Fingers back planche/maltese work and bicep hypertrophy.

Just wondering if some of the impressive bicep development of gymnasts is strongly correlated with fingers back planche work and maltese. Since, doing one month of planche leans with fingers back, I'm getting bicep development I've never acquired with weights. It seems thicker more toward the elbows than I've had in the past with bicep curls and pullup variations. Pullups and dips have given me decent bicep development, but since adding planche leans (fingers back), it has gone up another level. Pretty cool surprise.

Remember the bicep is twice as small as the tricep and rings work everything as does most support or bent arm work in gymnastics.

The fingers back planche stuff is noticeably harder on the biceps and so adaptation will occur. I will say that extra bicep development seems to help a lot with advanced rings stuff, a few interviews i have seen with Yuri Van Gelder and some other rings competitors seems to indicate that the top guys have pretty huge biceps. The cross requires pretty extreme bicep strength, as does the maltese.

Enjoy your guns as they grow Mine are slowly growing, I almost have 18 inch arms again(17.75 as of a week ago, not pumped). I imagine they'll be closer to 19 by the time I am doing full planche, iron cross, and ring handstands.

I would have to concur that the cross takes tremendous bicep strength.

A month or so ago, I was very close to my cross, but with injury, illness, and being forced to go on 'vacation' I've been out of the gym a lot. Progress is slow, even back tracking a little.

But, when I get done with a strength session that i worked crosses in, I can tell that my biceps and pecs are very sore. Requires a lotttt of strength.

JL said:

Just wondering if some of the impressive bicep development of gymnasts is strongly correlated with fingers back planche work and maltese.

In a broad sense, yes that is correct. However for maximum development obtained in a safe efficient manner, it is important for the proper progressions to be performed.

Yours in Fitness,

Coach Sommer