Building the peak

[chronic]

i need some help building the peak on my bicepts!!!

my cousin has nice peaks on his bicepts and only has 35lbs on his curlbar while i have 70lbs on mine and use 50lbs when i do concentration curls and only have a slightly rounded peak, it totally pisses me off!!

we both curled 35lbs a few years ago, but i had to pass him cause he would never let me forget he was stronger.

we hang out alot and we're both only 19 and just a few months apart, he's 165 and i'm 170, both around 6 ft tall except he's bout 2 inchis taller, and says he only lifts for definition.

I dont wanna go running to him asking him how come his arms look better or how he got his peak cause he'll rub it in my face and start flexing for hours, we both got the same equipment, a bench, an ez-curlbar, and a few dumbells except i have a punching bag.

when i work my arms i do
tri kickbacks 20lbs 15repsx2sets(just started doing these)
70lbs on ez-curl bar 12-15repsx3sets
curl 60lbs on my straight benchpress bar for 10-12repsx2sets
70lbs on ez-curl bar 12-15repsx3sets
reverse ez-curl 50lbs 15-20repsx2sets
standing militarypress 70lbs 10repsx2sets
behind neck press 70lbs 10repsx2sets
concentration curl 50lbs 15-20repsx2sets each arm
bentover DB row 70lbs 20-25repsx2sets each arm

working my chest the day b4(ex: mon)
then do this the next day(ex: tues)
next day do squats or deadlifts and maybe hit punchingbag(or take a day off depending how i feel)(ex: wed)
then start all over again with my chest(ex: thur)

i know i'm stronger than him and eat probably 3x more than him plus take protien 3x per day and he doesnt take anything, just lifts weights everyday and he still has nicer peaks than me!!!!!!!!!
WHAT MORE DO I HAVE TO DO???

 

[plouffe]

Man listen, do all professional bodybuilders have the same arm shape / peak? It's all about genetics, if your arm is rounded now, it'll stay rounded. The only thing you can do is keep lifting, switch up the movements, and just get them biceps bigger. You sound very uneducated when it comes to bodybuilding.. If I were you, I'd start reading up...

 

[Vieope]

I guess synthol is the only option here.

 

[gopro]

The only way to build "peak" is to train the muscle that lies underneath the biceps, the brachialis. Developing this muscle will "push" the biceps up higher and make it seemed more "peaked." To train this muscle you must use specific types of curls that put the biceps in a mechanically weak position. Here are you best "peaking" exercises...

-hammer curls...all types
-reverse curls
-90 degree preacher curls
-lying overhead cable curls
-seated overhead cable curls
-hammer/reverse curl combo (some call these Zottman curls)

 

[Mudge]

Arnold's left and right biceps didn't match, I think Lee Haney also, genetics vary and you have what you have.

For a nice peak contraction though I like bent over concentration curls at the end of a set, haven't done them in a long time though.

Like GP said, I also do hammer curls.

 

[Quadsweep]

Genetics.

However, include hammer curls, incline curls, regular curls as they place different stress and stretch on the long and short head of the bicep respectively.

Hammer curls and incline curl emphazises the short head (inner head)

Preacher curls and cable pulley double biceps pose emphazises the long head (outer head)

 

[chronic]

i'm not totally uneducated, and have done alot of reading but i just couldnt figure out why i couldnt build the peak. but today i think i'll focus more on reverse curls, CG reverse curls, concentration curls and try doing hammer curls, i never really did hammer curls b4 mainly cause i dont have one of those hammer curlbars but i guess DB will work just as good, i dont have a machine either so i cant do anything that requires cables.
i had some decent peaks about a year and a half ago.... and come to think of it i was doing alot of reverse curls.... damm, my memory is pure $hit heheh, i lost my smokes 2x yesterday and both times they were right where i left them(beside the ashtray) lol, my mom started b*tchin at me to quit smokin up after the 2nd time. but i dont see that happinin
guess i'll have to double my reverse curls and concentration curls and bust out some hammer curls cause i refuse to let genetics stand in my way!!!

 

[Mudge]

Because the bicep is the bicep, any shape is genetic, there is no buildable "peak" other than what was mentioned.

