The good pain...

[sarahmichelef]

Over the past week I've increased my resistance by 5 pounds on almost all of my exercises (chest press, row, lat pull, abs (where I'm working with almost half my body weight!), hip abductors & adductors).  This means that my back & shoulders are deliciously sore today - not enough to actually bug me, but enough to remind me that I have been doing good work in the lifting department.

Here's a question for the weight-lifty folks out there... right now I'm doing my bicep curls with 15 pounds and my tricep extensions with 20 (3 sets of 15).  I could PROBABLY go up to 25 on the extensions, but I don't think I could go up to 20 on the curls.  But my biceps are also getting worked on the row and the lat pulls (at least according to how I feel and the diagrams on the machines).  Would it be a bad idea to have a 10 pound differential between my biceps and my triceps?  (I'm planning to ask Joseph the Excessively Cheerful Trainer this same question next time I see him.)

Oh, and my engagement ring is too big.  Keeps spinning around and stabbing me in the pinky.  Woe is me, I know.  ;^)

Comments

[dixon-green.livejournal.com]

Specific to your question, no, I don't think it's a bad differential between the bicep and tricep. Just keep working both, and incresing weight or reps or sets when you need to.

(BTW, good numbers on those weights.)

However. My opinion? Ditch both lifts. You're getting plenty of bicep work with the rows and the lat pull downs (and the chest press). For some tricep work, try dips, especially if there is a dip assist machine at your gym. It's a bodyweight exercise, and with the assist you can displace however much weight you need while you work up the strength (I'm currently able to do sets of 5 at bodyweight, with about 20# displaced for 10-12 rep sets) . You might add shoulder presses, too, really work the upper arms and back.

I'm currently doing close grip bench presses for my tricep work, but then again, I'm very much a fan of the free weights and big compound lifts.

[baronalejandro.livejournal.com]

It's not a bad idea to have a differential between your biceps and triceps. And that's right, those are good numbers. GO YOU!

I might ditch both lifts, but I would substitute something that's going to strictly work the muscles alone, not free weights. For biceps, maybe preacher-bench curls or something like that.

[brewergnome.livejournal.com]

Your triceps are a bigger muscle group than your biceps and usually stronger. I can do 80 or 90 (bar) on my tricep extensions, but I only do 60 or 70 with my curls.

So no, not a problem.