So if you are looking to build your biceps, here are five exercises whose results will go beyond mere aesthetics to make a good impression on the beach and help you improve considerably!
“To hell with the legs, let's bench! A common adage among people who prioritize the upper body over quads, hamstrings, and glutes. (Considering how many men I come across with chicken thighs and huge biceps, it's clear that this is is the result of this style of training).
Then came CrossFit, or functional fitness, or whatever that sounds like - that crowd of posterior chain muscle enthusiasts who have never neglected the legs. I remember my first date with a CrossFit athlete and especially the first compliment he gave me: "You have great thighs". However, all of this focus on the posterior chain muscles meant a bit that functional fitness specialists, especially in the early days of CrossFit, were almost completely neglecting the bench press. Instead, we favored beautiful, well-inflated biceps.
But why?
Biceps are important and not just for aesthetics. They are very important in the most complex functional movements, such as pull-ups and muscle-ups. When I worked with gymnastics coach Louise Eberts a few years ago to improve my muscles, she added bicep curls to my routine and they made all the difference. Muscle-ups have never been my strong suit, but I improved a lot once I started working my biceps. Here are 5 exercises to work your biceps in order to improve yourself!
5 Exercises to Develop Your Biceps
1. The Zottman Curl
It's a bit like a bicep curl, but with a twist. This involves doing a regular bicep curl with a supine grip, then turning your palms and hands 180 degrees at the top of the curl while slowly lowering the dumbbell with a supine grip. This is great not only for the biceps, but also for the forearms.
2. The Hammer Curl
During this curl, keep your palms facing your torso and lift the dumbbell until your forearms and upper arms form an angle of approximately 90 degrees. Make sure to keep your elbows close to your body and minimize the chance of cheating by keeping your elbows as straight as possible.
3. Strict chin-ups with narrow grip
Although we often use chin-ups to build the lateral muscles, they also have great benefits for the biceps, especially if you practice them with a narrower grip.
4. Bent Over Barbell Row
Again, we think the row is more for working the laterals than the biceps, but if you do a pull-up your biceps will inevitably come into play. So this exercise is great for the biceps as you will be able to lift a lot more weight. with this movement than with a traditional curl. Consider pulling the elbows behind you, then hold the bar up for a second before bringing the bar back to the ground while maintaining control.
5. Flexed arm carry
It's a bit like a farmer carry, but with a bent arm. This exercise is great not only for building the biceps, but also for protecting the joints, which will be of great help when performing movements such as pull-ups that strain the shoulder and elbow joints.
Your biceps are important. Not just at the beach, but everyday too. So don't neglect them!
Related article: 5 Effective Exercises to Have Muscular Arms
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