 

[MeLo]

I don't know about whether it's genetics or not... my bicep peaks up to the height of my delts

 

[gopro]

Luckily the brachialis, and its effect on peak has nothing to do with genetics. Build it and the biceps will rise...plain and simple!

 

[phantom939]

Wow, and I thought the peak was pure genetics and there was nothing I could do to help it at all. Score.

 

[MeLo]

actually... you can help it grow.... but nice peaks doens't akways come
My friends' got huge biceps but he does not have a peak at all...

 

[takopoke]

If memory serves me right, Sergio curled more than Arnold but Arnold had the nicer biceps too.

Here's some curling tips I read about. You may want to drop the weight and use strict form and a good tempo so that your not using momentum to lift the weight.

1. Lock your a wrists and don't supinate them througout the movement.
2. Keep you elbows tucked in and shoulders down and back.
3. Squeeze your biceps at the top, no resting.
4. When using your ez curl bar grab the bar so that your pinky is higher than your thumb. This one is courtesy of Larry Scott.

My favorite is the 90 degree precher curls. Anyway, good luck.

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by phantom939
Wow, and I thought the peak was pure genetics and there was nothing I could do to help it at all. Score.

Technically, the peak IS pure genetics, as you cannot really change the shape of a simple muscle like the biceps, but again, by increasing the size of the brachialis, which lies underneath the biceps, you will effectively push the bis up higher and make them look like they are more "peaked."

 

[phantom939]

Originally posted by gopro
Technically, the peak IS pure genetics, as you cannot really change the shape of a simple muscle like the biceps, but again, by increasing the size of the brachialis, which lies underneath the biceps, you will effectively push the bis up higher and make them look like they are more "peaked."

Sounds good to me.

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by phantom939
Sounds good to me.

 

[chronic]

tried hammer curls and the weights slipped off the bottom of the DB and hit my pinky toe, OUCH!!!... but reverse curls and concentration curls are definitly helping, along with workin the back of my arms 3x harder.

thx!

 

[GioMan7]

Hi i worked out for 5 yrs and then i stop working out for year an a half and i would i like get back on it but i need a good routine like I???m a beginner, i don't want to lift heavy weights in begging u know.. i want to build the shape first .. For a week i did push up and this week I???m going to do some basic work out like pull ups push ups dips, bench dips and cardio let me know if this is a good routine or not, if u guy's have any great routine just for beginner person please advice me that will be great thanx!

 

[Mr.No]

Hey GP, I read somewhere that the common mistake people make when training their biceps is actually training their brachialis instead, and that's why their biceps is not progressing. It said that you should isolate your biceps as much as you can with minimum pressure on brachialis in order to get bigger bi's. This is apparently a common mistake people make and that's why their bi's wont grow to the fullest.
What do you think about this? Thx.

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by Mr.No
Hey GP, I read somewhere that the common mistake people make when training their biceps is actually training their brachialis instead, and that's why their biceps is not progressing. It said that you should isolate your biceps as much as you can with minimum pressure on brachialis in order to get bigger bi's. This is apparently a common mistake people make and that's why their bi's wont grow to the fullest.
What do you think about this? Thx.

Well, first, we are talking about 2 different muscles here. Both should be developed to the max. Second, while doing regular curls of any kind its kind of hard not to isolate the bis over the brachialis, not the other way around. The brachialis only comes into play to a large extent if you curl with a hammer or reverse grip, and/or curl with your elbows up by you ears and bring the weight behind your head (this can only be done with cables).

Some people use an ez curl bar too much which does pronate the forearm and thus takes some action away from the bis and places it on the brachialis, but other than that, all "regular" curls with the palms facing the ceiling will mainly recruit the biceps.

 

[Tank316]

Originally posted by gopro
Well, first, we are talking about 2 different muscles here. Both should be developed to the max. Second, while doing regular curls of any kind its kind of hard not to isolate the bis over the brachialis, not the other way around. The brachialis only comes into play to a large extent if you curl with a hammer or reverse grip, and/or curl with your elbows up by you ears and bring the weight behind your head (this can only be done with cables).

Some people use an ez curl bar too much which does pronate the forearm and thus takes some action away from the bis and places it on the brachialis, but other than that, all "regular" curls with the palms facing the ceiling will mainly recruit the biceps.

palms facing the ceiling

yep, i call them finger tip curls, and they are killer!!!!!!

