The 4 best biceps exercises for men in the gym

The 4 best biceps exercises for men in the gym

According to scientists, these movements activate the muscle more than any other.

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The biceps is a small muscle, relative to other surface muscles, but very prominent. Its main function is to bend the arms at the elbow joint. All exercises will consist of this movement.

The biceps are small and grow slowly. Growth is counted in millimeters, unlike the muscles of the back and legs, where progress is measured in centimeters. Some people have biceps in the form of a dense ball with a peak, while others look like an elongated oval. It depends on genetics, but either shape variation can be made attractive.

Set aside the gym equipment you have prepared for pumping. Let’s first find out which exercises are the best for biceps training.

What does the research say?

The American Council on Exercise and the American Exercise Observatory commissioned scientists at the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse to find out which exercise activates the biceps the most.

The researchers recruited 16 female and male volunteers and analyzed them using a wireless electromyography machine that measures muscle activity. Before the study, each subject was tested on their understanding of exercise technique.

The results showed that concentrated biceps raises came in first place. The second place is shared by the crossover arm bend and the narrow reverse grip pull-up. Next comes bending arms with a barbell.

Top best biceps exercises for men

To get the most out of biceps training give a few recommendations.

1. Train the biceps no more than twice a week. This is a small muscle that tires quickly. Frequent training will only stunt growth.
2. If you train the biceps separately, an optimal workout will consist of two to three exercises of four sets of 10 to 15 reps. The weight of the weights is 70-80% of your maximum per repetition.
3. Biceps exercises are great to combine with pectoral or triceps training.

Concentrated lifting

Techniek

• Sit on a bench and take a dumbbell. Rest the elbow of this hand on your leg. The elbow is tightly pressed against the leg.
• As you exhale, bend your arm at the elbow, raising the dumbbell to its maximum. The elbow should not come off the leg.
• On the inhale, slowly unfold your arms to the starting position.
• It is important to avoid jerks and do the exercise at a slow pace.

Perform three or four approaches of 10-15 repetitions. Take one to two minutes of rest between each approach.

Crossover bends

Techniek

• Grasp the handle and take a few steps to keep the crossover cable taut. Grip is shoulder width apart.
• Bring your chest forward and your shoulder blades down and keep them in this position throughout the exercise. This is to avoid unnecessary movement in the shoulder blades, shoulders and back.
• The elbows are fixed in one position and tightly pressed against the body.
• With a powerful exhalation movement, bend the arms at the elbows, raising the handle with the cable to the torso up to the top of the chest.
• Hold this position for a second.
• As you exhale, slowly extend your arms with the handle back to the starting position.
• Do the exercise without rocking your back.

Perform three or four approaches of 10-15 repetitions. Take one to two minutes of rest between each approach.

Pull-ups with narrow reverse grip

Techniek

• Grasp the bar with your hands at a distance less than shoulder width with a reverse grip.
• Bring your chest forward, and lower your shoulder blades down and keep them in this position throughout the exercise.
• With a powerful exhalation, bend your arms at the elbows, pulling yourself up.
• Do the movement by bending the arms, tensing the biceps. It is important not to reach the bar with your chest to minimize the work of the back muscles.
• As you exhale, gently lower yourself back to the starting position until your arms are fully extended.

Perform three to four approaches of 10 times. Take one to two minutes of rest between each approach.

Standing barbell bends

Techniek

• Grasp the projectile with a grip at a distance of shoulder width. Elbows are fixed in one position and tightly pressed to the body.
• Bring your chest forward, and lower your shoulder blades down and keep them in this position throughout the exercise. This is to avoid unnecessary movement in the shoulder blades, shoulders and back.
• As you exhale, bend your arms at the elbows, lifting the barbell toward your torso. Hold this position for a second.
• As you exhale, slowly lower the bar to the starting position.
• Do the exercise without swaying your back.

Perform three or four approaches of 10-15 repetitions. Take one to two minutes of rest between each approach.

If you want to get strong biceps, follow proper exercise technique, choose an adequate weight of the weight, use a low repetition rate and feel the tension of the biceps during the exercise.