5 Exercises to Build Big Arms (Fast)

The greatest champions of professional bodybuilding are known and ranked for the size and shape of their biceps.

In bodybuilding history, some of the most impressive biceps belong to:

• Arnold Schwarzenegger
• Dorian Yates
• Larry Scott
• Ronnie Coleman
• Roelly Winklaar

How did these guys achieve the best biceps? Through workout. Some of which are harder than others.

Anatomy of a bicep

One of the reasons that some people fail to achieve the biceps that they want is that they lack a good understanding of its anatomy.

The bicep is made of 3 parts-the main bicep muscle (biceps brachii), brachialis, and the brachioradialis.

The brachii makes up the arm’s main bump and is made up of one short head and one long head that forms the upper portion of the arm. The former is the outer biceps, while the latter is the inner part.

The muscles located on the side of the arm, which are the brachioradialis and the brachialis, connect the forearms’ main bicep muscle. The former runs along the forearm, while the latter sits under the bicep.

To achieve huge biceps, you must train all the muscles that makeup and are associated with the body part. Don’t just focus on the brachii, which is a mistake many commits.

Biceps are used to:

• Move the hand toward the shoulder (elbow flexion)
• Rotate the palm upward (elbow supination)
• Shoulder flexion or transverse flexion

Ready to get started?

It may seem intimidating and overwhelming to try to get huge biceps, but you won’t get anywhere if you let fear overcome you.

Moreover, the best bicep exercises are not necessarily designed to kill you at the end of your workout session.

Take it from Dorian Yates who claimed he had weak biceps but had one of the best when he was at his peak. His arms measured over 21 inches in contest shape and he built them following a pretty basic routine.

What he does is 1 set of each at 6-8 reps:

• Incline Dumbbell Curls
• EZ Bar Curls
• Nautilus Curls

What’s so hard about these?

Of course, to get the most out of every workout session, you must follow the proper form and get professional guidance when available.

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Best exercises recommended for building biceps

Incline Dumbbell Curl

This type of workout allows you to achieve a full range of motion and maximal stretch. It adds definition and size on your biceps, too.

For an amazing pump, use less amount of weight but adhere to the proper form strictly.

The 45-degree inclined position of the bench puts more pressure on your biceps’ long head muscles, resulting in more definition. If you feel like you need to exert more effort to perform the exercise, lighten the load.

The goal is to put your biceps muscles under tension for a longer period and give your arm a great burnout movement.

Decline dumbbell curls

This is the routine you need to do when you want to bulk up your biceps and improve your grip strength. Because there’s no weight running through your core muscles and legs, you can isolate your biceps. To target different parts of your arms, change up your grip.

To get the best out of this exercise, set the bench to a 45-degree incline and then lie chest down against it.

When you perform the curl, make sure to bend your elbows but keep your upper arms steady., As the dumbbell reaches top movement, pause before you lower it back to the starting position.

Hammer curl

This is the bicep exercise you need to create the illusion of a peak. It will develop the brachialis as you flip the dumbbell on its side because more work is transferred from your biceps to this particular arm muscles, which happen to be the elbow’s strongest flexor.

Because the muscles comprise much of the lower biceps area, hammer curls will help fill out your biceps’ lower portion and provide overall thickness. Fully developed, your biceps will look like there is a tennis ball stuck between the biceps and triceps.

EZ bar curl

An EZ-bar with an undulating handle is the tool you need to get bigger biceps. Between a barbell or dumbbell, it is more effective in stimulating muscle activation, based on a study in the Journal Of Life And Environmental Sciences.

No wonder Dorian Yates made this exercise a part of his bicep workout routine.

If an EZ-bar is not available, however, substitute it with a barbell instead.

Now, to achieve the best results, perform the EZ bar curl with the following in mind:

• Maintain a strong wrist position.
• Make your biceps do all the work. At the top of a move, squeeze them hard.
• Keep your elbows tight to your side.
• Keep your shoulders back (retracted) when doing EZ-bar curl standing up or sitting down.
• Hold your head high through the set.

Zottman Curl

This exercise is named after strongman George Zottman. He used 22.5 kg of weights.

While other bicep exercises only hit one or two of the major muscles that make up the biceps, the Zottman Curl works out all three–the brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis. This is because the routine requires you to rotate your grip from underhand to overhand.

For optimum results, make sure to pause at the top of the movement. When you rotate your grip, do so slowly. Count 3 to 5 beats before you lower the weight to maintain a slow pace.

It is recommended that you choose weights that will allow you to maintain a slow movement. Otherwise, you’ll drop them too fast, rendering the routine ineffective.

Maximise every set and rep

Defined and bulked-up biceps don’t happen overnight. But you can hasten up the process when you warm up before you work hard to build bigger biceps.

Learn proper breathing techniques for different routines. It would also help if you rest between sets for 30 to 60 seconds and to change up your workout.

Whatever you do, always speak to a professional trainer. How else can you achieve the biceps that rival the pros?