Do you want a big biceps? Of course, who doesn't want to have biceps that stretch his shirtsleeves? If someone asks you to flex your muscles, they don't want you to flex your calves, they want to see how big is your biceps. There are many great professional bodybuilders that are known for big and defined biceps, like Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Biceps brachii, mostly referred as just biceps, is a two-headed muscle (the short head and the long head) and is connected with the forearm by brachialis and brachioradialis muscles. Biceps exercises usually involve forearm muscles too.
To add some inches to your arms, and specifically to your biceps, you need to work on gaining more overall muscle mass. You will need to perform more compound exercises than isolation exercises like dumbbell curls, and of course, in order to build muscle, you need to follow a muscle building diet plan.
Check out some tips on how to gain muscle mass:
Performing some compound exercises will help you to build bigger biceps. Bent-Over Rows, Pull Ups, and Lat Pulldowns are great exercises for building back but also will add size to your biceps.
Check out the list of top 5 muscle-building biceps exercises:
1. Barbell Biceps Curl
Probably the best mass-building movement for biceps and one of the most famous old-school bodybuilding exercises. Arnold Schwarzenegger always loved doing Standing Biceps Curl as the first exercise in his biceps workout.
Perform barbell curls by lowering barbell very slowly, at least four seconds, for better effect on biceps.
2. Dumbbells Preacher Curl
One of the best exercises to add more size to your biceps. Using a preacher bench, sit holding dumbbells in each hand and slowly curl dumbbells toward shoulders and squeeze your biceps on the top of the curl, then return weights back to starting position.
3. Incline Dumbbell Curl
This is probably the best exercise to isolate the long head of the biceps. Lay down on an incline bench with dumbbells in your hands and your hands fully extended and curl dumbbells while keeping your elbows still and slowly return the dumbbells to starting position and you've done a first rep.
4. Close Grip Chin Up
Best bodyweight movement for building big biceps. This exercise is a great mass builder. Do a chin up with your palms facing you and situated 8-12 cm apart from each other. Tip: Make a 3 seconds pause when you get to the top and slowly return back.
5. Alternating Hammer Curls
If you are looking to blow up your biceps than hammer curl is an excellent choice. Hammer Curls will help you to build brachialis and brachioradialis muscles which many other variations of curls can't. Working these two muscles is also important if you are looking to build big arms. You can perform Hammer Curls from standing or seating position. Both variations are good. Perform it with 15 reps for each arm.
I recommend performing all these 5 exercises by using slow contractions and squeezes at the top of the each rep. That is the best way to work your biceps.
Also, you might like the article about best mass-building triceps exercises:
Best Workout for Bigger Triceps - Build Big Triceps Fast
Probably the best mass-building movement for biceps and one of the most famous old-school bodybuilding exercises. Arnold Schwarzenegger always loved doing Standing Biceps Curl as the first exercise in his biceps workout.
Perform barbell curls by lowering barbell very slowly, at least four seconds, for better effect on biceps.
2. Dumbbells Preacher Curl
One of the best exercises to add more size to your biceps. Using a preacher bench, sit holding dumbbells in each hand and slowly curl dumbbells toward shoulders and squeeze your biceps on the top of the curl, then return weights back to starting position.
3. Incline Dumbbell Curl
This is probably the best exercise to isolate the long head of the biceps. Lay down on an incline bench with dumbbells in your hands and your hands fully extended and curl dumbbells while keeping your elbows still and slowly return the dumbbells to starting position and you've done a first rep.
4. Close Grip Chin Up
Best bodyweight movement for building big biceps. This exercise is a great mass builder. Do a chin up with your palms facing you and situated 8-12 cm apart from each other. Tip: Make a 3 seconds pause when you get to the top and slowly return back.
5. Alternating Hammer Curls
If you are looking to blow up your biceps than hammer curl is an excellent choice. Hammer Curls will help you to build brachialis and brachioradialis muscles which many other variations of curls can't. Working these two muscles is also important if you are looking to build big arms. You can perform Hammer Curls from standing or seating position. Both variations are good. Perform it with 15 reps for each arm.
I recommend performing all these 5 exercises by using slow contractions and squeezes at the top of the each rep. That is the best way to work your biceps.
Also, you might like the article about best mass-building triceps exercises:
Best Workout for Bigger Triceps - Build Big Triceps Fast
