Your Own Mountain Peaks
January 12th 2007 10:54
The symbol of power and muscularity has been and continues to be the big arm complete with bulging biceps like the peak of a mountain. Without a doubt the biceps is the most trained muscle in the body. I would estimate that there are 100 sets of biceps work done in the average gym for every one set of squats. The average bodybuilding magazine is littered with articles in which the latest star explains how he built his big "guns". Here are some thoughts on getting and keeping large biceps:
It is worthwhile mentioning that large arms are more a function of large triceps than large biceps, since the girth of the arm is about 2/3 triceps and 1/3 biceps. If you truly want to sport larger arms, concentrating on triceps is a must. I would also say that the function of the triceps in extending the arm away from the body finds its way into more athletic activities than the biceps as well.
In training the biceps it is important to know a little physiology. There are two muscles that comprise the front of the upper arm. One is the brachialis,which lies closer to the bone. Its function is to lift the hand to the shoulder. The other is the biceps brachialis which exists to turn the hand. This means that everyone who wants a big biceps needs to address these two muscles in his workouts.
With the above in mind, what are good biceps exercises? The simple curl from waist to shoulder is a must to stimulate the brachialis muscle. Standing barbell curls are perfectly adequate for this, but inferior to preacher bench curls. The preacher bench isolates the brachialis muscle and is therefore the preferred exercise for it.
To train the biceps brachialis curls must be done in which the wrist is rotated as the hand comes toward the shoulder. Dumbbells are a must for this kind of exercise. I like seated simultaneous dumbbell curls. You might also do concentration curls in which a dumbbell is held in a seated position and the elbow is supported against the inner thigh. A curl in then performed with the rotating on the way up.
Some machine manufacturers make a seated curling machine which allows the user to curl the weight either with or without rotating the wrist. I suggest it for those who are new to training. Try it both ways.
It is easy to let the desire for big biceps drive you to over train the area. Remember that heavy back training like chin ups or pull down machines work the biceps considerably and adding set after set of biceps work after back work or training back one day and biceps the next will overdo the biceps. Its a small group and used to more frequent work, but if its pushed too far too fast it will grow more slowly than you might wish. Your servant, as always.
It is worthwhile mentioning that large arms are more a function of large triceps than large biceps, since the girth of the arm is about 2/3 triceps and 1/3 biceps. If you truly want to sport larger arms, concentrating on triceps is a must. I would also say that the function of the triceps in extending the arm away from the body finds its way into more athletic activities than the biceps as well.
In training the biceps it is important to know a little physiology. There are two muscles that comprise the front of the upper arm. One is the brachialis,which lies closer to the bone. Its function is to lift the hand to the shoulder. The other is the biceps brachialis which exists to turn the hand. This means that everyone who wants a big biceps needs to address these two muscles in his workouts.
With the above in mind, what are good biceps exercises? The simple curl from waist to shoulder is a must to stimulate the brachialis muscle. Standing barbell curls are perfectly adequate for this, but inferior to preacher bench curls. The preacher bench isolates the brachialis muscle and is therefore the preferred exercise for it.
Preacher Bench www.deltech fitness.com
To train the biceps brachialis curls must be done in which the wrist is rotated as the hand comes toward the shoulder. Dumbbells are a must for this kind of exercise. I like seated simultaneous dumbbell curls. You might also do concentration curls in which a dumbbell is held in a seated position and the elbow is supported against the inner thigh. A curl in then performed with the rotating on the way up.
Some machine manufacturers make a seated curling machine which allows the user to curl the weight either with or without rotating the wrist. I suggest it for those who are new to training. Try it both ways.
It is easy to let the desire for big biceps drive you to over train the area. Remember that heavy back training like chin ups or pull down machines work the biceps considerably and adding set after set of biceps work after back work or training back one day and biceps the next will overdo the biceps. Its a small group and used to more frequent work, but if its pushed too far too fast it will grow more slowly than you might wish. Your servant, as always.
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