Best Bicep Workout Routine

Archive for January, 2010

In the last post we discussed in detail the essential principles of constructing a bicep workout. In this post we’ll discuss in greater detail exercises for isolating connecting muscles for developing thick, full arms. Because this could be a rather long topic, we’ll stick to those muscles associated with the biceps in terms of pulling actions, namely the biceps brachii, the brachialis, and the brachioradialis.

But before we discuss these elements individually, there are a few things worth repeating from the previous post. The most important is that our bodies grow best when exercised as a whole, using big compound movements that provide the greatest total exercise intensity and fatigue in the shortest period of time. The biceps and triceps are muscles that receive indirect exercise every time you push and pull a weight. So if you’re doing bench press or pull-ups, your biceps and triceps are also being exercised. If you’re lifting heavy enough, these compound lifts will sufficiently recruit and exhaust the fast twitch muscle fibers targeted for growth in the arms. In other words, when training for power or performance, there may be no need for a bicep workout as such.

That said, if one does add in isolation arm work for purposes of bodybuilding or physique sculpting, keep in mind that the energy needed to train, break down, and reconstruct the arms after a serious bicep workout will take energy and recovery time away from those lifts which offer the greatest overall muscular growth for the body as a whole. This is something that must be balanced and monitored closely. There are very few sports that benefit from very strong arm strength in isolation. Most performance and power sports require the body to work as a unit, and therefore training it to do so not only produces systemic power, it also enhances motor memory and speed.

Ok, so that’s my pitch for focusing on compound lifts, and only using a bicep workout routine infrequently as a supplement to an otherwise strictly compound lift training program. By infrequent, I mean training the biceps in isolation no more than once a week, and depending on the intensity, once every 10 to 14 days. But for those that want biceps that make women swoon, let’s get to it. Have a look at this picture of the biceps.

You’ll notice a few muscles surrounding the biceps, and while biceps brachii training is sufficient for strength and tone, if you’re looking for massive arms, you’ll need to make sure that the brachialis, which rests under the biceps brachii and can be seen, when developed, on both sides of the arm between the biceps and triceps, and the brachioradialis, which runs from the brachialis to half way down the forearm. So lets look at the exercises needed to develop said muscles.

1. Curls.

Any bicep workout routine must, I say MUST, include a basic standing or seated curl. This can be done with a barbell or with dumbbells. When performed with dumbbells, all three major muscles mentioned above are targeted. When performed standing with a barbell, the biceps brachii and brachialis are targeted, and to a lesser degree, the brachioradialis. If done in conjunction with a proper total body program, this exercise alone, performed in 5 to 10 sets, one day a week, is sufficient to develop the arms and add significant mass.

2. Hammer Curls.

Curling a dumbbell while keeping your palm inward is the best exercise for developing the brachioradialis. It also develops the biceps brachii, brachialis, and to a lesser degree, several muscles along the forearm. This exercise along with a basic dumbbell or barbell curl, where the ending position results with palms facing the chest completes the circuit of exercises needed to sufficiently target and develop the biceps and surrounding muscles.

3. Preacher Curls and Machine Curls

This is one of the best exercises for targeting the biceps brachii. As if the previous exercises weren’t targeted enough, eliminating all extraneous movement that comes with the previous exercises allows you to hit the biceps harder and more directly. This exercise should be seen as a supplement to a bicep workout routine that contains curls, and should not be done exclusively or in place of them.

So that’s it. Is that every bicep exercise? No, by no means. But when I work with clients I assume they want the greatest results with minimal efforts. One could always add more exercises to a bicep workout, but I doubt they produce greater results than those listed above. Increasing poundage, volume, or the number of repetitions is sufficient to stimulate new growth.

The advantage of adding a bicep workout to your overall fitness program is obvious, it allows you to concentrate and isolate the biceps. This allows for greater intensity in training them and should result in strong gains. The downside, as mentioned, is that all resistance training taps into limited energy stores and recuperative ability. So one needs to factor in time to recover from each and every session.

Bicep Workout Routines

Beginner Bicep Workout:

4 to 5 sets of 6 to 10 reps of curls, 1 to 2 days per week

3 sets of 6 to 10 reps of curls followed by 3 sets of 6 to 10 reps of hammer curls

Intermediate to Advanced Bicep Workout (1 day per week):

3 sets of 8 to 12 reps or barbell curl

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3 sets of 8 to 12 reps of hammer curls

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3 sets of 6 to 10 reps of preacher curls or machine curls

An alternative for athletes and performance sports players

As I said previously, a bicep workout routine may not be necessary as the biceps and surrounding muscles can be developed with compound lifts. A wrestler or a mixed martial artist will see little practical value in doing isolation exercises for the biceps. There is great value for them however in performing compound lifts like pull-ups and rows. If, when working on the back, one adds in a simple reverse chin (a pull up where the hands are less than shoulder width apart and the palms face toward you), you can intensely exhaust the biceps and brachialis along with your lats. And adding a cable row with palms inward facing can complete the trio by sufficiently working brachioradialis.

The difference is that this will maximize recuperative ability as well as training efficiency. And with a proper diet with sufficient calories, will result in big bulging biceps. So each of us needs to decide what we’re training for, before we determine the value of adding a bicep workout to an otherwise comprehensive routine. If one decides to go for, let your bicep workout routine stick to the essentials and monitor your weights, sets, reps, and rest times for more scientific analysis.