Nelson Montana's The Bodybuilding Truth
Excerpt:
Chapter 8
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 biceps 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 biceps 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 biceps 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
biceps -- 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 biceps. That's the muscle
most responsible for drawing the hand toward the shoulder. Naturally, as the
resistance is increased, the muscle fibers of the biceps come into play, which
is why heavy curling will increase biceps 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 biceps! 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 biceps. Therefore, keeping the wrist as straight up as possible
will stress the biceps 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 biceps.
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 biceps? Can't happen. The entire
biceps is either activated or not. There
is no "lower" biceps.
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 biceps resulting
in a higher "peak." We should all be so lucky.
The
Laid Back Approach:
Going with the "opposite" concept, the best way to
circumvent any assistance from the brachialis
would be to not lean forward, as is the
case with the preacher bench, but to lie backward. Incline curls
on an angle of 45 degrees or lower, will place greater emphasis
directly on the biceps. Eliminate preacher curls from your routine
and replace them with an equal amount of sets of incline curls
and you'll notice the difference immediately.
A
Unique Cable Curl For Bigger Bi's:
If that deep down ache in the pit of your biceps has been eluding you, here's
a movement you're really going to like. Pay special attention to how it's performed,
for any deviation won't bring the desired result.
* Set the cables on each end of the station at their lowest position.
* Use a weight that will allow for good form. It's better to go for more reps than to cheat with too heavy a weight.
* Grab a handle with each hand using an underhand grip and step forward so that your arms are drawn slightly back.
* Keeping the elbows as close to your sides as possible, curl the weight up.
* Do not allow the elbows to be drawn up during the curl! This is important! Jutting the elbows up will only displace the stress onto the anterior deltoid and the pectoral minor. Keep the arms down and your elbows back and let the biceps take on the strain.
* Don't let the fist "curl" toward you. Keep the wrists level throughout.
* Come to a complete contraction. Squeeze hard at the top of the movement.
* Do 10 reps and keep the rest between sets to under a minute.
Try and make this move the only exercise you use the next time you work biceps and concentrate on making the biceps work throughout the concentric and eccentric movement. Six to ten sets should get the job done if the intensity is high.
If you've been getting better at curling but have no additional bicep size to show for your efforts, the problem may be that you really haven't been working your biceps at all! Start applying some of these bicep isolating techniques and you soon may realize that there's a lode of untapped muscle on those upper arms. Dig in and get it.
Table of Contents
Introduction: Can You Handle It?
PART
ONE:
THE TRUTH ABOUT TRAINING
Don't Do Aerobics
The "No Aerobics" Aerobic Workout
The Genetic Cap
Bigger and Better
A Different Abdominal Exercise...Really!
Chest In Time
Cooked Calves -- In Under 4 Minutes
Are You Working Your Biceps To Their Full
Terrifying Traps
Ten Steps To Killer Quads
Hold It!
Total Triceps Training
Back In Action
Don't Believe It
7 Bodybuilding Don'ts
"Inside-Out" Training
The High Intensity Mistake
PART
TWO:
THE TRUTH ABOUT NUTRITION
The Food Fallacy
The Ketogenic Farce
Vegetarianism: Good People Making Bad Choices
PART
THREE:
THE TRUTH ABOUT SUPPLEMENTS
The History of the Supplement Industry
Super Fuel
PART
FOUR:
THE TRUTH ABOUT DRUGS
Be Careful What You Wish For
Is Safe Steroid Use Possible?
PART
FIVE:
CLASSIC BODYBUILDING
Mass From The Past
Lost Secrets From The Golden Age of Bodybuilding
Old Time Tricks For New-Found Muscle
The Origins of Bodybuilding
The (Abridged) Encyclopedia of Bodybuilding Greats
Wisdom of the Ages
PART
SIX:
OBSERVATIONS
The 10 Most Irritating Things About the Gym
So You Want To Be A Personal Trainer?
Beware The Advice of Experts
Crossing The Finish Line
The Last Word
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