Bicep Exercises & Training Tips:
How to Build Bigger Biceps...Faster!

Discover the best bicep exercises and workout tips for building muscular biceps. Learn proper technique, stimulate growth, and avoid bicep training mistakes.

The biceps can be a stubborn muscle group, but I'll teach you how to force muscle growth.

Despite being one of the smallest muscle groups, biceps are the muscles that are the most likely of all muscles to be obsessed over by the average gym attendee.

It makes sense, though. What guy doesn't want big arms with bicep peaks that are higher than Mt. Everest?

Developed bicep muscles complete your physique with an emphasis. And they draw immediate attention to the upper arms, shoulders, and chest.

Get ready to learn how you can make bigger biceps a reality.

By the time you finish reading the biceps training guide, you will be on the fast track to building muscular biceps. You'll learn the best bicep training exercises and workout methods, the muscle's anatomy, exercise technique tips and more!

Use the table of contents (TOC) on the right side of your page for seamless navigation through this page.

The Best Bicep Exercises

• Chin Ups/Pull Ups
• Alternating Dumbbell Curls
• EZ Bar Curls
• Hammer Curls
• Straight Bar Curls

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Bicep Muscle Anatomy 101

Biceps Definition. The anatomical name for the biceps is "biceps brachii," which is in Latin. Translated to English, biceps means "two-headed" and brachii means "of the arm." It doesn't take a genius to figure out the combined translation: "two-headed [muscle] of the arm."

The bicep is separated into two distinct collections of muscle fibers – hence the reference of two heads. The two heads vary in length, and so, they are known as the short and long bicep heads. They connect to different places on the shoulder/scapula region, but have a common insertion point on the elbow tendon.

Basic Bicep Functions. This unique structure allows the biceps to carry out their two essential functions:

• Elbow Flexion. Bending the arm at the elbow joint. An example of this is when you do a class arm flex to try to impress your friends.
• Forearm Supination. Rotating the forearm and hand from side to side. An example of this movement is turning a key to unlock the door.
• Curling and Pulling. Unlike most muscles on the front of the body, the biceps are involved in pulling and curling movements or exercises – as opposed to pushing and pressing movements or exercises.

A little known fact (at least to the general gym-going public) is that the biceps only make up one-third of the upper arm's muscle; the tricep is twice as massive, accounting for the remaining two-thirds of muscle mass.

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Why Do Your Biceps Suck?

I distinctly remember a certain floormate of mine saying, "Yo brah I'm doin the south beach workout...chest and bi's 5 times a week!" After I laughed my nuts off, I realized just how seriously some people take biceps.

As my little story exemplifies, many trainees (especially beginners) overemphasize weight lifting exercises that isolate the biceps.

Nine times out of ten, though, the best approach for most individuals is to limit direct (i.e. isolation) bicep exercises.

Although it may seem counterintuitive, the fact remains that a disproportionate focus on getting "HYOOGE" biceps will only lead to poor training and, in the best case scenario, slightly bigger biceps.

Instead, your primary objective should be to focus on performing heavy compound lifts that indirectly stimulate the biceps.

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Bicep Exercise Technique Tips

Form Comes First. You can train your biceps using the perfect workout routine with all the right exercises, but they won't grow one bit unless you perform the exercises with proper technique.

The following technique tips are relevant to all bicep and "bicep-friendly" compound exercises, unless otherwise noted:

Don't Swing. This form flaw takes the cake when it comes to totally butchering an exercise. It's all too common to see inexperienced trainees cheat by swinging their bodies to complete reps, while looking like a complete goon in the process.

• Lift With Your Biceps to Work Out the Biceps?! The guys you see at the gym doing this are just swinging their lives away. They are getting no closer to their goal of bigger arm muscles. The only thing that is accomplished is lifting a weight from point A to point B, with minimum work from the designated muscle group(s).
• Put Your Ego Away. I believe that the main cause for this form faux pas is the ego. Take bicep curls, for example. Although they take a close second place to the bench press, they are a classic "ego lift" for many misguided trainees. For whatever reasons, people have a strong internal urge to show the world how much weight they can curl. And so, you see them piling on so much weight that they can only "lift" it by moving their body in a way that resembles an epileptic seizure! Sorry to rant, but the point is just to do it right. :-D

Slow Negative Repetition. You must be able to control the weight on the way down. Try for a ~2 second tempo when lowering the weight on all isolation exercises. However, it can be less for heavy compounds (especially deadlifts) as long as you are able to maintain control of the weight.

