One occasion a small child with her mother walked up and gave my arm a squeeze. Her mother said "You can’t go around touching people honey. Sorry her Dad’s arms don't look like that." I’m sure Dad would have loved that statement had he been present. Grown men can also become captivated by muscular arms. Women and men with really nice arms have made mention of dealing with the same issues a woman with a nice bust deals with. One moment you’re eye to eye engaged in conversation, the next thing you know the guy is looking at your arms. They catch themselves then look up. A few moments later, they’re starring at your arms again! I can’t speak for the women with bust issues, but as for us avid gym goers, bodybuilders, powerlifters, cross-fitters, and fitness competitors, its reassurance that your training program is working and people are taking notice. Upon completion of this article, you’ll be equipped with an arsenal of exercises that will prepare you for the gun show!
Before getting into exercises that build the biceps, we’ll go over what the bicep is and some of the everyday functions of the biceps. The bicep is a two headed muscle in the upper arm between the shoulders and the elbow. The main function of the bicep at the elbow is to aid the forearm in lifting. The bicep also plays a role in moving the arm forward, upward, and sideways. Now that you’re familiar with the biceps and their function, let’s get into the exercises!
Dumbbell Bicep Curl
One of the most popular arm exercises is the dumbbell bicep curl. It's one of the most used exercises for biceps for a reason, it works! Start with hands in a supinated (underhanded) position, with elbows close to your torso. Focus on eliminating any assistance from the shoulder by keeping the arms tucked close to the body. No swinging of the back. Use a weight that you can control, and pay close attention to your form. The goal is to have near perfect form for optimal development of the biceps, or any muscle group for that matter. Start with 3 to 4 sets keeping the repetitions in the 8-12 range. You’ll want to rest 45-60 seconds in-between sets. Next we'll go over the preacher curl.
Preacher Curl
The preacher curl is an excellent way to add mass to the bicep and also shape the bicep peak. This exercise eliminates the shoulder assisting in the exercise. Start by sitting in the bench and putting the triceps (back of the arms) on the pad. Grip the bar underhanded with hands shoulder width apart. Be sure triceps are touching the pad and don't move throughout the 3 to 4 set of 8-12 repetitions. Next we have the king of all bicep exercises, the barbell curl.
Standing Barbell Curl
The standing barbell bicep curl is the king of all bicep exercises and is an excellent mass builder. This exercise allows more weight to be lifted than other bicep exercises. Hold the bar with supinated grip (palms forward) with hands shoulder width apart. Lift the bar slowly with complete control and also lower the bar slowly with complete control to prevent injury.
There you have it. You have just been taken to school on how to create muscular and aesthetically pleasing biceps that will be loved by man, women, boy, and girl. Time to put the plan into action; don't wait, start today!
