Training your biceps could be tricky
When people want to train their biceps, they don’t realize that the upper arm is actually a combination of a group of muscles. When you say the word ‘biceps’ you must specify which set of ‘biceps’. There are two sets of biceps, and both sets of muscles have two “heads.” When someone says “good weapons”, he means the brachial biceps, which is a shoulder muscle and an elbow muscle. There is another set however, called the femoral biceps, which is a muscle of the hip and knee. Both muscles have a long head and a short head.
To maximize the “look” of your biceps brachii, it’s important to train the other two muscles in that region of the body. There are the brachioradialis which is a muscle of the elbow and wrist and the brachial which is sometimes called the “workhorse” of the elbow flexors (muscles that bend the arm into a curl).
The muscle we forgot is the coracobrachialis. This muscle does not bend the elbow directly. It begins or originates at the shoulder next to where the short head of the biceps brachii originates. It is then inserted or attached to the inside (medial side) of the upper arm to the middle of the humerus. When a bodybuilder does a biceps pose, they always rotate their upper arm to the outside (called external rotation), so the inside or medial aspect or coracobrachialis is now right on top. If you look closely, you’ll notice that the arm has rotated and shortened the biceps at the top of the coracobrahialis muscle, making your biceps look huge! Every time you perform overhead presses, lateral raises, front raises, bench presses, or flyes, you train the coracobrachialis.
anatomy
Tea brachial biceps it originates from two different places: the long head begins at the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula and the short head at the apex of the coracoid process. Both heads insert on the radial tuberosity (the forearm) with an indirect attachment to an aponeurosis (thick fascia or connective tissue). Because the biceps brachii crosses both the shoulder and the elbow, it is considered a two-jointed muscle.
Tea brachioradialis it’s also a prime mover at the elbow, but is more emphasized in a “hammer” flex or neutral wrist position. It originates from the proximal two-thirds of the lateral suprachondral ridge of the humerus and the lateral intermuscular septum.
It inserts on the lateral side of the radial styloid process (1) or on the top of the wrist by the thumb. Because the brachioradialis crosses both the elbow and the wrist, it is considered a two-jointed muscle.
Tea brachial it is emphasized more when doing a reverse curl. The muscle originates from the distal half of the anterior surface of the humerus and the medial and lateral intermuscular septa. Since the brachialis only crosses the elbow, it is not affected by the position of the shoulder.
prime movers
The biceps brachii, brachioradialis, and brachialis are all prime movers in an elbow flexion or flexion. These three elbow flexors are also involved in any pulling motion. It is almost impossible to work the lats and not affect the biceps. Some might refer to the biceps as a secondary mover in the shoulder; however, it is still the prime mover at the elbow in almost all pulling movements. For this reason, it is not necessary to do so many isolated exercises. You only need to perform two isolated bicep exercises.
muscle physiology
Some muscles are considered fast twitch and others are considered slow twitch. Slow twitch muscles react to resistance activities, while fast twitch muscles react to more powerful or explosive activities. All muscles in the body have qualities of fast and slow twitch muscles. Elbow flexors like shorter, more intense sets. The biceps brachii responds best to heavy weight and lower reps. Although the biceps can perform a rowing motion for long periods of time, this activity is cyclical without constant tension. If your goal is to grow your biceps, it’s important to train longer sets so your slow twitch muscle is affected and shorter, more intense sets so your fast twitch muscle gets bigger.
biceps workouts
Let us begin. Each routine should be done for at least 6-8 weeks, no more than twice a week or more than 16 times total before moving on to the next level. All sets must be performed to failure. You shouldn’t be able to do another rep.
