Biceps

The biceps have often been one of the most important areas for most guys to train. The truth is, the triceps actually account for more total muscle mass in the arms, so your arm workouts should be balanced between training these two muscle groups appropriately.

Focusing too much effort on the biceps will lead to overtraining and you will not see favorable results in your overall arm development. Another thing to consider is that this muscle plays an important role in back training as well. Exercises like lat pull-downs, chinups, and rows all call upon the biceps to some extent. This is why it is easy to overtrain your biceps if you are doing too many exercises to isolate this muscle on top of any other back training you may do. Keep your workouts short but intense and remember that variety is one of the keys to biceps development. Since this muscle can really only be trained with curl movements, it is a good idea to perform as many variations as possible in order to work the muscle from various angles and maximize your results.

Barbells vs. Dumbbells

Many exercises can be performed with either a barbell (or E-Z bar) or dumbbells. There are pros and cons to each. On the one hand, dumbbells allow you to work each arm individually. This is important in achieving a balance in strength between both sides of your body. If you never use dumbbells, you will no doubt have one side that is stronger than the other, and this side will always be overcompensating for your weaker side. This problem will only get worse over time if not corrected by training each side individually. Not only does having one weaker side leave you more prone to injury, it can also cause some asymmetry in your muscle development over a longer period of time. Clearly, there are reasons to use dumbbells, but this does not necessarily mean that they should be used at all times. The advantage to using a barbell is that it forces both of your muscles to move through a fixed plane. When you are training one side at a time, it is sometimes hard not to alter your balance, shifting your weight slightly to one side in order to assist you in your lifts. This does not happen when you are using a barbell and training both arms at once. For these reasons, a smart idea is to switch your workouts on a weekly or bi-weekly basis, alternating some exercises between using a barbell or dumbbells. These principles all apply to training other bodyparts as well with any exercises that may be performed with either a barbell or dumbbells.

Barbell vs. E-Z Bar

Another option for many of the exercises on this page is to use an E-Z bar instead of a standard barbell. Studies show that curls performed with a straight barbell are slightly more effective at targeting the muscles of the biceps than the E-Z bar. The problem with using a barbell for curls is that it oftentimes leads to pain in the wrists and forearms. After performing a few sets of curls with a barbell, many people begin to experience a pain that is similar in feeling to shin splints, only it is felt in the forearms. The shape of the E-Z bar is designed to relieve this stress. If you are able to perform curls with a barbell without any pain, then it may not be a bad idea to continue to do so to get the best results possible. If you suffer from the pain described above however, as most people do, then opt for an E-Z bar instead. The marginal benefits you would receive from using a barbell are not worth the pain.

Anatomy

The biceps consist of two parts: the short head (inner portion) and long head (outer portion), hence the term biceps. When performing exercises with a barbell or E-Z bar, you can shift the effort of the movement onto each area of the muscle by altering your grip position. For example, by using a narrow grip for barbell curls, you will mainly be working the long head of the biceps. Conversely, a wide grip will focus most of the effort onto the short head of the muscle. It is best to vary your grip occasionally during your workout in order to work the muscle from new angles.



Here are some links to various exercises which can all be performed at home:

Dumbbell Curls
Barbell Curls
Concentration Curls
Preacher Curls
Hammer Curls
Reverse Incline Curls
Drag Curls
Standing Concentration Curls
Static Curls
Close-Grip Reverse Chinups


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