Best Biceps Exercises

About biceps training

The biceps brachii has two heads: the long head (outer) and the short head (inner). Beneath the biceps sits the brachialis, which contributes significantly to arm thickness. The biceps flex the elbow and supinate the forearm. For full development, train all three functions: supinated curls for the biceps, hammer curls for the brachialis and brachioradialis, and preacher or incline curls to emphasize the long head stretch.

How to train effectively

• Use incline dumbbell curls to place the long head of the biceps in a fully stretched position. The stretch-mediated stimulus drives more growth than peak contraction work alone.
• Add hammer curls to every arm session. The brachialis sits beneath the biceps and pushes the biceps up, adding visible arm thickness.
• Supinate hard at the top of dumbbell curls. Turning the pinky toward the ceiling maximizes short head activation.
• Keep volume moderate. 8 to 12 hard sets per week is sufficient for most lifters. The biceps are a small muscle group and are also trained during all pulling movements.