The Biceps Bible is the first volume in the Fitness Bible series. The Fitness Bible is a compilation of texts that breaks down specific muscle groups in terms of the training methods necessary to achieve maximum hypertrophy, the increase in the size of the muscle cells, of the particular muscle group.
Most fitness literature fails to consider the biological differences between the different skeletal muscles of the body. Although all skeletal muscles do have certain characteristics in common with each other, the differences between their respective composition and functions undoubtedly affect how they respond to different types of training methods.
These differences include the type of muscle fiber alignment (parallel, fusiform, pennate, convergent, and circular) a muscle contains; whether a muscle is made up of predominantly fast-twitch or slow-twitch fibers; and the role a muscle plays during various movements of the body. Taking these considerations into account, the Biceps Bible will explain how to manipulate a number of different training variables to maximize muscle hypertrophy of the biceps muscle group.
The Biceps Bible will focus on the three major muscles responsible for flexion of the elbow: the biceps brachii, the brachialis, and the brachioradialis. Throughout the text, collectively these three muscles will be referred to as the biceps muscle group.
Anatomy And Physiology Of The Biceps Muscle Group
The core muscle of the biceps muscle group is of course the biceps brachii muscle. It is composed of two heads: the outer long head and the inner short head. The Biceps Brachii is responsible for flexing the elbow and rotating the forearm. It works in direct opposition to the triceps muscle when flexing the elbow. The biceps muscle's ability to produce force is affected by the position of the forearm and shoulder.
A second important elbow flexor is the brachialis muscle. This is a deep muscle under the biceps brachii that is solely responsible for flexing the elbow. This muscle's ability to produce force is unaffected by the position of the forearm or shoulder. A third major muscle of the biceps muscle group is the brachioradialis muscle. This is a large forearm muscle that is heavily active in rotating the forearm, as well as flexing the elbow. The brachioradialis muscle is most active when the forearm is pronated.
The muscle fibers of the biceps brachii muscle are aligned in a fusiform arrangement. Muscles aligned in this manner allow for the greatest degree of shortening. This enables the muscle to produce a wide range of motion swiftly.
Fast-twitch muscle fibers, more specifically type IIb fibers, dominate over slow-twitch fibers in the biceps muscle. These fibers are categorized as muscle fibers that are able to produce quick and powerful contractions for a period of approximately 30 seconds.
The biceps muscle functions as a secondary mover during many of the exercises that target the muscles of the middle and upper back, such as pull-ups, rows, and pull-down exercises. This means that while the biceps muscle is not the primary muscle producing the force during these exercises, it is still actively involved in generating a portion of the force during these movements.
Prepare For Muscle Building
As you go through the training program in this book, you may begin to wonder why you are seeing a minimal increase in muscle strength compared to a considerable increase in muscle growth. The reason for this is that all components of the training program in the Biceps Bible are specifically developed to maximize muscle growth and not muscle strength.
Training for strength and muscle growth requires an entirely different protocol. This means that although there is a possibility that both strength and muscle hypertrophy will improve from following the training program in this book; the most likely result will be a substantial increase in muscle size and a slight increase in muscle strength.