• Don't Shortchange Yourself. If you can't sufficiently control the weight, it detracts from the muscle stimulation – not to mention that your form on the positive rep would be even worse. This does nothing other than rob you of your time and would-be muscle and strength gains for those guns of yours.
• Decrease Weight If Necessary. If you are unable to control the weight at a reasonable tempo, then stop your set and go use a lighter weight. Then start the set over with the confidence that you're performing a much more productive bicep-building set.

Fast(ish) Positive Repetition. The lifting portion should ideally be done faster than the lowering portion. Aim for a ~1 second positive rep on isolation bicep exercises. For "bicep-friendly" compounds, you should explode upwards, meaning that you lift it as fast as possible.

• Tempo Can Vary for Compounds. The actual time will vary significantly based on the weight used and which rep you are on. For compounds, the point is to aim for zero seconds (even if it ends up taking 4 seconds).
• Keep Isolation Tempo Constant. However, the positive rep tempo for isolation exercises should usually be more or less 1 second; they require less total weight and are typically used for moderate to higher reps. But don't sweat it if the latter reps of set take longer than a second.
• Fast Lifting = Fast Strength and Muscle Gains. My main reasoning for recommending a ~1 second positive rep tempo for isolation exercises (as opposed to the "exploding upwards" advice for compound lifts) is that you may injure yourself. Since these exercises are done with less weight, it would be too easy to move the weight so fast that you lose control or maybe tear a bicep from flexing too hard. So, let me restate the message: "Always lift as fast as possible, while still keeping control of the weight."

Squeeze the Bicep When Approaching the Top of a Rep. Try squeezing the bicep muscles just before reaching the top of a rep, as well as when you are at the top. No, this won't make a world of difference, but it can provide the following benefits.

• Feel the Bicep Working. We're talking about exercises that hit the biceps. So you want to ensure that your biceps are actually doing the work; by flexing at the top of a rep, you are able to physically feel whether you are working that muscle.
• Maximize Muscle Fiber Stimulation. Not only does squeezing your bicep ensure that you're lifting correctly, it also allows you to optimally target the muscle group when it is at the point of most resistance. Squeezing the muscle at this point can be likened to adding a little more intensity (i.e., more weight).

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The Best Bicep Exercises & Training Style for You

Keep It Simple, Stupid. Keep in mind that the simpler a workout, the better it usually is. And it doesn't get much simpler than a few of the major compound exercises. Let me explain:

• Since biceps are such a small muscle group, they are able to grow appreciable muscle mass and strength through indirect exercise only. That is, you are able to grow beastly biceps just by performing good ol' fashioned compound exercises.
• Don't get me wrong here. I am not saying that isolation bicep exercises are useless....
• ...What I am saying is that many people are better off doing fewer direct bicep exercises, and some are better off doing none at all.

Bicep Training for Beginners

Bicep Training in a Nutshell. To generalize, beginners should limit or avoid direct bicep exercises altogether. But, as I'll explain later, more advanced trainees can benefit from isolation arm exercises.

If you're a beginner and wondering why you can't, or at least shouldn't do isolation bicep exercies (i.e., any type of curl), then you're in luck because I'm about to tell you :-D.

Avoid Direct Bicep Work. The reasons why beginners should avoid isolation bicep exercises for the biceps:

• Don't Underestimate Indirect Work. Assuming you're using a proven weight lifting routine, your biceps receive more than enough stimulation to build muscle mass from major compound exercises. Since you utilize your arms in so many compound movements, isolation bicep exercises will only interfere with how quickly and effectively you can add weight to the bar and muscle mass to your body.
• The "Pump" Doesn't Matter. I don't care what Arnold has said about the pump that you get from training. A pump does not mean that the muscles are growing, it only means they are filled with blood. You could curl 2-lb pink dumbbells for a few hundred reps and get a decent pump, but you sure as hell won't be getting bigger biceps.

Now, I'll be more proactive and tell you what you can do to ensure you realize your maximum bicep muscle growth.

Focus on Compound Exercises. Think of it like this: major compound exercises will build lots of strength and pack muscle on your body, which includes big biceps. Isolation exercises will build really big biceps, but only after you have built a base.

