Building strong and well-defined biceps requires a targeted approach to ensure both the short and long heads of the muscles are properly stimulated. Many gymgoers dream of building impressive biceps. But first, it is important to understand the anatomy of the biceps so you can train accordingly for optimal development. This blog delves into different bicep exercises and more.
Understanding the Anatomy of Muscles
The bicep muscles consist of two heads: the short head and the long head. The short is the inner part, denoting the overall thickness of the bicep. On the other hand, the long head is the outer part responsible for the muscle’s peak. You are supposed to work on both these heads to promote a balanced development.
Importance of Long Head Bicep Exercises
Focusing on long head bicep exercises helps to create a taller and more peaked appearance. If you look forward to achieving the ‘bicep peak,’ you must do the bicep exercises. You can target the long head by performing these bicep exercises along with dumbbells and other equipment.
Biceps Workout Beyond Curls
Most of the gym goers and fitness freaks solely focus on bicep curls. Despite curls being valuable, it is important to do different kinds of exercises to target long heads from various angles to maximize the growth potential. You need to consider a few factors while focusing on long head bicep workout routine:
Body Position
You must keep your elbows tucked in at your sides while performing the long head exercises. It ensures the isolation of the long head to a greater degree.
Grip Width
You must ensure a narrow grip (keeping your hands together) while working out your long head biceps. This is extremely beneficial for you.
Supination
It is also essential to focus on supination (rotate your palms upwards during the curl) to engage the long head.
Best Long Head Bicep Exercises
There are different kinds of bicep workouts that you can do to target your bicep heads. But if you wish to focus on the long head, you should opt for these specific exercises and workouts. Incorporating these exercises into your daily workout routine will benefit you.
Seated Incline Dumbbell Curl
How to Do It?
- Sit back on a 45-degree inclined weight bench while holding a pair of dumbbells. Now, hang the arms down at the sides. Keep the elbows in at the sides of the body while ensuring that the palms face your body.
- Twist your wrist to make it face upward.
- Flex the left elbow and bring the dumbbell up to the shoulder. Remember to contract tightly in the top position.
- Return to the palms in position at the endpoint while lowering the arm.
- Repeat this process with your right arm, too.
Why Should You Do It?
This workout puts you in a posterior shoulder position. It enables a more complete range of biceps brachii motion than a standing position. Moreover, it effectively focuses more on the long head of your biceps.
Pro Tip
Do not let the arms rest in the bottom position on an incline bench dumbbell curl. Instead, focus on ensuring an intense contraction in the top position.
Dumbbell Drag Curl
How to Do It?
- Hold a pair of dumbbells at the sides and stand with the feet shoulder distance apart.
- Now, you should extend the elbows behind the body to let the weights hard up against your thighs.
- Drag curl weights up along the side of your body while keeping the elbows back to the full contraction.
- Squeeze your biceps tightly in the top position.
- Lower under control.
Why Should You Do It?
This is among the excellent long head bicep exercises. This workout is the strict version of the standing curl. It is beneficial for keeping tension on the biceps through mid-range movement and minimizing the front deltoid’s involvement in the movement.
By effectively enabling the elbows to track behind the body, you are supposed to achieve a powerful contraction in the top position, emphasizing the long head of the biceps. It is because pulling elbows back puts a long head in the pre-stretch position by activating it.
Pro Tip
It would be wise for you to maintain a natural arch in your lower back and never swing your back. You should drag weights up to your torso while curling them.
Seated Alternate Hammer Curl
How to Do It?
- Sit on a 75-degree inclined bench while holding dumbbells in your hand.
- Hang the arms down at the sides and maintain a neutral grip, like holding two hammers.
- Curl your right arm from the starting position while facing the arms forward. Do it with full contraction.
- Lower it under control.
- Repeat this process with your left arm.
Why Should You Do It?
As you hold the dumbbells in a neutral grip position, it effectively focuses on the long head of your biceps. You must squeeze your biceps properly in the top position to make the most out of it.
This workout is stricter than a standing curl. Since you cannot swing your lower body, your biceps need to do all the work. This is why the resistance curve for the biceps during this workout is also optimal.
Pro Tip
You should pause for a 2-second count in the top contracted position.
Neutral Grip Pull-Ups
How to Do It?
- Reach up to grab the ‘V’ handle over the pull-up bar with a neutral grip. Keep hanging from the bar while keeping your knees bent, chest up, and shoulder blades pulled down.
- Pull through the biceps to reach the bar.
- Contract the biceps tightly in the top position and power back to the start position. Take 2 seconds to lower the body while accentuating the eccentric part of this workout. It would not be advisable to swing or let the momentum allow you to make the movement easier for you.
Why Should You Do It?
This is one of the best long head bicep exercises. This pull-up workout mainly works the lats. The biceps also benefit in the process. To help your biceps more, you should place your hands closer together. Having a neutral grip, you focus more on the outer head.
Pro Tip
Focus on squeezing the shoulder blades together at the top of the movement. This will enhance the engagement of your upper back muscles in the process.
Alternate Cable Curl
How to Do It?
- Set a pulley on the double pullet cable machine at its lowest position.
- Face away from the machine while standing two feet in front of it. Grab and hold the handles with a palm-forward grip. Ensure that your hands are behind your hips.
- Curl the right-hand cable up to shoulder level. Do not swing the body while keeping the elbow at your sides. Squeeze the biceps in the top position.
- Lower under control to start position. You should take at most 2 seconds for this eccentric phase.
- Repeat this process with the left hand cable.
Why Should You Do It?
It is one of the best biceps Workout you must do for all the right reasons. This workout makes your biceps fully loaded as resistance comes from behind. This early phase loading effectively aligns with the natural strength curve of the biceps.
This exercise puts the long head in its pre-stretch position, enhancing its activation in the best way possible.
Pro Tip
You are supposed to pause at the peak contraction of each bicep curl.
Conclusion
The above-described long head bicep exercises are practical and beneficial for building your bicep. Despite all the exercises, genetics is essential to determining your muscle build-up. Having a proper diet is also crucial. Thus, all things should be well-balanced while you are looking forward to building muscle.
Consulting a professional dietician will also be beneficial in this regard. Your dietician plays a crucial role, along with your gym trainer. Do more detailed research on this.
FAQs
What are Some Best Biceps Workouts?
Some of the best bicep exercises are cable curl, concentration curl, drag curl, hammer curl, incline dumbbell curl, EZ-bar curl, etc. Each of these workouts is essential to target your bicep heads effectively.
How Often Should You Include Bicep Exercises with Dumbbells?
You need to know how often you should do such bicep bicep stretch and exercises. Ideally, 2-3 times per week is more than enough. There should be at least 48 hours of rest between sessions.
What Differentiates Long Head Bicep Exercises from Short Head Bicep Exercises?
Long head bicep workout targets the outer part of your biceps, contributing to the peak of muscles. In contrast, short head bicep exercises target the inner part of the biceps, ensuring overall size and thickness. Hence, you should choose a specific muscle workout to your need.
Can Biceps Workout Increase Your Overall Strength?
Yes, you can significantly increase your strength by biceps workouts at your convenience. It is important to follow the proper instructions while performing these exercises. The benefits of doing these exercises are immense.
