"No Curl" Biceps Program
by Alwyn Cosgrove
09/05/05

The Evil Scot strikes again! Good stuff.

Really liking the idea of the onehand overhead squat!

Cool Idea, I may think about adding the one hand overhead squad idea to my program.

I do O lifting exclusively, along with squats and front squats, my torso and legs have gained good size, but my upper arms are twigs.(every o lifter has arms like twigs, unless he is an arm puller)

Any man who values the wisdom of Yoda has got his shit together in my book. If I have to give up my deads and cleans days to give this a shot for four weeks I think it'll be more than worth it!

Great article!!

just wondering who's the guy in the pictures?

Of equal value as the Booming Biceps articles by Don Alessi (meaning it is AWESOME). I gained more than an inch on my arms applying Don's tips and cannot wait to apply some of this stuff.

One question: Do you have any suggestions for Triceps? Is there a no 'Extensions' Triceps program?

Your information is great, keep it coming,

Marqaos

GOOD APPROACH! REALLY Interesting!!

I've been thu some of the articles on your www site - I found a few really good points there!
Keep a good work Buddy

Regards,

thats some good stuff. i didnt know any of that, only seen it and never knew what they would improve. when i start my new week up im going with it.

How would a program of heavy pulls, squat, good mournings and GHRs compare to this in terms of effect? Is it totally apples to oranges or could you get some similar effects?

It's an interesting idea, replacing arm training with a full body routine. I'd be curious to see what people did with their other training days when applying this.

What's a suitable substitute for the medicine ball push-ups? (no medicine balls at my gym)

Will swiss-ball push-ups work?

If spine stability is the biggest limiting factor for max weights on curls why not just do preacher curls?

And no, I'm not being a smartass, I'm just curious.

loctite_zexel wrote:
What's a suitable substitute for the medicine ball push-ups? (no medicine balls at my gym)

Will swiss-ball push-ups work?

Just my humble opinion here, but I don't think you won't get the same training effect from a swiss ball pushup that you will on medicine ball pushups. The ROM on medicine ball pushups is greater and has more emphasis on your upper body strength. Even when having my feet on a medicine ball, I found swiss ball pushups to be harder on my abs and hips. When I did the progression to pushups with my hands and feet each on a swiss ball I still didn't find the same carryover as with medicine balls. Swiss balls are useful for some things but I can't recommend them for putting your hands on and getting carryover in pushups.
I think I got the best results with my feet on a medicine ball too - it gives you a little more feedback but doesn't turn the exercise into a ab/hip dominant proprioception exercise.

Having said that, on a swiss ball you'd still be training your upper body proprioception, but your hands wouldn't be moving independent of another so the training effect that Alwyn intended might not be achieved.

Having done both ways, I feel the closest thing you'll get to the same experience is doing pushups with your hands on basketballs, soccer balls, etc.
If it's a soccer ball make sure it's a Spalding so people know you're serious.
Doing pushups on rings could be a close (but much harder) substitute.

loctite_zexel wrote:
What's a suitable substitute for the medicine ball push-ups? (no medicine balls at my gym)

Will swiss-ball push-ups work?

loctite_zexel,

May I suggest the following:

* SB push-ups:
1) Insteps flat on SB, hands on ground
2) Toes on SB, hands on ground
3) Feet on ground, hands on two SBs
4) The aboves with weights i.e. Wgt vast, sandbag on back etc.

* Suspended push-ups:
1) On bar
2) On chains
3) On bands

And with the MB push-ups, well, you can smuggle your own basketball in the gym, can't you?

geek boy

MarcAnthony wrote:
If spine stability is the biggest limiting factor for max weights on curls why not just do preacher curls?

And no, I'm not being a smartass, I'm just curious.

That's a good question. I would like to hear the reply.

anyone know whether the single arm overhead DB squat is meant to be done for 3 sets with the heavier DB on the right side only or alternated with 3 sets where the heavier DB is held on the left?

Really liking some of the exercises there. Will be adding one arm db squats and the YMCA shoulder thing or whatever it's called into my routine asap. I'm even gonna go the whole hog and dress up like an Indian for the latter exercise.

Nice exercises, I am not quite following the logic of the article.

If the problem is that the back is the limiting factor on the barbell curl the normal solution would appear to be either using some sort of modified movement,like preacher curls, or some sort of supported curls (i.e. chest or back supported), or using the barbell curls when the biceps were already fatigued by another exercise which didn't involve the back.

Further if the back is already being trained to failure in the specific area when doing the barbell curls wouldn't the back already adapt to the demands of the exercise as best it could , and any further back exercises have little effect?

Anyway nice article, useful exercises,

nutribod wrote:
anyone know whether the single arm overhead DB squat is meant to be done for 3 sets with the heavier DB on the right side only or alternated with 3 sets where the heavier DB is held on the left?

The article said this:

3 sets x 8 reps each side, 90 seconds rest, then return to C1

I think your answer is hidden in there somewhere.

I can see why snatch grip DLs are so good but what if you are someone like me who can get no where near deep enough?

I have to fight to get deep enough for conv deads.

Should I do conv deads and keep fighting for depth or do snatch grip deads from blocks?

MarcAnthony wrote:
If spine stability is the biggest limiting factor for max weights on curls why not just do preacher curls?

And no, I'm not being a smartass, I'm just curious.

...and if a weak core is limiting your squat, why not just do leg press? And if a week stabilizers are a limiting factor in your bench, why not use the smith machine?

:0

What is preventing you from getting the depth?

flexibility i guess

BorisTheSpider wrote:
MarcAnthony wrote:
If spine stability is the biggest limiting factor for max weights on curls why not just do preacher curls?

And no, I'm not being a smartass, I'm just curious.

...and if a weak core is limiting your squat, why not just do leg press? And if a week stabilizers are a limiting factor in your bench, why not use the smith machine?

:0



Exactly ;)

I know you're being facetious. But that still doesnt answer the question.

I've asked the question in all sincerity to help me understand Alwyn's principle's to the fullest and would greatly appreciate an explaination.

Curious, I've read that snatch grip high pulls are hard on the sholders ie rotator cuff,

I was just wondering would the snatch grip deadlifts from box be hard on the rotators

Or am I totally wrong and the snatch grip is not hard on the shoulders

Thanks