Arms workout

Many men begin workout routines aiming to build their upper body. After all, along with the chest, a man’s biceps are one of the areas that are most visible in day-to-day life.

Whether you’ve been at it for awhile, or are just starting out, chances are that you don’t yet have the biceps you want, or are looking for a fresh approach to gain muscle mass.

Here, we’ll cover the essential biceps exercises to include, a review of the targeted muscles, and some injury prevention tips. Building biceps takes time, but once you’ve found a routine that suits you, you’ll be well on your way to the gun show.

Bicep Muscles – a Quick Review

The Biceps are what’s known as a “two-headed muscle.”  To get good definition, both sides of the biceps brachii must be worked.

In addition, a lesser known bicep muscle called the biceps brachialis lies beneath the main muscle, and any comprehensive routine will target this as well.

5 Best Biceps Exercises

One targeted biceps workout every week is generally sufficient for most men to bulk up.

However, if you find you are reaching a plateau, split your biceps exercises into two days—one for heavy “pulling” movements, and one for heavy curls.

1. Barbell Curl—standing with your arms front of you and with your wrists straight, bring bar up while exhaling until hands are level with shoulders. Pay attention to keep elbows right by hips.

2. EZ Bar Curl—using the same movement to the barbell curl, the angled curve of the EZ bar will target the outer head of the biceps.

3. Alternating Dumbbell Curl—this movement uses the same motion as in the bar curl, but this time, the alternating action of lifting single weights will work to isolate the biceps more effectively.

4. Hammer Curl—the single best move to target the biceps brachialis, you perform this curl movement by holding the dumbbell with your thumbs toward ceiling and with palms facing each other. Focus on a rapid lift and a slow controlled descent.

5. Chin Ups—last but not least, the chin up is the classic biceps building movement. A compound move that will work chest, back and shoulders too, make sure your grip has your inner wrists and forearms facing you.

Injury Prevention from Biceps exercises

The biggest risks when performing a biceps workout are muscle tears and tendonitis.

While tears to the biceps are rare, they can happen and generally do so when weight is increased too quickly, or proper warm up and stretching are skipped.

Biceps tendonitis occurs where the biceps muscle attaches to the shoulder joint.  Improper form—especially during repetitive overhead motion—is the culprit.

Making sure you are performing exercises correctly—something a trainer or seasoned weight lifter could help you with.