# Best bicep excerise?



## Dean00 (Jan 25, 2009)

In your opinions whats the best excerise for overall biceps width, thickness and shape.

I think mine r lagging, they look to have no shape from the front i need to get them looking round and big.


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## bry1979 (May 2, 2010)

barbell curl, wide and narrow grip for short and long head respectively


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## sizar (Nov 13, 2008)

straight barbell curl


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## frowningbudda (Dec 16, 2008)

Weighted chins.


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## spiderpants (Nov 21, 2007)

i usually do hammer curls, bicep pull ups with KG and bicep 21s.


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## ^King Leonidas^ (Aug 29, 2009)

frowningbudda said:


> Weighted chins.


x2 :thumbup1:


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## Dean00 (Jan 25, 2009)

bicep pulls ups?

Is that just with real narrow grip?

In my anrie book it says straight barbell curls r the best for overall devlopments. But sometimes it feels like its working my forearm more than bicep


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## skinnyfat (Mar 30, 2010)

At the moment I do reverse curls as it does forearms too and am short on time


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## Ak_88 (Nov 9, 2008)

bry1979 said:



> barbell curl, wide and narrow grip for short and long head respectively


Given that they are the same muscle, and insert on the same bone via one common tendon, how do you propose they are hit differently?


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

Apart from flexing the forearm the other main function of the biceps is to supinate the hand.

Nautilus used to make a great machine consisting of 2 ring handles side by side which you grabbed palms down and lifted a weight by twisting them to palms up. This gave the ultimate squeeze to the bicpes peak.

So dumbell curls, rotating the bell from palms down to palms up as you raise it are very effective.


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## vlb (Oct 20, 2008)

Dean00 said:


> bicep pulls ups?
> 
> Is that just with real narrow grip?
> 
> In my anrie book it says straight barbell curls r the best for overall devlopments. But sometimes it feels like its working my forearm more than bicep


probably because your bending your curling your wrist as you raise the weight,

you shuold try to keep your wrist pointing away from you and you bring the bicep more into play.


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## glen danbury (May 23, 2006)

incline bench curls (so you are lying back and the dumbellsfall either side of the bench) - no cheating, great stretch on the long head and keeps the focus on the biceps

try letting your wrists roll back when curling to stop the forearms doing the work


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## nagasis (Sep 26, 2009)

Prodiver said:


> Apart from flexing the forearm the other main function of the biceps is to supinate the hand.
> 
> Nautilus used to make a great machine consisting of 2 ring handles side by side which you grabbed palms down and lifted a weight by twisting them to palms up. This gave the ultimate squeeze to the bicpes peak.
> 
> So dumbell curls, rotating the bell from palms down to palms up as you raise it are very effective.


I do these





 , is this what you are describing prodiver?


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## Prodiver (Nov 14, 2008)

nagasis said:


> I do these
> 
> 
> 
> ...


Almost! But the hands should start at the bottom with the palms facing backwards, not towards the legs.


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## cellmore (Aug 26, 2008)

hammer curls, bicep curl and reverse curls


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## bry1979 (May 2, 2010)

Ak_88 said:


> Given that they are the same muscle, and insert on the same bone via one common tendon, how do you propose they are hit differently?


they are both worked together but emphasis is shifted via grip.


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## Hench666 (Nov 5, 2009)

i would think its more to do with doing a set to failiure, that will kick the bicep, rather than a particular exercise. i've always found if i do my bi's to failiure i get goodresultts on them. what do you guys think?


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## cellmore (Aug 26, 2008)

amir khan said:


> i would think its more to do with doing a set to failiure, that will kick the bicep, rather than a particular exercise. i've always found if i do my bi's to failiure i get goodresultts on them. what do you guys think?


good point :thumbup1:


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## Ak_88 (Nov 9, 2008)

bry1979 said:


> they are both worked together but emphasis is shifted via grip.


How though? Essentially what you're doing by bring your grip in or out is either abducting/adducting or internally/externally rotatiing the humerus.

I'm afraid you're talking poop.


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## bry1979 (May 2, 2010)

Ak_88 said:


> How though? Essentially what you're doing by bring your grip in or out is either abducting/adducting or internally/externally rotatiing the humerus.
> 
> I'm afraid you're talking poop.


do you agree that your bicep has 2 heads, long and short?. Although the same muscle i believe that by using a narrow grip you can put greater stress on the outer (long head) of the bicep, since using narrow grip in my bicep routine i have greatly improved my bicep peak. The peak is from the long head under contraction. I'm not from a medical background but i know what works, so on that basis; not poop my friend.


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## DS1 (Apr 19, 2010)

My routine is barbell curl, Dumbell curl and chin ups


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## glen danbury (May 23, 2006)

whilst i dont 100% agree with it - the theory is that my externally rotating the upper arm (i.e wide grip) you sretch the long head of the biceps more which alters the activation pattern, length tension relationship etc due to the long head going over the shoulder

this is why i suggested the incline bench curls as this definately does do that


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## Ak_88 (Nov 9, 2008)

bry1979 said:


> do you agree that your bicep has 2 heads, long and short?. Although the same muscle i believe that by using a narrow grip you can put greater stress on the outer (long head) of the bicep, since using narrow grip in my bicep routine i have greatly improved my bicep peak. The peak is from the long head under contraction. I'm not from a medical background but i know what works, so on that basis; not poop my friend.


