The Science to Growing Bigger Biceps

A senior manager at Congruity, based in Pembroke, Massachusetts, Evan Loring manages large corporations’ annual budgets for information technology. An avid sportsman, Evan Loring enjoys lifting weights. 

For many weight-lifters, building large biceps is a top priority. Not only do large biceps complement a bulked-up chest, they are the default superficial mark of strength. When athletes are asked to flex a muscle, it’s often the biceps. 

The bicep muscles are located on the front upper part of the arm and are responsible for elbow flexion. They consist of two heads: the short head and the long head. The short head is the outer head that’s visible during a full contraction (moving the arm toward the shoulder). The long head is the inner muscle running below the short head. 

To grow the bicep muscle to their full mass, it is essential that bodybuilders target these two heads. The best exercises to get the job done are bicep curls, preacher curls, and incline dumbbell curls. While all of these are isolation exercises targeting the biceps alone, they enable a full extension of the bicep muscle when the weights are lowered, stretching the inner head, and concentrate tension on the upper head during contraction when the weight is lifted.