The Best Bicep Exercises

The Best Bicep Exercises

There is no better feeling than putting on your gym t-shirt and the hole taking up the shape of your arm. Not only does it show your progress in the gym, but it also shows your commitment and your discipline towards your goals in your journey of bodybuilding. To achieve this, you must grow both your biceps and triceps. In this article I will tell you what the bicep muscle is and the best exercises you can do to grow it to get the massive arms you dream of.

What is the bicep?

The biceps (also known as biceps brachii) are located on the front of the upper arm. They are made up of 2 heads: the short head and the long head. Biceps are usually responsible for pulling movements, flexing the elbow, and rotating the forearm. Biceps are important for aesthetics in the gym, but they are also used in everyday life.

There are 2 more muscles that relate to the biceps, and these are the brachioradialis and the brachialis. The brachialis is a major muscle responsible for flexing the forearm at the elbow [1]. It allows for elbow flexion in all physiological positions. The brachioradialis is a forearm muscle that also functions as a flexor [2]. It is more involved in exercises that require a neutral grip, such as the hammer curls. Both the brachialis and the brachioradialis assist the biceps with elbow flexion, so it’s important to work them out and increase their strength if you want to grow your biceps and make them stronger.

How to train the biceps

In your training split, you’re likely going to train biceps twice a week. For certain splits, you might only train them once. Whether you’re training them twice or just once, to make sure that you are training them as effectively as possible, you cannot choose random bicep exercises to do. The key here is to pick specific exercises that will hit all parts of the bicep (i.e., the short head and the long head). Both heads are usually targeted by different exercises (some exercises target both).

Now, let’s dive into the best exercises that will guarantee bicep growth and an increase in strength.

The Short Head

1 - Preacher curl

The preacher curl exercise is one of the most popular bicep exercises. A lot of people have it as a staple whenever they train biceps. It is a great exercise for the short head. It has a good range of motion that gives you a nice stretch and a proper squeeze at the top. There is also stability with it, which means you will not use momentum to move the weight.

How to perform the preacher curl:

  • Start by adjusting the seat to the right height. Make sure that you can rest your whole arm on the pad and that the pad is at a comfortable position at shoulder level or right under the chest.
  • Grab the EZ bar or the handles of the machine (depending on what you have access to). Make sure your grip is not too narrow and not too wide.
  • Start curling. Pull the weight to the top and squeeze, and then slowly lower the weight.
  • When you lower the weight, make sure you keep your elbows bent and not lock them out to avoid injuries.
  • Once you’re done with the set, put the bar down (or the handles), change the weight if you want to, and go again.
  • Do 8-12 reps for 2 sets.
  • For the 3rd set, go to failure and maybe even think about doing a drop set.

Warning: Make sure that your elbows are supported on the pad so that in case something goes wrong with the weight, the elbows don’t suddenly bend in the opposite direction.

2 - Spider curls

Spider curls are another great exercise that target the short head of the bicep. It is easy to set up and perform.

How to perform spider curls:

  • Set up the bench at around 45 degrees.
  • Grab your dumbbells and lay your chest on the bench.
  • Make sure your arms are straight in the starting position. The shoulder, elbow, and dumbbell are all in one line.
  • Start curling. Curl the dumbbell up to your shoulder without moving the shoulder. Try not to move your elbows from the starting position. Squeeze at the top and slowly lower the dumbbells back down into the lengthened position, and repeat.
  • Do 8-12 reps for 2 sets, and then hit failure on the 3rd set and do a drop set if you want to.

Note: This exercise can be done with dumbbells or with a barbell; both are equally as effective.

3 - EZ bar curl/standard bar curl

The standing barbell curl is one of the most popular biceps exercises. It is easy, simple, and gives you a great pump. A normal straight barbell can be used; however, the EZ bar is usually a better option because it provides more support for your wrists, making it more comfortable.

How to perform a standing bar curl:

  • Grab your bar.
  • Stand up straight.
  • Make sure your arms are straight.
  • Start curling. Bend your elbows and bring the weight up. Squeeze at the top and slowly bring the bar back down.
  • Make sure you are not moving your body and using momentum to move the weight. Be as stable as possible so that all the tension goes to the biceps.
  • Do 8-12 reps for 2 sets, and then reach failure on the 3rd set.

The long head

1 - Bayesian curls

The Bayesian curl exercise is a very effective exercise for the long head. It puts the elbow behind the shoulder and allows for a superior stretch and squeeze.

How to perform the Bayesian curl:

  • Face away from the cable station.
  • Grab the handles, take a step forward, and lean slightly forward.
  • Put one leg in front of the other for stability.
  • The starting position should have your elbows behind your shoulders, stretching the biceps.
  • Pull the cables up to your shoulder and squeeze.
  • Try not to move your elbows or shoulders.
  • Lower the weight back to the starting position slowly, and make sure you’re stretching the biceps.
  • Make sure you keep the elbows and the shoulders steady. Do not use them to move the weight.
  • Do 3 sets of 8-12 reps.

Note: This exercise can be done with both arms at the same time, or you can use just one cable and alternate between the arms. If you are going to use one cable and alternate between your arms, make sure you start with the weaker arm, remember the number of reps you do for it, and do the same number of reps for the stronger arm. This will help fix imbalances and prevent them

2 - Chin-ups

We often get so distracted by machines and free weights, and we forget about chin-ups. They sometimes get overlooked even though all you need for them is your body weight. Your body weight alone is capable of activating the biceps and giving you a good pump. You are more than welcome to add extra weight to the exercise once you are comfortable with doing chin-ups with proper form just with your body weight.

How to perform chin-ups:

  • Grab a stable bar with an underhand grip (palms toward you). Your arms should be shoulder-width apart.
  • Lift your feet off the ground and make sure there is no contact between your feet and the ground through the whole exercise.
  • Pull yourself up and make sure your chin passes the bar (goes above the bar).
  • Squeeze the muscles.
  • Come back down slowly to the stretched position and go again.
  • Do 3 sets of 8-12 reps.

3 - Hammer curls

Another great exercise that targets and develops the long head of the bicep. It also targets the brachialis and the brachioradialis.

How to perform hammer curls:

  • Grabthe dumbbells with a neutral grip.
  • Straighten your arms by your sides.
  • Start curling upwards and squeeze at the top.
  • Make sure you keep your arms tucked by your side and only bend the elbows to bring the weights up towards your shoulder.
  • Slowly lower the weight back down and repeat.
  • Do 3 sets of 8-12 reps.

Note: Hammer curls can be done standing or seated.

To finish off

If you want your arms to get bigger and fit perfectly in your gym t-shirt, then you should do the bicep workouts mentioned above and stay consistent. Make sure you push yourself all the time and focus on your form. Keep track of the weights you are lifting for each exercise and adjust accordingly.

Remember, growing the biceps and making them stronger is not just for aesthetics, but it is also for everyday life. Something as simple as carrying the grocery bags to your home involves the biceps. Every single day we do something that involves the biceps and requires them to work, and the stronger your biceps, the easier some of these things become.

 

References

1 - Plantz, M.A. and Bordoni, B. (2020). Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Brachialis Muscle. [online] PubMed. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK551630/.

2 - Lung, B.E., Ekblad, J. and Bisogno, M. (2020). Anatomy, Shoulder and Upper Limb, Forearm Brachioradialis Muscle. [online] PubMed. Available at: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526110/.

 

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