Big biceps can help you excel in many sports as well as look good. Bicep mass gains are the most satisfying for bodybuilders, because they produce the most noticeable changes in the physique. You can do many exercises in isolation for the biceps only, as well as compound exercises that train the biceps together with other muscle groups, to further increase their mass.
Steps
Method 1 of 3: Exercises in Isolation
Step 1. Standing barbell curl
This is probably the best exercise for the biceps. When people think of big biceps, they often think of this exercise. In the standard variant, you will need to place your hands shoulder-width apart on the bar, start with your elbows fully extended and bend your arms up to bring the bar to your chest.
- Keep your elbows steady and your back straight for proper technique. This way you will load your arms to the maximum.
- Do not lower the bar quickly. Resist the weight as you slowly lower it to maximize the effectiveness of each repetition.
- You can also perform this exercise while sitting. However, the barbell will finish the movement on the thighs, reducing the excursion in the area where the work of the biceps is greatest.
Step 2. Standing curl with dumbbells
For this exercise, you will need to assume the same position as the previous one, but the individual dumbbells allow you to work your arms together or alternating. Generally, you will be able to lift more weight with a barbell, but you may be able to complete more reps with dumbbells, especially if you alternate arms.
- One of the biggest benefits of standing dumbbell curls is the ability to vary your grip. You can do so-called hammer curls with dumbbells. To do this, hold your palm to one side during the movement instead of holding it out and then turning it towards your face.
- Another variation you can perform with hammer curls is to extend the range of motion by bringing the dumbbell across your chest at a 45 degree angle instead of bringing it to your shoulder.
Step 3. Do concentration curls
These curls isolate the entire bicep. Sit on a chair or bench with a dumbbell in your hand. Lean forward slightly and place the triceps (back of the arm) on the inside of the thigh. Inhale as you lower the weight, and exhale as you bring it towards your shoulder. Then switch to the other arm.
Make sure you avoid swinging your arm. The movements should be slow and controlled to maximize the effectiveness of each repetition
Step 4. Do reverse curls
Start with one dumbbell in each hand, palms facing behind you. Bring the dumbbell up towards your shoulder. At the highest point of the lift, the back of the hand will be facing up and the knuckles forward. This is a great exercise for the biceps and forearms.
You can easily do this exercise with a barbell as well
Step 5. Do Scott Bench Curls (or Preacher Curls)
This exercise isolates the entire bicep. Start by taking a barbell or a pair of dumbbells and placing your arms on the bench cushion. Press your chest against the bench. Slowly bend your arms, bringing the weight almost to your shoulders before bringing it back down.
When using dumbbells to do preacher curls, you can add variation and work different parts of the bicep using the hammer grip, with the palms facing to the side
Method 2 of 3: Composite Exercises
Step 1. Perform drag curls
In the standing barbell curl position, slide the bar up against your body until it reaches the center of your chest, which is where you can lift it while keeping it in contact with your chest. Then lower the weight again in the same way, making sure you don't lose contact with your torso. The elbows will move back and the shoulders will not have to assist the movement.
Step 2. Do some pull-ups
Pull-ups work your back and biceps. To maximize the load on the biceps in each repetition, start hanging dead weight with the palms about six inches apart on the bar, and then lift immediately above the chin so that the upper chest is in contact with the bar. The additional movement to lift yourself up to the chest increases the engagement of the biceps.
While it is difficult to do this in pull-ups, slowly lowering yourself to a resting position instead of letting gravity push you, allows you to increase the effectiveness of each repetition
Step 3. Perform hammer strokes with one arm
This exercise is basically a dumbbell hammer curl from the rowing position. To do this, place your right knee on a flat bench, with your left foot firmly on the ground to the side. Lean forward so that your back is straight and parallel to the ground. Then hold onto the bench with your right hand. Lift the dumbbell with your left hammer-like hand (palm facing your body). Start with your arm straight down, then at the same time, lift your elbow and bring the dumbbell towards your chest before bringing it back to the ground. Change position to get the other arm to work.
This position should allow you to lift more weight than a normal hammer curl, as you will also be working your upper back muscles a lot
Method 3 of 3: Maximize Bicep Definition
Step 1. Reduce your consumption of simple carbohydrates
When you work on increasing the strength of your biceps, you probably also want to improve their appearance and definition to the maximum. Many steps in this section are about life outside the gym, but they will need to be coordinated with your training schedule. Start by eliminating simple carbohydrates from your diet.
