Introduction

The biceps are arguably the most popular muscle in the body for male bodybuilders. This is why bicep curls follow as one of the most popular exercises. But, what many athletes may not know is that there are many different variations of curling exercises. In fact, each variation is better for activating different areas of the biceps brachii muscle.

This is because the biceps brachii muscle has two heads, hence the ‘bi’ fixture at the start of the name. As such, each head has a slightly different action on the arm and is better activated with different exercises.

One of the elements of this muscle that many lifters want to develop is the ‘peak,’ or the topmost part of the flexed bicep. The part that forms this shape is the outer, long head of the bicep. So, when looking to improve the ‘peak’ of the arms, then both the development of the bicep and targeting of the long head is necessary.

So, below, the top five best exercises to help develop upper arm mass and stimulate the long head of the bicep are given.

#1: Incline Bench Curls

Targeted Muscle: Long Head of the Biceps Brachii

One of the main differences between the long and short head of the biceps is that the long head stretches across the shoulder joint. This means that to optimally stimulate this head, you need to stretch the shoulder joint behind the body.

By sitting on an incline bench and placing the arms at an angle behind the body, this places more emphasis on the outer head of the biceps. This will then allow for better peak development.

#2: Lying Curls

Targeted Muscle: Long Head of the Biceps Brachii

This exercise is a good progression from the incline bench curls. But, it is more difficult due to the larger stretch placed on the shoulder and bicep because of a greater angle.

Also, this greater angle usually means that less weight can be lifted than in conventional curling. This could impact some aspects of muscle growth. There is also an increased risk of injury. But, with regular exercise variation and progression this exercise can make a good addition to your training program.

#3: Dumbbell Hammer Curls

Targeted Muscle: Short Head of the Biceps Brachii, Brachialis

While this exercise may not be the best for targeting the long head of the biceps, it is a great movement for stimulating growth in the brachioradialis, which sits under the long head and can push the 'peak’ higher when flexed.

Another benefit of this exercise is that it is usually the one in which lifters can move the most weight. Because the amount of tension placed on the muscles key to its development, this is a significant perk and a good reason to make sure hammer curls are included in your arm workout.

#4: Barbell Curls

Targeted Muscle: Long Head of the Biceps Brachii, Short Head of the Biceps

Just like hammer curls, barbell curls allow a lot of weight to be lifted and a high amount of tension to be placed on both the long and short head of the biceps, making this a good all round exercise to grow the arms.

To avoid placing too much tension on the short inner head of the bicep, make sure that your arms are shoulder width apart and to use a straight barbell if possible.

#5: Rotating Body-Crossing Dumbbell Curls

Targeted Muscle: Long and Short Head of the Biceps Brachii

Another aspect separating them long head from the short head of the biceps is that the long head is also involved in rotating the arm outwards. So, by using exercises that cause the arm to externally rotate as well as curl will place more stress on the outer head.

Crossing the dumbbell across the body while rotating the head outwards will help further develop the long head while also providing stimulation to the short head for good overall bicep stimulation.

Conclusion

While all the above exercises are good for bicep growth on their own, the best approach for maximizing arm do is to include a mixture of these movements and vary them across a program. This allows for greater muscle damage, stimulation of more muscle fibers and prevents training plateaus.

Nutrition is also an important factor, ensuring you are taking in enough protein as well as other anabolic supplements, like those from Olympus UK SARMS, can help maximize muscle growth in your arms and help build a great bicep peak.

---

Richie Hedderman started Hurricane Fitness in 2011. Starting out as a Boxer at the age of 11 and winning County, Provincial, National and International medals in Boxing, he began running fitness classes and personal training. 

Since then he has gone on to work alongside Olympic, World and European Champions and has trained many clients, both at home and abroad, with a wide range of goals and needs.

You can find him on his website; hurricanefitnessireland.com or on his facebook or Instagram page

STEROIDS

1. Undeniable Results 

2. Post-Cycle Downside  

3. Side Effects 

NATURAL 

4. Health 

5. Slow Results 

Final Thoughts 

FOR MUSCLE GAIN

FOR MUSCLE GROWTH

CREATINE -  Creatine is one of the most researched supplement out there. This is definitely the one you should be considering investing in. Creatine is not a steroid, it's not going to give you huge muscles by taking it, basically all it does is it's going to give you more strength and power in the gym which will help your performance and hopefully will get you more muscles for the long run, but just by taking it you're not going to get muscles obviously. So, throw on that out there just a little disclaimer.

WHEY PROTEIN - Something that helps you gaining the daily protein which a lot of people are having trouble with. Consuming enough protein is key if you wanna stay healthy let alone reach your fitness goals. It helps in protein synthesis ( which is muscle growth basically ) and also helps you improve your strength gains. On average if you are trying to

maintain your physique you only need about 1 gram of protein per lean pound of body weight. (lean weight = total weight - fat weight ). But remember guys, vitamins and minerals are crucial to help with the absorption of protein carbs and fat. Its all about filling in the gaps not using these products as a solution if you have a junk diet plan.

