If you’ve made up your mind that you’re going to devote 12-16 total sets of work to building bigger biceps, then you should make that time count by using multiple arm angles. A better way to think of it is diversifying your elbows’ start positioning because their location will determine how the biceps are recruited during each rep.It should probably go without saying that you should keep your elbows quiet and still on any exercise where you’re trying to isolate your biceps. And it is important to note that while you can’t isolate any particular area of your biceps—inner head, outer head, lower third, etc.—you can slightly emphasize certain areas with the right elbow positioning. Here are four must-do elbow positions you should include to max out biceps growth.
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Elbows Behind Torso – Emphasis: Outer Head
Why is no one doing the incline dumbbell curl? Though it can be slightly uncomfortable, the position of the elbows for this move blasts the long, outer head of your biceps, the one most responsible for your peak. That’s because this elbow position places a significant pre-stretch on that head that requires a harder contraction on each rep. For best results, use a weight that allows you to keep your upper arms perpendicular to the floor. And if you’re new to this move, go easy on the angle—even a slight angle can better engage that long head. If you have shoulder issues, take caution. To slightly alter the emphasis from this position, you can try incline hammer curls, you can use cables with a D-handle or you can take your hands out wider.Get the incline dumbbell curl video >>
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Elbows Even with Torso | Emphasis: Inner, Outer
The venerable barbell curl isn’t going anywhere. Keeping your elbows pinned to your sides allows you to utilize the whole of your biceps complex, meaning you can generally move more weight. But again, elbow positioning is key. When you go too heavy, you have to force the elbows forward of the body, which takes the emphasis off the biceps momentarily and places more stress on the anterior deltoids. Take the ego out of the equation and you put yourself in better position for high-quality reps throughout each set.Get the barbell curl video >>
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Elbows in Front of Torso | Emphasis: Inner Head
The preacher and Scott curl—the latter of which uses the flat side of the preacher pad—lock the elbows in front of the body. Curling from this angle shifts the muscular emphasis to the meaty inner head of the biceps, the one most visible when you flex in the mirror. These benches limit the amount of cheating you can do and that’s a good thing if you’re looking to hit that inner head harder.Get the preacher curl video >>
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Elbows at Shoulder Level | Emphasis: Inner Head
By taking the elbows high and out, you emphasize the short, inner head again but the two-arm high cable curl has the additional benefit of training muscle in that crucial pose position. Anecdotally, bodybuilders report having better overall biceps appearance when they perform this move often because it requires a high degree of muscular control and endurance to hold this pose properly. Because mechanical advantage on this move is relatively low, it’s not really considered a mass-builder, so there’s no need to load up the plates. Keep the weight loads moderate and focus on controlled reps, pausing for 1-2 seconds at the peak on each one.
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All Around Biceps Workout
Use this sample routine to ensure that you’re hitting your biceps from all angles. If you are lagging in one particular area, add one additional exercise to target that region.ExerciseSetsRepsIncline Dumbbell Curl48-10Standing Barbell Curl48-10Scott Curl48-10*Two-Arm High-Pulley Cable Curl412***Maximize the peak contraction by holding the final rep of each set for a full three seconds. **Hold the peak contraction on each rep for 1-2 seconds. After reaching initial failure on your fourth set, perform an extended drop set by going one pin lighter and repping to failure again. Repeat this process until you are out of weight plates on the stack.
If you’ve made up your mind that you’re going to devote 12-16 total sets of work to building bigger biceps, then you should make that time count by using multiple arm angles. A better way to think of it is diversifying your elbows’ start positioning because their location will determine how the biceps are recruited during each rep.
It should probably go without saying that you should keep your elbows quiet and still on any exercise where you’re trying to isolate your biceps. And it is important to note that while you can’t isolate any particular area of your biceps—inner head, outer head, lower third, etc.—you can slightly emphasize certain areas with the right elbow positioning. Here are four must-do elbow positions you should include to max out biceps growth.
Elbows Behind Torso - Emphasis: Outer Head
Why is no one doing the incline dumbbell curl? Though it can be slightly uncomfortable, the position of the elbows for this move blasts the long, outer head of your biceps, the one most responsible for your peak. That’s because this elbow position places a significant pre-stretch on that head that requires a harder contraction on each rep. For best results, use a weight that allows you to keep your upper arms perpendicular to the floor. And if you’re new to this move, go easy on the angle—even a slight angle can better engage that long head. If you have shoulder issues, take caution. To slightly alter the emphasis from this position, you can try incline hammer curls, you can use cables with a D-handle or you can take your hands out wider.
The venerable barbell curl isn’t going anywhere. Keeping your elbows pinned to your sides allows you to utilize the whole of your biceps complex, meaning you can generally move more weight. But again, elbow positioning is key. When you go too heavy, you have to force the elbows forward of the body, which takes the emphasis off the biceps momentarily and places more stress on the anterior deltoids. Take the ego out of the equation and you put yourself in better position for high-quality reps throughout each set.
The preacher and Scott curl—the latter of which uses the flat side of the preacher pad—lock the elbows in front of the body. Curling from this angle shifts the muscular emphasis to the meaty inner head of the biceps, the one most visible when you flex in the mirror. These benches limit the amount of cheating you can do and that’s a good thing if you’re looking to hit that inner head harder.
By taking the elbows high and out, you emphasize the short, inner head again but the two-arm high cable curl has the additional benefit of training muscle in that crucial pose position. Anecdotally, bodybuilders report having better overall biceps appearance when they perform this move often because it requires a high degree of muscular control and endurance to hold this pose properly. Because mechanical advantage on this move is relatively low, it’s not really considered a mass-builder, so there’s no need to load up the plates. Keep the weight loads moderate and focus on controlled reps, pausing for 1-2 seconds at the peak on each one.
All Around Biceps Workout
Use this sample routine to ensure that you’re hitting your biceps from all angles. If you are lagging in one particular area, add one additional exercise to target that region.
Exercise
Sets
Reps
Incline Dumbbell Curl
4
8-10
Standing Barbell Curl
4
8-10
Scott Curl
4
8-10*
Two-Arm High-Pulley Cable Curl
4
12**
*Maximize the peak contraction by holding the final rep of each set for a full three seconds. **Hold the peak contraction on each rep for 1-2 seconds. After reaching initial failure on your fourth set, perform an extended drop set by going one pin lighter and repping to failure again. Repeat this process until you are out of weight plates on the stack.
