# best exercise for mass and peak for biceps



## flexster (Nov 25, 2003)

what is the best exercise for bicep mass and the best exercise for bicep peak?


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## plouffe (Nov 25, 2003)

incline dumbbell, preacher, straight bar bbcurls..  weeee... cant really just get a peak from one lift my friend


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## Arnold (Nov 25, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by flexster *_
> what is the best exercise for bicep mass and the best exercise for bicep peak?



Standing barbell curls if I had to pick one movement.

If you have the genetics then a bicep peak will come as you develop your biceps. 

A peak is predetermined by the shape of your bicep, in other words you either have it or you don't. No specific exercise builds a peak, that is an old gym myth.


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## oaktownboy (Nov 25, 2003)

barbell curls...the best mass movement for biceps


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## HoldDaMayo (Nov 25, 2003)

IMO, it HAS to be a combo of free weiights and resistance training... to get the best size and definition...


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## Arnold (Nov 25, 2003)

what does that mean?


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## HoldDaMayo (Nov 25, 2003)

sorry, resistance was the wrong word there... I meant cables... i think the way the movements provide constant strain on the targetted muscle helps development


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## KataMaStEr (Nov 25, 2003)

IMO the thing that I can fell the most are barbell preacher curls and db preacher curls


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## prophet (Nov 26, 2003)

i always felt like preacher curls made it too easy (not saying you shouldn't do them).. i'd make bb curl the staple


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## ZECH (Nov 26, 2003)

Straight bar curls


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## J'Bo (Nov 26, 2003)

preacher curls are generally used to develop your long head of the bicep and not the so called "peak". i would go with bb curls or cable curls...add a double contraction at the top of the movement and feel the burn.


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## Arnold (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by KataMaStEr *_
> IMO the thing that I can fell the most are barbell preacher curls and db preacher curls



just remember preacher curls are an isolation movement, not compound.


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## ZECH (Nov 26, 2003)

Yep and compound is where you build your size! I would only do preacher curls or any iso exercise just before a comp.


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## Pepper (Nov 26, 2003)

*Re: Re: best exercise for mass and peak for biceps*



> _*Originally posted by Prince *_
> Standing barbell curls if I had to pick one movement.
> 
> If you have the genetics then a bicep peak will come as you develop your biceps.
> ...



What about width? I have noticed my bicepts seem narrower than others. Anything I can do about that?


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## J'Bo (Nov 26, 2003)

Pepper...width is hard to get unless your born with it...if you increase your triceps then it should make the arm appear to be thicker though.


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## Dale Mabry (Nov 26, 2003)

If we are going to get into semantics, all curling motions are isolation movements since there is only movement around one joint.


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## J'Bo (Nov 26, 2003)

I think that he meant preachers focus on the briacialis rather than the briacii (damn i cant spell  )


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## Dale Mabry (Nov 26, 2003)

brachialis and brachii, cupcake.


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## Arnold (Nov 26, 2003)

*Re: Re: Re: best exercise for mass and peak for biceps*



> _*Originally posted by Pepper *_
> What about width? I have noticed my bicepts seem narrower than others. Anything I can do about that?



build them, but as far as changing the shape no.

hammer and reverse grip curls might help with width since they target the Biceps Brachialis.


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## Arnold (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Dale Mabry *_
> If we are going to get into semantics, all curling motions are isolation movements since there is only movement around one joint.



it's not really semantics, when you do a preacher curl you are typically seated with your arms resting on the pad, no other muscle really comes into play if the preacher curl is done with proper form. 

When you do a standing barbell curl there are synergisitc muscles that stabilize and assist the movement, which in turn allows for heavier weight to be used. 

I guess the analogy would be a free weight squat versus a seated leg extension.


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## Dale Mabry (Nov 26, 2003)

Gotcha Boss.


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## flexster (Nov 26, 2003)

guess im stuck with bad genetics damn it. I cant get those bi's to grow for shit. I use a variety of exercises: preacher curls with the ez-bar, one hand dumbell preachers, ez-bar hammer curls on the preacher seat, incline db curls, standing db curls and concentration curls against the side of my leg. I dont really like the straight bar curl, kills my wrists. Nothing seems to grow my bi's.   I was doing bi's with chest on mondays and back and tri's on wednesday, legs and bi's again on friday. I maybe over training them. Maybe not, I usually do 6 sets for the bi's. Yesterday, I changed up the routine to chest and tri's   and   back and bi's. Maybe this will stimulate some new growth.


