biceps question: machine work/isolation work vs free weights?

[pumpster]

  I would do straight bar curls for 6 reps and lower, per set.  In addition I would also throw in a couple of exercises in the 10 to 12 rep range to finish off my bi's.

6 is a good range but i see that you left out mention of anywhere between 6 and 12. 6 and 12 are the extreme ranges for most BBs, did you try 6-10?

[cheftim]

Scott curls. Standing BB curls. Some kind DB curls. Never concentration curls. 9-12 sets in total for me. 6-12 reps.

[Cap]

Bill Pearl offers some insight. 

http://www.musclenet.com/billpearl.htm

Q: “Would you briefly tell us what a good basic routine would be for gaining size when you’re not trying to totally cut up?”

B.P. “If a person wants to gain massive muscular bulk, if I want to get my arms as big as I can possibly get them, I would probably do around 20 sets a day of say 4 exercises and 5 sets each for the triceps and 20 sets for the biceps per workout 3 times per week. That would be around 60 sets of triceps and 60 sets of biceps work per week. I would keep the repetitions between 6 and 8 and I would do all basic movements where I can handle as heavy weights as I can and then I’d take my diet and I’d consume any nutritious food that had calories in it and just flat eat!”

[Painlayer69]

my fav biceps exercies:

seated db curls on a preacher curl bench..but seated the other way around so i got my elbows stuck into the pad (i saw it on musculardevelopment TV...some old guy with huge arms was doing it that way...charlie arms i think they called him lol)

preacher curl machine

preacher curls with ez-bar

those are basically the only exercises i like for biceps....reg curls i dont feel much in my biceps..mostly just in front delts

i like kneeling curls in a cable machine too

i forgot i like concentration curls with dbs too..(elbow against the knee)

Try doing the ones backward that your talking about with a barbell instead........ Thay hit the bis soooo hard ( Atleast for me )  I have heard them called Spider curls

[Painlayer69]

Bill Pearl offers some insight. 

http://www.musclenet.com/billpearl.htm

Q: “Would you briefly tell us what a good basic routine would be for gaining size when you’re not trying to totally cut up?”

B.P. “If a person wants to gain massive muscular bulk, if I want to get my arms as big as I can possibly get them, I would probably do around 20 sets a day of say 4 exercises and 5 sets each for the triceps and 20 sets for the biceps per workout 3 times per week. That would be around 60 sets of triceps and 60 sets of biceps work per week. I would keep the repetitions between 6 and 8 and I would do all basic movements where I can handle as heavy weights as I can and then I’d take my diet and I’d consume any nutritious food that had calories in it and just flat eat!”

Wouldnt that be overtraining?? Say especially for a natural???

[gethuge4715]

i really like doing 3 sets of 21's with the EZ curl bar

after that, i normally do preacher curls on the machine x 3

hammer curls x3

standing olympic bar curls x 3

[Cap]

Wouldnt that be overtraining?? Say especially for a natural???

I didn't say he was right, just saying that he is offering a point of view.  If none of those days were to failure, you could POSSIBLY pull it off with enough calories.