[quote]MytchBucanan wrote:
There is no actual upper biceps in the sense you mean. Your muscles run linear from one attachment to the other.
I don’t see how it is possible to have more tension on one end of the muscle belly than the other.
If you pull a shoelace tight, the amount of tension is equal throughout the length of the lace, not more in a particular area.[/quote]
Exactly. Emphasizing the lower or upper part of a movment doesn’t change anything.
[quote]Sliver wrote:
john2009 wrote:
There have been studies done comparing upper arm size of a group who did sets of squats for a month of training vs another group that did the same number of curls and the group that did squats had bigger arms at the end of the study.
I want a link to that study.
[/quote]
I don’t know of the study to which he is referring, but of course this makes sense. I’m sure the guys who did squats gained more overall size, including arm size.
[quote]Colucci wrote:
Tiribulus wrote:
Please don’t take this the wrong way, either you or the OP, but nobody who asks this question is advanced enough to need to hear about how to isolate different parts of a muscle.
I hear ya. But that’s kind of a Groucho Markist statement…if he has to ask, then he doesn’t need to know (inspired by Groucho “Any club that would have me as a member, I wouldn’t want to join.”) I understand what you mean, though.
[/quote]
That’s not exactly what I meant, but I do also understand your point as well. New guys nowadays are being drowned in information that is eons beyond what will be useful to them probably for a few years at least.
My point is, unless he has some sort of anatomical anomaly plain ol bar curls will work wonders. If those are somehow not hitting his bi’s then form is the issue, not the lack of highly specialized movements.
[quote]superdad4 wrote:
Sliver wrote:
john2009 wrote:
There have been studies done comparing upper arm size of a group who did sets of squats for a month of training vs another group that did the same number of curls and the group that did squats had bigger arms at the end of the study.
I want a link to that study.
I don’t know of the study to which he is referring, but of course this makes sense. I’m sure the guys who did squats gained more overall size, including arm size.
[/quote]
No it doesn’t make sense. Your body adapts to stimulation. If you’re not stimulating the biceps, it’s not going to respond with very much gain.
I’m the opposite way. I focus much more on training the legs (due to demands of my sport) and my quads and hams have blown up while my arms have not grown at nearly the same rate.
I love how people always talk about guys with “lightbuld” syndrome, ie big upper body and small lower body. Well how did they get that way? Not by doing squats!
But it’s all a moot point, becuase if you’re bodybuilding, you should be working all the muscles anyway, squats and curls included.
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
superdad4 wrote:
Sliver wrote:
john2009 wrote:
There have been studies done comparing upper arm size of a group who did sets of squats for a month of training vs another group that did the same number of curls and the group that did squats had bigger arms at the end of the study.
I want a link to that study.
I don’t know of the study to which he is referring, but of course this makes sense. I’m sure the guys who did squats gained more overall size, including arm size.
No it doesn’t make sense. Your body adapts to stimulation. If you’re not stimulating the biceps, it’s not going to respond with very much gain.
I’m the opposite way. I focus much more on training the legs (due to demands of my sport) and my quads and hams have blown up while my arms have not grown at nearly the same rate.
I love how people always talk about guys with “lightbuld” syndrome, ie big upper body and small lower body. Well how did they get that way? Not by doing squats!
But it’s all a moot point, becuase if you’re bodybuilding, you should be working all the muscles anyway, squats and curls included.[/quote]
Chris Shugart from Dawg School
"In fact, there’ve been a few studies in which doing nothing but squats put some size on the upper arms! Most think that this has something to do with the body keeping itself in balance. Overall bodyweight also plays a role. Think about it: How many 140-pounders do you see with 19-inch arms?
So, if you want big arms, you need an all-around big body. How do you do this? First, start with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pull-ups, dips, etc."
I never EVER feel any soreness along my entire bicep. As a matter of fact, when it feels sore, it will be in one area forming a sort of half-assed “V” Around the lower part of my bicep. But regardless, it continues to grow, so I really don’t give a shit where or when I feel sore. I’ve been seeing results, so I’m happy.
[quote]Tiribulus wrote:
My point is, unless he has some sort of anatomical anomaly plain ol bar curls will work wonders. If those are somehow not hitting his bi’s then form is the issue, not the lack of highly specialized movements.[/quote]
I’m actually a fan of introducing new exercises fairly regularly, while maintaining a “core curriculum” of the basic compound lifts.
But yes, I agree with what I think is your basic point:
Squats/Deadlifts + Some kind of curl + patience = The answer to the OP’s question.
