them, i never get doms (and i know doms isn't an indicator that they are / aren't being worked properly) it's just a bodypart i feel i need to put the most effort into training it.

Originally Posted by Todd

I think if you just backed off a bit on the weight you're using for biceps training that you wouldn't feel taxed beyond your limits when working them.

That i've done on occasions, and I should probably do more often but I just get worried taht if i did stick to lighter weights I wouldn't be able to curl as heavy, becuase in principle strength gains turn to benefits in size gains.


In contrast, to what I was trying to say, i do 1 handed skullcrushers with a hammer like grip that have been the core of my triceps training, and I can do 6-8-10 sets and its almost like I dont even break a sweat, yeah the sets get intense and hard, but not getting exhausted, body doesn't feel not one bit taxxed, I just feel that with biceps (even if i do lots of sets of 20kg'ers) lighter or heavier, i just feel there is too much exertion of energy required compared to other bodyparts.

I dont know maybe you are right regarding it being too much, but for hydration, and carbs I definitely believe I consume enough and am hydrated enough, I am never gasping for water, as I drink plenty of it during my workouts and throughout the day, and like I said I only do 4sets of biceps, excluding warmup at 10kg i then go 20 25 30 35 for 6-10rep ranges and rest 3-5minutes between each set (excluding warmup). I think the only other plausible explanation would be the combination of my back workout which includes 6sets of chins that like i've mentioned before get my bi's pumped way more than bicep training does, I do back on Saturday, and Bi's on Wednesday.

Maybe all along i'm just not meant to do direct bi work, like bodies are different, but I dont like the feeling of knowing i didn't do them, psychological stuff i guess.

Oh and if i didn't mention the weights mentioned are for Standing 1 arm dumbell curl, with the other arm holding onto support (i use bed frame / door open side on) to keep my body in a perfectly still position.