With beach season almost here, it’s time to show off all the hard work you’ve put into your arms and upper body. While it’s great to get a comprehensive workout that hits every part of your arms, sometimes you might need a little extra help targeting specific areas like the upper bicep so you can achieve the look you want and get stronger.
In this article, we’ll briefly review the anatomy of the upper bicep before recommending five targeted workouts that will help you sculpt your upper biceps and have your arms turning heads this spring and summer!
Before you head to the gym and start hitting reps, it’s always a good idea to understand the mechanics of the muscles that you’re about to work out. Knowledge of your body helps with form and reduces the risk of getting injured while you’re exercising.
In anatomical terms, biceps are called biceps brachii, which are responsible for flexing the elbows and supinating the forearms. There are two heads on the biceps brachii: the long head and the short head. Both heads originate in your shoulder blades and converge to form the main body of the biceps, which travel all the way down the length of your arms and insert into your forearms.
When it comes to working out the upper portion of the biceps, focusing on exercises that emphasize the long head can help you achieve a more defined look and provide more overall stability to your arms.
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If you’d like to sculpt your biceps and make them stronger, try to add the following five upper bicep exercises to your workout:
The incline dumbbell curl is a great way to really zero in on the long head of your biceps. By performing curls on an incline bench, you’re specifically hitting the upper part of your bicep as opposed to normal bicep curls, which hit the whole muscle.
To perform an incline dumbbell curl, make sure to place the bench at about 55-65 degrees so your back is flat against it and you’re sitting up straight. Hold each dumbbell by your side and slowly curl them upwards until your bicep muscle is fully contracted. Lower the weight slowly to get a great burn.
You should aim to do about 3 sets of 15 reps on each arm to fully maximize your lift!
Hammer curls are awesome because they work your biceps while also engaging your brachialis muscle. The brachialis muscle is inside the bicep and contributes to overall arm thickness when properly exercised. The brachialis muscle also helps stabilize the elbow flexor, so strengthening it can help with issues like tendinitis.
To perform a hammer curl, stand or sit with the dumbbells in your hands and your palms facing each other. Alternate lifting your lower arm towards your shoulder, keeping your upper arm stationary and your wrists in line with your forearms. Hold the weight at the top of the movement for about a second before lowering it back down slowly.
Like with incline bicep curls, 3 sets of 15 should do the trick and have you on the path to thicker, more toned arms!
Concentration curls are one of the best ways to bypass any wasted movement and really focus on your upper biceps. They also work your forearms and grip, which is always an added benefit.
To do a concentration curl, sit on a bench with a dumbbell between your legs. Place your upper arm against your thigh and tighten your core so that your posture is reinforced and your body is not moving during the lift. Curl the weight up in a controlled manner, emphasizing the squeeze at the top of the movement. Lower the weight back down slowly until your arm is straight, keeping your torso in the same position the entire time.
You’ll want to do 3 sets of 8 - 12 reps per arm of concentration curls to get a good burn in and start growing those arms.
The Zottman curl is a unique variation of the bicep curl that targets both the biceps and forearms. It promotes upper arm development and works on grip and forearm strength as well. The Zottman Curl is named after the famed American strongman George Zottman, who developed the lift in the 1800s.
Begin by holding a pair of dumbbells with your palms facing upwards and curl the weights towards your shoulders like you would with a normal bicep curl. At the top of the movement, rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing away from you, then slowly lower the weights back to the starting position.
Zottman curls can be intense, so you may want to start with a lower weight than you normally would with bicep curls to hit the recommended 3 sets of 15 reps. You really want to focus on your technique with this one, as the extra movement can lead to bad form.
Chin-ups are a great way to get your upper bicep stronger and target your back at the same time! When doing a chin-up, make sure that your palms are facing towards you and your hands are shoulder-length apart. This positioning will help focus on your upper bicep as opposed to wide-grip pull-ups, which hit more of your back.
Try to pull your body weight up with mainly your bicep strength, and really squeeze the muscles as you get to the top of the rep. Hold yourself up over the bar for a moment, and lower back slowly. When performing reps of chin-ups, it’s important not to let your feet touch the floor so you can get the most out of your movement.
If you want to add some extra difficulty, try holding your body over the bar for 5 seconds between each rep. Doing so will help your arms and grip strength!
- Mike Mitchell, Gold's Gym SoCal VP of Fitness
If you’re looking for a gym around Los Angeles, from Long Beach to Santa Barbara, and want to get your upper arms stronger and more defined, our expert instructors at Gold’s Gym SoCal have you covered. Gold’s offers personal training options and a variety of high-quality strength-training equipment you can use to sculpt the arms you’ve always wanted!
Take advantage of a Free Pass to come see what Gold’s Gym is all about. If want to find a Gold’s Gym near you in SoCal, check out our many gyms located in Southern California.
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