Bicep Exercises

Throughout the entire history of the human race, the one muscle that best represented the pinnacle of human strength is the bicep. From statues of the Greek gods to the modern bodybuilders on the cover of fitness magazines, big biceps are always emphasized.

When I was a teenager, I always wanted to have big muscular biceps like the superheros from comic books. The first time I stepped into the weight room at my high school gym, I had no idea where to begin. Fast forward 8 years... now I have arms measuring 16.5 inches (not trying to be a show-off, but just want to let you know I worked hard!), and every day somebody at the gym asks me which bicep workouts they should do to get big arms.

I wrote this article to share the best exercises and training methods that I have learned and used successfully to achieve results for my biceps that work.

In this article, I will explain three bicep exercises are a must-do for everyone! There is no need to get all fancy and try to perform dozens of ultra-complex movements. If you stick to these three lifts and incorporate them into your workout routine, you will see some nice results. Just remember that you won't become the size of Hercules overnight. It's a long-term process, but don't give up and keep training.

If you are a beginner to weight lifting, practice using light weights at first and maintain good form. Once you are comfortable performing the movement, you can increase the amount of weight. Experienced lifters should remember to use good form too! Those of us who have been doing this for a while tend to forget the basics, and we should take the time to make extra sure of using good technique in our workouts.

While you are standing, pick up the barbell with your palms facing away from you. Make sure your hands are placed shoulder width apart, so that the arms are hanging straight down. Now bring your hands up so that your hands are up to your chest and your palms are facing towards you. Then bring your hands back down. This is one complete repetition.

IMPORTANT: Leave your elbows by the side of your body. They should not flare out away from you. Also, do not swing or sway your body backwards to create momentum. Your entire body should stay still, and only the arms should be moving.

Breathe out when you are bringing the bar up, and breathe in when you lower it back down. You should perform about 8-12 repetitions and then take a break. Try to do 3 or 4 sets doing 8-12 reps per set. If you cannot complete 8 repetitions in one set, I recommend you lighten the load. If you can do 12 very easily, you need to increase the load.

Hold a dumbbell in each hand while standing up. Straighten the arms, and put your hands down by your sides. Your palms should be facing inward towards your thighs. While keeping the elbows pinned by your side, bring up one hand towards your shoulder. Do not twist your arm; keep the palm facing inward the entire time. Bring the hand back down. Then repeat the same steps with your other arm. This is one complete repetition. Alternatively, you can try to lift both sides at the same time.

Just like we did with the barbell curls, aim for 3 or 4 sets of 8-12 reps. Adjust the amount of weight accordingly.

REMINDER: If you are lifting one side at a time, 1 repetition is counted after you lift with the left arm AND right arm. However, if you are doing both arms at the same time, then each time you lift is considered 1 repetition. Remember to keep your back steady--don't rock your body back and forth!

Chin-ups are a compound exercise. This means that it actually works more than one muscle group. In this case, it works both your biceps and your back muscles too! You might have heard the words chin-up and pull-up interchangeably, but they are not the same. I will explain the difference to you at the end of this section.

First, grab the chin-up bar with your palms facing towards you. You might have to jump to grab it if it is higher than you can reach. Pull your body up towards the bar until your chin is above the bar. Just like the name of the exercise, you are bringing your chin up to the bar. Then slowly straighten your arms back out and lower your body. This is 1 complete repetition. Breathe out on the way up, and breathe in on the way down.

IMPORTANT: When you come back down, you should come all the way down until your arms are straight again before going back up again. Try not to swing your body or kick your legs too much.

Depending on your experience, you may be able to do many of these, just a few, or none at all. For those of you who can perform at least 1 full repetition, just do as many as you can until you are too tired to continue. This is called training to failure. Do 3 or 4 sets until failure on each set. If you cannot complete any chin-ups, do not be embarrassed. Have a partner hold your waist and help push you up on each repetition. After training like this for a while, you should eventually be able to do them by yourself.

The difference between chin-ups and pull-ups is the way your palms are facing. When your palms are facing towards you, it is called a chin-up. Palms facing away is called a pull-up. While both exercises work the biceps and back, the chin-up places a greater emphasis on the biceps, which is why I am recommending them here over the pull-up.

Ideally, you should train your biceps 2-3 times per week. It might be tempting to do bicep workouts every day, but the truth is that your muscles need time to recover. On other days, there are many other muscle groups for you to exercise, such as legs, chest, back, abs, shoulders, and triceps just to name a few!

Once again, remember that your body changes slowly, but if you stay dedicated and work out week after week you will see progress. Make sure you are eating a healthy diet too! Your diet is equally important as your training. Always forward--never quit!