Biceps Peak: Exercises and Training Program for Lagging Biceps Peak

June 26, 2021 Admin Home page » Tips and tricks

Find out how to make the top of your biceps look impressive under a T-shirt, important tips and tricks for pumping up your biceps.

The muscles in our body develop unevenly, it depends on genetics and training methods; sooner or later the question arises of tightening up a specific muscle group so that it does not lag behind others.

For example, if the deltoids are lagging behind, in addition to the traditional dumbbell press, add dumbbell flyes to the sides; if these are the upper pectoral muscles, then you should include an incline bench press in the training program; if the hamstrings are lagging behind, add leg curls.

But as soon as it comes to the biceps, the task becomes more complicated , the spectacular top of the biceps depends on the short head , and it is hidden under the outer one. The short one is closer to the body, which is why it is called internal, and the long one is outside the arm, which is why it is called external.

The main thing when working on biceps is the width of the grip; the wider the grip, the more the short head is involved in the work; the narrower it is, the stronger the outer one.

Also, the position of the arms is of no small importance; the more you extend your arms when working with a barbell or dumbbells, the more the outer part of the biceps works; the less it extends, the more the emphasis shifts to the inner section.

Below we will outline important rules for targeted training of the short head of the biceps:

Properly distribute the load between days

I will say right away that the biceps belongs to small muscle groups, so it will recover faster than large muscles such as the back, chest and legs. Therefore, you can train your biceps more often and more intensely.

But this does not mean that you can pump it up almost every day; you shouldn’t load your biceps on Monday, your back on Tuesday, and your biceps again on Wednesday; your arms won’t have time to fully recover, since any exercises on the back put a lot of stress on your arms.

If you train your arms 2 times a week, during the first workout, pay attention to heavy basic exercises for the short and long sections of the biceps, and devote the second session exclusively to isolated exercises for the internal section. In addition, change the position of the grip, hands, inclinations of the bench, use more variety so that the exercises in 2-unit workouts are not repeated.

How to properly pump up your biceps

The size of the muscle group called the biceps is quite small. Therefore, training can be frequent, approximately every three to four days, that is, twice a week. When thinking about how to properly pump up your biceps at home, seriously think about purchasing dumbbells - with them you will achieve your goal. When working out in the gym, these muscles should be worked alternately: in one workout, pay attention to them after exercises for the back, and the next time, work out the biceps together with a small muscle group in order to work it out as much as possible.

Biceps structure:

Intrinsic (short major) muscle
External (longus minor) muscle

Biceps are two bundles of muscle tissue. The bundle located inside consists of a tendon and a bulky muscle. The external bundle has a long ligament, and the volume of muscle tissue is smaller compared to the internal one. From this we can conclude that the internal bundle is more developed. It easily connects to work, taking on a significant amount of load.

Exercises to develop the inner head of the biceps:

Standing barbell or dumbbell curl
Lifting barbells or dumbbells on a Scott bench

Exercises to develop the outer head of the biceps:

Lifting the barbell for biceps while standing with a close grip with your elbows behind your back
Lifting dumbbells while lying on an incline bench or horizontal bench
Parallel grip dumbbell raises (hammers)

The muscles related to the forearm should not be ignored. If you forget about them, it is impossible to effectively load your biceps. They are responsible for holding the dumbbells in their hands. If they are weak, then you will have to reduce the weight of the projectile. And reducing the weight of the projectile will negatively affect the load. Some beginners in the gym try to work with heavy weights, hoping for a good result for the biceps, but due to a weak forearm, the muscles of the back, legs, and shoulders are involved in the action - and the tension is dispersed into several muscle groups. And naturally, the desired result cannot be achieved this way.

Technology ensures efficiency. It is necessary to strictly follow the training rules. This is the only way to feel the muscle and not risk your health, because poor technique often leads to injury.

Pump up your biceps after your back

This is an excellent solution to the problem when immediately after the back there is a load on the biceps. Typically, all traction exercises are basic, so the arms receive a serious load, which involves all the muscles.

Therefore, after training your back, you should finally train your arms in order to maximize muscle hypertrophy and bring the sensation to complete muscle failure.

Just don’t try to do the opposite, biceps, and then rows for the back, otherwise you will somehow work your back, the strength will drop, and the grip will weaken.

Concentration on the inside

It will not be possible to isolate the load separately and direct it 100% to the short muscle, but you can specifically pump the internal area and raise the top of the biceps using different grips, inclination angles and different body positions.

After you have done a heavy basic exercise with standing arm curls, it’s time to concentrate the maximum load on the internal area, this is achieved through curling on the Scott bench, bending on the upper block and bending on the lower block.

