If 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.

Just 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!

Nothing can be more emasculating to a man than wearing a t-shirt two sizes too small, only to have about 5 inches of excess fabric flapping against stick figure-like arms. If you like rocking t-shirts and want to show off the big guns…you have to first HAVE the big guns. This can mean only one thing: you need to learn how to build biceps fast!

Now, before you run off to the gym and start curling dumbbells in a frenzy, the first thing you should to is stop, read the tips included below, and get into the right mindset needed. Learning how to build biceps fast is not incredibly difficult, but the best plan of attack may not be the one you were thinking about to begin with. Below are PROVEN tips designed to teach you how to build biceps fast. Even though you are in a hurry, make sure to take your time when performing ANY exercise because if your form falters and you get hurt, the only thing you will doing FAST is sitting on your butt recuperating. Ok, now, back to those big guns…
Stick with compound exercises

believe it or not, the best lesson in how to build biceps fast begins with compound, NOT isolation exercises. Compound exercises involve several muscles during their execution vs. isolation exercises which only focus on one at a time. I know, I know, right now you are only concerned about biceps but the fact is, the more muscles an exercise works, the more growth hormone your body will release. This in turn will encourage muscle growth in all areas of your body INCLUDING your biceps. In addition, because compound exercises involved many muscles, you will actually be building smaller “helper muscles” that are used to help support and control heavy weight…these smaller muscles aren’t often worked when performing isolation exercises such as concentration curls. The more total muscle you build in your arms, the bigger your biceps will appear. As for what KINDS of compound exercises you want to do, always (and I mean always) start with the king…the squat. No other exercises will work your entire muscular system as effectively. Make squats your foundation exercise. Follow these with deadlifts, and for a more significant biceps workout, throw in plenty of pull-ups as well. Some bodybuilders use pull-ups as their mainstay when looking to add mass to their biceps. They work.

If you’re gonna curl, grab a bar, not a bell

Now, some of you out there simply HAVE to do curls or you don’t feel like you are giving your biceps a workout…you’re wrong of course, but if you HAVE to curl and learning how to build biceps fast is at the top of your list, then opt for barbells curls vs. dumbbell curls. With a barbell, you will be able to use heavier weights. When looking to build muscle, using heavy weights is a must. In addition, by using heavy weight on a barbell, you are likely to work the entire biceps muscle encouraging significant growth vs. just doing single arm curls.

LET THEM REST!

You know when your muscles grow? No, it’s NOT when you are blasting through that last set, when your biceps are filled with blood and look like they are about to explode…it feels good, yeah, but true muscle growth occurs when…you are resting. The way muscle growth works is, first you damage the muscle. You damage it by lifting weights and forcing the muscle to go beyond its normal ability to perform the exercise. This then causes the cells to tear (you know, that ridiculous pain and soreness you feel after an incredibly taxing workout the day before?) Then, while you are at rest, your body goes to work repairing the muscle to prepare it for future work. Because it failed to handle the load prior (it was damaged during the work you put it through) it decides that in order to handle such work in the future, it should be BIGGER. So, your body repairs the muscles, causing them to get bigger to handle more work…then you are able to lift more weight, so you damage them again, and so on and so on. BUT, all too often, eager dudes (and dudettes) who are learning how to build biceps fast for the first time make a crucial error…they don’t give their muscles enough rest so the growth actually occurs. This causes your muscles to NOT grow, and you hit a sticking point. You are constantly working out, not able to lift heavier weights, and noticing your biceps are not getting bigger. What you need to do is put them through a heavy workout, cause some damage, and then REST…I am talking 3 or 4 days of rest. Don’t believe me? Then keep doing what you are doing and NOT growing, but if you want to learn how to build biceps fast, the best lesson I can impart is…rest.

Building bicep muscles starts with the right diet

Ok, so we have drilled into your head the rest part, BUT…your diet plays a crucial role as well. Unless you are eating the proper foods (and enough of them) your biceps growth will be minimal. When I am talking about the right foods, there is no secret here. Lean meat, fish, vegetables. You need to increase your caloric intake AND your protein intake. Your body needs the additional calories to use as energy to repair your damaged muscle and the increase in protein will provide your body with the ingredients it needs to build muscle. Again, nutrition is not mystery…you know the difference between high quality and low quality food. Eat the good stuff, and enough of it. Your body will do the rest.

Creatine works

Now, the answer to learning how to build biceps fast does NOT require the use of supplements. Everything listed above will help you get there, no question. But, of those supplements offered in the marketplace, creatine is one that does work. Without going into specific details about how it works and make your head explode with tales of splitting and adding phosphate molecules, suffice it to say that creatine, when used as directed, can help you workout longer which will lead to stronger and bigger muscles…bottom line. Make sure that if you go this route, choose a pure creatine product and follow the instructions includes exactly. Any and all supplements can cause damage if used incorrectly. This one is pretty safe though if used as directed.

So, there you have it. Learning how to build biceps fast and start filling up your sleeves with impressive arms to show off is not rocket science, but it does take some work. Follow the admonitions above and no matter what, BE CAREFUL. Lifting heavy weights can be dangerous if you’re sloppy… and if you don’t pay attention to form and give your body plenty of time to rest, you risk injuring yourself. Best of luck to you in your search of learning how to build biceps fast!

(This is a guest post by Francis Gardner, CPT. Kyle is a personal trainer from Baldwin, Florida.)

Building the perfect physique takes time, skill and knowledge. In order to get bigger biceps, you have to know the basics of lifting, as well as the secrets for building muscle quickly. Most people spend too much time on exercise that do them no good or result in small changes over long periods of time. The trick to building the biceps you want is to create a workout program that is all-natural and results in the greatest changes in the shortest amount of time.

