Today, I wanna talk about training the Biceps.
Now I’m really looking forward to this because by the end of it I am going to debunk all the BS you hear on Social Media about how you can isolate the Short Head from the Long Head in training the Biceps.
The Bicep, or Bicep Brachii to give it’s full name, is a muscle that makes up 40% of the upper arm.
The Brachii comprises 2 Heads, the Long Head (which is found on the outside edge) and The Short Head (which is found on the inside edge).
The Bicep Brachi’s MAIN Function is to BEND THE ELBOW and ASSIST in SUPINATING the FOREARM.
By training the BICEP BRACHII we are BUILDING and influencing the overall SIZE and STRENGTH of the Bicep…
And to do this we can do ANY CURL movement where the GRIP is and REMAINS WITH THE PALM UP OR SUPINATED.
SO BB Curls, BB/DB Preacher Curls, DB Curls, Incline DB Curls, Spider Curls, Cable Curls (with a straight Bar) facing towards the Stack, and Cable Curls (with Stirrups) facing away from the Stack (either standing or from an incline Bench).
AS LONG AS THE GRIP REMAINS SUPINATED YOU WILL WORK THE BICEP BRACHII
BUT here’s the CLINCHER!
Contrary to COMMON BELIEF amongst the ONLINE WANNABEE FRATERNITY, you CANNOT CHANGE YOUR GRIP OR HAND POSITIONING TO ISOLATE EITHER THE LONG HEAD OR THE SHORT HEAD!!!
OR BY SIMPLY USING A FUCKING BENCH!!!
WHY?
Because both the LONG and SHORT HEAD SHARE a COMMON INSERTION into the Elbow.
AND like I have said the Bicep Brachii’s primary function is to BEND the ELBOW. SO by bending the elbow, (whether with a CLOSER or WIDER GRIP or using an EZ BAR the result IS THE SAME.
You are working BOTH the Long Head and Short Head.
SO WHAT DOES happen if we adjust our GRIP or Hand Positioning?
Well what happens is that we not only bring the Deep Part of the Bicep Group into Play, which is the Bicep Brachialis but ALSO the BRACHIORADIALIS muscle of the FOREARM
The BICEP BRACHIALIS is Predominately Deep but it does appear at the side of the UPPER ARM and influences THE SHAPE OF THE BICEP.
Now the BICEP BRACHIALIS’ MAIN FUNCTION is to BEND THE ELBOW whilst ASSISTING the BICEP BRACHII and the BRACHIORADIALIS.
The BRACHIORADIALIS (which is found on the outside edge of the Forearm running from the Lateral Epicondyle) in turn assists the BICEP BRACHIALIS in assisting the BICEP BRACHII in BENDING THE ELBOW
So quite simply, by taking this Kinesiology into consideration, if you want to SHAPE the Biceps, we use HAMMER CURL Movements where the PRIMARY AGONIST is the Bicep Brachialis, along with the Brachioradilais AND the ANCONEUS.
At this point, the Brachii is relegated to a Secondary or Synergist (assisting) muscle.
BY THE WAY, the grip for the Hammer Curl is often referred to ONLINE by all these WANNABEES as THE NEUTRAL GRIP.
Look up the word Neutral guys, it means NO MOVEMENT. If there was NO MOVEMENT you would not be going anywhere!!!!
THE CORRECT NAME for this GRIP is INVERTED GRIP.
SAME can be said for ALL THE OTHER EXERCISES that incorporate this grip!!!!
So WHAT HAPPENS when we employ either INVERTED GRIP into a SUPINATED GRIP (like DB Supination Curls) or Employ an EZ Bar where the Grip is somewhere between the two?
Well I can definitely tell you what ISN’T HAPPENING. YOU ARE NOT ISOLATING THE SHORT HEAD FROM THE LONG HEAD OR THE LONG HEAD FROM THE SHORT HEAD OF THE BICEP BRACHII!!
What you ARE doing however is working the Bicep Brachii and Bicep Brachiallis TOGETHER so you are getting the best of both worlds where you are not only BUILDING the Bicep but ALSO SHAPING!!!!
And THE WHOLE TIME, the LONG HEAD and SHORT HEAD of the Bicep Brachii are working together in PERFECT HARMONY!!!!
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