The Best Bicep Exercises: Bicep Workouts for Mass

There are tons of of biceps exercises for mass on-line, however most include awful recommendation.

As an example, many promote routines containing countless high-rep units of ineffective biceps workout routines that depart your arms swollen and sore. In different phrases, they prioritize “chasing the pump,” relatively than what actually drives muscle progress: getting stronger over time.  

The biceps exercises for mass on this article are totally different.

They embrace solely the most effective, science-backed biceps workout routines with simply the correct quantity of quantity and depth that will help you construct huge, robust biceps quick. 

You’ll additionally study the anatomy of the biceps, evidence-based methods for maximizing biceps progress, and extra. 

Biceps Anatomy

The biceps brachii, or “biceps,” is the muscle on the entrance of the higher arm, between the shoulder and elbow. It has two heads:

The lengthy head: The biceps lengthy head is positioned in direction of the skin of the higher arm and offers the looks of a “peak” when flexed.
The quick head: The quick head of the biceps is on the within of the higher arm and contributes extra to biceps width and “thickness” than the lengthy head.

Right here’s how the biceps appears in your physique:

Constructing the lengthy and quick heads of the biceps will add important measurement to your higher arms. However if you’d like really stand-out biceps, there’s one other arm muscle you must learn about: the biceps brachialis.

The brachialis is the small muscle beneath the biceps brachii that, when well-developed, separates the biceps and triceps and provides to the biceps’ measurement and circumference. Right here’s the way it appears:

Whereas all biceps workout routines practice the biceps, just some emphasize the brachialis. On this article, you’ll study workout routines for coaching all components of the biceps and the way to tie them collectively into full biceps exercises that show you how to develop total mass and energy.

The Science of Biceps Coaching

The web is filled with theories on the way to create efficient biceps exercises for mass.

Sadly, most of them fall quick.

Right here’s the scientifically backed components for constructing sleeve-splitting biceps:

1. Use compound and isolation workout routines.

Whereas many assume the most effective biceps exercises for constructing arm mass solely include isolation workout routines, analysis reveals that exercises containing compound and isolation workout routines yield higher outcomes. 

Thus, your full biceps exercises ought to embrace each compound and isolation workout routines.

2. Elevate heavier weights over time.

Progressive overload refers to creating your exercises more difficult over time, and it’s essential as a result of analysis reveals it’s among the best methods to maximise the muscle-building results of weightlifting.

Right here’s the simplest strategy to implement it:

In case your biceps exercise requires 4-to-6 reps of the chin-up and also you get 6 reps for a set, add 10 kilos to your subsequent set.

For those who handle 3 or fewer reps with the brand new weight, scale back the load by 5 kilos to make sure you keep within the 4-to-6 rep vary. 

Comply with this sample of making an attempt so as to add reps or weight to each train in each full biceps exercise.

3. Finish units of biceps workout routines 1-to-3 reps shy of muscular failure. 

To maximise your outcomes, research present you need to take a lot of the units in your biceps exercises to inside a rep or two of failure.

Ask your self on the finish of every set, “If I needed to, what number of extra reps might I’ve gotten with good kind?” If the reply is greater than two, enhance the load or reps to make your subsequent set more difficult.

4. Practice your biceps in varied positions.

Analysis reveals that various the place of your shoulder and higher arm whilst you carry out biceps workout routines trains your arm muscle groups in several methods, serving to you construct huge, proportional biceps.

So, as an alternative of solely coaching your biceps with workout routines that place your arms at your sides (e.g., barbell and dumbbell curls), do workout routines that place them behind your physique (e.g., incline dumbbell curls) and in entrance of your physique (e.g., chin-ups, pull-ups, and preacher curls).

5. Use the precise cues. 

Weightlifting cues are psychological mantras that draw your consideration to specific elements of your kind.

Two price utilizing in your biceps exercises for mass are:

Squeeze the muscle: Analysis reveals that specializing in squeezing your biceps throughout each rep can assist you construct considerably extra muscle than interested by one other facet of your kind.
Sluggish the eccentric: Analysis reveals that controlling the eccentric (decreasing) portion of a biceps curl is a really efficient strategy to increase muscle progress. Intention to take round 1-to-2 seconds for each the lifting and decreasing parts of every rep.

The Greatest Biceps Workouts

Ignore the muscle mags—you don’t must do fifty forms of curls to construct nice biceps.

