Bicep Workout - Negatives

[URMaster]

Hello All. Recently I got bored in the gym and have tried something relatively new for me regarding my bicep workout. Instead of doing my standard 9 set, which included ez curls, cables and preachers. Now, I cant be the first person whos tried this, but wanted some feedback. I dropped the weight on my preacher by a few pounds then ever so slowly lowered the weight concentrating solely on the negative, I am only able to do 3 reps, one set taking a little over a minute and a half, I didnt time myself. My arms get so tired, that I have trouble bringing the weight up, 3 reps is hard. Total of 3 sets, then I do the same thing with cable curls. My arms are more tired after 6 reps and get more pumped then ever. Feedback appreciated. Like I said nothing revolutionary just havent tried this method before.

[SwoleCat]

It's okay to do some negatives every 3rd or 4th workout, but I would not be doing this every workout for all sets.

You will really over-tax the muscles worked, especially if you do this every workout. Negatives only have their place, but that is few/far between.

~SC~

[taiboxa]

yep i concur.. i will only do negs on the last rep of the last set and only 1 neg and it usually only last 10 seconds...

[Warrior]

3 types of failure... concentric - can't lift it anymore... static - can't hold it anymore... and eccentric - can't stop it from fallin'...

Many simply stop at concentric failure - while the other types are more absolute. Useing negatives and static holds are a lot more taxing on your CNS but they will annialate more muscle fibers... just be sure to keep your form - especially when you begin shaking... the shaking is your body screaming for more muscle fibers to recruit - the more stable you can hold your form, the better the stimulation will be for the targeted muscle...

[novastepp]

so how would you do a static or an eccentric hold on bench press?

[URMaster]

I thought the negatives were good, but I didnt think they would be so taxing that the body couldnt recover in time for a next workout. Thanks for the info, i'll only do em every so often.

[Warrior]

so how would you do a static or an eccentric hold on bench press?

On the flat bench you would unrack the weight and bring it down about 3-5 inches and hold it there - in the strong range. You would keep track of how many seconds you can maintain it - and try to progress this way.

Personally, I really like doing static holds for Side Delt Laterals for certain training splits - the delts really like the extra time under tension and it is a really good way to finish off some heavy Military Presses... I usually keep it at 15-25 seconds - after 25 seconds, increase the load... I don't really suggest doing negatives with these everytime - once static failure is reached - the weight is dropped...

[SwoleCat]

Yeah, side lateral statics are a KILLER!!!!!!



~SC~

[novastepp]

so would this build any mass in my chest? i could use any and all help i can get in that department.

[URMaster]

so would this build any mass in my chest? i could use any and all help i can get in that department.

Sure it would build mass. The purpose of the any excercise is to break down your muscle forcing it to grow. I find that negatives absolutely destroy my muscles. I just had no idea that I would be overtraining if I did em too often.

[Warrior]

Sure it would build mass. The purpose of the any excercise is to break down your muscle forcing it to grow. I find that negatives absolutely destroy my muscles. I just had no idea that I would be overtraining if I did em too often.

The fact is you don't want to rehit the muscle until it has recovered and grown - it must recover to grow - so you hit the recovery curb for maximum supercompensation... following a workout you take the supercompensation curve like this...

stage 1, stimulis then fatigue (overtraining);
stage 2, compensation (hitting it again too soon);
stage 3, overcompensation (your target);
stage 4 involution followed by a return to homeostatis (waiting too long)...

Doing negatives every workout (causing the highest degree of muscle failure) can require more rest. Can you do them every workout? Possibly - but you will have to have the rest of your routine set up to allow the biceps enough recovery time...

Bottomline, are you progressing doing it this way or are you overworking the muscle and overtraining your system?

BTW - I also like static holds for barbell curls... really good pump!

[novastepp]

warrior, if i did static holds say every 3rd chest routine (every 3rd week)... would that help with strength or with mass gains? i am looking for every added aspect i can to gain chest mass. im desperate. or would negatives every 3rd week help better?

[Warrior]

Its too hard to generalize - what concerns you more... chest size (negatives) or raising limit srength (static holds)? Do you have a weak point in your presses? How long have you been training?

Static holds can help your bench #'s in two ways. They can help you get use to heavier loads by using a load over your 1RM and holding it in the strong range - and they can more throughly recruit the chest than stopping at concentric failure can... form must remain perfect as you start to shake... and you must not give in too early. Remember, you must have a spot for these - since after static failure, the weight has only one place to go - down.

[rastling1]

warrior thats some good info man thanks!

[novastepp]

Its too hard to generalize - what concerns you more... chest size (negatives) or raising limit srength (static holds)? Do you have a weak point in your presses? How long have you been training?

Static holds can help your bench #'s in two ways. They can help you get use to heavier loads by using a load over your 1RM and holding it in the strong range - and they can more throughly recruit the chest than stopping at concentric failure can... form must remain perfect as you start to shake... and you must not give in too early. Remember, you must have a spot for these - since after static failure, the weight has only one place to go - down.

i am finishing up my strength sequence and have grwon significantly in strength and i am going to be starting my size builder in a couple weeks. so this will solely be for size. i will in corporate static holds at the end of my routine and teh next week i will do negatives. i will alternate weeks for thses, and do them at the end of my workout. thank you for all the information Warrior.