BICEPS COMPLETE TRAINING

Arms-Training

Apart from the ranges of repetitions, character of effort and total volume per muscle group, there is a very important point when lifting weights, the type of exercise. In fact, in fairly recent publications, such as Fonseca et al. (2014), it has been seen that variation in different exercises can lead to an improvement in muscle mass gains over other variables.

Although these conclusions are drawn from the aforementioned study, we have to take into account that we cannot put this variable above the others, but that the set of these variables is what will make the difference.

On the other hand, if we want to get the most out of a particular muscle group, we have to understand that there is regional hypertrophy.

There is evidence to suggest that not only can one hypertrophy a muscular part (such as each of the two bicep heads), but it can also be done on specific portions of a muscular part (muscle partition theory). This hypothesis suggests that there are parts of the muscle that are innervated by separate motor neurons (Wickiewicz, Roy, Powell & Edgerton, 1983).

For example, in the brachial biceps it has been seen that the fibers of the lateral portion of the long head are recruited to a greater extent in the flexion of the elbow; the fibers of the medial portion more with supination; and the fibers that are more focused are recruited more in a combination between flexion and supination (ter Haar Romeny, Van Der Gon & Gielen, 1984; ter Haar Romeny, Van Der Gon & Gielen, 1982).

BICEPS drawing

When training the biceps, apart from stimulating the two heads of the brachial biceps, the long supra and the coracobrachial we will have to focus on stimulating the different portions of the brachial biceps.

INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL MOMENT ARM

When we perform a bicep curl with both dumbbell and barbell, the weight does not vary during the entire part of the lift. What varies is the distance between the bar / dumbbell and the elbow joint. This will make the exercise more difficult in one part of the course and, therefore, the biceps must have more tension to compensate for that difficulty.

This concept is that of the external moment arm. If we have to lift 20kg, they will be 20kg of resistance to overcome, to which we must add the effect of the distance between 20kg and the elbow joint (external moment = weight x distance between weight and joint).

Knowing this, we can perform different types of bicep exercises to get contraction peaks at 3 different points:

• Shrinkage peak at maximum stretch.

• Contraction peak in the middle zone of the route.

• Contraction peak at the point of maximum contraction.

Therefore, with free weights, we can achieve these 3 areas of peak contraction and stimulate the biceps in its entirety.

Exercise 1: Curl with foot bar

BICEPS curl

The red line indicates the direction of the load, and the green bar, the external moment arm. In this exercise we would see how the most difficult point of the bicep lift would be the middle area of ​​the lift. Therefore, this exercise would be an interesting exercise to look for peak contraction in the middle zone of the route.

Exercise 2: Preacher Curl

BICEPS preacher

Following the same dynamics as in the previous exercise, we would see how in the Scott bench preacher curl the point where the maximum arm length is at the moment would be in the initial part of the movement. Therefore, this exercise would be an interesting exercise to look for peak contraction in the initial area of ​​the route. In addition, by varying the initial position of the body we can increase the moment arm at one or another point of the route:

BICEPS bank

This has just been commented on the two exercises, can be corroborated with the following graphic of muscle activation at different points of the route:

BICEPS graphic

The black bars correspond to a preacher bicep curl, and the white bars correspond to a dumbbell standing bicep curl.

Exercise 3: Spider Curl

In the spider curl we find that the moment arm is greater between the middle part and the final part, being in this last part where the biceps will generate more tension.

Biceps dumbbells

Exercise 4: Contraction peak at the end of the tour

We still have to clarify how to maximize the point of maximum contraction. The solution may be to perform exercises such as the spider curl with variable resistance material such as resistance bands or chains (McMaster, Cronin & McGuigan, 2009), which provide the main characteristic that the greater elongation, the greater resistance they generate.

HOW DO WE STIMULATE MORE BICEPS LONG HEAD?

Before giving options, it is important to present the concept