To maximize bicep size, it is best to train each head separately in various ways. Wide-Grip variations can target specific parts of the muscle while increasing time under tension can provide added challenges.
Max Posternak shares five bodyweight exercises designed to widen biceps that you can add into your workout for increased arm strength and definition. Add these bodyweight exercises into your next training session for increased arm strength and definition!
Barbell Curl
The Barbell Curl is an enduring exercise to build your biceps. When performed with wide grips, this classic workout can be especially effective at targeting the short head of biceps brachii – something most other barbell and dumbbell curl exercises fail to do effectively. Though most barbell and dumbbell curl exercises tend to target only long heads when lifting weights, targeting short heads is an effective way to create more impressive flex when lifting.
The wide-grip barbell curl works by challenging muscles to support an increased load than usual, which encourages more fiber recruitment for an increase in short head of bicep contraction and greater activation of other exercises that target lower part of biceps for complete training.
When performing this variation of the barbell curl, it’s crucial that the wrist and elbow positions remain fixed in order to avoid overloading shoulders and arms with unnecessary loads – this will allow your biceps to reach their full growth potential while protecting these vulnerable areas from injury.
Start this exercise by grasping a barbell with hands slightly wider than shoulder width apart, holding it firmly with an underhand grip (palms facing upward). Make sure your core is engaged as you keep your back straight while keeping head and neck relaxed to prevent movement of shoulders or upper back. With barbell still in hands, contract biceps slowly until elbows can no longer bend before gradually reverse the motion and return back down towards starting position, completing one rep.
Mistakes that commonly arise while performing this exercise include swinging their body to assist with moving the weight up, which deprives their biceps of its full growth potential and may even result in shoulder or arm injury. Furthermore, failing to fully curl their barbell up through its entirety robs their time under tension and contraction, thus restricting growth potential of their muscles.
Bent-Over Row
The bent-over row is an effective compound movement designed to strengthen and stretch upper back muscles such as lats and rear deltoids. Utilizing it regularly in your workouts will allow you to develop strength and size in these essential pulling muscles, providing strength-gaining benefits and an increase in size for them.
This exercise works your biceps and triceps while simultaneously strengthening your back. If this exercise is new to you, start off slowly by starting with lower rep ranges to familiarise yourself with it and improve your form.
Bent-over rows can help engage and protect the muscles in your back while also helping prevent back injuries. When performing bent-over rows correctly, it’s essential that your shoulders stay back and elbows stay close to your body; at the top of each rep it is also beneficial to squeeze your shoulder blades together, pause at the top, and pull up all the way until your sternum.
This movement can be accomplished using either barbells or dumbbells, depending on your fitness goals and based on whether or not this exercise targets only biceps.
Bent-over rowing helps develop a wide, strong back while improving posture – this makes it especially helpful for individuals who spend long hours sitting as it helps combat any hunching or slouching that often develops while sitting for too long.
Bent-over row is an excellent addition to shoulder and chest workouts as it adds balance and prevents you from overworking pressing muscles, leading to tight pecs, shoulders and a weak lower back. Adding it into your routine ensures you won’t overstress pressing muscles which could result in tight pecs, shoulders and weak lower back muscles.
There are various variations of the bent-over row. One popular technique, developed by Dorian Yates and awarded six Mr. Olympia titles during the 1990s, is called Yates rows; lifters in this variation bend their back at 45-degree angles to perform each rep. Another variation includes single arm band bent-over rows which target only certain muscles at a time on one side of their backs.
Drag Curl
Barbell drag curls are an easy and effective way to combat biceps plateau. While traditional curls rely on shoulder and core movements for proper execution, drag curls put all of the focus and tension directly on your biceps – providing an isolation exercise specifically for arms.
Drag curls should be performed properly to target both long and short heads of your biceps while also engaging your brachialis and forearms to aid with elbow flexion. As such, this movement provides an overall pump that will strengthen arm strength throughout all other workouts.
Barbell drag curling poses less of an injury risk compared to many free weight biceps isolation exercises due to the moderate amount of weight it uses and limited momentum-driven movements.
As with any exercise, performing the drag curl in an effective and controlled manner is key for optimizing time under tension and muscle growth. An easy way to do this is to slow down your repetitions; aim for 2-1-3 cadence where two seconds on the way up, one at the peak contraction point and three on lowering down back down are taken before returning weight back to its starting position.
An effective alternative to barbell drag curls is sitting on a preacher bench and performing dumbbell curls with wide grips, still hitting your biceps hard while simultaneously strengthening shoulder and forearm muscles in an additional way.
The barbell preacher curl is an ideal complement to the drag curl. You can use it to increase how much weight you can handle for high-rep sets while strengthening and conditioning your forearms. Like its counterpart, it works best when added after other heavy compound exercises that demand greater shoulder and core endurance are completed.
Wide-Grip Dumbbell Curl
If you have already mastered the classic seated dumbbell curl and want something different that will target the short head of your biceps, try the wide-grip dumbbell curl. Sit erect on an end of a flat bench with feet out in front and knees bent at about 90 degrees; start by picking up one dumbbell at a time from its wide grip, beginning by sitting erect on an end bench with feet spread out front while knees bent to about 90 degrees before beginning this method of exercises. Hold the barbell with an extremely wide grip (roughly twice your shoulder width), placing more emphasis on its inner head of biceps muscles. At the peak of each movement, rotate your arms so your palms face forward – this is known as a Zottman curl, targeting both biceps and pronator muscles simultaneously and may be beneficial for those suffering from shoulder issues. From there, slowly lower your barbell down toward your thighs until it just passes your chest; stop and squeeze those biceps before returning back to its starting position.
Perform a wide-grip dumbbell curl correctly to minimize injury. Avoid swinging the weights or using your shoulders or torso as part of the movement as this will increase stress levels and diminish effectiveness of the exercise. Instead, focus on gradually pulling up until your forearms and biceps touch and you have reached the top of the curl.
Mistakenly leaving weight hanging at the top of each rep can place undue strain on your elbows and weaken bicep activation, inflicting unnecessary strain. Furthermore, many lifters use too-wide grips that apply too much pressure on triceps and forearms; both factors may contribute to wrist pain. Therefore, it’s essential that lifters experiment with various grip widths until finding one that works for them best.
As part of your biceps training regimen, try performing some seated overhead tricep dips to work the biceps brachii and other synergistic muscles in your upper arm. This will strengthen and stabilize overall shoulder strength, helping compensate for any weakness caused by performing too many standing biceps curls.
