Gaining Muscle in The Arm – Routine for Strong and Big Biceps
Strong biceps are a sign of hard work in the gym and tough muscle discipline. In addition to giving you an appearance of strength and harmony (if you have developed the rest of your body evenly) they look great on a muscular body.
Key Points About Biceps Training
The biceps is a small muscle, which means it doesn't require excessive loads to grow. Rather, strict form and the correct combination of exercises will be sufficient to make your biceps stand out.
It is common to train your biceps one to two times per week. Advanced lifters can train twice weekly, but must be cautious to avoid overtraining. Typically, biceps training is combined with triceps on arm day, or paired with either chest or back training.
Basic Biceps Routine on Arm Day
- Dumbbell bicep curl: 3 sets of 10 reps (or 10,8,8,6)
- EZ Bar Bicep Curl (outside grip): 3 sets of 10 reps (or 10,8,8)
- Concentrated curls: 3 sets of 10 reps (or 10,8,8,6)
- Hammer curl: 3 sets of 10 reps (or 10,8,8 / 10,10,8)
Moderate the weights and rest properly between exercises, especially if you'll perform triceps work afterward.
Biceps Muscle Composition
The biceps consists of two heads: long and short. Both activate simultaneously during exercises, but with subtle differences you can leverage:
- Palm orientation toward you = activates the inner head more
- Palms parallel/perpendicular to floor = activates the outer head more
Inner Head Activation Exercises
- Dumbbell curl
- EZ barbell curl with innermost grip
- Concentrated curls
- One arm dumbbell preacher curl
Outer Head Activation Exercises
- Straight bar curls
- EZ bar curls with outermost grip
- Low pulley short straight bar curls
- Hammer curls
- Incline bench curls
Routine for Biceps Combined with Other Muscle Groups
When combining biceps with larger muscle groups (chest, back, shoulders), perform no more than two or three exercises per session. Combine external and internal head exercises, and vary between bars and dumbbells for diverse stimulus.
Important Recommendations
Avoid extra assistance and control movements by concentrating on the target muscle. To isolate the biceps, perform exercises where the rest of your body doesn't assist—bicep bench work is ideal.
Rest your entire arm on the bench, not just your elbows. When lifting, avoid fully straightening your arm at the bottom; keep a slight elbow bend to prevent unnecessary jerks and injury.
Perform bicep exercises slowly, emphasizing lifts and holding the weight for two seconds at the top before descending slowly to maximize the return phase.
Don't bend your back. This typically occurs when weight is too heavy. Keep your back straight and let your biceps handle the load. Stand upright with legs parallel, slightly apart, and knees bent. Your body should remain anchored to the ground.
When sitting, keep your back against the bench. You can increase intensity by inclining the bench backward, as this increases range of motion and requires greater resistance from the biceps.