Even if the good old sleeve has fallen into disrepute these days, a well–trained biceps (and triceps) is still part of the good tone - in addition to the classic six-pack, a brute arm with a corresponding peak is still the epitome of fitness, a sign that you not only like to play chess, but are also not too fine to take the dumbbell in your hand and bend iron.
But what are the best exercises for the biceps? Curls and Co. are available in countless variations and with many larger exercises the biceps are loaded (directly or indirectly). Today's article certainly does not claim to be complete, but it offers you a small exercise guide with the best exercises that are available for biceps training.
The 5 Best Bulking Biceps Workouts
Exercise No. 1: Preacher Curls
Most people know her and many of them have her regularly on the program: The Preacher Curls or "Scott Curls" – named after the notorious Larry Scott, who was known for his massive upper arms with a small height (after all, a 50s at just 1.72m). And now you may wonder how often you get to see such an arm in the wild in the studio. It is only natural that many athletes have been following him, so this exercise has proved to be an elementary component of popular training plans – rightly so, otherwise we would not have put the "Preacher Curl" in the first place. Somehow the good Larry must have come up with such a sleeve: The Preacher Curl is a perfect isolation exercise for the biceps, which really activates and recruits all muscle fibers. But above all, this exercise stimulates the brachialis (which is the muscle located under the biceps) to the utmost, which all in all leads to increased muscle growth (...if training and nutrition are coordinated with each other). As so often, a flawless technique is required, but it is common for this exercise in particular that you start to fake after the first tiring sentences or repetitions – be sure to use the full range of motion to achieve the best possible effect with the Preacher Curl.
Exercise No. 2: Incline bench curls with dumbbells
Another tool in our exquisite selection of the 5 best biceps exercises ensures a stretching in the upper arm like hardly any other movement. Curling on the incline bench with dumbbells takes advantage of the inevitable tension of the arm muscles (whether you like it or not...), which contributes to a powerful, growth-stimulating muscle contraction. Due to the elbow position, the long head of the biceps does most of the work. And if in doubt, it is also this part of the musculature that you want to focus on in the long term, because it is the part of the biceps that is most visible (unless you have made it a habit to constantly demonstrate the double-biceps pose as soon as you enter a room...) At this point, it should also be mentioned that the bench should be set to a maximum angle of 45 °. If you use a smaller angle, you can achieve a stronger stretch, but at the same time you increase the risk of injury (which can lead to tendon problems, among other things). By the way, the same thing can happen if the chosen weight turns out to be too high – as a rule, this pain is felt in the shoulder and misinterpreted. So be vigilant.
Exercise No. 3: Dumbbell curls with supinated grip
If you want to bring a muscle part to the maximum growth, you also have to use it for what it is actually intended for. And in the case of the biceps, this results not only in bending the elbow ("curling"), but also in turning the wrist outwards ("supinating"; turning the inside of the hand upwards) – and that's the point where, with the best will, you can't get around dumbbells (don't you believe me? Then try to twist your wrist with the barbell curl ... not possible!) Curls in the supinated grip (fingers & thumbs pointing up) are now not a well-kept secret of elite bodybuilders, but you have to look a little longer until you find someone who performs them sensibly and correctly. So what needs to be considered? Well, first of all, the wrist should be completely turned before the arm has reached the 90 ° angle (i.e. the forearm & upper arm angle). Concentrate on the little finger of the hand and turn it as far outwards as you can – this ensures maximum supination and optimal muscle fiber recruitment. With this type of dumbbell curls, make sure that the short, inner head of the biceps gets a greater stimulation - for this, grab the dumbbell as far outwards as possible (so that you can get to the weight plate with your thumb)
Exercise No. 4: Concentration Curls
Probably the most misunderstood exercise for the biceps is the classic concentration curl. In many places it is claimed that it is this exercise that is able to give the peak of the muscle its desired shape and contributes much less to the size. Don't let anyone tell you nonsense: muscle shape is mostly a matter of genetics, but anyone who trains sensibly CAN acquire massive arms – in the end, Mother Nature only decides whether the arm looks flat like a flounder or like the summit of Mount Everest. After we have clarified this, I would like to emphasize that concentration curls are an exquisite exercise to isolate the long outer muscle head of the biceps and to completely maltreat It is quite simply because this type of curls takes the otherwise involved shoulder out of the equation - which at the same time ensures that the arm does not wobble back and forth with the weight. Now the inclined muscle builder may ask himself: how can you build up mass with a light weight? Let's take another practical example – this time from the powerlifter corner of the 70s: David Shaw. Shaw's arms measured a whopping 53 cm and now guess what his favorite exercises have been. Of course: The concentration curl. Isolated or nicht...es this means that he has curled 100 lbs of dumbbells (that's ~45 kg) for 5 repetitions in this exercise. What to look for in the concentration curl? The elbow position must be correct! Ideally, this should be buried in inner thighs, instead of just putting it on top (by the way, this is also the most common mistake when "curling"). If you find that you can not lower the dumbbell to this extent (for example, because it touches the floor), you can simply raise your heel. Make sure that you do not overstretch the biceps – this is how you prevent injuries.
Exercise No. 5: Barbell curls
Do I really need to introduce this exercise yet? I don't think so – the barbell curl is the "butter-and-bread" exercise of every arm workout and especially the barbell variant is considered by connoisseurs of the subject as the ultimate exercise for more meat on the arm. Surprisingly, this exercise only makes it to the fifth place in our list...why actually? Admittedly: the claim that barbell curls are one of the best exercises to force the "gains" is true (otherwise the exercise would not be in our top 5) - after all, a lot of additional muscle groups are activated to stabilize and enable the movement (which can also be observed very nicely if someone has loaded too much weight on the bar again, as is good for him). When it comes to a cost-benefit function, this is definitely an exercise that you want to have in the plan, but it's just not the best isolation exercise that exists in the world of arm bodybuilding. The Preacher curl and the slant bench curling undoubtedly dominate here. Curling with the barbell is an exercise that more than often invites you to cheat – and this is probably your biggest advantage. A little swing here, a little bend forward there and you have the perfect exercise to disassemble your arms by stroke and thread until you can not even scratch your shoulder anymore. At the same time, this exercise allows you to emphasize the negative ones, which alone already have a reputation for causing the greatest muscle damage (and thus also the greatest possible growth stimulus). But: If you cheat too much, you can also lose your head and collar by increasing the susceptibility to injury. Many athletes recommend curling with the barbell at the end of the workout – that is, when the arms are sufficiently warmed up and pre-tired. Make sure that you stand stably and keep your arms close to your torso. If you cheat, then rather out of the legs and hips – not the core! First of all, you should perform the negative movement (lowering the dumbbell) slowly and in a controlled manner. Although you will not be able to do so many repetitions with this, the goal is also to set an effective growth stimulus and not to tease out as many repetitions as possible.
Related article: 4 Best Dumbbell Biceps Exercises to Build Bigger Arms
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