You should reduce carbohydrates to 30% of your daily calorie intake, and 85% of the carbohydrates you consume should come from fruits and vegetables, with the rest from complex carbohydrates
Step 2. Increase your protein intake
If you want to gain muscle mass and lose fat, to maximize bicep definition, you should definitely increase your protein intake. Protein should make up about 40% of your daily calorie intake.
Step 3. Eat more calories
One of the mistakes most often made by people trying to gain muscle mass is reducing their calorie intake. No matter how hard you work, your work will be wasted if you don't get enough calories to build muscle fibers.
Step 4. Focus on brachial workouts
To create a mountain-like peak on the bicep instead of a football-like curve, genetics are very important; However, exercises that work the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles can push the biceps higher and give them a more "mountainous" appearance.
- Many of the exercises that work these muscles have already been described above, including hammer curls, reverse curls, and preacher curls. To maximize the effectiveness of these defining exercises, be sure to keep your elbows locked on your hips and your wrists straight during the repetitions.
- The most important section for the definition of the arms is the end of the movement, when the forearm is closest to the upper arm. You can work further on the definition of the biceps by focusing on the top half of the repetition, specifically by contracting the muscles as much as possible as you reach the top of the movement.
Step 5. Increase the duration of each repetition
If you want to increase the length of the biceps - the distance between the elbow and the shoulder - you will need to focus on the beginning of each repetition and not on the highest point. Engage more in slow lifting at the start of each rep and slowly lowering the weight back down when your arm is down again. One of the best ways to increase the length of the biceps and resist as much inertia as possible by extending each repetition to the last.
Step 6. Use a tighter grip
You can make the long head of the bicep, which is the top section, farthest from the body, work harder than the short head - which is the lowest section, closest to the arm. To specifically work the long bicep head, use a tighter grip, keeping your hands a few inches apart when using a barbell.
If you feel much better with dumbbells, you can still work the long head of the bicep by bringing the weight across the chest at a 45 ° angle - towards the opposite shoulder - instead of lifting it in a straight line
Step 7. Use a wider grip
Using a wider grip - particularly wider than your shoulders - or bringing the dumbbells further away from your body will help you get the short head of the bicep to work. However, since even a normal grip at shoulder distance makes the short head work more than the long one, most people have this section of the muscle already more developed than the other.
Advice
- When the load you use is light, but each additional pound makes it too heavy, simply do more reps with the load you are currently using until you have developed enough strength to switch to the heavier one.
- The most common mistake in doing curls is doing them too quickly and / or lowering the weights too quickly. Take it easy. Lift and lower the weight at the same pace and try not to be rough. You will see the results
- Weight is less important than the method. If you want to start with 5 pounds, that's fine. But make sure the method and technique are good. Once you are comfortable with the load you can think about adding a couple of pounds.
- The secret to having huge biceps is to exercise your triceps as well. Your triceps encompass a large part of your arm, and well-trained triceps help sculpt your biceps.
- If you are looking to get big biceps you should look for the load that suits you, and try to keep the reps short, 8 is enough, your 8th rep should be almost impossible to complete, do 3 sets of each exercise.
- First worry about the mass and then the curls, because if you take care of the curls first, then it is difficult to work with the mass.
- Change your lifestyle to gain muscle mass effectively. Drink more water, eat more lean protein and fiber, and spend more time on aerobic activities that burn fat.
- Muscles don't develop overnight, it takes time and patience, don't be discouraged.
- If you feel pain in your wrists and / or elbows while doing any of these exercises, use a curved or angled barbell and / or dumbbells instead of a classic barbell.
- You won't have huge biceps just doing curls, you need to develop your whole body, especially your legs. To develop 2.5 inches of muscle on your arms, you'll need to gain around 2 pounds of lean mass!
Warnings
- There is no need to use a squat cage or power rack for curls. If you are unable to lift weights off the ground, you shouldn't attempt curls with that load. Don't forget that you could get hurt.
- Never use a load that is too heavy at the expense of a good method (for example, it requires you to swing and use momentum to lift). Without a good method you will not get even muscle development, and you could risk getting injured.
- If you want to increase your muscle mass, you need to train specifically. That is to use a suitable load to do 8-12 repetitions. If you do more, you will be training for endurance, if you do less, just to develop your strength.
