In the early periods when you start exercising your body, in response to completely new stimuli, reacts by increasing muscle mass with a certain speed and ease.
Inevitably, however, over time this process will slow down to a stalemate and it is precisely at that moment that you will absolutely need to know the basics of bodybuilding if you want to continue growing.
To gain muscle mass the focus will have to shift from “what you do” to ” how you do it “.
Since the biceps are one of the most popular muscles in the world of bodybuilding, we have therefore decided to write you four useful tips to maximize their volume.
Also Read: Gaining Muscle Mass
Tip # 1: Do isolation exercises
In order to grow, the biceps need to work constantly from the first to the last repetition. This means that even in the last repetitions, the muscle needs to work in isolation, without therefore being helped by other complimentary muscle groups.
An example? When doing a standing barbell curl, hunching your back and moving your elbows forward will take a lot of the work off your shoulders and this is certainly not the way to work your biceps in isolation.
A good way to solve this problem can be to rest your back and elbows against the wall and focus on staying in this position constantly throughout the entire exercise.
Another good isolation tool for the biceps is the Scott bench (which should however be used sparingly because it generates considerable stress on the joints).
Alternatively, working with one arm at a time can allow us to better control the isolation of the muscle throughout the entire exercise.
Tip # 2: Increase the work progressively
Doing the exact same work with the same weights over and over will get you nowhere. The biceps, like all other muscles, need to work progressively in an increasingly intense way.
How can you do it? Following one of these methodologies:
- Increasing the weight whenever possible (but keeping the focus on technique)
- Adding series
- By adding repetitions
- Doing negative reps once failure is achieved
- Shortening the recoveries
- By increasing the weekly training frequency
Only with these techniques will you be able to constantly increase the work on the muscles, forcing them to adapt to new stimuli and consequently to grow.
Also Read: How To Increase Bicep Size Without Weights
Tip # 3: Work with pumping
Adding sets of ” pumping ” coming to failure at the end of your workout will not only give you immediate feedback in terms of muscle volume but will also be of great benefit to your biceps. This technique brings significant benefits to the muscle, significantly increasing the direct blood flow to the affected area, and more blood equals greater nourishment for the muscle groups.
For pumping techniques, the best exercises are certainly the work on the cables, having the considerable advantage of maintaining constant muscle tension throughout the movement.
But muscle failure is a double-edged sword. To use it correctly and enjoy its benefits
Tip # 4: Vary your placements
The positioning is not only the general one (standing, sitting, lying, etc.) but also the positioning of the elbows and even the hands are of particular importance.
The way you grasp the dumbbell can greatly affect the workload on the affected district.
Grasping the dumbbell with the thumb in contact with the lateral part (therefore with the weight unbalanced) puts greater intensity on the work of the biceps during the curls; the hammer grip emphasizes the work of the brachialis and forearm; widening the grip in the barbell curl increases the work of the short head of the bicep.
In the same way, positioning the elbows behind the back (eg curl on an incline bench) will increase the elongation of the muscle and consequently the tension against it. Working with the elbows placed in front of the torso (eg spider curl) will emphasize the work of the short head of the bicep.
Working the biceps in all positions is certainly the best way to stimulate it completely.
Also Read: Practical Guide On How To Train At Home Without Going To The Gym
How to Get Biceps at Home in 1 week | Video Explanation
Conclusions
So now you know a lot more about biceps training (if you want to know more about how to gain muscle mass we also recommend Gaining Muscle Mass: The Ultimate Guide ). All you have to do is go back to the gym and move from theory to practice. Your muscles will thank you!
Hi, I am Matt Storace and I am a former personal trainer and founder of Beast Biceps. We had to find ways to train at home. When I started looking for the equipment I needed, I quickly realized that there were no good resources online. So I created Beast Biceps. It is a treasure trove of information developed from my experience and research. Read More Here
