Bicep workouts are notorious in the fitness community. Most bodybuilders become infatuated with acquiring massive arm strength and size and begin to neglect other parts of the body in the pursuit of big arms. However, bicep strength is not only vital for increasing your stability and strength in other muscle groups (ie. back muscles), but biceps also play an important role in helping your body look evenly built.
Choosing the right bicep exercises and sticking to a regime of workouts which guarantee a muscle pump with precise muscle targeting is crucial to develop the right muscle foundation. Determined, methodical, and patient persistence is key to building your muscles.
Here are our 4 best bicep exercises:
Super-7 Bicep Curls
Perhaps the most demanding and vigorous barbell bicep workout, this exercise demands strong determination and is bound to fruit strong results. The way it works is by splitting the bicep curl into three segmented movements.
- In a standing position, curl a barbell that’s being suspended with extended arms and curl halfway until your biceps are flexed, at around 90 degrees to the ground. Do 7 reps of this and move to the next position.
- Next, start with the barbell being curled halfway at 90 degrees to the ground and finish the curl 7 times. This means your biceps are always flexed.
- After finishing 7 top halves of a curl, do an additional 7 reps of a full barbell curl.
Dumbbell Bicep Curls
Although simple and common, this bicep exercise is guaranteed to work if you do it with the correct weight and technique.
- Start with the dumbbells by your side in each hand with the weight plates facing behind and in front of you.
- As you curl one side at a time, make sure that by the time the curl has your arm at 90 degrees to the floor, you begin twisting your wrist (pinky finger should be pointing away from you) to give an even greater flex motion. This will result in a bigger pump and yield a better workout for your biceps.
- Hold the curl for 2 seconds and move to the next arm.
Hammer Bicep Curls
Another classic exercise, but for good reasons. This bicep workout is said to target the middle of the muscle, helping you achieve more roundness in your flexed position.
- Stand with dumbbells by your side in each hand with the weight plates facing behind and in front of you.
- Next, raise the dumbbell up until the face of the weight plate can’t go further up.
- Try touch it to your shoulder if you can, otherwise as far up as you can.
Sustained Biceps Curls
For this exercise, you’ll want to make sure you have light-weighted dumbbells in each hand. This exercise produces an incredible muscle pump and is great for finishing off a bicep workout.
- Stand with dumbbells in each hand with your arms being held at 90 degrees to the floor, and the dumbbell weight plates facing to the side of you.
- Start with the right arm, and complete 12 reps of full curls and finish by holding the curl at 90 degrees and do the other arm.
- Do this cycle twice, and count that as one set.
Conclusion
There is much more that goes into building a good muscle foundation than just good exercises. Diet, technique, persistence and a good workout plan are vital, but to maximize your bicep workouts, these 4 exercises will reap huge results.