The Basic Lift

Begin with a basic lift with a barbell. You should be in a standing position using either a straight bar or an easy-curl bar. Use weights you can lift without intense pain at least 15 times. Stand with your feet should width apart and the weight by your legs or thighs. Place your hands about shoulder width apart on the bar. Keep your elbows slightly bent and bright the weight toward your chest until your biceps are contracted. Your back should be straight and the movement should steady and smooth. Lower the weight back to the downward position and repeat the lift up to 15 times. If 15 repetitions is too difficult, reduce the weight, not the number of lifts.

After a short break, add weight to the previous amount. You should now be able to lift no more than a dozen times carefully. Hold the bar with your hands about 6 inches from each other and repeat the lift up to 12 times. Again, after a short break, add weight. During this round, you should be able to lift no more than eight times without pain, but your hands will return to should width apart. The key for all three rounds is to lift until you feel you are unable to lift anymore.

Lower the Weight

The final round is considered the winding down period and the weight should be reduced by slightly less than half of the highest amount. Use the six-inch grip and lift until you can lift no more. Lift should be faster on this round since there is less weight, but flex your bicep as much as possible during each of the repetitions. Your goal is to reach your limit for lifting, now attain a certain number of lifts. Just keeping going until you are at risk for bad form or you can no longer lift. After a short break, complete at least two more repetitions of at least 15 before stopping. If you feel up to it, your final repetition can be to the point of exhaustion, but should be no less than 15.

More Tips For Bigger Biceps

There are a few things to keep in mind when completing this bicep workout. You need to keep water near you at all times and drink during your breaks. Dehydration leads to quicker exhaustion and will put you off your game. Breaks should be at least a minute to a minute and a half so your muscle’s glycogen reserves are replenished. Your form during the workout is just as important as the amount of weight lifted and number of repetitions completed. Take time during the lifting to focus on your form and make sure everything is aligned properly. For overall improvement and increase in your arms, you will need to combine this workout with an effective triceps workout. You should allow two days of recovery between workouts. This gives your muscles time to grow between workouts. All lifters should understand that more is not better. Following these tips are going to allow you to get bigger biceps and create the body of your dreams.

(This is a guest post by Jared Shaffer, CPT. Jared is a personal trainer from Royal Oak Michigan.)

The craze among guys to get bigger biceps will never fade away. There is no refuting the fact that men would do anything and everything possible to get that pump in their arms. The effect looks great, the girls love it and the guys could not ask for more.

But have you ever spared a thought on why a majority of men, despite using every bicep-building technique from forced reps, drop sets, and 21′s which are ‘promised’ to be the most effective methods confirmed by pro bodybuilders; do not reap proportionate fruits to the effort put in? Well, the problem lies with their approach. Incorrect bicep-training is the reason why most guys lag behind their goals and never quite succeed in getting those perfect looking arms.

But you do not have to be a part of that group. Listed here are 5 of the most common misconceptions about bicep training that people harbor and the consequent mistakes that they commit. You could examine these first to stay alert before I actually reveal to you a lucid step-by-step program which would take your bicep peak to new heights:

Problem#1 More Is Not Always Better

The greatest misconception with most guys is that they equate more exercising with better results. While putting in regular and concentrated efforts is certainly required, overdoing would simply worsen the situation.

It needs to be understood that nobody has overtly “muscle-friendly” genes and one needs to acclimatize the body to the stress gradually.

The best way of proceeding with the concept without the risk of overdoing is to set daily training goals keeping the previous day’s achievements as standard and trying to outdo them marginally.

Problem#2 Overdoing Results In A Short-Lived Deceptive Pump

Another negative of overdoing the exercising bit is that while you would achieve that flattering pump instantaneously, it would not last long and your biceps will quickly deflate back to normal with no true muscle growth.

In sum, the entire effort would stand wasted.

Problem#3 Ignoring Other Body Parts

If the insistence is only on arm training, the biceps would never shape up as desired. The reason is simple enough- chest, back and shoulder strength together determine how shapely one’s arms are and without paying attention to them proportionate body building would not be possible.

Problem#4 Sticking To The Same Exercises

Variation in exercises is the key to effective body building and you simply cannot rely on the same exercises over and over again and expect to benefit in a big way.

So you could stick to barbell curls and dumbbell curls (these are perfect for building huge biceps), but make sure that you increase the weights and reps relative to perfect form and then try some variations to benefit optimally.

Problem#5 Inability To Put Enough Tension On The Muscle

For effective muscle training, one ought to have an understanding of how to make the muscle work and fatigue. Most people put in enough effort while lifting weights but fail to direct it in the right direction.

Effective bicep-training involves maintaining constant tension on the body part such that the topical muscles do not get a chance to breathe. This would prevent the oxygen from accessing the muscles and create an insulin spike which would in turn promote muscle growth. So, keep the bar constantly moving without pausing at the top or bottom and resort to a slower 3-0-3 or 4-0-4 tempo to get the job done.

Congratulations on finding this blog. Obviously you’re here because you want to know how to get bigger biceps, right? Well you’re in the right place. Soon this blog will be filled with the most relevant information about building bicep muscles.

Maybe you’re a skinny guy who wants to pack on some weight. Maybe you’re not that skinny but you’d like to add more muscle definition. And we all know that your arm muscles are the “showy muscles” that the girls look at and other guys envy, right?

Well it’s no wonder you’re here.

If this is the only post you’re seeing then you’re early! But if you’re reading this then there should be a bunch more information on the home page about how to get bigger biceps.

Thanks for visiting and I look forward to helping you out.

Oh, and despite the funny picture, I’ve actually got extremely valuable information for you about building muscle so pay attention!