Body-for-Life-Biceps-Training.pdf

THE CLASSIC SYMBOL OF A POWERFUL PHYSIQUE

Biceps

T he bicep muscles are crucial for

pulling and lifting movements you

perform constantly throughout

the day. But perhaps the most compelling

reason to train your biceps is the almost

immediate effect you see in the mirror. The

bicep muscles, when flexed, are the classic

symbol of a powerful physique.

can easily watch yourself in the mirror

and see the biceps swell enormously

under the strain. We promise you’ll

enjoy training these muscles—and

showing them off.

burn, you have to isolate the biceps

by paying strict attention to form.

Variety is also key here. By performing

a variety of exercises, you’ll emphasize

different areas of the biceps, creating

a fuller, rounder shape. You’ll also

force your body to keep adapting to the

changing types of stress. This means

your biceps get bigger faster.

It is important to remember to focus on

form and smooth, controlled movement.

Resist the temptation to use your body

weight for leverage when performing

curls. To create a growth-producing

The biceps are also the most visible muscle

to train. When you curl a weight, you

1 alternate dumbbell curls

When performing a high-intensity weight routine, include exercises that

stretch the muscles. This exercise is great for stretching the biceps and for

overall biceps development.

Starting Position: Either stand upright, or

sit on an incline bench holding a dumbbell in

each hand. Keep your shoulders square and your

chest up. Press your upper back and shoulders

against the bench. Let your arms hang downward

with your palms facing each other.

MID-POINT

The Exercise: Slowly curl the weight in your

right hand out and up to shoulder level, while

turning your wrist so that your little finger is on

the inside and your thumb is on the outside.

Contract the muscle as hard as you can at the

top, then slowly lower the weight back to the

starting position while, at the same time,

raising the weight in your left hand.

TIP

DON’T LET…

your shoulders creep up off the

bench. This allows you to use

your body for leverage, and may

cause neck strain.

MID-POINT

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2 barbell curls

This is the classic biceps exercise of all time, and rightly so: performed correctly,

this exercise will help you develop overall size in the biceps.

Starting Position: With your hands

shoulder-width apart, grip a barbell with an

underhand grip. Stand up straight with shoulders

squared and with feet shoulder-width apart. Let

the bar hang at arm’s length in front of you, with

your shoulders, arms and hands in a straight line.

The Exercise: Without leaning back or

swinging the weight, curl the bar up toward your

chest in an arc. Keep your elbows stationary and

close to your sides. Bring the weight up as high

as you can, and focus on holding the contraction

at the top. Lower the weight slowly along the

same path, resisting all the way down until your

arms are nearly straight but you can still feel a

contraction in the biceps.

TIP

during the curl. This will move the focus

of the exercise away from the biceps and

onto the front deltoids.

TIP

to lean too far back or swing the weight.

Make it a habit to stand tall and move

the weight in a slow and controlled

motion.

START/FINISH

MID-POINT

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DON’T LIFT YOUR ELBOWS…

RESIST THE TEMPTATION…

“The meaning of life

is to live a meaningful life.”

3 preacher curls

The pad on the preacher-curl bench forces you to keep your elbows stationary, as well as

giving you a stable base for the exercise. If the EZ curl bar places too much strain on your

wrists, try using dumbbells for this exercise and training one arm at a time.

Starting Position: Use a preacher-curl

bench and an EZ curl bar. It’s crucial that the seat

on the preacher-curl bench be adjusted to the

right height. When you sit, the seat should not be

so low that the shoulders are elevated nor so high

that you’re hunched over the pad. Grasp the EZ

curl bar using a shoulder width grip.

The Exercise: Curl the barbell upward in an

arc. As you begin, be careful not to lurch or rock

the weight to get it moving. The goal is to make

the exercise hard on the biceps, not to use the

deltoids and give the biceps a free ride. Curl the

bar towards your chin, but keep in mind that the

resistance is greater at the beginning than at the

end. If the resistance starts to let up, you’ve gone

too far. Concentrate on the eccentric part of the

exercise, lowering the bar slowly and resisting all

the way.

MID-POINT

TIP

to use your upper body for leverage,

try doing the exercise from a standing

position, leaning over the pad with

your legs stretched out behind you

so that your whole body is in a

straight line.

START/FINISH

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TO MAKE IT HARDER…

4 concentration curls

This one really isolates the “peak” of the biceps. You need to concentrate on the

contraction of the biceps and on strict form to make the exercise effective.

START/FINISH

MID-POINT

Starting Position: Seated on the end of a

bench, spread your legs apart into a “V” and lean

forward slightly. Grasp a dumbbell in one hand

with your palm facing upward. Rest your elbow

on the inside of your thigh and let the dumbbell

hang. Rest your other hand on the top of your

opposite thigh for support.

The Exercise: Slowly curl the weight up,

keeping the torso, upper arm and elbow still.

As you lift, twist your wrist so that your little

finger turns toward your body. Contract the

muscle hard at the top of the curl, then lower

the weight slowly. Resist the weight all the

way down until your arm is nearly straight,

but you can still feel a slight contraction

in the biceps.

TIP

not to use your upper body to

“swing” the weight up. Lower the

amount of weight if you need to

so you can focus on correct form.

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BE CAREFUL…

“Quality only happens

when we care enough

to do our very best.”

5 cable curls

This is a great exercise for finishing off your biceps workout. Lying flat on the floor ensures

that your whole body remains in a straight line throughout the exercise so you can’t “cheat.”

Starting Position: Grasp a short straight

bar attached to the high-cable pulley in both

hands, using an underhand grip. Lie flat on your

back in front of the weight stack, with your feet

flat against the frame of the Universal machine.

Yo u r l e gs should be straight, not bent. Let the

bar rest on your thighs. Your arms should be

slightly bent.

The Exercise: Without moving your elbows,

curl the bar slowly up toward your chest, pause to

contract fully at the top. Slowly lower back to the

starting position.

START/FINISH

MID-POINT

TIP

Do not “cheat”by bending your knees, lifting your head

and shoulders off the ground, or lifting your elbows.

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KEEP YOUR BODY IN A STRAIGHT LINE.

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