Best Bi's exercise ?

[ozman]

preacher curls and 21s

what are 21's ?

[tbombz]

Well, its widely agreed upon that barbell curls are key for bicep development.


However, disregarding what gives the most "mass" to the biceps, i really enjoy doing high rep burn out sets between the pulleys... I'm sure many of you have seen Markus Ruhl do these in his videos.. I don't know what they are called but basically your working out the biceps while hitting a front double bicep.

Its great for those gyms with nice lighting and lots of mirrors..  

[XS]

Fat bar Standing curl  super-set w/
Curl Grip Chin-up

Biceps will grow & grow & grow.

Maximize full pauses in the contracted position and fight the negative for all your worth.

[Get Rowdy]

it has nothing to do with the exercise and everything to do with your genetic biceps shape.

Of course genetics largely determine how your biceps will look, but I still think the choice of exercise -like concentration curls- can make small differences to the shape if used consistently over a long time. 

[GoneAway]

Of course genetics largely determine how your biceps will look, but I still think the choice of exercise -like concentration curls- can make small differences to the shape if used consistently over a long time. 

Explain your reasoning behind this.

[webcake]

Of course genetics largely determine how your biceps will look, but I still think the choice of exercise -like concentration curls- can make small differences to the shape if used consistently over a long time. 

Don't think so.

Like people always say that preachers/concentration curls create more "peak", well, i'm highly skeptical that this could happen.

Just comes down to genetics. Some people have really highly peaked bi's (Ronnie) whilst others have more rounded bi's (Vince Taylor).

[Get Rowdy]

Explain your reasoning behind this.

Don't think so.

Like people always say that preachers/concentration curls create more "peak", well, i'm highly skeptical that this could happen.

Just comes down to genetics. Some people have really highly peaked bi's (Ronnie) whilst others have more rounded bi's (Vince Taylor).

I don't really give a shit if you guys don't believe me, all I'm gonna say is - if you don't actually believe it's possible then its certainly not going to happen.  Check out the difference in Larry Scott's bicep peak over the years, there's a pic floating around somewhere.

[Get Rowdy]

Btw, I'm not sayin someone like Levrone could increase their bicep peak to be on par with Ronnie's, but there's room for small improvements in some people.

[pumpster]

I don't really give a shit if you guys don't believe me, all I'm gonna say is - if you don't actually believe it's possible then its certainly not going to happen.  Check out the difference in Larry Scott's bicep peak over the years, there's a pic floating around somewhere.

I agree with you, going against conventional wisdom. While it's true that muscle shape is genetically determined, it takes a great deal of trial and error combined with intense work to unearth full potential. I think most BBs fall short on those, as shown by a few exceptions.

Scott changed the shape of his bis fairly noticably much later after retiring, because he has a far more technical and curious nature to training than most. He tried new exercises combined with hard work. If he'd believed the usual thing about genetic predisposition he'd not have been able to do that. Levrone's bis were something like Scott's but i'm almost sure he never experimented fully. Schwarzenegger was more like Scott, said that his calves only came out fully after he'd tried many different routines coupled with very hard work, to find the right combo.

IMO most BBs don't have the imagination to go to the lengths these guys did to find out completely what's there. That's why it's good to keep an open mind and try new stuff (combined with extreme intensity).

[GoneAway]

It's not a huge difference, but it's certainly there.

Question is, how did he do it and how can one do it for themselves.

[Fatpanda]

emg studies show bi curls with a straight olympic bar activates the bi more than any other excercise.

[pumpster]

emg studies show bi curls with a straight olympic bar activates the bi more than any other excercise.

Those studies are a good rough guide but are not 100%, in part because they don't consider every exercise. A straight bar is better yes but i don't believe that free weight curls are more intense on biceps than preacher curls. Standing curls enlist heavy front delts, which is why the cheat version done properly is better IMO, plus the arms aren't kept in one position.

It's not a huge difference, but it's certainly there.

Question is, how did he do it and how can one do it for themselves.

Spider curls, which shifts the resistance curve to create greater intensity later in the ROM, hitting the bis higher up, closer to the shoulder. Use the other side of a preacher bench, the side that is perpendicular to the ground.

[Cap]

Those studies are a good rough guide but are not 100%, in part because they don't consider every exercise. A straight bar is better yes but i don't believe that free weight curls are more intense on biceps than preacher curls. Standing curls enlist heavy front delts, which is why the cheat version done properly is better IMO, plus the arms aren't kept in one position.

This is very true.  Most stay away from preachers because they can't throw around a ton of weight so the ego prevents them from building the muscle all the way. 