Neither am i but the majority of kinesiology principles would rule in my favour.

The biceps brachii muscle;










It has two origins, for the long and short head.

The long head from the supraglenoid tubercle in the shoulder cavity, and the short head from the coracoid process of the scapula. The two tendons form a common mucle belly and *one* tendon, that inserts onto the radial tuberosity of the ulna.

The two head perform the *same *functions; elbow flexion and forearm supination. Manipulating the exercise mechanics will not shift the emphasis to one head or another.

Whether you have a good bicep peak or not is purely genetics; depending on how long the muscle belly is. Some people have massive peaks, some have long, thicker bellies, others have both.

Chances are your biceps have grown, plural, not just one head.

Although if you have empirical evidence to refute my point then please do post it up.

Why do i get the feeling we'll be talking about upper and lower chest soon?


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## bry1979 (May 2, 2010)

Ak_88 said:


> Neither am i but the majority of kinesiology principles would rule in my favour.
> 
> The biceps brachii muscle;
> 
> ...


Impressive, with the pic en all. To be honest mate i can't back myself up with science but i truly believe from my years of training and watching how muscle reponds that you can emphasise individual heads in the bicep.

Why do pros use these diff grips? Why do any of us not just do one exercise for biceps?; because we want to target the fibres from diff angles, which means diff areas of the muscle being worked.

As for chest; i think we'll leave it alone:laugh:


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## gringo (Jul 13, 2009)

Well I'm no expert in anatomy, but there are two attachments to the shoulder at

different places, right? If you rotate the arm inwards (narrow grip) then the outer

attachment will be stretched more. If arm rotated outwards (wide grip) then the

inner attachment is stretched more. Does this make sense - simple geometry?

Now whether that translates into different development of the two heads I'm

not sure. I believe weighted chins are the best bicep builder and I vary my grip

between sets wide and narrow. I think I can feel the tension in different places

but might be imagining it. There's certainly a more pronounced split at the top of

my biceps since doing this but that may just be overall growth of the muscle

since I started the heavy chinning.

According to the cover of the current Mens Fitness mag the way to build biceps

is to eat kebabs. Makes sense to me - I scoffed a large Dominos on saturday and

I swear it put 2 inch on my abs.

******


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## Clubber Lang (Nov 4, 2009)

wide grip EZ bar curls followed by DB 1 arm preachers.


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## coldo (Dec 7, 2008)

I like a good old fashioned straight barbell curl tbh. Always feel it hits them well.


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## Rekless (May 5, 2009)

Overhangs are a nice chance now and again also


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## mal (Dec 31, 2009)

hammer curls


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## Lostgeordie (Aug 2, 2006)

21s and close grip chins.


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## Ash1981 (Jun 16, 2009)

gironda body drags. do them. feel the pain

BIGJoe sent a link to them on a previous bicep thread.

get that form spot on and feel the pain






i should get reps for the link. feel the pain


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## Dean00 (Jan 25, 2009)

Got form said:


> gironda body drags. do them. feel the pain
> 
> BIGJoe sent a link to them on a previous bicep thread.
> 
> ...


yeh il try them dennis james is a monster also one of my favs!

Reps you whore lol


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## Dean00 (Jan 25, 2009)

Ok this is what i did yesterday for back n bi

For biceps after my back i did

Close grip ez bar curls 4 sets 12 reps

1 arm db preachers curls supersetted with pully curls with a medium grip 3 sets

12 reps on the preachers and 10 on the pully.

what ya think?


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## DS1 (Apr 19, 2010)

My back and bicep day is my pull day goes as follows

Deadlift 4 sets of 8

Wide pull up 4 sets of 8

Dumbell bent over row 4 sets of 8

Barbell curl 4 sets of 8

Dumbell curl 4 sets of 8


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## tom0311 (Nov 17, 2008)

I always get the best growth from incline seated barbell curls and wide grip pullups.


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## fishy007 (Dec 27, 2009)

seated preacher curls with the z bar i find the best for me


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## bigbear21 (Oct 11, 2009)

id have to say alternate db curls keeping the palm facing up full stretch and squeeze at the top


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## Wardy91 (Jan 2, 2010)

mine is

-incline dumbbell curls

-preacher curls

-chin-ups (slowly to failure then you really feel a burn)

-barbell curls


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## mal (Dec 31, 2009)

hammer curls spank my bi's:rockon:


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## BlitzAcez (Mar 6, 2008)

Bicep curls, worked for me!


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

I like barbell rows, training biceps is boooooooring!


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## BlitzAcez (Mar 6, 2008)

Lois_Lane said:


> I like barbell rows, training biceps is boooooooring!


Yeah went from my most favorite part to train to something I just wanna get out of the way.


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## Guest (Jun 4, 2010)

Lois_Lane said:


> training biceps is boooooooring!


x2


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## Lois_Lane (Jul 21, 2009)

BlitzAcez said:


> Yeah went from my most favorite part to train to something I just wanna get out of the way.


It's OK when you are a few weeks out from a show wearing a tank top as it looks pretty impressive but besides that:rolleyes:


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## Fragjuice (Dec 29, 2009)

Hammer curls for me if you can only do one exercise


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