I’m going to be honest with you today. No matter how much you squat, bench press, or deadlift, there’s always going to be one thing people look at when you tell them you work out. It’s gonna be your bicep.
Your biceps are one of the most impressive areas for you to develop when you work out. This is likely thanks to their high visibilty. Also, people tend to associate big biceps with strength maybe more than any other part of your body. Think about it. From Arnold Schwarzenegger to Sly Stalone, the most remembered muscle on some of the most famous action heroes were their arms.
How to Build Biceps Outside of the Gym
This may sound strange, but what you do outside of the gym matters just as much when it comes to building up your arms as the amount of weight you lift. Probably even more important than anything is your diet.
To put on size, you’re going to have to be at a caloric surplus. For most adult men, that will probably mean eating anywhere from 2500 to 3000 calories a day. If you’re naturally skinny, it may need to be even more. And alongside that, you’ll need to start eating a lot more protein. You’ll need about a gram of protein per pound you weigh to put on some serious size.
Don’t forget to work with different volumes. Low weight high reps, and high weight low reps. You’ll need both to properly stimulate your arm and foster the best growth that you can. Start your workout with the heavy weights, and then move down after your big movements into isolations.
And finally you’ll need to lift with a goal in mind. This can apply to any kind of workout program, but it still stands here. Track your progress, make sure to lift with the goal to increase reps on low weight, and increase your strength on low rep lifts. Make sure to weigh yourself, and expect to gain weight. To build muscle, you need to get bigger; it’s that simple.
Exercises that Target Your Bicep
I’m gonna go over my three favorite bicep exercises in here, just as a good jumping off points.
Number one for me is going to be the standing barbell bicep curl. Curls can be performed a number of ways. Dumbbells, isolation, etc. The exercise that lets you put the most weight on a biceps isolation exercise is probably the barbell curl. The main role of your biceps is to flex your elbows, so the logical movement for you to work your biceps is the curl. When I do this exercise I tend to go for a five by five rep scheme. Heavy weights for five sets for five reps.
Next is the one arm preacher curl. This workout is gonna isolate your arm more than almost any other bicep workout. It also stresses the peak and adds to the fullness of the short head of your biceps, and is great at enhancing overall size. To perform this exercise, you use a regular preacher bench, hold dumbbell with an underhand grip while locking elbow firmly in place in an extended position on the bench.Then curl the dumbell up, and slowly lower it back down.
Finally is one that I never saw too often in the gym. The incline dumbbell curl, which is one of the best mass builders for your biceps. This exercises allows a full stretch of the muscle, and a complete range of motion. You’re not going to be able to use as much weight on this workout, but your form is going to have to be kept script.
