The biceps brachii are the muscles that run down the front of your upper arm. If you tend to bend you arms frequently to pick up and carry heavy objects, the biceps become tight if not stretched because their job is to flex the elbow. Weight training with biceps curls also can make the muscles tight. Basic stretches remedy this problem.
Standing Biceps Stretch
The standing biceps stretch isolates the biceps brachii. The pecs and front of the deltoid muscle also may stretch depending on your flexibility. Bring your arms straight behind your back and clasp your hands. Turn your arms so that your palms face the floor. Lift your arms back and toward the ceiling. Your hand may come forward, but do not lean. Pull the shoulders back.
Wall Biceps Stretch
The wall biceps stretch isolates the biceps, but a pec and deltoid stretch also is possible with this exercise. Turn your back to a wall and place your arms straight behind you with the palms flat against the wall. Rotate the arms so that the fingers point upward. Lower into a squat position by bending your knees until you feel the stretch.
A variation of this exercise is to face the wall and place one hand flat against it with the fingers pointing at the floor. Press the arm straight and your palm flat into the wall until you feel a stretch. This is the wrist flexor stretch.
Benefits
Besides general tension release, biceps stretches ease symptoms of biceps tendon inflammation and golfers/throwers elbow. Pain in the inside part of the elbow may indicate golfers elbow, a condition separate from the more commonly known tennis elbow. Pain felt in the front of the shoulder may indicate biceps tendon inflammation as the biceps brachii connects at the shoulder joint. Stretching the muscles also stretches the attached tendons. Rest and ice in the case of golfers elbow and heat are other parts of treatment that go along with stretching. If you believe you suffer from one of these conditions, see your doctor.
Guidelines
Maintain each stretch for a minimum of 10 seconds. Thirty seconds is better. Stretch until you feel your biceps stretching, but not so far that you cause pain.
