Q: My friend has really peaked biceps while mine are not, while we both curl the same weight. How come? What can I do to increase my peak?
A: Unfortunately, the shape of muscle is largely determined by genetics, so blame mom and dad. However, there are some things you can do. The biceps consists of two separate heads, and by smart training you can develop both to their limit. Don't expect to be able to solely pinpoint one of the two, but you CAN shift the focus a little. One exercise I have found particularly good for bringing out the peak is bicep curls with a straight barbell, where you hold the bar with a more-than-shoulder-width grip and tuck in your elbows against your sides. Experiment a little to see what works best for you. Start with slightly less weight than usual and do 12-15 reps just to feel where the burn materializes. Then flex your biceps in a classic bicep-bose and use your other hand to squeeze the peak of your biceps. If that's where the lactic acid burn is at, you've found an exercise that will work.
Q: I have a horrible sweet tooth, but I need to get in shape. What can I do to avoid going nuts?
A: Use the window of opportunity immediately after your workouts to have a handful or two of candy. As I've talked about before, that is the one time when you SHOULD be eating something sugary to get your body back into an anabolic state again. Make sure to get something sugary though, not fat. Fat has a lot more calories per gram than sugar, and fat will slow down the release of the sugars into your blood stream. Examples of good candy: Jelly beans, sugar babies. Examples of bad candy: Chocolate, peanut-butter cups.