Set the weight so that you can perform 10 repetitions, try to use a different angle of inclination and body position each time so that the muscles receive a varied load, this will allow you to constantly load different muscle areas, all this will lead to an increase in volume.

The best exercises to peak

With a barbell

The barbell is the best equipment for strongmen who already have a sufficient level of skill and experience to train with heavy weights.

In this case, adherence to technique is especially important, since it is not only the key to effective training, but also reduces the risk of possible injuries.

Barbell exercises and biceps exercises are synonymous. Most often, training for biceps with this apparatus involves lifting a barbell from a standing or sitting position.

This exercise may have nuances, they are listed below.

Tricks when dealing with a barbell to pump up your biceps:

Standing. You need to straighten your back, lower your shoulders, and bring your shoulder blades together. The arms should be placed along the body, the elbows pressed to the sides. As you exhale, raise the barbell to your shoulders. After holding for 2-3 seconds in the upper position, you need to smoothly lower the projectile down while inhaling.
Sitting. Everything is performed similarly to the previous exercise, only you can sit on a bench and rest the barbell on your hips in the starting position.
Standing with a reverse grip. Place your feet shoulder-width apart and place your palms in a narrow reverse grip. The barbell should be lifted while exhaling, bending the elbows, and lowering while inhaling.

Do 3-4 sets of 10-15 repetitions. This exercise is the same despite the variations, so it is easy to perform: you only need to remember one technique to do each element of the workout correctly.

On the horizontal bar

Pumping biceps on the horizontal bar is very effective and accessible to everyone. She is the best option for beginners.

Low bar pull-ups

This exercise helps to pump up the short head of the biceps in the shortest possible time.
Pull-up stages:

Starting position: hanging on a low bar, heels on the ground, arms straight, back straight, neck relaxed. The head should not be thrown back.
As you exhale, bend your elbows and rise up, touching the bar with your chest. The body should remain straight, like a string.
As you inhale, lower yourself down. It is necessary to linger for a few seconds at the top and bottom to better work the muscles.

It is recommended to do at least 2-3 sets of 25-30 body lifts.

Close grip pull-ups

The exercise on a high bar must be performed with caution so as not to damage the joints.

You need to do the following:

Starting position: hanging on a high horizontal bar, hands placed at a distance of 10-15 centimeters from each other with the back of the hand facing up - “facing” the crossbar.
Exhale – lifting the body upward with one strong sharp bend of the elbows. It is necessary that the chin is higher than the metal tube of the projectile.
As you inhale, you should return to the starting position, lowering yourself down.

Perform at least three sets of 15-18 pull-ups.

Push ups

Diamond push-ups

The exercise received such a beautiful name due to the peculiarity of placing the hands on the floor.

The tips of the thumbs and forefingers should be connected, and the palms should form a triangle, reminiscent of a cut diamond in shape.

The execution technique is as follows:

Take a lying position. The palms are connected into a “diamond”. The torso is tense, the legs are firmly on the floor.
As you exhale, pressing your elbows as close as possible to your body, you need to bend your arms and lower yourself down, trying to almost touch your chest to the floor.
After holding for a few seconds in the lower position, you need to slowly rise while inhaling.

It is recommended to perform 2-4 sets of 15-20 push-ups. If you lack skill, it is better to go shallow, but do not neglect the number of repetitions.

Biceps push-ups

This performance differs from the “classic” one in the distribution of body weight: you need to lean forward a little so that the bulk of the body “passes” onto your arms.

Features and Technique:

Palms stand at a distance of 15-20 centimeters from each other. The elbows are pressed tightly to the body.
As you exhale, you need to lower yourself down as low as possible, preferably touching your chest to the floor. Stay in this position for 3-4 seconds.
Rise up while inhaling, straightening your arms.

Do 2-3 sets of 18-20 repetitions. If you feel strong enough, you can try doing push-ups on one arm.

With dumbbells

On Scott's bench

You can use this exercise bench to support your arms (shoulder and forearm) to do elbow curls more effectively.

This exercise allows you to specifically pump up the lower biceps.

If you don’t have such equipment, you can put your hand on a regular bench if you lift it and set it at an angle to the floor of 45-50°.

Execution steps:

Starting position: forearms are placed on a bench shoulder-width apart, with a dumbbell in each hand. The neck is relaxed, the shoulder blades are connected.
As you exhale, bend your arm, and as you inhale, lower the apparatus.

All actions must be performed very slowly in order to properly work out each muscle.

Perform three sets of 18-20 curls.

