The bicep muscles are crucial for pulling and lifting movements you perform constantly throughout the day. But perhaps the most compelling reason to train your biceps is the almost immediate effect you see in the mirror. The bicep muscles, when flexed, are the classic symbol of a powerful physique.
The biceps are also the most visible muscle to train. When you curl a weight, you
1 alternate dumbbell curls
When performing a high-intensity weight routine, include exercises that stretch the muscles. This exercise is great for stretching the biceps and for overall biceps development.
Starting Position: Either stand upright, or sit on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your shoulders square and your chest up. Press your upper back and shoulders against the bench. Let your arms hang downward with your palms facing each other.
TIP DON’T LET…
your shoulders creep up off the bench. This allows you to use your body for leverage, and may cause neck strain.
The Exercise: Slowly curl the weight in your right hand out and up to shoulder level, while turning your wrist so that your little finger is on the inside and your thumb is on the outside. Contract the muscle as hard as you can at the top, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position while, at the same time, raising the weight in your left hand.
can easily watch yourself in the mirror and see the biceps swell enormously under the strain. We promise you’ll enjoy training these muscles—and showing them off.
It is important to remember to focus on form and smooth, controlled movement. Resist the temptation to use your body weight for leverage when performing curls. To create a growth-producing burn, you have to isolate the biceps by paying strict attention to form.
Variety is also key here. By performing a variety of exercises, you’ll emphasize different areas of the biceps, creating a fuller, rounder shape. You’ll also force your body to keep adapting to the changing types of stress. This means your biceps get bigger faster.
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2 barbell curls
This is the classic biceps exercise of all time, and rightly so: performed correctly,
this exercise will help you develop overall size in the biceps.
Starting Position: With your hands The Exercise: Without leaning back or same path, resisting all the way down until your
shoulder-width apart, grip a barbell with an swinging the weight, curl the bar up toward your arms are nearly straight but you can still feel a
underhand grip. Stand up straight with shoulders chest in an arc. Keep your elbows stationary and contraction in the biceps.
squared and with feet shoulder-width apart. Let close to your sides. Bring the weight up as high
the bar hang at arm’s length in front of you, with as you can, and focus on holding the contraction
your shoulders, arms and hands in a straight line. at the top. Lower the weight slowly along the
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3 preacher curls
The pad on the preacher-curl bench forces you to keep your elbows stationary, as well as giving you a stable base for the exercise. If the EZ curl bar places too much strain on your wrists, try using dumbbells for this exercise and training one arm at a time.
Starting Position: Use a preacher-curl The Exercise: Curl the barbell upward in an end. If the resistance starts to let up, you’ve gone
bench and an EZ curl bar. It’s crucial that the seat arc. As you begin, be careful not to lurch or rock too far. Concentrate on the eccentric part of the
on the preacher-curl bench be adjusted to the the weight to get it moving. The goal is to make exercise, lowering the bar slowly and resisting all
right height. When you sit, the seat should not be the exercise hard on the biceps, not to use the the way.
so low that the shoulders are elevated nor so high deltoids and give the biceps a free ride. Curl the
that you’re hunched over the pad. Grasp the EZ bar towards your chin, but keep in mind that the
curl bar using a shoulder width grip. resistance is greater at the beginning than at the
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4 concentration curls
This one really isolates the “peak” of the biceps. You need to concentrate on the contraction of the biceps and on strict form to make the exercise effective.
Starting Position: Seated on the end of a bench, spread your legs apart into a “V” and lean forward slightly. Grasp a dumbbell in one hand with your palm facing upward. Rest your elbow on the inside of your thigh and let the dumbbell hang. Rest your other hand on the top of your opposite thigh for support.
The Exercise: Slowly curl the weight up, keeping the torso, upper arm and elbow still. As you lift, twist your wrist so that your little finger turns toward your body. Contract the muscle hard at the top of the curl, then lower the weight slowly. Resist the weight all the way down until your arm is nearly straight, but you can still feel a slight contraction in the biceps.
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5 cable curls
This is a great exercise for finishing off your biceps workout. Lying flat on the floor ensures that your whole body remains in a straight line throughout the exercise so you can’t “cheat.”
Starting Position: Grasp a short straight flat against the frame of the Universal machine. bar attached to the high-cable pulley in both
Your legs should be straight, not bent. Let the hands, using an underhand grip. Lie flat on your
bar rest on your thighs.Your arms should be back in front of the weight stack, with your feet
slightly bent.
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The Exercise: Without moving your elbows, curl the bar slowly up toward your chest, pause to contract fully at the top. Slowly lower back to the starting position.
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6 hammer curls
This exercise stretches out the biceps and also gives the muscles of the forearm a workout. Really focus on the contraction at the top to give your biceps a full, round look.
Starting Position: Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms hanging by your sides, palms facing each other. Keep your elbows locked into your sides. Your upper body and elbows should remain stationary throughout the exercise. The Exercise: Keeping your palms facing each other, curl the weight in your right hand up in a semi-circle toward your right shoulder. Contract the biceps hard at the top, then slowly lower the weight while raising the weight in your left hand. Do not turn your wrists during this exercise. Your palms should face each other throughout the exercise.
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Filed under: Body Building Muscle
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