Victor Martinez’s in-depth bicep training guide.
Victor Martinez is an iconic pro bodybuilder and legend in the sport. He is considered by many to have one of the greatest physiques of the 2000s era of bodybuilders. In 2007, in a controversial decision, he nearly beat Jay Cutler for the Mr. Olympia title. That’s why we met up with Martinez at the Generation Iron Personal Training Gym for an epic workout. In this GI Exclusive, Victor Martinez ends this 3-part training series with a powerhouse bicep workout guide.
It’s easy enough to find a training routine online – but the real work comes in knowing the details. A list of exercises, sets, and reps is simply the most basic foundation for a successful workout. Knowing proper form, full movement, and specific tips can transform a workout from good to great. It’s what separates a “normal” in shape person from a shredded bodybuilder.
That’s why Victor Martinez met up with Vlad Yudin to go through the ultimate gauntlet of a workout. In part two of our training mini series with Martinez, he puts Vlad through the paces and shares important tips on how to optimize your routine. A workout sheet is one thing – but this video guide will give you play-by-play examples of how to actually perform like a pro bodybuilder.
This exercise is an immediate follow up to Victor Martinez’ in-depth chest training and shoulder training guide and should be completed within the same session.
Victor Martinez’s Bicep Training Workout
As mentioned above, this bicep training session immediately follows a full chest day workout alongside half of a shoulder workout. Victor Martinez prefers to combine muscle groups in his workout sessions that he believes create the best combo for most effective progress. He combines chest with shoulders because chest exercises often indirectly workout your shoulders – then expands to an arm workout for a more complete upper body training session.
| Exercises | Sets | Reps |
| Cable Bicep Curls (Warmup) | 3 | 20-15-12 |
| Barbell Curls | 4 | 10-12 |
| Dumbbell Curls | 3 | 12 |
| Cable Hammer Curls | 3 | 15 |
When it comes to weight, that’s impossible to recommend broadly. Each individual has different limits on how much weight to push. Ultimately, you want to lift enough weight to complete all three sets for each exercise. By the end of the final set for each – you should barely be able to finish. It may take trial and error to begin with – but you’ll ultimately find a sweet spot this will be more than enough to exhaust your muscles completely.
Victor Martinez also has some tips on how to ensure you’re fully pushing yourself with each workout session. For every exercise, make sure you always hit the number of reps you are shooting for. On the final set, if you can’t hit, let’s say, 15 reps. Don’t stop. Drop weight so you can hit that number. That’s where real muscle growth comes from – pushing beyond your first perceived limit. In this video, Martinez explains there are two ways to get intensity when you are started to get exhausted – dropsets or supersets.
Cable Bicep Curls (Warm Up)
Victor Martinez starts this segment of his workout program with another warm up. This consists of cable bicep curls – three sets. The first set is 20 reps. The second set is 15 reps. And the last set is 12 reps.
During this warm up, Victor Martinez also shares some sound advice about how to prepare for a workout. He suggests never training on a completely empty stomach. If you are someone who trains in the morning – always make sure to have some food beforehand. If you train fasted – you will simply lose weight. If that’s your goal – that’s great. But if you are looking to build muscle, Martinez always recommends getting some food in you before hitting the gym.
Barbell Curls
For the first official exercise after the warm up, Victor Martinez recommends traditional barbell bicep curls. Four sets of 10-12 reps. During this workout, Martinez shares a tip for getting an extra bit of work into the workout. When the weight is lighter – Martinez likes to hold the peak of the movement for a extra split second to get more of a squeeze. He emphasizes only doing this on lighter weight. With heavier loads this can risk injuring your tendon.
Dumbbell Curls
For the second exercise, Victor Martinez moves onto traditional dumbbell bicep curls. He uses a bicep curl bench to help prevent cheating or loose form. For this exercise he recommends three sets of 12 reps.
During this exercise, Martinez reiterates the importance of always hitting the correct number of reps. Even on the final set if you feel fully exhausted, do not give up early. This leads to slower or sometimes no improvement in muscle gains. Always drop weight and complete the max reps.
Cable Hammer Curls
Victor Martinez ends his bicep workout focusing on cable hammer curls. For this exercise, Martinez suggests three sets of 15 reps. While performing this workout, Martinez emphasizes focusing on safety, even when using machines in the gym. Always check your equipment to make sure it’s working properly to avoid injury.
He tells a story of injuring his quad when he was just 20 years old. He was lifting on a leg press machine that had misaligned ball bearings. It caused the machine to stop suddenly half way through a press – causing a tear in his quad and disabling him from full training for over a year.
Wrap Up
That about wraps up Part 3 of Victor Martinez’s upper body training routine. Make sure to watch the GI Exclusive training video above to get complete play-by-play tips on each exercise. Soon you’ll transform your workout into a pro level routine.