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## Rocco32 (Nov 26, 2003)

Horrible question here. Will EZ Bar curls do just as well as Str8 bar curls. My tendonitis comes out terrible with str8 bb curls.


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## Arnold (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by flexster *_
> guess im stuck with bad genetics damn it. I cant get those bi's to grow for shit. I use a variety of exercises: preacher curls with the ez-bar, one hand dumbell preachers, ez-bar hammer curls on the preacher seat, incline db curls, standing db curls and concentration curls against the side of my leg. I dont really like the straight bar curl, kills my wrists. Nothing seems to grow my bi's.   I was doing bi's with chest on mondays and back and tri's on wednesday, legs and bi's again on friday. I maybe over training them. Maybe not, I usually do 6 sets for the bi's. Yesterday, I changed up the routine to chest and tri's   and   back and bi's. Maybe this will stimulate some new growth.



how many different exercises in one biceps work-out? How many reps per set?

Biceps do recover relatively quickly, but you have to remember they are a small muscle and they do get worked indirectly with back, so I do not recommend doing them twice per week.

I never use more than 2 exercises for biceps in one work-out and I try and change it up each week. I also focus on static contraction, seems to help me.  And I like to alternate heavy weight, low reps, with higher reps, lighter weight each week.


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## J'Bo (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Dale Mabry *_
> brachialis and brachii, cupcake.



thanks


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## J'Bo (Nov 26, 2003)

Rock...ez bar curls will work the same as long bar curls....its just made for people with wrist problems


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## Alaric (Nov 26, 2003)

What's the difference between an EZ Bar Curl, and a Straight Bar Curl? Which one is better for making your biceps appear "longer"


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## Mudge (Nov 26, 2003)

You can't lengthen the bicep.


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## Rocco32 (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by J'Bo *_
> Rock...ez bar curls will work the same as long bar curls....its just made for people with wrist problems


Thanks J'bo!


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## J'Bo (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Alaric *_
> What's the difference between an EZ Bar Curl, and a Straight Bar Curl? Which one is better for making your biceps appear "longer"



Neither they both work the same muscle...try doing a lower half double contraction to hit the lower half of the bicep harder...although it wont really make your bicep look longer...and why the hell would you want to? competitors all dream of short muscle bellies...makes you look bigger.


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## Arnold (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Alaric *_
> What's the difference between an EZ Bar Curl, and a Straight Bar Curl?



EZ curl bars take stress off of the wrists, when you use the outer grip your hands are slightly pronated (compared to a straight bar grip), and they also take some of the emphasis off of the brachii and put more onto the brachailis. To truley hit/isolate the brachii your hands need to be completely supinated.


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## Arnold (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by J'Bo *_
> ...try doing a lower half double contraction to hit the lower half of the bicep harder...



please tell me that you do not think that you can actually target different regions of the bicep head? (as in the lower, middle or upper)


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## J'Bo (Nov 26, 2003)

no i dont think that you can target different parts of the muscle although you can put more or less stress on the orign vs the insertion of the muscle.


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## BlueCorsair (Nov 26, 2003)

Ok, I'm not an ignoramus, but the EZ-bar is the short-er bar with the wavy-grips in it correct? I have no name for most of the things I use, since I never really leared the correct ones 

IF this much is true, would using the "inner" rather than "outer" grips target the brachii more than the brachailis?


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## heeholler (Nov 26, 2003)

Concentration Curls. There are machines in some gyms that you can use that will target load to help increase muscle hypertrophy.


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## BlueCorsair (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by heeholler *_
> Concentration Curls. There are machines in some gyms that you can use that will target load to help increase muscle hypertrophy.



Was that supposed to be an answer to my question, or something above? heh.


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## heeholler (Nov 26, 2003)

No wasn't answer to your question. More of the original question [bicep peak any way] and an another question [target muscle] earlier. Sorry, it gets a little confusing in here some times. I guess I should use the qoutes.


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## Arnold (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by J'Bo *_
> no i dont think that you can target different parts of the muscle although you can put more or less stress on the orign vs the insertion of the muscle.



and that will do what?


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## BlueCorsair (Nov 26, 2003)

Anyone able to answer my Q?


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## Mudge (Nov 26, 2003)

The short-ish, squiggly bar is the EZ curl bar yes.


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## BlueCorsair (Nov 26, 2003)

Heh, cheers.

 And my idea about the closer-in grips being better  for the brachii, and outers for brachialis - correct, or hogwash?