Beneath are the 7 greatest biceps workout routines for including mass to your higher arms:

1. Chin-up

The chin-up trains your biceps to a excessive diploma, permits you to raise heavy weights safely, and progress often, making it one of many greatest biceps workout routines you are able to do.

2. Pull-up

Just like the chin-up, the pull-up is a compound train that permits you to deal with heavy weights, making it supreme for including mass to your higher arms.

3. Barbell Curl

The barbell curl permits you to deal with heavier weights than most “curl” workout routines. It additionally trains your biceps by a full vary of movement, which is why any good biceps exercise for mass contains the barbell curl. 

4. Preacher Curl

Within the preacher curl, you employ a bench to carry your arms in entrance of your physique, which prevents you from utilizing momentum to “cheat” the load up and ensures your biceps do the vast majority of the work.

5. Incline Dumbbell Curl

The incline dumbbell curl locations excessive rigidity on the biceps all through the whole vary of movement and trains your biceps whereas stretched, which doubtless advantages progress. 

6. Alternating Dumbbell Curl

Alternating dumbbell curls are a staple in most biceps exercise routines as a result of they’re simple to study and carry out, and so they practice the whole biceps by a full vary of movement.

7. Hammer Curl

The hammer curl emphasizes the brachialis, which helps make your higher arms look larger and improves the looks of your biceps lengthy heads.

The Final Biceps Exercises for Mass and Power

Now that you already know the most effective biceps workout routines, let’s cowl the way to set up them into efficient biceps exercises for mass and energy. 

The next exercises include all the most effective workout routines and the right quantity of quantity and depth to spur biceps progress with out sporting you to a frazzle.

For greatest outcomes, do Biceps Exercise #1 as soon as weekly for 8-to-10 weeks as a part of a well-designed coaching program, take a deload, after which substitute Biceps Exercise #1 with Biceps Exercise #2 for the next 8-to-10 weeks.

After that, you’ll be able to observe the identical sample each 8-to-10 weeks of coaching or create your personal biceps exercises utilizing the workout routines above.

Biceps Exercise for Mass #1

Biceps Exercise for Mass #2

The Greatest Dietary supplements to Help Your Full Biceps Exercises

Use the next dietary supplements to optimize the outcomes out of your biceps exercises: 

Protein powder: Protein powder, resembling whey or casein, supplies your physique with the vitamins wanted to construct muscle tissue and recuperate from exercises. 
Creatine: Creatine boosts muscle and energy achieve, improves anaerobic endurance, and reduces muscle injury and soreness out of your exercises. 
Pre-workout: A high-quality pre-workout enhances vitality, temper, and focus, will increase energy and endurance, and reduces fatigue.

(For those who’d like much more particular recommendation about which dietary supplements you must take to achieve your well being and health targets, take the Legion Complement Finder Quiz, and in lower than a minute, you’ll know precisely what dietary supplements are best for you.)

Biceps Exercises for Mass: FAQs

FAQ #1: What number of biceps workout routines ought to I do?

A superb biceps exercise ought to embrace 3-to-4 workout routines. This is sufficient to practice your biceps in several positions and thru varied ranges of movement, which is essential for maximizing progress.

FAQ #2: Are chin-ups the most effective biceps train?

Chin-ups are a top-tier biceps train as a result of they assist you to raise heavy weights safely and progress often. Nevertheless it’s onerous to name them the “greatest” biceps train as a result of every individual is exclusive; what’s optimum for you may not be for another person. 

As a substitute of in search of the “good” biceps train, a greater choice is to incorporate various biceps workout routines in your exercises that practice your biceps in several methods. Doing so is one of the best ways to maximise progress. 

FAQ #3: How do you develop your biceps quick?

So as to add mass to your biceps as shortly as doable, practice them with 10-to-20 weekly units. For those who’re new to weightlifting (lower than a yr of weightlifting expertise), 10-to-15 units unfold over 1-to-2 exercises is enough. For those who’re extra skilled, intention for 15-to-20 units unfold over 2-to-3 exercises per week. 

Bear in mind, not all of this quantity should come from biceps isolation workout routines—compound workout routines that practice the biceps (pull-ups, chin-ups, rows, and so on.) rely, too. 

Past this, take most of your units to inside just a few reps of failure, eat loads of protein and energy, and get sufficient relaxation, and your biceps will develop lickety-split.