It is normal to want to have bigger biceps as they help complement a well-defined torso as well as look good both in a fitted white t-shirt and out of one. It doesn’t have to be a challenging task to make your biceps pop as there are a variety of bicep exercises that could work your bicep muscles, including the curl.
Important tips for building your biceps peak
These are some tips to keep in mind to ensure that your bicep exercises work and make your biceps pop.
Look for ways to emphasize the long head
A major reason why you are so strong when doing the standing barbell curl is that you utilize the two bicep heads to complete it. Shift your grip inward to internally rotate your shoulders so that you will be able to place more emphasis on the long head of your bicep muscles.
You can focus on the long head better by using a grip that is about one or two inches inside shoulder width. You can implement a few wider-grip sets and closer-grip sets if you have always been doing the barbell curls with the same grip. Your aim here is to shift the emphasis since it is not possible to isolate a particular area of the arms.
Do Biceps after a back workout
If you aim to do two biceps workout each week or you are following a shorter training split, it would be best if you trained your biceps after a back workout. Because these two are pulling muscles and the biceps are worked when doing multi-joint back movements, it would be ideal if you did them simultaneously. It is important to note that you should not train your biceps before your back.
When you are training your back, you are already giving your biceps a good workout, which is why a lot of people think of finishing them off. Ensure that you do not train the biceps on consecutive days by not training them the day after or before a back workout. Although the biceps is considered a small body part, it still needs up to two days of rest.
Train your biceps twice throughout your split
While it has been established that you shouldn’t train your biceps two days in a row, it is still possible for you to train them two times throughout your training split. If you are following a long split of up to 6 days, then this strategy would work better. The biceps recover faster than other bigger body parts of the body because they are a small muscle group, and as such, you can train them more frequently. Aim to train your biceps on the 3rd or 4th day and remember not to train them immediately after or before a back day workout.
If you want to follow this method, you shouldn’t repeat the same workout on the two days, instead use biceps workouts that are not similar to each other in any way. This way, you would focus on one workout, particularly on the long head with a wide range of grips, reps, and moves. Then, the other session would be a general mass-building workout that consists of exercise for the short and long heads.
Train your biceps after a rest day
If you are mentally fresh, have a lot of push behind you, and well-rested beforehand, you would get the best out of your bicep workout. Most times, it is after you have spent a day away from the gym, which would see you recover fully. Also, ensure that you do not perform any stressful activities that could tire you out during your rest day.
Work your biceps first following a rest day if they are your top priority. You would find it easier to keep a high-intensity level throughout your bicep workout because it is usually short as it lasts for about 30 minutes. Even if you are training your triceps with your biceps, you should hit your biceps first because they are your primary objective. To rest, also signifies that you should allow your arm flexors rest for at least two days between workouts. You can utilize a training split that sees you space out your arm workout two days before back day. If you work your back and arm on consecutive days, you will not give your biceps enough time to recover as back workouts also train your biceps.
The best bicep exercises
These are the top exercises you should give a go if you want to make your biceps pop;
Underhand seated row
When you sit down and row, you would place your biceps in the exact line of the pull, which would see them work harder when performing reps. If you can perform this exercise correctly, you will notice significant gains on your biceps and back. These are the steps to perform the unseated hand row:
- Use an underhand grip to hold the bar at a shoulder-width distance while bending your knees.
- Ensure your back is kept straight, lean a little, and use your back muscles to pull the weight toward your belly button.
- Revert the bar to the initial position.
Regular EZ bar curl
The bar used in this exercise would allow you to use more weight than you typically would when performing a curl, in addition to keeping perfect form and not placing a lot of pressure on your forearms and elbow. These are the steps to perform the regular EZ bar curl:
- Use an underhand grip to hold the EZ bar at shoulder width in front of your thighs.
- While inhaling, start curling the bar and stop when your hands get to your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps and then use a controlled motion to lower.
Chin-up
This is a very effective bicep exercise, although it is not an easy move to master. If you can perform it correctly, you will give your back, shoulders, and arms a good workout. These are the steps to perform the chin-up:
- Use a grip that is narrower than shoulder width to grab the bar and ensure that your palms are facing each other.
- Get your head above the bar by pulling yourself up. Then, use a slow and controlled motion to lower back to the initial position.
Zottman Curl
You would not find too many exercises that work all the three major muscles in your biceps (the biceps brachioradialis, brachialis, and brachii). The Zottman curl can hit all the parts of your bicep because you switch to an overhand grip from an underhand grip about halfway through the motion. These are the steps to perform the Zottman curl:
- Make your palms face forward while having the dumbbells hang by your side.
- Bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells to your shoulders without moving your upper arms.
- Maintain this position for a moment, then make your palms face forward by rotating the dumbbells. Then, use a slow and controlled movement to revert to the initial position.
Incline Dumbbell curl
The long head of your biceps brachii is placed under more pressure when you set the bench to incline as you are made to work from a deficit. What this means is that your starting point is one where you have less than normal leverage. You might need to reduce the amount of weight you use as this exercise requires you to put in more effort. These are the steps to perform the incline dumbbell curl:
- Get into the starting position by lying on your back on a bench inclined to 45 degrees.
- Curl the dumbbells to your shoulders as much as possible while bending your elbows.
- Then, use a slow and controlled movement to revert the weight to the initial position, making sure that you straighten your arms completely.
Hammer curl
Why this exercise is effective is because of the way you grip the dumbbell. The work is transferred from the biceps brachii to the brachialis when you flip the dumbbell on its side. The brachialis is the muscle that gives your arm that thicker look. These are the steps to perform the hammer curl;
- Keep your palms facing your thighs and allow a pair of dumbbells hang at arm’s length.
- Let your arms remain still. Then curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders as close as possible while bending your elbows.
- When you get the top, pause, and don’t forget the squeeze. Then you lower the weight back down to the initial position.
Standing dumbbell curl
An exercise that must make the list when it comes to biceps workout. The curl is one thing that targets your biceps the most. However, know how to manage your weights. These are the steps to perform the standing dumbbell curl;
- Stand tall and hold a dumbbell each in both hands while hanging your arms by your sides.
- Make sure your palms face forward, and your elbows are close to your torso.
- Do not move your arms and breathe out as you curl the weights toward your shoulder.
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