Exercise Routine: Biceps

     Hey Guys!

     This week's exercise routine focuses on biceps. Why? Because everyone wants big biceps, and I know a thing or two on how to turn these guys into canon balls.

     I am going to offer you guys 5 exercises to target every portion of your biceps. See, this muscle can be a little tricky. You have to develop height, peak, and the long and short heads of the biceps in order for them to fully develop.

     I am going to assume everyone has a good idea on how to perform a biceps curl, so the photos in this post will mainly show good form and hand position.

     To ensure maximum growth during any of these exercises, follow my general instructions as follows:

1. Bring the weight up without swinging your back or your arms. The best way to check your form during any curl is to watch yourself in the mirror from the side view.
2. Squeeze at the top to fully contract the biceps.
3. Slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.

     Keep these steps in mind, and let's start with the first exercise.

     Barbell Curls --  This is the best mass building exercise for your biceps. Grab the barbell at shoulder width while performing this exercise. Try to keep your form as smooth as possible, but you can cheat a little during your last set to completely fatigue the biceps. Just keep in mind that you want to cheat only enough to get the weight up. Your biceps should be doing as much work as possible.

Wide-Grip Starting position

      

     Wide-Grip Barbell Curls -- This exercise focuses on the right (inside) portion of the biceps. To perform this exercise, grab the barbell a few inches outside shoulder width. You will not be able to use as much weight as you could with regular barbell curls.

    






     
   
     Close-Grip Barbell Curls -- This exercise focuses on the left (outside) portion of the biceps. To perform this exercise, grab the barbell a few inches within shoulder width. Again, you will not be able to use as much weight as you could with regular barbell curls.

Close-Grip Starting Position

     Drag Curls -- This is a great exercise for developing the peak of the biceps. To perform this exercise, grab the barbell at shoulder width, but instead of curling the weight, drag your arms upward until they fully contract.

Drag Curl Ending Position

     Incline Hammer Curls -- This exercise isolates your biceps and brachialis (small muscle that lies between the biceps and triceps), and forces you to perform the exercise through the greatest range-of-motion. This exercise is great for developing biceps height. To perform this exercise, sit back against an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand. Let your hands hang down by your sides. You should feel a nice stretch in your biceps. With a neutral grip (thumb turned upward) curl the weight up one arm at a time.


     Now, you cannot perform all of these exercises every week. My advice is to focus on 2 exercises every 3-4 weeks. For example, you may focus on wide- and close-grip barbell curls at one point, but later switch to barbell and drag curls later on.

     What is important is that you develop each part of your biceps evenly so that they look nice and balanced. Aim for 4 sets, 8 reps per exercise. Also, stretching your biceps will grant you greater range-of-motion during incline curls.

     So that is it for this week's exercise routine. Tune in next weekend for another exercise post (I'm thinking either chest or back), and be sure to check in during the week for my information posts as well.

     Get Stronger!
          -Nas