Hand Training – 10 Tips from Bodybuilding Professionals
Greetings to you, dear reader. We all heard such a famous phrase: “All ingenious is simple.” In bodybuilding this is also applicable. All famous champions became like this because they knew and, most importantly, they put into practice some simple subtleties. So we need to know these basic principles of success.
In this article, we discuss hand training tips. Advice will be given to us by Sten MacGwai (US champion among amateurs), Darrem Charles (professional IFBB, winner of top professional tournaments), and Günther Schlierkamp (professional IFBB, participant of Olympia). Go…
1) Anatomy
Our biceps consists of 2 beams, and the triceps – from 3. For each beam has its own exercises. Which ones? It may well happen that you explode your biceps with two or three exercises, and they all act on the same bundle of biceps. But what about the other bundles? To avoid this – study the anatomy of the arms and the structure of the biceps.
2) Periodicity
Our arm muscles are made up of different types of fibers. One type of fiber begins to grow under the influence of strength training hands and heavy loads. Another type of fiber grows only under the influence of pumping. Therefore, in order to maximize your hands – you need to build training cycles. To do this, you need to create a training program with different types of goals. You can pump the mass, then work for strength, then return to the mass again.
3) Wisdom, sensations, instincts
Now you can see a lot of different pumping systems of muscles, including arms. But most of them are designed for tough, advanced athletes who have solid experience behind the cries. And what can I say – you yourself understand what the difference is in an athlete who tries to regularly attend workouts after exhausting work, from the athlete for whom bodybuilding is work.
Therefore, programs for professionals – amateurs will not do. But! You need to pay attention to such information and use training programs for advanced athletes as a guide when planning your training, including training hands. Be resourceful and create your own training program.
In our life there can be various situations that can affect us. To influence both positively and negatively. If you feel a surge of strength, and you are literally bursting with enthusiasm, then boldly go to the gym, even if you plan to rest. In this case, do not be afraid to break your training schedule. And vice versa – if you feel tired, if your hands have not recovered from the last workout, then boldly give yourself another day of rest. Learn to feel your condition at the moment and draw your own conclusions from this.
4) Variety
Hands involved in pumping the chest, back and shoulder girdle. Usually these muscles are pumped according to standard programs and methods. Do you understand how much monotonous load your hands get? And then, in the same monotonous mode – you start training hands. Will it make sense? Yes, the sense will definitely be, because you still shake hands and give them a load.
But we are talking here about how to make this sense as sensible as possible, how to get the maximum result. Therefore, diversity is necessary! Hands need more variety than other muscles – this should be remembered! Darrem Charles: “Personally, I do not spend 2 identical workouts! First, I do in an exercise of 3 sets of 10 repetitions, then of 8 sets and finally of 4-6 sets. ”
5) The rule of rotation
The most effective in the training of hands is the exercise, which is the first in the complex. If you start your workout with the same movement, then that triceps or biceps bundle will receive a first-class development, but this load is calculated. It is necessary to memorize one rule of training muscles consisting of several bundles: it is necessary to interchange various exercises from time to time.
For example, today you started training triceps with extensions from behind the head, which load a long bundle. At the next training session, start with a narrow bench press or bench press down, designed for an external beam. And then start with a bench press down the opposite grip, working through the middle beam. Regarding the biceps training, here you need to alternate between different options for the grip of the bar during lifting. The middle and narrow grip train the external beams of the biceps, while the wide grip loads the internal bundles of muscles.
6) The principle of progression
At each workout, add at least 150-250 grams of weight to your burdens. But do it only in 1-2 main exercises of the complex. Progression must be necessary, without it in any way! The diameter of the muscle is directly proportional to its strength. As the muscle overcomes the increasing load, it develops its strength. Then there is muscle growth.
7) No error
Often, during training hands – athletes make a typical mistake. They seek to lift large weights at any cost, while forgetting about technology. This repetition is performed in the style of a powerful, jerk effort, which lasts a split second. This is very little for the development of muscle fibers. Weight lifting should last at least 4 seconds. The same (and even more) is needed to lower the projectile. The study of biceps and triceps should be carried out at a calm, measured pace. At the same time you need to feel the tension of the swayed muscle.
8) At the peak!
At the time of peak contraction of the biceps and triceps, at the highest point of the amplitude in these muscles, the largest number of fibers is reduced. That is why peak voltage is so appreciated by professionals. This technique should be done not randomly, but qualitatively. At the top point, you should always make a noticeable pause so that the muscle recognizes this peak burst, this powerful stimulus of pumping hands!
9) Intensity
When you work out your biceps, then maybe you completely lower your arm with the burden. Then your biceps is resting for a while, and this is not quite good. During training, your biceps should be under load as much as possible. This is the intensity of the training. When you start lifting for biceps – keep your elbows slightly bent, lower also not to the end. This will not allow the biceps to relax between repetitions.
During the triceps pumping, it is also impossible to completely extend the arms, because then the weight of the projectile will be assumed by the bones of the arms and the triceps will relax. But if you are doing the bench press downwards with direct and reverse grip, then on the contrary, you need to fully extend your arms.
10) Together is better!
Cool pamping hands is not possible when you train alone. You need a training partner who will insure you when it is needed, will help you to observe the correct technique of doing the exercises, will motivate you in the end. Your hand training will be truly successful if it is based on passion and competitive mood.
And it will be generally great if you find yourself a partner who will train with you on the same program. Since you will try to transcend each other, you will achieve what you would never have achieved alone. After all, it’s not for nothing that one wise book, in the Bible, says: “Two are better than one, because they will receive a good reward for their work.”
The use of these tips should blow up your hands, but you understand perfectly well that all these principles apply to all other muscle groups!