Concentrated one-arm lift

It is advisable to do the exercise alternately with one hand or in sets of 20 times on the right and left biceps.
You need to do the following:

Starting position: sitting, back straight, body slightly tilted forward, feet hip-width apart. The free hand rests on the knee, the hand with the projectile hangs from the hip.
As you exhale, lift the dumbbell to your shoulder, linger at the top point, feeling the muscle tension.
As you inhale, lower the projectile down without sudden movements.

Do 3-4 sets of 15-18 or 2-3 sets of 25 reps.

Hammer curls

This exercise is the best assistant for pumping up the chest, triceps, shoulders, forearms, hands and even fingers.
But the main function of this complex is training with dumbbells, which allows you to quickly pump up your lower biceps.

Stages of performing the “hammer”:

Standing or sitting on a bench, the back is straight, the shoulder blades are brought together, the shoulders are lowered, the arms with dumbbells are located along the sides.
It is necessary to bend your elbows and lift the dumbbell to chest level so that it is vertical in the air (you should use a neutral grip).
After staying at the top for three seconds, you need to smoothly lower the projectile down. The more repetitions, the better.

The minimum recommended is to perform 2-3 sets of 20-25 dumbbell lifts.

Lifting with a turn

If you don’t know how to pump up the peak of your biceps, this exercise is especially for you.
It consists of the following steps:

Starting position: standing or sitting on a bench. The dumbbell should be held with a reverse grip (palm up). Feet - shoulder width apart. The body is straight, the head does not lean forward or throw back.
As you exhale, begin to lift the projectile; at chest level, you need to turn the hand towards you through the outer edge of the palm.
Lower the limb down in a straight path without twisting.

You can perform the exercise with both hands at the same time or alternately.

To maximize the effect of the biceps exercise, you should perform 2-3 sets of 20 repetitions.

Don't be afraid to improve your exercises

On the same Scott bench, lifting is usually done using an E-shaped bar; introduce variety using a straight bar, dumbbells, and kettlebell. The usefulness of the kettlebell lies in the fact that it rotates a little in the hand and the weight hits the biceps, while reducing the load on the forearm.

Please note, when you lift a dumbbell, you usually take it in the center of the handle, this is convenient, but to shift the load on the inside of your arm, take an external grip, that is, so that your grip rests on the plate closer to the outside of the dumbbell, so that when bending your arm, you feel the load shifting to internal area.

Try setting the gymnastics bench at an angle of 45 degrees, lie on it with your chest and perform arm curls, for example with dumbbells, you will immediately feel how almost the entire load goes to the top of the biceps.

Use training to failure

Choosing the right list of exercises for training your arms is only 70% successful; to get the maximum benefit, you need to use a variety of types and training methods. They should be used in the last 1-2 approaches of the exercise; the most common ones used for pumping up large arms are:

Drop sets - they are also called stepped sets, the principle is simple, lift the weight for 10-8 repetitions, then reduce the weights by 25% and do 10-8 repetitions again without rest, then reduce it by 25% and squeeze the same 10-8 repetitions. Continue until muscle pain prevents you from performing a single bend, and the weight in your hands is minimal. The weight at the end may be 2-3 kg, and you will not be able to do a single repetition.

Try biceps training in crossovers using a cable, they are easy to reduce weight.

Partial repetitions - the essence of the method is this: perform a full curl with a barbell or dumbbell, then extend your arm only halfway and bend it again, and do this until the end of the approach. This method concentrates on peak contractions in the muscles and more weight can be taken.

The forcing method is the famous forced repetitions, when the last repetitions were given with enormous effort, you, with the help of a partner, go beyond the pain in the muscles, the partner helps you lift the barbell, slightly pushing it, in the place where you stopped, entering the dead center, lower it you weight yourself, slowly, concentrating on the muscles being trained.

Pumping – take a very light weight, about 20-30% of your maximum weight, with which you can do only 1 repetition. So, with this small weight, perform up to 20 repetitions, then resting for no more than 1 minute, again do another 1-2 approaches. You will immediately feel how your muscles fill up and increase in volume.

The principle of the reverse pyramid - perform 1-2 warm-up approaches and immediately set a heavy weight with which you can perform a maximum of 6 repetitions and no more. Then, after resting, reduce the weight so that you can do 8 repetitions, then 10 and 12. That is, you start not by increasing the weight, but by decreasing it, coming from the opposite side of the approach.

Apply these important tips and the question of how to raise the upper biceps will become irrelevant, you will increase your upper biceps, making it powerful and voluminous.

Biceps training program with dumbbells

Standing dumbbell curl	4x10-12
Hammer with dumbbell	4x10-12
Desk Curl (Scott Bench)	3x10-12
Concentrated biceps curls	3x10-12

To increase mass, repeat the movement 10 to 12 times in one set. Choose a weight that you cannot repeat with any more.