Thread: best exercise for mass and peak for biceps

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

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.

barbell curls...the best mass movement for biceps

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

what does that mean?

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

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

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

Straight bar curls

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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

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.

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

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

brachialis and brachii, cupcake.

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.

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.

Gotcha Boss.

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.

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

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.

Originally posted by Dale Mabry
brachialis and brachii, cupcake.

thanks

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

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

You can't lengthen the bicep.

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!