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Does anyone know who invented this pose or which photo of someone doing it is the oldest? The photo below is of Arnold Schwarzenegger in the 1970s but I believe there were photos of him published in the late 1960s doing the same pose. Below you also see Dave Draper doing the pose, perhaps in the early 1970s. Actually, I’m not certain that the Three Quarter Back Double Biceps Pose is the official name of the pose, and there are variations of it. Since bodybuilding as we know it is a relatively new activity, it is reasonable to assume that some living bodybuilders actually invented certain poses.
The front double biceps pose has likely been around for centuries, if not millennium, but prior to the 20th century did anyone, for example, do the ‘both arms extended over the head’ Sergio arm pose? And was Sergio the first to do it? If he wasn’t, he still “owns” the pose or is at least associated with it the most. Frank Zane’s ‘hands behind head stomach vacuum’ pose is most associated with Zane. Did Joe Weider ever take credit for inventing any of the poses in the same way he created the “Weider Principles” to document training methods? Should the ‘Double Biceps Pose’ be called ‘The Weider Double Biceps Pose’? Is it too late to come up with new poses? Have the best poses been taken? Did Phil Heath create any poses? Who is the last bodybuilder to invent a pose that caught on?

Below: Dave Draper

Steve Reeves did am arm extended variation of the Three Quarter Back Double Biceps Pose, which might also be called the Twisting Back Double Biceps Pose.

Clearly, Schwarzenegger emulated this Steve Reeves’ arm extended variation of the Three Quarter Back Double Biceps Pose:

John Grimek and Steve Reeves both did the Three Quarter Front Double Biceps Pose with different leg positions.


Larry Scott was doing a perfect three Quarter Back Double Biceps Pose way before Arnold, In fact I think Arnold copied this pose from him. I think it was Vince Gironda who coached Larry on how to hit this difficult pose.