Building impressive biceps is one of the most popular reasons why many people go to the gym. Girls love to look at and touch lean muscular arms; men are envious of other men who have them. Sleeve splitting guns are impressive to just about anyone. While genetics do play a major role in how your upper arms will develop, a solid bicep workout will do wonders for making huge gains in your biceps.
In order to maximize the gains from this workout, you should have a basic understanding of the anatomy of the biceps, and more specifically, your own biceps. There are two heads to the biceps, (bi meaning two) an outer and an inner head. Both heads run parallel with one another from the shoulder to the interior bend in the elbow. The outer head is what gives the impressive “peak” that so many bodybuilders strive to have. If the biceps are exceptionally lean, the inner head can attain a “feathered” look, which increases the overall impressiveness of the arms. Your genetics will determine if your bicep muscles will have a high peak when flexed, or if they have a more rounded look to them.
So now you should have a basic understanding of the biceps structure, so let’s get on with the workout. Bicep training is fairly straightforward, as the bicep have one major function, and that is to pull the forearm inward to them.
First Exercise:
Barbell Curls – This is an excellent mass builder for the biceps. Give yourself a sufficient warm up because the work sets will be heavy.
4 sets of 8 – 10 reps
Use heavy weight and strict form – Never swing the weight up! Hands should be at shoulder width
Second Exercise:
Preacher Curls – The pad your upper arms rests on should be placed high enough so that your elbows are about 45 degrees from your torso. Elbows should be kept close together, about 8 inches apart.
3 sets of 10 – 12 reps
Third Exercise:
Concentration Curls – These can be done standing or seated. I prefer standing. This is the most basic of curls, done with a dumbbell.
Standing – bend over at the waist, resting one hand on the knee. The arm with the dumbbell should be fully extended (starting position). Slowly bring the arm up in a natural curling motion, keeping the upper arm steady. Return to starting position.
Seated – Slightly bend at waist. The elbow of the arm doing the curling should be braced against the inner thigh of the same leg. The arm should be fully extended (starting position). Slowly bring the arm up in a natural curling motion, keeping the upper arm steady. Return to starting position.
3 sets of 12 – 15 reps
Fourth Exercise:
Reverse Curls with EZ Curl Bar The same basic form as a barbell curl, but your grip is reversed (palms facing down) and you use the EZ curl bar. This helps incorporate the brachialis and forearms.
3 sets of 8 – 10 reps
This may seem like a lot, but in order to make your biceps grow, you need to incorporate heavy weights, perfect form and multiple angles. As always, proper nutrition is a must for growth and recovery. After doing this routine for a while, the only thing left to do is sit back and collect the accolades from friends and peers.
Author Resource:
Tim Mielke is a former competitive bodybuilder, article contributor for http://www.i-supplements.com and published author. His book “The Book of Supplement Secrets: A Beginner’s Guide to Nutritional Supplements” is currently available through http://www.amazon.com and http://www.barnesandnoble.com .
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