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The Best Bicep Tricep Superset Workout For Big Arms!

The Best Bicep Tricep Superset Workout

Arms lagging behind? Struggling to add some quality muscle mass and overall size to your arms? I've been there...

This bicep tricep superset regime is the answer.

If you've read any of the training and workout structure articles you'll know I'm not a huge fan of supersetting exercise, but herein lies the exception.
When training chest and back or legs and shoulders the energy required to smash two large muscle groups in one workout while maintaining heavy weight is damn near impossible.

Supersetting your biceps and triceps is  surefire way to save time, maintain intensity and cultivate growth.

The Big Benefits Of The Bicep Tricep Superset

You'll Save Time

Training your biceps and triceps individually can be time consuming and as a result your workout will often lack intensity.
A 45 minute intense arm workout comprised of the bicep tricep superset regime is going to far more beneficial than a 2 hour workout slowly working your way through each exercise individually.

Your Conditioning Will Improve

Pushing yourself beyond your current limit on a biceps exercise before immediately loading up the weight for the proceeding triceps exercise without any scheduled rest will improve your overall conditioning.

You'll Get A Crazy Pump!

It's not uncommon for your arms to gain an inch or two from the ridiculous pump a bicep tricep superset workout inhibits.
Want to get a pump before a photoshoot or event? Give the workout below a try!

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Note: a pump is not an indicator of progress, that's a bodybuilding myth that we've dispelled.

The Exercises

Barbell Curl

The barbell bicep curl is the ultimate mass builder for the biceps, hands down.

The stress and progressive overload we can apply with a heavy barbell bicep curl cannot be replicated with dumbbells, preacher curls or any other machines.

Get your form dialled in then start your arm day with several sets of barbell bicep curl and watch your arms grow!

Form:

Stand up straight while grasping a barbell with a shoulder width grip, elbows tucked in and palms facing away from you.

Curl the barbell up by contracting your biceps and moving your forearms, your upper arm should not move at all.

Curl until the barbell is at shoulder height.

Squeeze and hold this contraction for one second.

Slowly lower the bar back down until your arms are extended in front of you.

Dumbbell Curl

When it comes to building big biceps no gym-goer needs an introduction to the bicep curl.

When performed with correct form the dumbbell bicep curl is hard to beat for adding mass and strength to the biceps.

Form:

Stand up straight with a dumbbell in each hand, rotate your palms until they're facing forward and tuck your elbows into your sides.

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Curl the dumbbells up one at a time by contracting your biceps and moving your forearm, your upper arm should not move at all.

Curl until the dumbbell is at shoulder height.

Squeeze and hold this contraction for one second.

Slowly lower the dumbbell back down until your arm is extended in front of you.

Repeat with alternate arm.

Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl

The hammer curl is a very similar movement to the regular bicep curl, however the weight is continually held in a neutral grip, without the typical twist performed when curling a dumbbell up.

“If hammer curls are so great why do we need to do them on an incline bench, SJ?”

The dumbbell hammer curl is often performed as an ego lift, as the majority of gym-goers will be able to lift a substantial bit more weight when they’re utilizing the netural grip of the hammer curl… with excessive increases in weight our form ever so quickly goes out the window, along with the tension placed on the muscle and the growth of the biceps.

Laying on an incline bench eliminates the swing, you can’t calf raise the weights up as if you were performing a standing set of heavy hammer curls.

Form:

In order to perform the incline hammer curl set up a bench at a 45 degree angle with the bottom pad angled slightly, as if you were going to perform an incline dumbbell press.

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Lay down on the bench with your arms fully extended gripping a pair of dumbbells, the dumbbell should be slightly off the ground upon full extension.

While laying back keep your elbows locked in place, curl only your upper arm until fully contracted.

Squeeze at the top for 1 second.

Slowly lower the dumbbell back down until its returned to your side in the fully extended position.

Proceed with your other arm

Triceps Dip

The dip is one of the best size and strength builders for the triceps.
I recommend starting off your arm workout with dips and as soon as you're hitting the double digit rep range start considering to add additional resistance in the form of a dumbbell or 45lb weight plate to continue to overload the muscle.

You'll find strong triceps equate to solid progress on your chest exercises too e.g. the flat bench press.

Form:

Raise your body on a pair of parallel bars until your arms are almost at full extension.

As you breath in begin to lower yourself down by flexing the elbow, your torso should stay upright and your elbows should remain tucked in to your side to ensure you're focusing on the triceps as opposed to the chest.

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Lower yourself down until there's at least a 90 degree angle between your upper and lower arm.

Flex and drive through your triceps to power yourself back up until your arms are almost at full extension.

Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Triceps Overhead Extension

The overhead extension, requiring nothing more than a single heavy dumbbell is a great exercise to add some serious size and strength to your triceps.
Be extremely careful with form on this overhead extension as constant flaring of the elbows as a result of attempting to lift too heavy will place your shoulders in a compromised position, increasing your risk of injury (not good!).

I cannot stress form over weight on this extension enough.

Form:

Sit on a bench with back support and hold a dumbbell with both hands overhead, arms extended.

The weight should be in the palms of your hands with thumbs wrapped around the dumbbell.

