Biceps are accountable for flexing your elbow, rotating your arm in and out and shoulder flexion to a smaller extent. Strong biceps allow for activities of daily living to be easier and help with lifting and pulling motions. Lifting weights daily should not be performed because you do not give your muscles recovery time. Weightlifting two or three days per week on nonconsecutive days will allow time for your muscles to heal. Completing two sets of eight to 12 repetitions with a weight that fatigues your muscles will strengthen your biceps. Complete the following exercises to strengthen your biceps and the smaller muscles surrounding the biceps.
Biceps Curl
Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing towards the front of your body. Place your feet shoulder width apart and tuck your elbows into your ribs. Bring your forearms up toward your shoulders as you bend your elbow. Lower the dumbbells back down toward the starting position and repeat.
Concentration Curl
Sitting down, place your elbow against your inner thigh, holding one dumbbell with your palm facing forward. Lift your forearm by bending your elbow until you are near your shoulder. Slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position and repeat on your other arm.
Hammer Curl
Grip the dumbbells with your palms facing your body and position your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your elbows near your ribs, raise the dumbbells toward your shoulders and lower back to the starting position.
Barbell Curl
Using a barbell, place your hands wider than your shoulders, with your palms facing away from your body and your feet shoulder-width apart. Keeping your back straight and your abdominal muscles tight, raise the barbell by bending your elbows and bringing the barbell up towards your shoulders. Slowly lower back to the starting position and repeat.
Handshake Curl
With your feet hip-width apart, stand with the dumbbells at your sides. With your arms fully extended, place your palms in toward your body. Like you are shaking someone's hand, curl your arm up toward your shoulders and as you reach elbow level, rotate your palm up until you are near your shoulders. Take two or three seconds to lower back down and repeat.
Preacher Curl
One of the best exercises to isolate the biceps is the preacher curl. Most fitness centers offer a preacher bench, which is a platform for the arms at a 45-degree angle, or a similar attachment for a machine. Standing or sitting with your arms resting snug on the support pad, use a barbell or dumbbells with your palms facing up towards the ceiling. Your arms will be sloping away from you. Raise your forearms by bending your elbows up towards your shoulders and lower back down.
Reverse Curl
Standing with your legs hip-width apart, hold the dumbbells or barbell with your palms facing towards your body and arms shoulder width apart. Tuck your elbows into your ribs and raise your forearms by bending your elbows up towards your shoulders. Take a few seconds to lower back to the starting position and repeat.
Pulse with Resistance Band
Stand with your feet hip-width apart with a resistance tube under both feet. Place the tubing handles in your hands down by your hips with your palms facing towards the front of your body. Keeping your elbows tucked into your ribs; curl your forearms up to where your elbows are at a 90-degree angle. Holding at this position, slowly pulse your forearms up and down so your biceps muscles engages. After completing repetitions, lower back down.
Chinup
With an underhand grip hanging from a bar, place your hands shoulder-width apart. As you raise your chin toward the bar, push your chest out and tighten your abdominal muscles. Lower yourself back down and repeat. This is a more advanced movement, and it also engages major back muscles.
One-arm Dumbbell Row
Using a workout bench, place one hand and knee on the bench to support your back and with your other hand hold the dumbbell with your palm facing in. Lift your upper arm and elbow as high and possible keeping it next to your body. Lower back down and repeat.
References
- "Strength Training Anatomy;" Frédéric Delavier; 2003
- "ACE's Essentials of Exercise Science for Fitness Professionals"; Cedric X. Bryant and Daniel J. Green; 2010
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