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ARE YOU WORKING YOUR BICEPS TO THEIR FULLEST?
(You May be Surprised)
There'll be no preface to this article. There isn't any need to discuss the appeal of the bicep
muscle and its importance to one's overall appearance. Everyone already knows that. Instead, let's
get right to the point: Biceps training is probably the most simple form of all bodybuilding
exercise, yet thousands of bodybuilders fail to stimulate bicep growth with ample success. There's
a reason for that. There's also a solution. If you're among those who never seem to get a good
bicep pump and would like to rectify the situation, read on.
You're Not Going To Believe This, But...
Although it's rarely addressed, the standard curl doesn't directly affect the bicep -- at least
that's the case with some people. It all comes down to your anatomical make-up. For an unlucky
bunch, the main contributor is the brachialis muscle, which runs underneath the outer part of the
bicep. That's the muscle most responsible for drawing the hand toward the shoulder. Naturally, as
the resistance is increased, the muscle fibers of the bicep come into play, which is why heavy
curling will increase bicep size. Simple, right? Maybe not. Since everyone's point of insertion is
different, for some, the brachialis may absorb the majority of stress, thus, the biceps function
becomes limited. In other words, the biceps will only receive as much stress as the brachialis
will allow.
More Weight = More Growth. But Where?
The obvious solution of increasing the stress on the biceps would be to simply increase the
weight, but as many of you may have realized, that tactic doesn't always work. Have you ever used
an extremely heavy weight for curls only to wind up with sore forearms the following day? That's
because the additional stress was, once again, handled by the brachialis. They're a very efficient
muscle. Unfortunately, by being so efficient, they rob the biceps of additional growth
stimulation. You may be able to lift more and more weight, but the biceps remain the same size.
Very frustrating.
A New Angle On Things:
If you're an advanced bodybuilder, you may have tried a series of angles in order to better
isolate the bi's. This is a necessary part of anyone's training. We all need to discover how to
hit a muscle with the optimum force and in the case of the biceps that won't budge, the key is to try and eliminate the brachialis as much as possible.
Whatever Works Best --Do The Opposite.
By examining which movements most directly work the brachialis, we can comprehend what not to do.
Hammer curls, for instance, will work the forearms and brachi and, interestingly, are easier than
standard biceps curls. There's no wonder a cambered bar was once referred to as an "EZ" curl bar.
Sure, you can handle more weight -- because it takes the strain off of the bicep! It would then
stand to reason that positioning the wrist in as opposite a direction as possible would take the
stress off of the brachialis and place it more onto the bicep. Therefore, keeping the wrist as
straight up as possible will stress the bicep more directly. In the case with dumbell curls,
keeping the wrist a little outward with the pinky higher than the other fingers is better yet. Of
course, when doing barbell curls, a wide grip with a straight bar will most directly work the
fibers central to the bicep.
Don't Preach.
The preacher curl is a favorite among many bodybuilders but it, too, is more of a brachialis
exercise. Think it builds the lower bicep? Can't happen. The entire bicep is either activated or
not. There is no "lower" bicep. What the preacher bench does is alleviate stress at the top of the
motion making it essentially a "half" curl. So why is it that many champion bodybuilders exalt its
effectiveness? It comes down to anatomy. In a fortunate few, such as the phenomenal Larry Scott,
the brachi will develop under the bicep resulting in a higher "peak." We should all be so lucky.