Tuck your elbows in while remaining perpendicular to the ground while you begin to lower the dumbbell behind your head.

At the bottom of the movement flex your triceps to drive the dumbbell back up until your arms are fully extended.

Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Dumbbell Skull Crusher

The skull crusher is the ultimate isolation exercise for the triceps, if I had to pick 2 exercises to perform for my triceps without a doubt the skull crusher would be one of them!
Ensure your form is strict (elbows in, only moving your forearm) and proceed to overload the muscle, continually increasing the weight when possible and you'll see your triceps start to blow up in size and strength!

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I recommend trying both the dumbbell, barbell and unilateral versions of the skull crusher.

Form:

Grip a dumbbell in each hand, lay down on a flat bench and fully extend your arms.

Without moving your upper arms proceed to lower the dumbbells by moving your forearms downward toward your head.

Pause for 1 second as the dumbbells are almost touching your forehead.

Extend your elbows to drive the dumbbells back up until your arms are fully extended, hold this contraction for 1 second.

Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

The Bicep Tricep Superset Workout

4 sets - 8 reps
Barbell Bicep Curl

Superset
Tricep Dips

4 sets - 8 reps
Dumbbell Curl

Superset
Triceps Overhead Extension

4 sets - 8 reps
Dumbbell Incline Hammer Curl

Superset
Dumbbell Skull Crusher

Troubleshooting Your Bicep Tricep Superset Workout

Bicep Training Mistakes

Swinging

Every guy in the gym wants to swing around heavy weight on biceps, I get that.

 If you want to build big arms you’re going to have to lift heavy, HOWEVER form always have and always will take priority over the weight being lifted.
The bottom portion of a bicep curl is without a doubt the hardest portion of the movement, and when lifting too heavy many gym-goers attempt to swing backwards or hip thrust to attempt to move the weight.
Using momentum to move the weight takes tension off the bicep, doing you no good.
If you’re swinging and swaying your back on every repetition you’re also placing your lower back at a high risk of injury – not good.

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Pick a weight that’s heavy for you to perform with good form, save the cheat curls for Arnold.

Arm Training Frequency Too High

it didn’t take me long to realize that training my arms every single day wasn’t getting me very far in terms of results given all the effort I was exerting.

Train smart.

The biceps act as the secondary muscle group when we’re training back, and the triceps act as the secondary muscle group when we’re training chest.
Training chest, back and one dedicated arm day per week (or triceps and biceps split up onto seperate days instead) is more than enough to build big, strong arms.

More isn’t always better – if you’re training frequency is any higher than this you may very well be hindering your own progress, like all other muscle groups the biceps and triceps require time to recover.

Lifting Too Light

If you don’t generally train in the lower rep range I recommend you give it a try, stop lifting in the 10 – 15 rep range for at least a month and focus on heavy, low rep sets. Once you start to see results you won’t want to go back.

Now, you may still think high reps are beneficial, but let me tell you they’re far from it.

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High repetitions result in increased stress on your CNS, increase in localized inflammation and increased soreness.

“Movements or exercises that do not give the muscle the required resistance, but are the kind that involve a great number of repetitions, never break down any tissue, to speak of. These movements involve a forcing process that cause the blood to swell up the muscle, and simply pump them up”– George F. Jowett, 1926

Triceps Training Mistakes

Neglect

This is without a doubt the biggest arm training mistake I see. Period.
When it comes to building big arms the triceps are often neglected, with arm day consisting of a variety of different bicep curls and only one or two tricep exercises.
The triceps makes up 2/3 of your arm and has a far bigger overall impact on the size of your arm (especially when viewed side on).

Although the triceps are the secondary muscle group on exercises such as the barbell bench press when training chest in order to build impressive triceps they need to be hit directly with the right exercises such as the close grip bench press, skullcrushers and bodyweight (or weighted) dips.

Flaring Elbows On Triceps Exercises

When performing any tricep exercise, whether it be a dumbbell overhead tricep extension or a rope pushdown it’s imperative you keep your elbows tucked in by your sides.
Flaring your elbows outwards is often a sign that the weight is too heavy (as you’re trying to muscle the shoulders in to assist with moving the weight).
Flaring the elbows on triceps exercise places your shoulders at a high risk of injury not to mention you’re only going to applying a small amount of tension to the triceps as the shoulders are trying to take over and lift the weight.

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If you find yourself constantly flaring your elbows lower the weight and consciously practise tucking your elbows in to your side on each repetition until it becomes natural.

What's Your Take On This Workout? Let Me Know Below!

Scott J.
Scott J.https://ignorelimits.com
I’m SJ. I’m a fitness enthusiast and published author. I transformed my body from a skinny fat 135lbs with 18% body fat to a solid 192lbs at 8% body fat. I became qualified in a field I was passionate about. I founded several online businesses that allow me to pursue ideas and projects in my life that I am passionate about without having to constantly worry about money. I published several eBooks explaining the training and dieting techniques I used to achieve the body I have today. I learnt a plethora of new information on dieting and fitness by reading and applying what I read, to find out what does work and what doesn’t work, because as I’m sure you’ve noticed the health and fitness industry is full of non-sense claims and BS. I found out what was true and what worked for me and applied that knowledge. And you bet I had fun during the whole process.

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