FOR THE HEALTH

MULTIVITAMIN - If you are not eating enough fruits and veggies which none of us do, very few of us. Multivitamins are really good at getting nutrients in your system. The primary goal of a multivitamin in a natural bodybuilders diet is to support healthy

immune system, promote metabolism efficiency in the body and to support bone and tissue health in all. For  beginner Indians we recommend  Revital. Its a good multivitamin and cheaply available on any chemist shop. For some experienced natural bodybuilders we recommend 

FISH OIL -  Fish Oil contains heart healthy  Omega 3 fatty acids. Its is Very high EPA and DHA content and is cheaply available in the stores.

If you take it two a day it gives you over a gram of EPA and DHA which is what we are aiming for an beginner natural bodybuilder

WORKOUT PLAN

• Flat Bench press -  10 reps, 3 sets
• Incline Bench press  -  10 reps, 3 sets
• Decline bench press  -  10 reps, 3 sets
• Chest fly 10 reps, -  10 reps, 3 sets

• Dumbbell overhead press  -  10 reps, 3 sets
• Triceps pushdown   -  10 reps, 3 sets
• Close grip bench press  -  10 reps, 3 sets
• Skullcrusher 10 reps  -  10 reps, 3 sets

BREAKFAST - His breakfast is the heaviest as it should be with  egg proteins, carbs and salads. He doesn't cheat on his meals and is generally very addicted to healthy food. 

LUNCH- After breakfast his next meal is lunch in which he prefers to eat fish and green salads. 

SNACKS- After lunch he eats fruits like banana and almonds for snacks and mini meals.

DINNER - For dinner he prefers lentils and milk for protein and fast recovery.

He is a big time non-veg food lover and natural bodybuilder. He doesn't take any harmful synthetic steroids such a testosterone or any sort of HGH.

If you’ve been dedicating your time to bodybuilding and researching different ways to achieve maximum results, you must have noticed certain trends when it comes to training and nutrition. Just like with fashion, certain trends come and go, only to resurface again later.

In the golden era of bodybuilding, names like Arnold Schwarzenegger, Larry Scott, and Franco Columbu showed the true power of fitness and bodybuilding. In difference to today, those bodybuilders maintained ideal physiques using only natural means. This usually involved low body fat, small waists with clearly defined abdominals, big chests, big shoulders, and big arms. Emphasis was on a V-shaped aesthetic physique.

When we talk about the golden era of bodybuilding, we mustn’t forget to mention one of the most popular trainers of that time. Vince Gironda aka “The Iron Guru”, who used his experience to help numerous bodybuilders and celebrities to reach their fitness goals. What is interesting about Vince is that he primarily used his experience, testing different regimens over time to come up with nutrition plans and workout regimens, many of which are today being re-validated by science. In many instances, his gym was ahead of today’s labs in the vast amount of experimenting he did on exercise physiology.

Raw Eggs – The Anabolic Superfood

Every bodybuilder knows that eggs are one of the most complete and versatile foods out there. They are packed with protein and fat, easy to digest as well as perfect for bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts to rebuild their damaged protein fibers after hard exercise.

Let’s take a look at what an egg brings in terms of nutrition. An average-sized egg has 6 grams of high quality protein, including a wide variety of vitamins. These are vitamin A, E, and K, and a range of B vitamins like B12, riboflavin, and folic acid. Eggs also contain essential amino acids needed for muscle recovery, as well as valuable minerals such as calcium, zinc, and iron.

If you’re worried about fat, it should be important to highlight that the white part of the eggs contains no fat whatsoever, while the yolk contains about 5 grams of fat. Still, only a small portion of this is saturated fat – about 1.6 grams. In addition, even though eggs also contain cholesterol, you shouldn’t be afraid of this since numerous medical studies have shown that dietary cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol levels. Also saturated fats has been shown to increase testosterone levels.

As we can see, Vince’s Hormone Precursor Shake makes a lot of sense. A combination of protein and fat such as in raw eggs is the optimal combination of nutrients to help you grow your muscles. Today carbs are all the craze in bodybuilding but I suggest you take a look at the bodies of the bodybuilders of the 70s and what they ate, and you will quickly realize that carbs are not as essential as you might think.

Semen Retention – Channeling Sexual Power

On the other hand, Endomorphs are finding it easy to gain weight. This is why it’s recommended to take extra care of their calorie intake. In addition, Endomorphs are particularly good candidates for Ketogenic diets and LCHF that focus on fats for fuel, good fats are saturated fats, MCT, olive oil and CLA fatty acids contained in meats and cheese. CLA is also available in supplements and taking them along with eating CLA rich foods can help Endomorphs burn more fat. When it comes to workout regimens, Endomorphs should focus on cardio first, and then gradually introduce weight training as well.

“Alex Eriksson is the founder of Anabolic Health, a men’s health blog dedicated to providing honest and research backed advice for optimal male hormonal health. Anabolic Health aspires to become a trusted resource where men can come and learn how to fix their hormonal problems naturally, without pharmaceuticals. 

Check out anabolichealth.com to learn more about Alex and his work. You can also find him on Twitter, Pinterest and Facebook.”