Introduction and some questions

[Minime]

QP, your one tall man then!

About the angle for best brachialis-stimulation: That would mean that the hammer curls aren't ideal for brachialis development, right?

My impression was that economic history was a growing academic field, at least over here. I'll probably take a course, seeing that I have at least four years left of my education (economics/political science/peace & conflict research). Amartya Sen would be an example of an economic thinker I agree with, at least more so than Friedman and some of the other big names, but I thought he was from India? Hume, Bentham and the other brits were covered when I studied political theory last semester. I've seen the grotesque pictures of Benthams mummified body. Something you would expect from Tutankhamen's time, but not the University of London.

Oh, I should probably move the pictures over to the pictures-thread, should I?

 

[QuantumPositron]

Wow, it sounds like you're getting something like a political-economy background in addition to economic theory. That's really cool. The class was called "Economic Doctrines." If by economic history you mean things like the economics of ancient Rome or the Middle Ages, this class wasn't it. Rather, the class was about the evolution of capitalist and social/communist doctrines. Consequently the studies had a historical component.

As for the hammer curls, you're right they aren't ideal for the brachialis. If you study the structure and kinesiology of the elbow flexors it will become apparent. The brachialis is always involved in elbow flexion regardless of how you position your humerus and/or your wrists. The biceps is always involved as well, but the extent of its activation depends on how the humerus and radius are positioned. By manipulating these joints you can set up the biceps to be significantly weak and as a result the brachialis and the brachiordialis are relied on. This isn't one guy's theory or another example of "bodybuilder logic." Altering muscle involvement via joint position is firmly rooted in the sliding filament theory of muscular contraction and is backed up by several decades of EMG studies and biomechanics research. You can rest assured in its dependability.

The hammer curl is good for the brachiordialis. Try it on a preacher curl bench. I don't do hammers because I find that if I added both reverse and hammer curls to the regimen I end up halting my development. Not only that, but reverse curls work the brachiordialis as well since it activates when the wrist is anywhere between neutral and pronated, inclusive. When the wrist is supinated the brachialis is still involved because it originates on the humerus and inserts into the ulna and thus is not altered by wrist or shoulder position. If your gym does not have a curling machine with a horizontal pad then try the reverse curl on a preacher bench. Just set yourself up so the angle between your humerus and your chest is greater than 90 degrees. This is important because at 90+ degrees the biceps are shortened at their origin which contributes to their deactivation and consequent activation of the brachialis. If you try this anytime soon let me know. I am really curious how it works for you. Hope my dissertation here helped.