“Sun’s out, guns out.”
That’s the saying, right?
In this article, we cover how to boost those biceps, covering:
The bicep is a series of three muscles that are more stretched out than what you might expect.
We tend to think of it as simply ‘the inside of the upper arm’ but in reality we’re going from the forearm all the way up into the shoulder.
Besides having good looking arms, strengthening your biceps can help you out in a bunch of different ways.
If you’re doing any kind of lifting, pushing, pulling or grip work, you can guarantee that these guys are kicking in to help out. From grabbing a jersey in sports, to rock climbing to carrying your shopping, having a pair of healthy strong biceps is going to help.
The biceps also play a crucial role in reinforcing your shoulders, so not only is bicep training going to help you build better guns, it’ll help armour up your shoulders too.
Although this workout may seem strange if you’re new to it, it will certainly help build muscle strength through your biceps.
You should use a load that’s heavy enough that you can complete 5 – 7 repetitions in this stop-start manner.
Using an EZ bar or a straight barbell, curl the bar up to just next to your collar bones. (If you want to allow your elbows to come forward a little that’s okay).
Slowly lower the barbell and pause at around one third of the way down for 2 seconds.
Continue to lower the weight until around two thirds of the way down, pausing again for two seconds.
Complete the rep.
Repeat for between 5-7 repetitions in total.
There are different ways to achieve our goal of building strength.
We’ll look at two different workouts:
Using pauses to build position-specific strength
Adding load (weight).
Try using the first method for 3 to 4 weeks, before moving onto the second method for the next 3 to 4 weeks.
Although this workout may seem strange if you’re new to it, it will certainly help build muscle strength through your biceps.
You should use a load that’s heavy enough that you can complete 5 – 7 repetitions in this stop-start manner.
Using an EZ bar or a straight barbell, curl the bar up to just next to your collar bones. (If you want to allow your elbows to come forward a little that’s okay).
Slowly lower the barbell and pause at around one third of the way down for 2 seconds.
Continue to lower the weight until around two thirds of the way down, pausing again for two seconds.
Complete the rep.
Repeat for between 5-7 repetitions in total.
The key to strength building with this method is being able to assess the correct amount of load to use, as well as the number of reps.
Ideally, you’re aiming to use a load that you can complete 4 sets of 3-5 solids reps (but not more).
For example, here’s what you should do in specific instances:
Load is too light: If you can complete 4 sets of 5 reps (or more), then increase the weight.
Load is correct: If you can complete 1 set of 5, 1 set of 4, then 1 set of 3, then that’s the correct weight. Continue at this weight until you can do 4 sets of 5 reps before increasing the weight.
Load is too heavy: If you can’t complete a minimum of 4 sets of 3 reps, then lower the weight.
So, now that you’re choice of load and reps are established, here’s how you complete a bicep curl with strict form:
Stand just behind an EZ bar or a straight barbell.
Bend your knees and take hold of the barbell in both hands, keeping your back straight.
Lift the barbell off the ground, until your knees mostly straighten and the barbell is in a low position at arms-length.
Lift the barbell until your forearms are horizontal. This is your starting position for each rep.
With tight elbows, retracted shoulders and a level head, curl the barbell up and towards your chest.
Lower the barbell to the horizontal position.
Repeat steps 5 and 6 for the correct number of repetitions.
Lower the barbell to the floor.
Once you’ve completed your strengthening work you’re probably going to find that your arms are ballooning, maybe shaking a little bit and your forearms are burning up.
Do not panic! This is all totally normal and expected.
Your post workout and cool down focus should be on making sure you continue to move your arms.
It’s simple but often counter-intuitive because let’s face it, once those arms are sore and achy, you’re probably more comfortable just letting them flop and having a rest.
So, not matter what, after your workout make sure you move your arms frequently through a full range of motion.
It’s important for your long-term health and bicep longevity.
Plan to build your strength over a period of time. (Rome wasn’t build in a day)
Look to build some position-specific strength first and then build the amount of weight you can lift.
This will undoubtedly lead to stronger biceps.
The Bicep
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Your free session is the perfect way to start strong. You’ll meet with one of our certified trainers to discuss your goals and challenges, followed by a fun, movement-packed session on the gym floor, so come dressed to move. Afterward, you’ll leave with a personalized road map outlining everything we discussed along with an action plan on exactly what to do to reach your goal.
