Thread: Bicep curls?

I think it's really about preference. I like a comfortable grip. However, it seems that your biceps would get hit on a slightly different plane with a wider grip. However, I would rather just use different exercises. Some of my favorites are spider curls, incline DB curls, and hammer curls.

Close grip builds your outer bicep and Wide grip builds your inner.
Varying grips regularly is important not only for standing biceps curls, but many exercises so that you can work all parts of any given muscle.

So to answer your question as to which grip is better depends on the individual.
But overall you want to try to work all muscles evenly. If your outer bicep is larger or more defined than your inner portion then wide grip would be best so you can focus on building the inner which may be your weakness. Myself, I setup a 6 week program and focus on one or the other through the course of my 6 week program. If I focus on close grip biceps for the 1st 6 weeks, then I will change to wide or medium grip on the next. You want to consistantly rotate so that you are working all parts of every given muscle. When you are in body building for some time you will learn all of your various muscles and become very familiar with your body. You will learn many exercises and find those that work best for you as an individual.

thanks a lot, much appreciated

can anyone give a visual picture that shows the inner and outter biceps? thanks

http://www.exrx.net/Muscles/BicepsBrachii.html

If you don't know what grip to use or what exactly the difference is do a natural grip. Walk up to the bar and just grab it without thinking, this is your natural grip which is close to shoulder width most likely. Just pull with that stance.

Originally Posted by pumpthatiron

can anyone give a visual picture that shows the inner and outter biceps? thanks

The "inner" and "outer" biceps contract together no matter which way you hold the bar.

i had been using natural grip but didn't see any progress, but i used wide grip the other day and i really noticed a difference...

Originally Posted by pumpthatiron

i had been using natural grip but didn't see any progress, but i used wide grip the other day and i really noticed a difference...

You wont notice a growth change in one workout but you will most likely be sore because your changing your body's normal routine. Your working in a different angle so things are slightly different but all in all you are working the same muscle. Keep changing it up and you wont have to worry which is getting worked or what needs more, equally work with all the different grips and you should be fine.

Originally Posted by CowPimp

The "inner" and "outer" biceps contract together no matter which way you hold the bar.

This may be true CowPimp, but varying your grips you place more emphasis on these muscles.

The biceps is two muscles that share insertion points. How is it possible to put more emphasis on one or the other, that being the case?

Originally Posted by Saturday Fever

The biceps is two muscles that share insertion points. How is it possible to put more emphasis on one or the other, that being the case?

Read Bill Pearl's book....one of the worlds famous body builders.
He specifically believes that wide grip targets the inner bicep, and close grip targets the outer. If you look at his physique, you will see that he must know something about what he is talking about . If I was a doctor I could probably give you more of a much better explanation, but I just follow what I read and what I find is working best for me. I am a firm believer in alternating my grips.

If a muscle shares an insertion point, they work together to perform essentially the same function. When the brachialis is contracted maximally, so must the bicep brachii.

The question is, if the point of a maximized contraction is where the myofbrils toward the center of the muscle belly are called upon to work, do you want to use a weight in an exercise that places the stronger of the muscles (the brachii) in a dominant position and hence use a significantly greater amount of weight, or an exercise that places the weaker of the muscles (the brachialis) in a dominant position and therefore requires you to use a much smaller amount of weight?

Despite what our individual beliefs are in this regard, you can not deny that doing a reverse curl or a barbell curl will work both muscles to some extent. It's my contention that by placing the brachii in a dominant position (supinated) you will be able to handle more weight, and therefore induce greater gains by being able to call upon more muscle in the point of full contraction for both the "inner" and "outer" bicep.

I pulled this little segment out of the first muscle training site I found on the web..



There are several ways to hold a barbell, one is a wide grip that puts more work on the inner biceps head;



Well it goes on and on, but my point is that others believe this concept as well.

But, regardless of what you believe you should change up your exercises regularly anyway. If one thinks that they can use the same grip continuously through their exercise routines, I feel they would be sacrificing much of their biceps potential for superior growth.

Originally Posted by Randy

But, regardless of what you believe you should change up your exercises regularly anyway. If one thinks that they can use the same grip continuously through their exercise routines, I feel they would be sacrificing much of their biceps potential for superior growth.

And I have to respectfully disagree, as I put forth above.