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## flexster (Nov 26, 2003)

well today I worked out my back and bi's. this is what I did:

close grip chins 3x8
one armed rows 1x12 1x10 1x8
straight arm pull downs 1x12  1x10 1x10

curls using straight bar 1x12 1x10 1x8
preacher curls with ez-bar 1x10 1x 10 1x8

this sound good to anyone?


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## J'Bo (Nov 26, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by Prince *_
> and that will do what?



i use double contractions all the time...like doing a superset and the bottom pulse will pre-exhaust the movement...then the next rep i would have them do a top pulse and mid pulse, etc. like using the oval cam machine but with free weights.


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## Wannabefit (Nov 29, 2003)

I wondered the same thing..Id work biceps and not feel the burn well only a little..but try to add the excercise called 21's into ur workout..lemme tell you your all pumped on the first set try 3 sets of it


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## flexster (Nov 29, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by dg806 *_
> Yep and compound is where you build your size! I would only do preacher curls or any iso exercise just before a comp.




The past 2 work-outs I have done the straight bar then the  ez-bar for preachers. Should I flip those around as far as doing a isolated movement before the compound movement to shock the muscles? I have also been using the preacher hammers, standing db curls and incline db curls.


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## once was fat (Nov 29, 2003)

In my gym we have a preacher curl machine.  My question is when I use this machine my fore arms hurt really bad not sore but deep into my fore arm and actually I dont think that its my fore arm it is right down the middle of my fore arm.

When doing a preacher curl are your elbows supposed to be placed at the bottom of the resting board or are your elbows suppose to rest right a the top of the board?


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## Wannabefit (Nov 29, 2003)

*When doing a preacher curl are your elbows supposed to be placed at the bottom of the*

I was told by a pro that the elbows should be all the way at the bottom that way theres not much movement of the arm so everything is focused on the Bicep..

Also your forearm concern. I have the same thing. It just appeared outa nowhere one day and its real annoying. Common strain is what im told. I was also told to do those "Hell on a stick" excercises to get some strength there.


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## once was fat (Nov 29, 2003)

Thanks bro.   Yeh its more annoying than anything.  The good thing is that it dose not get in they way of going to the gym, and it only last for 2 or 3 days if that.


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## Rocco32 (Nov 30, 2003)

> _*Originally posted by once was fat *_
> Thanks bro.   Yeh its more annoying than anything.  The good thing is that it dose not get in they way of going to the gym, and it only last for 2 or 3 days if that.


For now. What your talking about is tendonitis and if your not careful, it will become a chronic problem that does interfere with your going to the gym.


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## EvilEdDanzig (Dec 1, 2003)

I found that the configuration of some preacher machines to be quite inconvenient,not only for the sake of tendonitis or weak forearms,but just generally not convenient to efficiently hit the biceps as they need to be hit. Also, just for fun,here's the workout I currently use, as performed last Friday (arm day)

Concentration Curls-4 sets 6-8
Standing barbell Curls-4 sets 6-8
Close grip Preacher Curls (EZ bar)-4 sets 6-8
Spider Curls-4 sets 6-8
Seated Alt DB curls-4 sets 6-8
    superset with
Close grip chins-4 sets to failure

5 minute rest period(usually to have a protein shake)

Close grip Bench press-4 sets 6-8
Skullcrushers-4 sets 6-8
2 hand DB Extensions-4 sets 6-8
Vbar Pressdowns-4 sets 6-8
     superset with
Machine Dips-4 sets 6-8
1 arm DB extensions-4 sets 6-8

Nautilus Curls-2 drop sets,starting at 100 lbs and dropping in 10 lb increments until I reach 20 lbs,then start the 2nd drop set.

I found that this is the ONLY way that my biceps respond:By hammering them with high volume/moderate intensity workouts.I usually only take as long as it takes my partner to complete his set for my rest. 

  My gym has some rather old equipment,which I happen to prefer.The old school Nautilus curl machine I use for my finishing move on my biceps is a personal favorite,and the preacher machine there has 2 D-grips on universal joints for the grips,so it really lends itself to the motion,allowing the user to take a more comfortable and/or effective position. Personally,I prefer the free weights,but the machines can be nice for a small change or a 10x10 shocker.


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## Rocco32 (Dec 2, 2003)

Wow, that is quite a bit for arms!


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## bballplayer4514 (Dec 2, 2003)

barbell curls of course but dumbell has great advantages once you stop growing with bar


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