2 Questions: 1 Biceps and 1 Dips

Heya guys,

I got 2 questions about some workout forms and exercises.

1. About biceps - my biceps are quite 'thin', mainly when relaxed and when the arm is straight. When flexing the inside bicep bulges out quite a bit which I am really happy of, but of course thats not what people see :) The outer bicep is relatively flattish and doesnt bulge very much. Also my bicep is quite short in compared to many I have seen. I have been doing hammers now for the lengthening part and its going well. I just wanted to know which exercises I can do for that outer bulge. The only one I can think of which I will try this week is (dunno what its called) when you use the hammer-curl grip but bring it up to the opposite chest ie. bring left hand up across your abs and chest up to your right chest. Hope u know what i'm referring to. Anything else i can try?

2. Weighted dips - I love em, and doing them mainly on chest day. I just wanna know how you can hold the weight with it. Thing is I am using the special belt to hold a circular weight, normally 20-40kg. I lean forward to hit the chest so my legs naturally lean backward, and so i dunno how to 'control' the weights. Do i just do normal dips like that and let the weights swing?

thanks!

Bicep length is genetic like every muscle in your body. If you have a short muscle belly then that will effect the size but should enable you to peak nicely. The key wofd here is supinate. Turn your palms up and focus on squeezing at the top of your movement. I also like the weighted dips but do them strictly as a tricep exercise. I've done as much as 150 lbs extra and usually 2 + 45lb plates. As long as you're keeping your legs in tight that'll keep you from swiinging. If you continue to do them leaning back with your chin down then go slowely and that should minimize your swinging. Be careful though several years ago I cracked my sternum from doing weighted dips...too much stress!

Your outer biceps can be worked various ways. A good excerise that I like which hits this area quite well is seated bumbell curls. These or standing curls hiy the entire bicep which is what you want. You were right to do the dips on chest day. I love weighted dips however I tend to hit the triceps hard while doing these. Since the triceps are a secondary muscle during your chest excerises you will do well to hit them on the same day as your chest.
The weighted dips that you were talking about, Are you doing them with a belt with a chain or rope going through a plate? If so you can limit the swing by just closeing your legs against the plate. If you lean forward causing the weights to swing out in front of you, try shorting the rope or chain in which they hang from. The closer the plates are to your body the less room they wil have to swing causeing you to lose your balance ect.
Tobey

Hey I also have done cable crossover curls. Grab them from the top and curl in toward your ears. Hold the contraction at the top for a couple seconds.

We had a thread just a couple of days ago posted by Sicilian entitled "I have another bicep questions" Them there excerises that you mentioned are called Papa Pump cable curls. Just for the record!J/k
Tobey

YEEE HAA!! They live on!!!:D :D :D :D

High Point Curls, also known as Papa Pump Cable Curls..
sweet LOL.HEHE

You want to hit the elusive long head of the biceps. The long head is the "outer" head as you call it. Hammer curls hit the brachialis, which lies under the biceps. A larger brachialis will push the biceps heads out more. But you still have to work the long head. The long head flexes more with your wrists up, like when you do the basic straight bar curl. You just need to concentrate hard on making each rep burn the long head. Another way to do this is doing concentration curls. But you don't just put your arm on your leg and curl. Like the name says, you concentrate on the contraction REAL HARD. While I think you should do both heavy and isolation bis exercises, when you do your isolation exercises you should be down by the little weights. There is no shame in lifting those, most guys have no idea how to truely isolate the bis.

OK Papa I'll give you credit for those curls only if you're older than I! I been around for a long time. Probably have underwear older than most people on this here forum. My weight belt is most likely older than you guys...