Ask 
someone, anyone, to "flex" or "make a muscle" and what do they do? Bust out the old tried-and-true Schwarzenegger twisting front biceps pose. It's every teenage boys dream to build huge biceps complete with a sharp peak to attract all the ladies – or at least to stop the bully from those Charles Atlas comic book ads from kicking sand in your face at the beach.
Unfortunately, biceps are one of the most over-trained muscle groups known to man. Ask any "brofessor" at the gym… Mondays are chest, Tuesdays are biceps, and Wednesdays? Why, chest and biceps, of course! I think most average lifters need only one day committed to arms each week, or slight biceps work after major back exercises on a "pull" day. But who wants to be average? If you're reading this, you want some biceps peak. And you want it now! No full Larry Scott arms for you. You’re interested in some Arnold-like 22-inch mountain peaks!
I don't want to crush your hopes and dreams but your potential for biceps peak is largely based on genetics. That does not, however, mean that you cannot build a decent biceps peak (with my help of course).
Don't jump the gun, though. Before we start throwing out exercises, sets, and reps, let's talk about biceps anatomy. You upper arms are comprised of three major muscles: the brachialis, brachioradialis and biceps brachii. The brachialis adds thickness to the arm; focusing on the brachioradialis can add size to the upper arm, moreso the forearms. Our major concern is the biceps brachii; a muscle with two heads (long and short) that contributes most to the biceps peak (which is what we are after).
The biceps (Latin meaning two-headed) allows you to turn your palm upwards and allows for elbow flexion. We want to talk more about the long-head of the biceps, as focusing on that head will more directly influence biceps peak.
Alright, enough with the boring biceps anatomy lesson! Here are my favorite biceps "peaking" exercises: strict narrow-grip biceps curls, incline dumbbell curls, spider curls, and pinwheel curls. Let’s take a closer look at these movements.
1.) Narrow-grip BB Curls: In a perfect world no one would cheat when doing biceps curl. (I hope no one curls in the squat rack in heaven.) But this is not a perfect world. And we all know barbell biceps curls are horribly abused. Yes, I'm quite aware of "cheat curls" but for every single set? I don't think so. Back up against the wall. Grab a straight bar (or slightly cambered E-Z curl bar) with a narrow (inside shoulder-width grip) and curl. Stay upright, try to keep your shoulders back for a better contraction, squeeze hard at the top and lower the weight with control. 1-2 warm-up sets then 3-4 sets of 8 perfect reps.
Bonus: Start with an incredibly narrow grip and move your palms slightly outwards each set (quarter to half inch per set).
Last set: After you reach failure, add a little "oomph" to eke out a few more reps. But, my God, don't make it look like someone is giving you the Heimlich maneuver.
2.) Incline Dumbbell Curls: Lower the incline, please. No, not all the way down. What's a matter with you? A 30-45 degree angle will suffice. Grab a pair of dumbbells that will allow you to fail at 10-12 repetitions. Slowly lower the dumbbells, feel the stretch, then explosively contract your biceps and curl the weights up. And SQUEEZE! Stretched muscle = greater muscular contraction. I'm a firm believer of a few principles on any type of curl. These principles include:
Use a weight you can handle
Control the negative
Squeeze like hell at the top
Go for 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
Bonus: When you reach failure with the incline curls, sit upright and do strict seated curls, then when you reach failure again stand up and do a few "cheating" standing curls. One set only.
3.) Spider-curls: What, no concentration curls on this list? Blasphemy! Well, I'm sorry, but I like spider curls or "supported incline concentration curls." The contraction is extreme. Keep the incline of your bench the same and turn around (facing the floor). Grab some dumbbells and let your arms hang freely. Try not to bring your elbows forward during the lift and, again, SQUEEZE at the top of the lift (lower with control). Try twisting your wrist outwards (starting at the beginning of the lift) for an even better contraction. I guarantee you will love this curl variation. Just 2-3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Bonus: Put the pair down and train each arm unilaterally. It will allow you to put more focus (and love) into each arm and possibly even correct an imbalance that you might have between arms (even though we are using dumbbells). (Aside: get away from barbell work and use more single-arm exercises if you have muscular symmetry imbalances).
4.) "Pin-wheel" curls: Or "across-the-body-alternating-dumbbell-hammer-curls." This exercise will aid in your quest for a nice outer biceps head as well as add some mass to your forearms. Grab some dumbbells with a hammer grip. Alternate your curls between both arms rep-to-rep, bringing the dumbbell up towards the opposite shoulder close to the body. Squeeze at the top, yes, but also squeeze the life out of the dumbbells during the entire exercise. Go slow and really focus on getting a good contraction. This exercise calls for 2 sets of 10 textbook reps.
Bonus: When you reach muscular failure, rest briefly then perform bilateral (botharms) hammer curls to the front. Rest again and do some standing bilateral curls. Rest again and do some CHEAT CURLS! Hoorah! The cheat curls are only on your last set.
There you go. Now while I might not yet possess the extreme biceps peak à la Arnold, Coleman and Cutler, I pride myself in having full, balanced biceps with a respectable peak. Do not use genetics as a scapegoat. You are the master of your own biceps. If you want a better peak, train harder and smarter, listen to my advice, and get to work! So, next time someone asks you to "make a muscle," don't run away and cry over your bad biceps genetics. Imagine you have two Himalyas atop your arms and proudly display that baby biceps peak! BOOM!
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