• Build Your Foundation. If you want to maximize your potential for short-term and long-term muscle and strength gains, your main goal as a beginner is to build a base of strength (don't worry, you will add muscle, too). And so, your only focus should be the major compound weight lifting exercises (i.e., presses, squats, deadlifts, cleans, etc.).
• Icing on the Cake... To use the age-old "icing on the cake" metaphor: you need the compound lifts to make the cake, and the isolation lifts to put the "icing on the cake." Otherwise, you'll just be a tub of frosting. ;-P

Do More Pulling Exercises. If there were to be anything that might give a beginner the edge for building guns, it would be to choose a weight lifting routine with slightly more pulling compound movements.

• Mechanical Function of Biceps. As mentioned earlier, the biceps are built for pulling movements, so they would receive a little extra attention (but not so much that they become "overtrained.")
• Posture Benefits. If you take this advice, you'll likely get the added side benefit of better posture. This is because the modern lifestyle (e.g., a lot of sitting and hunching over a computer) tends to underemphasize these muscles groups, causing a muscular imbalance that makes you look like a Geico caveman!

Perform "Bicep-Friendly" Compounds First. "Bicep-friendly" refers to the compound pulling exercises that target the biceps the best. In my opinion, the best example is chin-ups.

• Ability to Lift Heavier. The idea is to perform this exercise earlier in your workout so that you can lift the most and maximally overload the muscles used (which obviously includes the biceps).

Don't Do Anything. Believe me, there are plenty of guys out there who focus solely on strength training or powerlifting and have never even done a set of bicep curls in their lives. Yet they still have massive arms. And, there is certainly such a thing as too much bicep training. The following advice might be of help to many struggling in "the arms race."

• Work Your Biceps Less. If you've already been doing direct bicep exercises, the problem may actually be that you're doing too much. Remember that the biceps are a tiny muscle group that plays an active role in some of the most intense compound lifts.
• Get Enough Recovery. A major mistake in your goal for muscle growth is not allowing biceps to heal properly. Don't go to failure on every (or any) set and be sure to get enough rest between workouts of the same muscle groups (the number of rest days depends on the workout routine).

Bicep Training for Intermediate and Advanced Lifters

But what if you're past the beginner stage, and realize that your arms a lagging bodypart? Consider the following:

First, Try the Beginner's Tips. Even if you're not a beginner, any of the tips outlined in the beginner's section could be all that you need to amplify your bicep size.

If, of course, you're already using all those techniques, check the other tips below.

Rep Range. Since your aim is muscle growth, I'd recommend an 8-12 rep range if you're not doing that already.

• 5-15 Reps. Although I recommend about 8-12 to start with, I find that anywhere from ~5-15 reps can work well. But much of it will depend on your individual response.
• Switch It Up. If whatever you're doing now isn't working so well, try changing the rep range. For example, if you're doing 10-12 reps, try switching to 5-8 rep range, and see how that works for you.

Do More Bicep Work. After a certain point, you may need to work the biceps more.

• Add Isolation Exercises. If you haven't started adding isolation bicep exercises to your workout routine yet, now could be a great time to do that.
• Increase Volume. And if you have already been doing direct bicep exercises, then consider increasing the number of sets and/or exercises.

Dedicate a Workout to Arms Only. The final tip is to add a day that is dedicated to arms. It's most common to have an arm specialization day that combines tricep and bicep exercises.

• Avoid Fatigue. This way, you can hit the biceps directly and with maximal weight, because your arms are not fatigued from compound exercises.
• Ensure Sufficient Recovery Time. Just make sure that you have enough recovery time before and after your arm workout – you don't want to interfere with your arm muscle gains or your progress with other lifts and muscle groups.

Now, let's move on to troubleshooting the common bicep exercise technique mistakes.

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Bicep Exercises & Training Summary

My two most important points in this guide are:

• Keep it simple.
• Consider your experience level.

If you are a beginner, do not waste your time with direct, isolation bicep exercises. And I'm serious when I say that they are a waste of time for you.

If you're past the beginner stage, you are more likely to be a proper candidate for direct biceps exercises.

Again, let me reiterate that isolation bicep exercises can be very effective, but only when used properly by the right type of trainee.

Don't worry about direct bicep training until you have some experience under your belt. Otherwise direct bicep exercises can actually interfere with your overall progress, including your upper arm development....

..This is because unnecessary use of isolation bicep exercises detracts from your strength on the big exercises when your biceps are not fully recovered.

It's like worrying about whether to buy a Lambo or a Ferrari when your life savings is less than ten dollars; it serves absolutely no purpose, but it does distract you from building yourself up to that level.

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