I Tried Every BICEPS Exercise and Found Out What Really Works!
In this video, we'll rank biceps exercises from best to worst for huge arms (backed by science). Find out which exercises are most effective for growing bigger biceps and getting sculpted arms. Implement these biceps exercises and you will improve your bicep growth drastically!
The exercises chosen will be rated using the following criteria:
1: EMG Studies for. Muscle Recruitment: Diving into the research looking at which exercises recruit the most muscle fibers compared to others.
2: Personal Enjoyment: How much I enjoy performing the exercise.
3: Convenience: How readily available are the exercises and the equipment needed.
4: Progressive Overload Potential: How easy or difficult is it to reliably add weight increasing the load.
Number 5: EZ Bar Curl Wide Grip (2 ½ stars out of 5)
• EZ Bar Curls are number 5 on my list, and the upside with EZ wide grip curls is that the wide grip puts less strain on your wrists due to the angled grip of the EZ bar. This makes the exercise more comfortable and can improve your grip strength. This is another bonus as it will work your forearms as well as your biceps, thus increasing grip strength and overall function.
• Another benefit of this exercise is that the angled grip allows a different ROM than a straight barbell and can target the short head of the biceps brachii.
Number 4: Cable Curls (3 stars out of 5)
• Cable Curls got Number 4 on my list. This exercise is beneficial as it provides constant resistance throughout the entire range of motion. The one downside with normal bicep curls is that is gets easier when you reach the top of the curl. Because cable curls use a pulley system, they adjust the resistance throughout the range of motion, meaning the biceps are doing the same amount of work initiating the exercise as it is at the top of the curl.
Number 3: Chin Ups (3 ½ out of 5 stars)
• Chin ups got the number 3 position on my list as they are one of the best exercises to overload your biceps. Even if you cannot perform a body weight chin up and need assistance, you will be completing the exercise moving more load than just about any other bicep exercise you can think of.
Number 2: Zottman Curls (4 out of 5 stars)
• Zottman curls are a personal favorite of mine and unfortunately, I couldn’t find any literature about EMG studies when performing this exercise. So ultimately, I couldn’t put it in the number one spot. Zottman curls target all the elbow flexors, which gives it the edge of the other exercises on this list. Because you alternate from a supinated or palm up, neutral, and pronated or palm down grip, you will work the biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis muscles respectively.
Number 1: Concentration Curls (4 1/2 stars out of 5)
• After viewing several studies comparing different alternations in curls, they all found that concentration curls give the most activation for your biceps.
• Concentration curls are great because they prevent any compensations that you may see in any of the other exercises listed above. They are a strict bicep movement when done properly and have great potential for progressive overload.
• However, these are often performed incorrectly, so you need to make sure you are performing with the correct form. Elbow position matters, if you place your elbow on top of your leg it creates a lever making the exercise much easier thus decreasing the amount of work required from your biceps. The goal of this exercise is to have a strict curling motion, so you need to place your elbow on the inside of your leg.
WORST Bicep Exercise
Bicep Pushups: I don’t think this is to any surprise. This exercise doesn’t stimulate your biceps in a manner that will result in bicep growth. Similarly, it places your wrists in a heavily extended and supinated position which can put a lot of strain on the wrist joint if you have a history of wrist issues. This exercise is still primarily working pecs and ant delts, and it could be an effective exercise for the chest. However, there are many better bicep exercises you could choose that are safer and much more effective!
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Disclaimer: To avoid any injuries or harm, make sure you check your health with your doctor before exercising. This channel offers health and fitness information. You should not rely on this information as a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. By performing any fitness exercises without supervision like with this video, you are performing them at your own risk. See a fitness or medical professional to give you advice on your exercise form. Brendon Lee Martinez will not be responsible or liable for any injury or harm you sustain as a result of this video.
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