Biceps receive proportionally a lot of attention. They are the classic epitome of strength. When we talk about “muscles,” it usually refers to the biceps. However, this isn’t entirely fair. The upper arms are formed by three muscle groups: the shoulders (Deltoids), Triceps (back), and biceps (front).
The triceps are much larger than the biceps. So, if you really want bigger arms, you’ll achieve this faster by doing triceps exercises for the triceps than by doing biceps exercises. Especially in a relaxed state, the triceps contribute more to the size of your arm. However, the biceps are often the showstoppers. Perhaps because they are very easy to flex. The so-called Front Double Biceps is a mandatory pose in every bodybuilding competition. This is probably the only pose that everyone knows, whether you’re a bodybuilder or know nothing about the sport.
Biceps Training and Anatomy
The biceps can be divided into 2 muscles and 3 parts: the biceps brachii consisting of the long head (brachii longus, top) and short head (brachii brevis, inside) and the brachialis (outside).
You should give all three sufficient attention for a full view from every angle. When viewed from the front, it is mainly the brachialis and short head that add size. From the side, it is precisely the long head. Then you can emphasize the different parts of these muscles. For example, there is the difference between the bottom of the long head and the top, the peak. Think of it as the difference between the shape of a round hill or a sharp peak. In the ideal situation, you have a round hill with a peak.
In practice, the peak often receives sufficient attention. However, not the bottom. This is the part that is connected to the attachment and that you load from full extension of the arm until it makes an angle of almost 90 degrees. This part often receives less attention because it is very difficult to flex from full stretch due to the lever, so lighter weights should be used to prevent injuries, which is perfectly fine.
21s
A very good exercise to start your bicep training is 21s. In this exercise, you first repeat 7 times the flexing from full stretch to halfway (so focusing on the bottom part of the long head), then 7 repetitions from halfway to the top (focusing on the ‘peak’) and finally 7 full repetitions. This way, you warm up each part of the muscle with relatively light weight. But even half repetitions focused only on the bottom are advisable. So, consider the weight carefully.
You must also give these parts the right attention separately or combined. This means you need to know which movement stresses which part of the muscle. This is indicated in the exercises described below.
The attachments of the biceps are very prone to injury. Moreover, the biceps are relatively small for the attention they receive. This means the chance of overtraining and injuries is relatively high. You can prevent injuries by warming up properly, taking enough rest, and performing the exercises correctly instead of throwing the weight up like a monkey on a vine. By clicking on the exercises, you’ll see an instructional video on the correct execution. In the overview of training schedules, you’ll see how often and how heavy you can load them to prevent overtraining.
If you’ve still encountered problems and have trouble with the attachments, read the article about tendon injuries.
Exercises for the Biceps
- Barbell curl (especially long and short head)
- Dumbbell curl (all parts of biceps)
- Concentration Curls (especially long and short head)
- Spidercurls (especially long and short head)
- Drag curls
- Dumbbell Hammer curl (brachialis, outside)
- Cable/rope hammer curl (brachialis, outside)
- Cable curl (especially long and short head)
- Preacher curls (especially long and short head)
- 21s (especially long and short head)
