How to Get Bigger Biceps: A Step-By-Step Guide

how to get bigger bicepsIf you’re a guy, then you probably want to know how to get bigger biceps. That statement should almost be considered a FACT because every guy who ever picks up a weight usually starts doing one thing… Curling.

Yep, the biceps get most of the glory when it comes to working out… I mean, who doesn’t want to impress a crowd of people by throwing up the double biceps pose and squeeze your arms to reveal huge mountains of peaked, hard muscle?

The problem is, wanting bigger biceps and knowing how to get bigger biceps are two completely different things. Think you know how to do it? Well, let’s look at some proven ways to help turn those skinny arms into sleeve busting monsters… (and a few of these tips may just surprise you.)

How To Get Bigger Biceps: Step 1

First of all, if you are new to working out or building muscle specifically, then you want to stay away from training individual muscles specifically. I know, that is probably not at ALL what you were thinking, but I am serious…but the first less on how to get bigger biceps is…

DON’T WORK THE BICEPS DIRECTLY!

Just about everybody and their brother will walk into a gym and pick up dumbells and start curling. Yeah, you will feel the burn and there will be SOME growth that occurs, but in reality, exercises for individual muscles are for shaping and adding density to muscles you already have. If your arms are like pipe cleaners, then you DON’T want to hit the curls.

What you want to do is heavy compound movements with SOME focus on your arms. Start with squats. Squats are one of the best exercises (if not THE best exercise) for building overall muscle on your body. They release growth hormone due to the heavy workload which causes growth to occur in just about every muscle, including the biceps. Plus, you will be contracting your biceps at the time you are doing the squat which will help work them as you work the rest of your body.

How To Get Bigger Biceps: Step 2

Next in our step-by-step guide on how to get bigger biceps is the pull-up. I know, in your mind, a strong and sexy back takes a backseat to having those killer guns, but did you know that pull-ups are one of the best ways to get bigger biceps?

No question about it and some of the world’s most shapely arms were built almost strictly using pull-ups. They provide the perfect stimulus to biceps and in addition, you will hit your shoulders, back and forearms significantly. Just as squats are a compound exercises targeting tons of muscles in your body starting with your legs, so are pull-ups… Although they target your back.

Simply by doing alternating sets of squats and pull-ups you can hit just about EVERY muscle in your body which will release extra amounts of growth hormone that will support your body’s ability to grow and support additional muscle.

If you are not strong enough to do pull-ups, then focus on doing NEGATIVE pull-ups. You can do these by standing on a chair near a pull-up bar and positioning yourself so your chin is just over the bar, then let your feet go and slowly lower your body until your arms are straight. Then get on the chair and do it again. After doing these negatives for a few weeks, you will most likely build your strength to the point where you can pull your body up.

The above two exercises, the squat and the pull-up, will hit almost every muscle in your body, so if you just add in some push-ups, you will have 3 exercises that will give you a COMPLETE full body workout.

I know, you just want to know how to get bigger biceps, but trust me, skinny legs, a sunken chest, and bowling ball biceps is NOT a look to be proud of. Focus on hitting all the exercises mentioned and you will be on your way to building a complete physique… Including bulging, stare inducing, Popeye sized biceps.

Ok… But what about those hardcore stubborn types that simply HAVE to do some curls in order to feel they are really working their biceps? No problem, just use two hands…

I am talking about barbell curls. If your trek in learning how to get bigger biceps just isn’t complete until you’ve knocked out some curls, then load some weight onto a straight bar and do some heavy curls. Remember, you are trying to build BIGGER biceps, and for that, you need heavy weight. Your goal is not to knock out 15-20 reps, but instead, work with a weight that will only allow you to do 5-7 curls. Really tax those babies. Do a few sets and leave it at that.

Heavy barbell curls are excellent at helping to build bigger biceps, but be careful. If you are doing squats and pull-ups, adding barbell curls may be a bit of overkill… You might want to work those in after you are able to do 4-5 sets of 10+ pull-ups. Bicep tears are common, especially among those whose main goals include getting bigger arms. People get overzealous, and end up overworking their biceps and believe me, that last thing you want is to tear a biceps muscle. Not only will your goal of learning how to get bigger biceps be at a standstill, your arms may never work quite the same again. Work up to heavier weights over time and make sure to allow your arms (and body) plenty of time to rest in between workouts.

How To Get Bigger Biceps: Step 3

Finally, no matter what your fitness goals are, nutrition must play a role. If you are looking for more muscle, then you have to factor in more calories and more specifically, more protein. Eating more calories does NOT mean ANY calories… Junk food makes you fat, not muscular.

