Biceps can make or break your physique. Big biceps can complement your back and chest as well as fill out your clothes, while small biceps can make you feel small and weak, even if you’re not.
Most upper body compound movements like the deadlift, bench press, shoulder press, etc. put a huge load on the biceps. The deadlift uses the arms as hooks to pull the weight in, just like the bench press and shoulder press. This engages your biceps a lot and leaves little room for improvement.
Most people do these compound lifts before training their arms. However, you are most likely overtraining.
These exercises already exceed the load you could place on your arms with any isolation exercise. But it doesn’t end there. You can still put a good percentage of optimal load on your arm without overtraining.
To target your biceps and make them pop, here are the seven best exercises to do it.
The best biceps exercises to gain strength and muscle
1) Barbell Curls
Barbell curls are the most popular bicep exercise and done for good reason. Barbell curls offer the ability to place heavier loads on the biceps. The more you lift, the stronger you become. This allows you to build strength and muscle.
Barbell curls target the entire biceps brachii, but primarily place the load on the long head of the biceps.
2) Dumbbell Curls
Dumbbell curls are similar to bicep curls, except they offer much more flexibility and flex. It allows you to have a supinated grip (palms facing up), and the unilateral movement helps correct muscle imbalances and improve muscle symmetry. In terms of strength and hypertrophy, this exercise reigns supreme.
3) Dumbbell Incline Curl
Incline curls should be performed on a bench with an incline of approximately 40°. It allows your elbows to tuck in behind your body, making the movement tighter by placing the load on your biceps.
This exercise does a great job of stabilizing your back and keeping it locked down, preventing any chance of tricky curls. It also supports your shoulders, protects your rotator cuffs, and ensures you’re not using your delts to help your biceps lift the weight. It is an excellent exercise for muscle hypertrophy and strength gains.
4) Hammer Curls
Hammer curls are similar to dumbbell curls, except they require you to hold the dumbbells straight like a hammer. There is no supination in this exercise. This doesn’t target the biceps brachii as much, but instead places the load on the brachialis, making it more difficult to lift the weight.
Since the brachialis is below the biceps brachii, it will help you grow the peak of your biceps. This can help your arms as a bigger peak can give the illusion of massive biceps.
Hammer curls are best for isolating the brachialis and are a much-needed exercise for balanced biceps training for both strength and hypertrophy.
5) Preacher Curls
Preacher curls are another bicep isolation exercise that can be performed with a dumbbell or barbell. It requires you to place your lower arms on an elevated surface and your elbows in front of your body. You can use a dedicated preacher curl station or an elevated surface. Even a bench will suffice.
It instantly locks the elbows and shoulders, making the biceps take the full load. This makes the movement tighter and more efficient at isolating the biceps.
6) Concentration Curls
Concentration curls, just like preacher curls, require you to use support to fully isolate your biceps. In this exercise, the support comes from your thighs. For this exercise, you’ll want to position your arm across your thighs, making sure that your triceps push against your inner thigh. Next, grab a dumbbell and use just your biceps to lift the weight.
As the name suggests, concentration curls concentrate the load on the biceps, achieving maximum muscle contraction. They also contribute to afterburning and can give you a huge post-workout pump. You can layer them with preacher curls or use them as a finisher at the end of your workout; the choice is yours.
7) Reverse Curls
Reverse curls are a great underrated exercise that can be done with either a barbell or dumbbells. Not only do they activate their biceps, but they also use their forearms to participate in the pulling movement. It essentially kills two birds with one stone as it helps you build big biceps while also building massive forearms.
Biceps and forearms go together like toast and butter. Either one without the other seems strange and disproportionate. It is advisable to train both to have aesthetic and well-built arms.
Put off
Big biceps take time to build. Building massive weapons takes months, if not years, of consistency. Constant and regulated training is the key to building big biceps, just like any other muscle.
Remember to train each part in moderation to avoid overtraining. This will capitalize on your energy resources and build the best biceps possible in the most optimal time frame.
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