The biceps lie across the humerus bones, which are in the upper arms. You can easily locate the biceps by lifting your arm, bending your elbow and placing your hand on your head. This anatomical movement is called flexion, and your biceps create it. A barbell or dumbbell curl is a common exercise used to work the biceps. If you would rather use body weight, you can still walk away with a good workout.
Pullups
The only tool you really need to do a bicep body workout is a pullup bar. Pullups alone work the biceps, back, abs and shoulders in one fluid movement. As far as the biceps go, remember elbow flexion. When you pull yourself up, your elbows bend, which engages your biceps. Being that you are lifting the weight of your entire body, pullups are very demanding exercises, which make them a good fit for your training.
Exercise Variations
Although you work your biceps with a conventional pullup, your best bet is to incorporate a series of exercises with your palms in different positions. For example, by turning your palms around so they face you, most of the emphasis shifts to your biceps. This variation is known in the fitness industry as a chinup. For a full workout, perform conventional grip pullups, conventional grip chinups, wide grip chinups and close grip chinups. By moving your hands wider apart, you will target the inner biceps and by moving them close together, you will target your outer biceps. This whole routine will ensure that you achieve a maximal amount of muscle recruitment.
Building Up Reps
When you first start doing pullup exercises, you will not be able to crank out a high amount of repetitions, which is fine. Your goal is to do what you can and gradually increase it. With all of your variations, aim for three to six reps and do four or five sets. Work out three days a week on alternating days to allow a day in between workouts for recovery. Every week, try to add two reps to each exercise to continually make progress.
Proper Form
All the bicep exercises in the world will not do you justice if you exercise with poor form. The key thing to remember is do not let your body sway back and forth. The way to remedy this situation is to contract your abs and keep them tight throughout your exercise. Take chinups for example. After grasping the bar, bend your knees and cross your lower legs behind your body. This will act as a counter-balance. Tighten your abs and keep your back straight as you steadily pull yourself up toward the bar. Being that these are called "chinups," get your chin up to bar height. Hold for a second, slowly lower yourself back down and repeat.
Tips About Stretching
Being that you engage a high amount of muscles and activate numerous joints during pullups, it is wise to warm your body up before your workouts. Spend five minutes jogging lightly or jumping rope to get your core body temperature elevated, then perform a series of dynamic stretches, which loosen up your muscles in a steady motion. This reduces your chances of suffering an injury during workouts. Execute stretches such as spinal rotations, arm crossovers, side bends, alternating toe touches and shoulder shrugs.
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