Strive for high protein with an emphasis on lean meats and plenty of vegetables. In order to build muscle, your body needs additional HIGH QUALITY calories. If you stick to the exercises mentioned, do them carefully and increase weight over time as your body is ready, and eat a diet that includes higher amounts of protein and high quality foods, you will soon be the one teaching others how to get bigger biceps.

advice for getting bigger biceps

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The Best Biceps Exercises For Fast Arm Growth

best bicep exercisesJust as not all arms are created equal, neither are all arm exercises. Most guys and gals in the gym, however, stick to the old tried and true arm curls for their biceps and just leave it at that. BUT, there are a few moves out there that trump the tried and true basic arm curl. Let’s check out some of the best bicep exercises below and look at how you do them and what to expect as a result.

Pullups

Yeah, I know pullups are for your back, but did you know they are one of the best biceps exercises you can do? That’s right, most of us forget the role your biceps play in this awesome exercise, but some bodybuilders swear by the trusty PU and make pullups the cornerstone of their biceps routine. No matter if you do them with palms facing inward or outward, your biceps and your forearms get a great workout. Make sure to extend your arms almost fully when you go down and when you pull up, make sure your arms go into a tight lockout such as when you are curling a weight up to its fullest extent. If you can only do a few pullups, you aren’t likely to get a serious arm workout (this is why few look at pullups as one of the kings of biceps exercises) but you can remedy that by doing negatives. Just get on a chair and grab the bar as if you were at the top of the movement, then kick your legs up and slowly lower your body. Do as many as you can and try for 3-4 sets. Believe me, this babies will make your pythons…er, uh, your biceps SCREAM!

Barbell Rows

Just as with pullups, most see barbell rows as a back exercise, but they definitely make the grade as one of the best bicep exercises you can do. Most people can go heavy enough with barbell rows to give their arms a good workout, but don’t be afraid to keep doing sets as you lower the weight. Focus on pulling the bar all the way until it hits your lower chest and then slowly lower it to the starting position. If you started with pullups, then go light with the rows, and of course vice versa. Make sure you know the proper form for rows as well because the last thing you want to do is throw the weight into your lower back.

Single Arm Dumbell Rows

Single arm dumbbell rows are great because you can really focus on each lift. If you have already taxed yourself out with heavy barbell rows, you can move to some lighter dumbells and really finish out your workout. Using dumbells, you can really focus on squeezing your biceps at the top of each rep and get the most out of each one. The focus you can put on your muscle really makes single arm dumbbell rows another one of the best biceps exercises.

Squats w/Dumbells, arms in lockout position

Now, here is one exercise you don’t see often but really makes the grade as one of the best bicep exercises you can do to build those guns. The way you perform it is simple…just grab two moderately heavy dumbells (maybe about 50% of your max weight) and then curl them up all the way…once they are in the top lockout position, then start doing squats. Your arms will have to strain to keep the weight in the lockout position as you perform the squats and will stay in the contracted position for an extended period putting some serious stress on your muscles. Perform 10-12 reps, then when you stand up, curl the weights down. Repeat this for 3-4 sets. Now, because this is one you likely haven’t tried, it may seem a little awkward at first. You may want to start with lighter weights until you get the feel of it and can execute the form properly. This is definitely one of the best bicep exercises because squats are excellent at encouraging your body to release more growth hormones, so the heavier you go, the more likely it is your body will release larger amounts of growth hormone which will help your biceps grow even faster.

Concentration curls

This is an old stand-by and certainly makes the list of best biceps exercises. While this one is not specifically for making your muscles huge, it is great for definition and density. You can really focus on your biceps with each and every curl, flushing blood through them and making them appear huge. Use this as a finishing move and you can use lighter weights and really focus on making sure to use a full range of motion throughout each curl.

Cable/cord curls

Bodybuilders have been using cables to do curls for decades. They are awesome and will allow you to curl safely and go up and down in weight easily and quickly to ensure a serious bicep blasting workout. Nowadays, fitness cords are popping up all over the place, including in gym bags or suitcases when people are on the road so we thought we would include them here as well on the list of best bicep exercises. Some fitness cords can be just as effective as cables and allow you to burn your biceps up by offering full range of motion and some serious poundage to boot. As cords keep getting better and better, there is definitely one available to offer serious resistance to even the most bicep bulging massive dude.

We hope you picked up a nugget of info or two from out list of best bicep exercises. Sure there are plenty more out there, but the above have been proven time and again to produce serious, sleeve busting results. Remember to take your time and pay attention to form. A torn biceps is not a good thing, so keep yourself safe and keep those biceps growing!

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