Most of us know of the biceps (short for biceps brachii) muscle. It is the muscle we usually target to produce "big arms" and is most often targeted by doing the standard curl. As you can see from image 2, the muscle has two "heads." One originates from the shoulder and the other in the general area of the uppermost part of the arm. Because of the different origination sites, different exercises can used to target each head.
Image 1
http://gllbetter.blogspot.com/2012/04/fitness-for-you-upper-body-exercises.html
Image 2
msjensen.cehd.umn.edu
Again, image 2 shows the two heads of the biceps brachii ("bi"="two" hence the name biceps). The number 5 is pointing to the tendon of the short head while number 10 is pouting to the long head.
To target both of the heads at the same time, a simple curl is done using a supinated grip (aka underhand). Imagine you have candy in the palm of your hand and you go to put it in your mouth. This is essentially doing a supinated curl. Because of the muscle attachments on the bones, its line of maximal contraction and force is such that when you do this action you maximally target this muscle. However, you can also strengthen the short head in another way as well. Because it attaches to the shoulder unlike the short head, it can also assist in shoulder flexion (aka raising your arm out in front of you). Thus, if at the end of your supinated curl (image 3) you were to flex your upper arm out in front of you (image 4), you would be stress the short head even more and make it work harder.
Image 3
http://www.borgess.com/default.aspx?pId=2150
Image 4
The biceps brachii can also act as a powerful supinator to your forearm! What is supination you ask? Review image 5 below.
Image 5
http://www.gustrength.com/training:hook-grip-versus-alternated-grip-for-deadlifts
If your hand is in the pronated or neutral state and you bring it towards the supination state you are performing supination
Image 2 from above shows the location of the insertion point of the biceps. As pointed out by number 4, it inserts into the radius bone of the forearm. Thus, when someone wants to supinate their hand, the biceps brachii (along with another muscle called the supinator) contract and the action is completed. Because this is its action, the biceps can further be strengthen by simply supinating the forearm against resistance. However, the biceps, because of its insertion point, becomes more effective as you flex the elbow. When the arm is extended, the line of pull of the biceps is parallel with the forearm and thus, exerts a negligible force. However, as you increase arm flexion (i.e., bring your towards 90 degrees) the line of pull becomes perpendicular to the forearm and thus, can exert a large force in regards to supination. Thus, to work your bicep by doing supination against resistance, it is generally most efficient and easier to remember to keep your elbow at 90 degrees.
Image 6
http://breakingmuscle.com/strength-conditioning/6-forgotten-or-misunderstood-facts-of-physical-training
In regards to the elbow position, the image on the left depicts the best way to target the biceps when doing supination exercises. The image on the right (arm straight) is not an efficient way to work the biceps when supinating because its line of pull is is parallel with the radius bone. Disregard the hand position in this image.
A few supination exercises are pictured below. It is important to note that whenever you do supination exercises you will also do pronating exercises (requires different muscles that have not been mentioned). This is because you have to start in the pronated position (palms to the floor) in order to move towards supination and thus, work the supinator muscles. In image 7, you can see how the man's forearm is in pronation (on the left). He then supinates (working the biceps muscle) and ends in a supinated position. This can be done with a resistance band as shown in image 7, a simple heavy tool (image 8), or a DB (image 9).
Image 7
http://www.physioadvisor.com.au/8116550/elbow-exercises-elbow-strengthening-exercises-.htm
Image 8
http://www.orthopaedics.com.sg/tennis-elbow-exercise
You can simply find a heavy object such as a hammer to do this exercise
Image 9
http://www.bodbot.com/Exercises/235/Pronated-Dumbbell-Curls
This is how I like to do the exercise. Get DBs, hold elbows in close to your side, and flex the elbows to 90 degrees. You then proceed by supinating and pronating back and forth. This is shown in the video below. As stated in the video, this is also working your forearm strength while at the same time, your biceps. I prefer to do about 3 sets of 20 reps with approximately 25 lb. DBs. However, I like to incorporate one set after each set up bicep curls. Again, make sure you keep the elbows at 90 degrees.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XKiK-cAa7g
***It is important to note that by working the biceps in ways other than simple curls all time, you can confuse the muscles and add some more variety to your workouts. Although the same muscle is getting worked in all of the above exercises, it is getting worked in different ways due to the different actions it exerts.
You may be thinking, "what about reverse curls (pronated grip- overhead grip) or hammer curls (neutral grip- palms facing each other)?" In regards to pronated grip, the mechanical pull line of the biceps brachii muscle is lost and thus, it does't fire (or at least minimally fires); a different muscle called the brachialis in in charge of completing this action instead. On the other hand, the biceps is activated when you do a hammer curl. However, it is not the primary muscle used for the action; rather, the brachioradilias (BR) muscle does most of the work in the hammer curl.
The next post will be part 2 of this segment and I will discuss the Brachialis and Brachioradialis muscles, specifically, how to target them to maximize total arm mass! Thanks for checking in- let's get better today!
I know that was a lot of material but I hope you learned something! Thanks.
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