If you want big guns you need to work your biceps. This is the group of muscles responsible for flexing your elbow and supinating your wrist. Use a well-rounded routine with exercises that work your biceps at different angles to build bigger arms. To avoid injury and achieve a balanced overall look work your triceps and shoulders just as hard as your biceps. Always consult a doctor before starting a new exercise routine.
Barbell Curl
The barbell curl is a gym staple that works your bicep brachii, specifically targeting the area that pops up when you flex. Select a barbell weight that exhausts your biceps in three sets of eight repetitions to maximize strength. Begin the exercise by standing with your feet shoulder width apart, holding the barbell with your arms straight down and palms facing forward. Keep your shoulders completely still as you exhale and bend your elbows to bring the bar up. Inhale as you slowly lower the bar to complete one rep.
Hammer Curls
Begin the hammer curl by standing and holding a dumbbell in each hand, with your palms facing each other. Exhale and bend at the elbow to bring the dumbbells up to shoulder height, making sure that your elbow is the only part of your body that moves. Inhale as you slowly return the weight to starting position. A hammer grip moves some of the muscular load from the biceps brachii to the brachioradialis, helping you add overall size to the bicep group.
Close Grip Chinups
By placing your hands close together during a chin up you shift the load from your upper back muscles to your biceps. Begin by placing your hands about 5 inches apart in an underhand grip on an anchored straight bar you can reach from standing. Exhale as you pull your body up, using your biceps, until your chin is over the bar. Inhale as you return to starting position. If you are unable to lift your body weight for a chin up, modify the exercise by using the straight bar on a Smith machine. Hold your body at an angle by anchoring your heels in the ground.
Rest and Recovery
For muscle building, rest is just as important as lifting. Every time you lift, you create little tears in your muscle tissue. These tears are what allow your muscles to grow, which occurs as you recover. Always rest your biceps 48 hours between lifting sessions.
Help your muscles recover faster and gain mass quickly by refueling within 30 minutes after your workout. Eat a meal with protein and complex carbohydrates right after you lift to directly refuel your muscles while your glycogen stores are still open. This allows you to reduce soreness and preserves your energy for your next lifting session. Glycogen is your muscles' primary source of fuel.
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