Best Biceps Exercises
As personal trainers, we are always looking for the best exercises to attack each muscle group. In this article, we are going to show you several exercises that will work out your biceps. But, we are also going to talk about working out your biceps at different angles for the best bicep workout. Keep reading to learn more about the biceps brachii, bicep curls, and a few other gym secrets. Or, click the image below to watch the video!
Muscles
There are 3 main muscles when we talk about working out the biceps. The first one is the biceps brachii (pictured below). It has two heads and it is the most well-known of the group. The second, the brachialis is underneath the biceps brachii and does all the same actions as the bicep. The third one is the brachioradialis, which sits lower than the other two, and really gets involved with hammer curls. It's always best to use multiple exercises for each muscle group so that you work out the muscles from different angles. Work your biceps hard BUT, do NOT forget to rest. Click this link to read more about Rest Days Between Workouts.
Elbow Flexion
The bicep brachii is primarily responsible for elbow flexion. What is elbow flexion? It's the joint action around your elbow when you are performing barbell curls or dumbbell curls.
The elbow should remain stationary while your lower arm moves toward your upper arm. The biceps are also assistors with shoulder flexion and forearm supination. If you can find an exercise that does all three movements, than you may have found the best bicep exercise ever!
Want to learn more about different exercises for all your muscles? Click the image below to find out about all of our class options.
Inclined Dumbbell Curl
So the exercise we think is the BEST exercise for your biceps is the inclined dumbbell curl (pictured below). If done properly, you will perform elbow flexion, elbow supination, and a little bit of shoulder flexion. This means that you'll get the best contraction possible for your biceps.
In fact, Oliveria et al. (2009) was able to show that the standing dumbbell curl and inclined dumbbell curls elicited more bicep recruitment than the preacher curl. Therefore, start your bicep routines with some type of dumbbell curl and perform preacher curls only if you have time for extra bicep work.
Standing Barbell Curl
What about the most popular exercise? I think we're all in agreement that we see standing barbell curls (pictured below) more than any other bicep exercise. In fact, Arnold Schwarzenegger claims this exercise builds mass in the biceps and is a staple in his bicep workout. Who are we to argue with Arnold?!
Don't use any momentum and let your biceps do all the work; but, a little cheating late in the set may help develop monster biceps. In other words, do the first 7-8 reps with perfect form. But, when your biceps get tired, use a little momentum to throw the weight up, and lower the weight only with your biceps. We show you how to perform cheat curls in the video above.
Personal Training
And, if you need help with an exercise plan and/or a nutrition plan, click the image below for more info on personal training.
Two Heads are Better than One
Not many people know that the biceps brachii is actually composed of two heads: the medial head and the lateral head. The medial head is closest to the torso and is also referred to as the short head. The lateral head, or the long head, is furthest away from your torso. Both heads assist with shoulder flexion and both heads primarily flex the elbow and supinate the forearm; but, the medial head also assists with another action: shoulder adduction. Therefore, many experts believe that performing high pulley curls will engage the short head more than the long head if performed correctly.
Supination
What the heck is supination? Supination is a fancy word for turning your forearms so that your palms face forward. A supinated grip is also called an underhand grip. Thus, if you start your bicep exercise with a neutral grip but you end with your palms facing up, you’ve actually completed forearm supination. Why is this important? Because your biceps are assistors for forearm supination which means supinating your lower arm may also cause a deeper bicep contraction. Many athletes already add a quarter twist to their dumbbell curls (pictured below), but if you aren't twisting yet, maybe you should give it a try.
Dumbbells
Dumbbells are also very popular for bicep work. You will see many athletes in front of the mirror do a wide variety of dumbbell curls. When you use dumbbells, you are able to work each arm independently from the other. Furthermore, using dumbbells will allow you to change the width of the movement along with adding supination to the end of the movement. Supinating the lower arms and dumbbells will create a bigger contraction for your biceps. You won't be able to supinate with a barbell, thus giving dumbbells an advantage when it comes to supination and deeper contractions.
Preacher Curl
Oliveria (2009) compared muscle activation using EMGs on biceps performing three different exercises: the barbell curl, inclined dumbbell curls, and the preacher curl. Although all three exercises seem to elicit a good bicep recruitment in the study, the preacher curl had a shorter range of motion thus ranking third among the three bicep exercises for effectiveness in this study. If you like the preacher curl, by all means, keep adding it to bicep day; but, make sure you also add other exercises that may work your biceps more effectively. The preacher curl has an advantage of stabilizing the elbow against a pad but it is limited by the range of motion. Also, the shoulder joint already starts a little flexed so you don't get that extra contraction. Please let us know if you have questions on the preacher curl.
Muscular Balance
At PFTA Schools, we are always preaching muscular balance. So if you are working out your biceps really hard, then you have to work out your triceps really hard. Want to learn the best triceps exercises? Then watch the video below. Or click this link to read the article on triceps.
Knowledge is Power
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Summary
So what’s the best exercise for biceps? Have you seen Arnold’s biceps? Who am I to argue with him?! But in the article, Arnold does say variety is best for muscular biceps. Barbell curls are important, but he says dumbbells are equally important because of the added supination and hard contractions. Moreover, the seated inclined dumbbell curl may have the largest range of motion so it may provide the most stimulation for your bicep because of the slight shoulder flexion. Remember to include all your muscles at least once a week to prevent muscular imbalances. You also have to make sure you eat enough protein! If you don't know how much protein you need, click this link to read about Estimating Your Protein Needs.. Happy health and happy training!!
Written By
RAEscobar, PFTA instructor and personal trainer
Sources:
Oliveira, Liliam F., et al. “Effect of the Shoulder Position on the Biceps Brachii EMG in Different Dumbbell Curls.” Journal of Sports Science and Medicine, vol. 8, no. 1, Mar. 2009, pp. 24–29.
WUEBBEN, JOE. “Arnold’s Best Damn Arm Workout, Period.” Muscle and Fitness, vol. 77, no. 5, May 2016, p. 22.