4 Best Biceps Exercises for Men in the Gym

According to scientists, with these movements, the muscle is activated more strongly than with any other.

Egor Khodyrev

fitness trainer
Biceps is a small muscle, relative to other superficial muscles, but very noticeable. Its main function is to bend the arms at the elbow joint. All exercises will consist of this movement.

The bicep is small and grows slowly. The gain is measured in millimeters, unlike the muscles of the back and legs, where progress is measured in centimeters. Someone has a bicep in the form of a tight ball with a peak, and someone looks like an elongated oval. It depends on genetics, but any variant of the form can be made attractive.

Put aside the sports equipment that you have prepared for pumping. Let's first find out which exercises are the best for biceps training.

What does the research say?

The American Council on Physical Exercise and the American Training Monitoring Organization commissioned scientists from the University of Wisconsin Lacrosse to find out which exercise activates the biceps the most.

The researchers recruited 16 female and male volunteers and conducted an analysis using a wireless electromyography device that measures muscle activity. Before the study, each subject was tested for understanding the technique of exercises.

The results showed that the concentrated biceps lift was in the first place. The second place is shared by bending the arms in a crossover and pulling up with a narrow reverse grip. Next comes the bending of the arms with a barbell.

Top Best Biceps Exercises for Men

1. To get the most out of biceps workouts, I'll give you some recommendations.
2. Train your biceps no more than twice a week. This is a small muscle that gets tired quickly. Frequent training will only slow down growth.
3. If you train the biceps separately, the optimal workout will consist of two or three exercises of four sets for 10-15 repetitions. The weight of the load is 70-80% of your maximum for one repetition.

Biceps exercises are perfectly combined with training the pectoral or triceps.

Concentrated lifting

Technique of execution

• Sit on a bench and grab a dumbbell. With the elbow of this hand, rest on the leg. The elbow is tightly pressed against the leg.
• As you exhale, bend your arm at the elbow, lifting the dumbbell to the maximum. The elbow should not come off the leg.
• While inhaling slowly, unbend your arms to the starting position.
• It is important to avoid jerks and do the exercise at a slow pace.

Perform three or four sets of 10-15 repetitions. Take a rest between sets of one to two minutes.

Flexion in the crossover

Technique of execution

• Grab the handle and take a few steps so that the crossover cable is in a tight state. Grip – at a distance of shoulder width.
• Bring the chest forward, and lower the shoulder blades down and fix them in this position throughout the exercise. This is necessary in order to avoid unnecessary movements in the shoulder blades, shoulders and back.
• The elbows are fixed in one position and tightly pressed against the body.
• With a powerful exhalation movement, bend your arms at the elbows, lifting the handle with the rope to the trunk to the top of the chest.
• Lock in this position for a second.
• As you exhale, slowly straighten your arms with the handle to the starting position.
• Do the exercise without rocking your back.

Perform three or four sets of 10-15 repetitions. Take a rest between sets of one to two minutes.

Pull-ups with a narrow reverse grip

Technique of execution

• Grab the horizontal bar with your hands at a distance less than shoulder width with a reverse grip.
• Bring the chest forward, and lower the shoulder blades down and fix them in this position throughout the exercise.
• With a powerful exhalation movement, bend your arms at the elbows, pulling up.
• Do the movement by bending the arms, straining the biceps. It is important not to reach the crossbar with your chest to minimize the work of the back muscles.
• As you exhale, gently lower yourself to the starting position until your arms are fully extended.

Perform three or four sets of 10 times. Take a rest between sets of one to two minutes.

Bending with a barbell while standing

Technique of execution

• Grab the projectile with a grip at a shoulder-width distance. The elbows are fixed in one position and tightly pressed against the body.
• Bring the chest forward, and lower the shoulder blades down and fix them in this position throughout the exercise. This is necessary in order to avoid unnecessary movements in the shoulder blades, shoulders and back.
• On exhalation, bend your arms at the elbows, lifting the barbell to the trunk. Lock in this position for a second.
• As you exhale, slowly lower the barbell to the starting position.
• Do the exercise without rocking your back.

Perform three or four sets of 10-15 repetitions. Take a rest between sets of one to two minutes.

If you want to get strong biceps, follow the correct technique of performing exercises, choose an adequate weight, use a low repetition rate and feel the tension of the biceps during the exercise.