[quote]Colucci wrote:
Tiribulus wrote:
My point is, unless he has some sort of anatomical anomaly plain ol bar curls will work wonders. If those are somehow not hitting his bi’s then form is the issue, not the lack of highly specialized movements.
I’m actually a fan of introducing new exercises fairly regularly, while maintaining a “core curriculum” of the basic compound lifts.
But yes, I agree with what I think is your basic point:
Squats/Deadlifts + Some kind of curl + patience = The answer to the OP’s question.[/quote]
I’m only saying that someone in this guys situation just needs to learn how to curl if in fact he is somehow not working his bi’s adequately. Assuming this is actually the case more exercises aren’t the answer. Learning to do them at all is.
Actually the guy above may have a point as well about the soreness thing. Maybe he’s just putting too much stock in that.
[quote]superdad4 wrote:
Chris Shugart from Dawg School
"In fact, there’ve been a few studies in which doing nothing but squats put some size on the upper arms! Most think that this has something to do with the body keeping itself in balance. Overall bodyweight also plays a role. Think about it: How many 140-pounders do you see with 19-inch arms?
So, if you want big arms, you need an all-around big body. How do you do this? First, start with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pull-ups, dips, etc."
[/quote]
Okay, that’s great, you quoted something from an article. Now show me all the guys who never work their arms (note that bench, pull-ups, dips, etc. all work the arms to some degree) who have big arms.
I’ll show you about 8000 bodybuilders with big arms who all have done a curl or two.
I don’t understand, if you want bicep growth, why NOT work the biceps? It’s just simple adaptation. Maybe a complete beginner who has never weightlifted in his life would see growth in his arms from doing just squats, but NOBODY with any sort of lifting experience is going to see arm growth without working the arms in some fashion.
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
superdad4 wrote:
Chris Shugart from Dawg School
"In fact, there’ve been a few studies in which doing nothing but squats put some size on the upper arms! Most think that this has something to do with the body keeping itself in balance. Overall bodyweight also plays a role. Think about it: How many 140-pounders do you see with 19-inch arms?
So, if you want big arms, you need an all-around big body. How do you do this? First, start with compound exercises like squats, deadlifts, bench presses, pull-ups, dips, etc."
Okay, that’s great, you quoted something from an article. Now show me all the guys who never work their arms (note that bench, pull-ups, dips, etc. all work the arms to some degree) who have big arms.
I’ll show you about 8000 bodybuilders with big arms who all have done a curl or two.
I don’t understand, if you want bicep growth, why NOT work the biceps? It’s just simple adaptation. Maybe a complete beginner who has never weightlifted in his life would see growth in his arms from doing just squats, but NOBODY with any sort of lifting experience is going to see arm growth without working the arms in some fashion.
[/quote]
Hey, don’t get all angry with me. I’m not really arguing with you. My point was simply that a study showing that arm growth was possible by squatting. I knew I saw something about that on this site and I found it.
I am not a proponent of not curling at all, and I NEVER claimed to have seen all sorts of guys with big arms who never worked them. All I am saying is that a study showing that squats can contribute to arm growth is not so far fetched. Apparently Shugart has seen these studies.
[quote]superdad4 wrote:
Hey, don’t get all angry with me. I’m not really arguing with you. My point was simply that a study showing that arm growth was possible by squatting. I knew I saw something about that on this site and I found it.
I am not a proponent of not curling at all, and I NEVER claimed to have seen all sorts of guys with big arms who never worked them. All I am saying is that a study showing that squats can contribute to arm growth is not so far fetched. Apparently Shugart has seen these studies.
[/quote]
Fair nuff
[quote]jtrinsey wrote:
<<< I don’t understand, if you want bicep growth, why NOT work the biceps? >>>[/quote]
OMG, there’s a magic echo in here. I type and it comes back jtrinsey’s “voice”.
I’ve been asking this very question for weeks. I don’t get it. There’s a bar over there I could do some curls with. It will cost me nothing, take a few minutes and has the startling potential to maybe cause my biceps to grow. HMMMMM… should I or shouldn’t I? I don’t know, there’s a lot at stake here. WTF!!! Pick the damn thing up and curl it for a few sets. It’s like their balls will fall off or something.
The Incline Curls are a pretty good idea.
The preacher curls are a good idea.
This idea isn’t as good as those for the lower bicep but it hasn’t been mentioned.
Are you familiar with the 21’ rep idea? Do 7 reps where you only do the upper portion of the Standing Bicep Curl ROM, then do reps where you only do the lower portion of the bicep curl, then do 7 complete reps.
Of course, you’ll be doing this with a light weight after your arms feel like their filled with led from Wide Grip Pull-ups and Barbell Rows.