Welcome to Part 1 in our Awesome  Arm series…

Let’s start with building better biceps workout.

When you notice someone’s arms and say WOW it’s usually the bicep muscle that’s got your attention. Whether you’re wishing for arms like Madonna or Clay Matthews it’s going to take a lot of work!

Two things to keep in mind:

1) You need to be very lean in order for your muscle definition to show the way it does on some of these icons of sports and fitness. 2) Also, how much your bicep “pops” has to do with the length of the tendon which attaches it to your arm. Contract your bicep muscle and use your other hand to “measure” the distance between the crook in your elbow and where the muscle bulges. Some people can fit only one or two finger widths in that space while other people can fit 4 fingers easily. The longer the tendon the shorter and bunchier the muscle will be, so if your tendon is long it will be easier for you to get this muscle to “look big”.

OK, now let’s get started building better biceps!

  Recently, ACE Fitness conducted a research study which found that the Concentration Curl is the best exercise eliciting significantly higher muscle activation of the biceps than any other exercise tested. That being said, it isn’t the ONLY exercise you should do because it is not extremely functional. Standing while performing bicep curls is much more functional because it will cause you to engage other muscles including your core which means it will better prepare you for daily activities. You should also perform hammer curls which work the brachialis–the muscle that runs along the outside of your upper arm–which helps add a more full, shapely look to the arms. Another bicep curl variation we use at XO Fitness is a circular bicep curl which can be a little tricky to learn, but I like these because you also engage your upper back when you rotate the hands to face forward.

Build better biceps with concentration curls, hammer curls and circular bicep curls…for best results be sure to do each of these exercises until you completely fatigue the muscle (don’t just stop at 10 reps). If you can do more than 15 reps try a heavier weight next time!!

   

Like these exercises? Want to learn more?

Contact us to start personal training today! info@xofitness.com