Want Bigger Biceps? 6 Exercises For Powerful Bicep Growth!

Big biceps are key if you want to hold your ground in any debate or make a strong impression. Despite their smaller size, many struggle to develop them effectively.

Although training them can feel like a grind, Hypertrophy Huste got you covered. In this article, you’ll find science-based exercises that can help your biceps reach their full potential, giving you arms that stand out like Chris Hemsworth’s (minus the steroids, of course).

Table of Contents

Anatomy Of The Biceps

Before we dive into the different exercises, let’s go through the anatomy of the biceps to know exactly what we are training and what their functions are.

The biceps are also known as the biceps brachii; ‘bi’ means ‘two,’ ‘ceps’ means ‘heads,’ and ‘brachii’ means ‘of the arm.’ So the name stands for ‘Two heads of the arm.’ The biceps are made up of two heads: the short head and the long head. Both heads originate at the scapula.

Image 1: The two heads of the biceps brachii

The Long Head

The long head travels a slightly longer distance compared to the short head and lies on the outer part of your arm. It originates at the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula (Image 2). Training the long head will give you a bigger peak when flexing.

Image 2: origin and insertion of the bicep muscles

The Short Head

The short head stems at the coracoid process of the scapula (Image 2) and resides medially, meaning on the inner part of your arm. Prioritizing this part of your biceps would give you thicker-looking arms, and they would appear more separated as you develop them and achieve a low body fat percentage.

Image 3: Long head and short head of the biceps brachii

The Brachialis

The part that many people overlook is called the brachialis. It shares the same spindle shape as the biceps brachii and is situated at the anterior part of your biceps, meaning it points forward.

Although this muscle is typically hidden by the biceps, it becomes visible when the biceps are well-developed and flexed. Developing the brachialis can push your biceps upward, enhancing their peak size.

Image 4: Brachialis, short and long head shown in this image

Image 5: The Brachialis muscle shown from different angles

Function

Both heads of the biceps brachii have main functions such as elbow flexion and forearm supination (turning the palm facing up). Brachialis has the primary function of elbow flexion, it is the central strength behind elbow flexion and the biceps brachii can be seen as synergists (helpers) to the brachialis.

Image 6: Elbow flexion and extension

Image 7: The biceps brachii activate during forearm supination

Exercises

Our training goal is to achieve variety in biceps training by targeting the short head, long head, and brachialis with different movement variations.

The biceps primarily consist of type 2 fibers (57.7% type 2 and 42.3% type 1), making them responsive to high-weight, low-rep training. Type 2 fibers can generate significant force in short bursts, typically lasting around 30 seconds. Therefore, the exercises listed here should be performed with heavy weights, aiming for 3 sets of 6-8 repetitions, pushing each set to failure.

However, you can also engage the 42.3% of type 1 fibers in exercises that isolate the biceps and require less energy.

Image 8: Type 1 and 2 (a+b) fibers compared to each other

Exercise #1: Chin Ups

Chin-ups are a great compound movement that targets the back but emphasizes the biceps more than regular pull-ups. Chin-ups engage both bicep heads as well as the brachialis and forearms.

HOW TO DO:

1. Grab the bar in a supinated grip, palms facing towards your body

2. Pull yourself upward primarily using your arms until your chin is above the bar

3. Slowly lower yourself back down, focusing on the eccentric phase and feeling the tension in your biceps

Exercise #2: Zottman Curls

Zottman curls effectively target the biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis (forearm muscle). This variation places slightly more emphasis on the brachialis due to the pronated grip. Not only does this exercise engage both heads of the biceps and the brachialis, but it also enhances grip strength by stimulating the forearm muscles.

HOW TO DO:

Grab the dumbbells with your palms facing away from you.

Perform a regular bicep curl.

When the biceps are contracted, rotate your wrists so that they are pronated (back of the hand facing you).

Lower the weight slowly.

Twist your wrists at the bottom so they return to the original position and repeat.

Exercise #3: Incline Curls

Incline curls are a great choice for stimulating stretch-mediated hypertrophy in the biceps, particularly targeting the long head. This exercise places the biceps in a stretched position, which can lead to increased long head activation and overall help you gain biceps size, especially enhancing the peak when flexing.

Additionally, incline curls eliminate momentum and reduce the ability to swing the arms, making them more challenging compared to regular standing bicep curls. By isolating the biceps and reducing the involvement of other muscles like the shoulders, incline curls effectively target and engage the biceps for optimal growth.

HOW TO DO:

Adjust the incline bench to a 45-60 degree angle.

Sit on the bench with a dumbbell in each hand.

Keep your upper arms stationary and engage your core muscles.

Curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders, aiming to bring your hands as close to your armpits as possible.

Lower the weights slowly, ensuring your shoulders and elbows remain still throughout the movement (avoid swinging the weights forward or backward).

Exercise #4: Concentration Curls

Concentration curls are similar to incline curls in that they minimize movement and reduce activation of the anterior deltoids (shoulders). This makes concentration curls excellent for isolating the biceps.

The flexion of the arm and supination of the wrist during concentration curls primarily activate the short head of the biceps. This targeted activation is beneficial for developing thicker-looking biceps.

HOW TO DO:

Sit on a stable surface with a dumbbell, choosing a light to medium weight.

Position your triceps against your inner thigh.

Engage your core muscles for stability.

Make a fist with your non-working hand and extend your non-working arm to the side to reduce back and core instability.

Curl the weight up while maintaining a neutral supinated wrist position throughout the movement. Squeeze at the top of the curl.

Slowly lower the weight back down.

Keep your shoulder and elbow stationary; only your forearms should move the weight up and down.

Exercise #5: Reverse EZ Barbell Curls

This exercise is known for its effectiveness in targeting the forearms, primarily the brachioradialis. However, it also targets the brachialis, contributing to increased biceps size and a more prominent peak.

Using reverse grips, which involve flexing the arm with a pronated grip, shifts some focus away from the biceps brachii and emphasizes the brachialis instead.

HOW TO DO:

Hold an EZ barbell with a shoulder-width grip, palms facing toward you in a pronated position.

Curl the barbell upward until your forearms are squeezing against your biceps.

Keep your upper arms stationary and engage your core to avoid using your back or shoulders to swing the weight.

Lower the weight slowly and with control.

Exercise #6: Hammer curls

The benefits of this exercise include targeting three major arm muscles: the brachialis, which contributes to overall biceps size and strength; the long head, which enhances the biceps peak; and the brachioradialis, which adds definition and strength to the forearm.

HOW TO DO:

Grab a dumbbell in each hand, keeping your wrists in a neutral position (left palm facing right palm and vice versa).

Lift the dumbbells until your biceps are fully contracted and squeezed.

Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

Keep your upper arms completely still; only your flexor muscles and elbows should move during the exercise.

How Often Should I Train Biceps?

It’s hard to say how often you should train your biceps since it varies from person to person. Generally, aim for at least 3 non-consecutive days dedicated to arm exercises, with a total of 12-20 sets per week.

Personally, I train my biceps 4-5 times a week. During my triceps and chest workouts, I add bicep curls as a superset while waiting between sets of bench presses, for example. I keep the weight light (12-15 kg) and focus on high volume until reaching failure. This approach has been most effective for me, but feel free to experiment with different training methods to find what works best for you.

Thank you for reading this blog, and I hope you found it helpful for your fitness journey. If you have any questions, please leave them in the comments below or send an email to: Hypertrophyhustle@gmail.com