The approaching summer is a great opportunity for active exercisers to show off their arms. Those who exercise regularly feel absolutely no embarrassment: of course! They could do it in the winter! But some still “pretend to be wasting their time,” putting off such essential workouts until later. So, day after day, it's time to get to spring, and there's no time for rest: if you don't want to end up blushing on the beach, hit the gym right away! At least you'll catch up a little!
Let's face it, most athletic males work much harder and more frequently on their upper body than their lower body. Why? Because these are the so-called “shirt muscles.” Nothing looks more attractive in a tank top or short-sleeved shirt than a pair of powerful arms!
Building bigger biceps with the best exercises for these popular muscles is the fastest way to achieve a muscular, powerful, and attractive look that will be admired by everyone.
The best way to achieve your goals is to use exercises that allow you to use heavy weights and focus on muscle tension. Furthermore, it's important to rotate exercises regularly to avoid habituation.
Try these:
Close-grip pull-ups. This biceps exercise is truly the best of the best! It's fantastic because it allows you to lift heavy weights. Just think about it. If you weigh 175 pounds and can pull yourself up on the bar eight times, could you, with the same amount of weight on a barbell, perform eight bicep curls? I'm 100% sure you can't! But with pull-ups, you force your biceps to work as hard as possible to keep lifting yourself up, and up, and up…
Plus, this exercise puts a ton of work on your lats (aka wings)! Plus, it engages your stabilizer muscles, which help you maintain balance while lifting and lowering your body weight.
When it comes to isolation exercises, the barbell curl comes into play. This is a great movement that hits the nail on the head: building biceps. But to get the most out of this exercise, be sure to use proper technique. You'll see plenty of people in the gym who clearly need to improve their bicep curl technique.
To perform a proper and effective barbell curl, hold the barbell in front of you with your arms down and your knees slightly bent. Your elbows should be tucked in at your sides. Now, without moving your elbows forward, bend your arms to lift the weight. If you're performing the exercise correctly, the bar should be somewhere around mid-chest level, not at your nose! Once you've raised the barbell to the highest possible height (remember to keep your elbows still!), hold the weight for a second. Then, lower the barbell in a smooth, controlled motion. Don't fully straighten your arms as you lower the weight. 80-85% of full extension is ideal!
Next on the list of the best biceps exercises is the incline dumbbell curl. The big advantage of this exercise is that it gives your arms a great stretch!
Sit on an incline bench with dumbbells at your sides (arms at right angles to the floor, palms facing your body, body bent over). Raise the dumbbells simultaneously or alternately (raising them simultaneously is slightly more challenging). As you lift, gradually rotate your arms, palms facing outward. Hold the weights at the top for 1 second. Then lower them smoothly and under control.
Try this exercise tomorrow! You won't regret it!
The final exercise on this top list is the Scott curl. Besides the Scott curl, you'll also need a W-bar. Sit in the Scott curl machine and adjust the seat to the desired height. Keep your torso still, bending only your arms. Focus on lifting the weight. Bend your arms, bringing the bar toward your chin. The lowering phase of the weight should be strictly controlled. Firstly, to avoid injury. And secondly, to maximize the exercise's effectiveness! By the way, this exercise can be performed with one arm and a dumbbell!
Why not use these exercises in your routines? They're time-tested and they really do work!