Just take the bar from the decline bench, set it up on the preacher bench and go to town.

[_bruce_]

weighted chin ups

+1 

[Bobby]

what are 21's ?

7 reps in the bottom of the movement, 7 at the top and then 7 full reps. Coleman does them in all his videos.

Very effective, it forces you to use lighter weights and do lots of reps.

[Charfman84]

I like cable curls to warm up then move to standing barbell curls and preacher curls

[mesmorph78]

best bi movement standing olympic bar curls...

straight bar preacher curls are good too

[pumpster]

best bi movement standing olympic bar curls...

straight bar preacher curls are good too

These are the 2 best from my experience, though a few nuances with each one can make them even more effective. These are BTW the two favorite biceps exercises of most top guys including Schwarzenegger and Scott.

For standing curls a shorter bar's better to me as there's more control and no distractions with balance. Cheat curls done properly without too much swinging are better than strict-cheats are ususually done wrong and become reverse cleans, making the exercise useless. Only cheat enough to get the weight moving the first 2-3", then the bis should take over.

Cable cheat curls with a straight bar are at least as good as free weights. Like most, i used to believe cable curls were just for finishing or refinement...BS. I found out myself later that i'd just followed the usual assumption that was wrong. Coleman found out the same-free weight curls are only comparable when done properly, using moderate cheating rather than either too strict or cheating too much.
http://www.ronniecoleman.net/trainingbiceps.html

On these two do straight sets then other workouts do them as a superset. For a changeup do a triset of those two exercises plus either chins or drag curls.

[Tapeworm]

I'm not a big fan of barbell curls, they tend to make my biceps look thicker but kinda flatter and shapeless.  Probably just me.

You might benefit from using a more pronated wrist position, like a hammer curl or reverse curls, to develop the brachialis, coupled with supine bb curls.

Ozman, I assume like most of us you stick at a particular point in the movement every time.  Try setting some pins in a power rack at that point and bb curl against them isometrically with all you've got for 5 secs after a fatiguing for a few reps.  I think this was Poliquins way of overcoming sticking points.

[dyslexic]

+1 

Gotta go with the weighted chins. This of course is taking for granted the fact that you are able to properly chin your bodyweight. 


If I had a choice, it would be chins first, weighted chins second, and if I needed more--a partner to help with 'variable resistance' bb curls. I would concentrate on each aspect of the repetition...obviously accenting the negative and static portion of the rep.


If I felt I was able to recover, I would go to complete failure (or as close as humanly possible)--eat good, take a nap, eat some more and take another nap.


When the muscles were no longer sore (2 days?) I would pump the hell out of em' (no failure) and repeat the rest/food portion.


My overall bodyweight has to go up and my caloric intake must increase in order for me to gain any more size in the biceps.

[ASJChaotic]

my favorites
arnold concentration curls

[Get Rowdy]

You might benefit from using a more pronated wrist position, like a hammer curl or reverse curls, to develop the brachialis, coupled with supine bb curls.

Yeah mate I've got near zero brachialis development so I've started with some serious hammer curls lately and they're pretty much the only biceps exercise I do now, helps my grip strength too, which is mostly what I train for atm.

IMO most BBs don't have the imagination to go to the lengths these guys did to find out completely what's there. That's why it's good to keep an open mind and try new stuff (combined with extreme intensity).

I reckon this is a good quote to keep in mind when training.  You never know what's better for you till you do some quality experimenting.

[Exal]

concentration curls have the lowest measured EM activity, preachers have the highest, and they also hit the brachialis very hard. So overall the best exercise is preachers, if you were to pick one, but it's not for ppl with big egos I guess

[GoneAway]

concentration curls have the lowest measured EM activity, preachers have the highest, and they also hit the brachialis very hard. So overall the best exercise is preachers, if you were to pick one, but it's not for ppl with big egos I guess

How would the preachers hit the brachialis moreso than a standard biceps curl?

[dyslexic]

How would the preachers hit the brachialis moreso than a standard biceps curl?

The insertion point for the brachialis is right at the elbow joint. It sits even lower than the biceps tendon. With conventional barbells the biceps can only be effectively worked through a 90 degree ROM. The arm movement is done in a more horizontal direction as gravity pulls your arm toward you. Since the preacher curl allows arm movement to continue past the 90 degree angle- there is additional resistance throughout the upper range. You in turn, get a maximal shortening of the muscle. If it is true then, that the brachialis inserts as low as it does, it makes logical sense that it would be maximally contracted.


It is just my theory. I could be wrong.