If you do curls one day, take a day off before training your lats. If you’re doing a push and pull routine, train your legs between push and pull days.
beginner routine
Perform all sets as a pyramid with each set progressively heavier (1st set is 25 reps, 2nd set is 20 reps, 3rd set is 15 reps)
Straight Barbell Curls – 2-3 sets of 25-15 reps
Cable or machine preacher curls – 2-3 sets of 25-15 reps
Hammer Curl – 2-3 sets of 25 to 15 reps
Intermediate Routine
Perform all sets as a pyramid with each set progressively heavier (1st set is 15 reps, 2nd set is 12 reps, 3rd set is 10 reps, and 4th set is 8 reps)
Straight Barbell Curls – 3-4 sets of 15-8 reps
Cable or machine preacher curls – 3-4 sets of 15-8 reps
Incline Bench Dumbbell Curl – 3-4 sets of 15-8 reps
Concentration Curl – 3-4 sets of 15 to 8 reps
Reverse Curls with an EZ Curl Bar – 3-4 sets of 15-8 reps
Advanced Routine
It is no longer a pyramid. Add 3 – 5 reps to the last set of each exercise as negatives. If the exercise calls for 4 sets of 8 reps, then the last set will consist of 11-13 reps with negative reps added. A negative rep is when someone helps you lift the weight (the positive or concentric movement) but you resist the downward movement. Always do a light set of 15 reps to warm up. After the first sets of exercises, it is not necessary to do another warm-up set.
Straight Barbell Curls – 3-4 sets of 8-6 reps
Cable or machine preacher curls – 3-4 sets of 8-6 reps
Alternate Incline Dumbbell Curl – 3-4 sets of 8-6 reps
Hammer Curl – 3-4 sets of 8-6 reps
High Cable Curl: 3-4 sets of 8-6 reps
Exercise descriptions
In all exercises, inhale as the weight descends (eccentric or lengthening phase) and exhale as you lift the weight.
straight bar curl
Stand up straight with your chest up, shoulders back, feet shoulder-width apart, and a slight bend in your knees. Let your hands hang normally by your side and simply turn your palms forward. This is how you determine where you should grab the bar. The angle between the long axis of the humerus and the long axis of the forearm forms a “loading angle”.(3) This angle can vary from 10 to 25 degrees.(4) If you have a large loading angle and want to avoid pressure excessive in the medial or inner area of the elbow, then the use of dumbbells would be recommended.
preacher curls
If you’re using a select machine, make sure your elbow is aligned with the axis of the machine. There is usually a small red dot or circle on the machine. If you don’t have a machine, simply take the preacher curl bench to a low cable and use a straight bar. It’s important not to use the normal preacher bench with a free weight because the resistance profile is the exact opposite of a human’s strength profile. In other words, when the weight is heavier, the biceps are weaker and vice versa. This is why you see so many people cheat and swing the weight when they do a heavy preacher curl using a free weight. Although people say that this exercise reaches the “peak”, it is only because the biceps have shortened or bulged. The peak is genetic and has to do with the size of the muscle belly and the length of the tendon.
incline bench curl
Use dumbbells and an incline bench for this exercise. You can tilt the bench up to a maximum of 30 degrees. Keep your feet on the ground, your chest up, and your head against the bench. Be careful, because you have stretched the biceps, this can cause pain at the radial tendon attachment. Keep your palms facing forward in a supine position at all times. Once you get into the advanced routine and the weights get heavy, alternate with each hand. This exercise emphasizes the biceps brachii.
hammer curls
Stand up and hold the dumbbells and lift them up and down like you would a hammer. This exercise emphasizes the brachioradialis.
concentration curls
You should do this one arm at a time. Sit on the edge of a bench and grab a dumbbell in one hand. Place the elbow of the hand with the dumbbell on the inside of your thigh, just above the knee. Keep your palms facing out in a supine position. This exercise emphasizes the biceps brachii.
high cable curls
Stand between two tall cables. Raise your arms until they are 90 degrees or parallel to the ground. Grab a handle connected to a cable in each hand and curl them up as if you were performing a double biceps pose. This exercise emphasizes the biceps brachii.
reverse curls
Because some people have trouble coming into full pronation while holding a straight bar, I recommend using an EZ curl bar for this exercise and gripping the bar at its widest position. Try to keep your elbows from flared out to the sides. This exercise emphasizes the brachialis.
Follow these workouts for three months and you should now have great biceps brachii muscles.
- Kendall, McCreary, Provance: Tests and functions of muscles. p.268, 4th edition
- Kendall, McCreary, Provance: Tests and functions of muscles. p.268, 4th edition
- Norkin, Levangie: Structure and function of the joints. P.246, 2nd edition
- Hamill, Knutzen: Biomechanical Basis of Human Movement, 1995 p.169