How do I widen my biceps (try #2)

[AmazingTricks]

Well the first thread got the axe for some odd reason, so I am going to make this one far more long and drawn out in order to increase the possibility of it staying around and getting a response.
Now then, I am 6 feet, 150lbs +. I've been tryin to get into good shape and it's going OK so far. One thing that I would like to improve about my body is the thickness of my biceps. Not the vertical thickness, but the horizontal thickness. They seem too "skinny" to me. What supporting muscles, or the actual bicep muscle, could be worked in order to make it appear wider? I repeat, the bicep is tall enough, I just need to make it wider. Any ideas? I'm already doing curls and hammer curls btw. Help!!

 

[semag]

Here's what you need to know.

Each grip for bicep exercises works the biceps in a specific way. A reverse grip will focus on forearms and brachioradialis, and hammer curls work the biceps and the brachioradialis. On a straight bar, the grip will work your bicep muscle, and the wider your hands are, the more it moves inside to the section of your bicep closer to your body (the short head of the bicep). The long head of your bicep, or the outer section (minus the brachioradialis) is worked by keeping your hands closer, like... if you're standing with the bar, right next to your hips.

In order to "widen your biceps," work with an EZ bar or straight bar, and do curls with your arms closer together and farther apart.

 

[AmazingTricks]

uh ok so that covers it completely thanks lol

 

[Alpine]

eerr not so fast. That advice sounds good but in reality it's a crock of sh1t, sorry Semag.

Your 'peak' is down to two things, your genetics 80% and probably the lower tricep head gives the 'appearance' of this peaking.

Follow the advice above and you will get a bigger bicep, and that's fine, but I don't think the shape will change, in fact I wouldn't get all hung up about it, just grow your muscles!

 

[AmazingTricks]

how do i expand the tricept head?

 

[semag]

I appreciate the criticism alpine. Here's my justification for what he said.

I've noticed from my personal lifting that the "width" of my biceps increases with more ez bar work, and changing grip width.

After a little research, i saw the info on the long and short sections of the biceps head, and I was assuming by "width" he meant he wanted those muscles to grow, which would involve breaking them down through changing the grip width.

I've always considered the "peak" to be different from the "width" ....

 

[Alpine]

No No No.

Perhaps I'm not explaining myself very well (at all).

Firstly, I'm saying, just maybe, that your long head tricep, the one under your arm when you flex your bicep has a shape that makes the whole arm have depth rather than girth. Giving the bicep the appearance of a good peak.

BUT, this whole thing is nonsense, I'm sorry, but try to get out of your head this idea of crafting a muscle, especially some flight of fancy esoteric 'look' you want.

The bottom line is you are what you are, more training will just make it the same but bigger. I'm sure there are people reading this who are thinking, if only they could 'peak' their bicep and what exercise could they do to get it. Ahh concentration curls I hear you cry fvcking bollocks.

 

[semag]

The bottom line is you are what you are, more training will just make it the same but bigger.

Hahaha, for sure, I agree 100%.

The only "shaping" you can do is to devolop the triceps and brachioradialis and forearm, but that's not really anything you should worry about man.

I'm gonna go with Alpine and say, lift big... when you're curling plates, come back and talk.

Being a trainer that runs a clientele list of 50 to 75 people at any one time, I review a lot of training history from people's past. It is very common to have trainees that have spent three to five years in the gym, and still are not benching much past 200 pounds or squatting much more than 250. I don't care how many sets, how many angles you hit the muscle from, nor how much fast-paced pump work that you do, as long as you lift a girl weights, he will have a girl's body.
-Iron Addict

 

[Alpine]

Semag,

I guess if you've personally experienced this then it's understandable that you believe the exercises you have done have created that shape for you.

I reckon it would have gone that way whatever exercise you did to make 'em grow, but hey who knows for sure?

 

[Alpine]

oops fingers

 

[Heizen]

On larger muscles such as the pecs or the quads it is sometimes possible to stimulate one part of the muscle more then the other, but it is still up to debate.

Either way, the bicep is one of the smallest muscle on the body that you can lift with, so whatever you do you are simulating most, if not as many fibers as your CNS can stimulate. So doing wide grip/close grip whatever will do nothing. Movements like twisting the dumbell (hammer Vs. concentration) will work the muscle different, not enough to 'craft' it like you are saying you do.

Peak is genetics anyways.

 

[AmazingTricks]

Whoever said you can't "craft" is wrong. What do you think body building is? Crafting muscle, no? I may not no much (or anything), but I doubt that it's impossible as you say. At the very least it must have some sort of effect on the bicep. I'm going to try and switch up the excercises + grips. I'll show you!!

 

[Heizen]

Yeah, use my name next time, it was just in the post above you.

Bodybuilding isn't going "Well, if I widen my grip 6 inches on one exercise, I can get more peak!" There just arn't things like what you are saying where you can fine tune something genetics is controlling. Our muscles are built a certain way geneticly, you can't build a peak if geneticly you don't have it in you.

Besides, I don't think either of us, let alone anyone on this board is qualified to talk about something like this. I will ask my friends dad about this next time I see him; he was a bodybuilder and I am pretty sure he got his pro card at some point a while back. Either way he knows what he is doing.