 

[Mr.No]

Originally posted by gopro
Well, first, we are talking about 2 different muscles here. Both should be developed to the max. Second, while doing regular curls of any kind its kind of hard not to isolate the bis over the brachialis, not the other way around. The brachialis only comes into play to a large extent if you curl with a hammer or reverse grip, and/or curl with your elbows up by you ears and bring the weight behind your head (this can only be done with cables).

Some people use an ez curl bar too much which does pronate the forearm and thus takes some action away from the bis and places it on the brachialis, but other than that, all "regular" curls with the palms facing the ceiling will mainly recruit the biceps.

Cool, thanks GP.

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by Mr.No
Cool, thanks GP.

Anytime

 

[Saturday Fever]

What makes the biceps a "simple muscle" and how would a "simple muscle" be unshapable, while it is implied that a "complex muscle" would be?

Likewise, if the purpose of the brachialis is functionally identical to that of the biceps, how does changing where your palm is facing use one muscle more than the other? I mean, if you flex your biceps, your elbow bends and your wrist draws towards your shoulder. If you flex your brachialis, the same exact thing happens. So functionally, how is any of this valid?

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by Saturday Fever
What makes the biceps a "simple muscle" and how would a "simple muscle" be unshapable, while it is implied that a "complex muscle" would be?

Likewise, if the purpose of the brachialis is functionally identical to that of the biceps, how does changing where your palm is facing use one muscle more than the other? I mean, if you flex your biceps, your elbow bends and your wrist draws towards your shoulder. If you flex your brachialis, the same exact thing happens. So functionally, how is any of this valid?

And the REAL expert on training has arrived! Do we really want to go into the "muscle shaping" debate again? I don't think so.

Now, as to the brachialis...if you are actually dumb enough to think that doing a hammer curl or a reverse curl works the bicep and brachialis in the same manner as a barbell curl then you are more pathetic than your bench press.

SNF, stop trying to challenge me...its getting old and its not gonna work. I have forgotten more about how to build muscle than you will ever know.

 

[plouffe]

Doing movements with cambered bar hits the brachialis more than if you were to do the same movement with a straight bar. I believe thats how it goes.

 

[PreMier]

Originally posted by gopro
And the REAL expert on training has arrived! Do we really want to go into the "muscle shaping" debate again? I don't think so.

Now, as to the brachialis...if you are actually dumb enough to think that doing a hammer curl or a reverse curl works the bicep and brachialis in the same manner as a barbell curl then you are more pathetic than your bench press.

SNF, stop trying to challenge me...its getting old and its not gonna work. I have forgotten more about how to build muscle than you will ever know.

Wow, spoken like a true Moderator(IE: someone that should set an example). heh..

Just curious, but can you squat or say... deadlift as much as SF?

 

[Vieope]

Originally posted by plouffe
Doing movements with cambered bar hits the brachialis more than if you were to do the same movement with a straight bar. I believe thats how it goes.

I don´t know if you are right or not. I know that it is difficult to imagine it.
Is there a way to explain this to me?

 

[plouffe]

I remember reading some either mudger or prince posted about hitting your biceps properly and how cambered bar hit the brachialis or something like that. Either way, when your working biceps you're not like damn my brachialis is pumped as hell, you say your bicep. It's not like a muscle that you can isolate ya know? Although having a monster brachialis like coleman would be badass, makes the gap between your tri's + bi's real big.

 

[gopro]

Originally posted by PreMier
Wow, spoken like a true Moderator(IE: someone that should set an example). heh..

Just curious, but can you squat or say... deadlift as much as SF?

After a while even a moderator gets fed up with the same garbage being spewed by the same "think-they-know-it-alls" over and over. Enough is enough with SNF. I don't need to be cordial with every one here. To get respect you need to give respect, and SNF has none to give.

And as far as his lifts go...I used to squat 500 lbs regularly, and deadlift 550 regularly (for reps) without ever concentrating on those lifts and only doing them maybe every third workout. I am a bodybuilder, not a powerlifter, and although I am very strong, I could care less how much I lift, as long as it builds muscle. I do neither of those movements anymore, however.

As a credit to SNF, his squat and deadlift are excellent.