Strong biceps help keep the elbow stable when you're deadlifting with a mixed grip because you are more susceptible to bicep tendon tears when using this grip. It would be a shame for your biceps to give out before you’ve exhausted your shoulders and back. Because you’re only as strong as your weakest link. Įxercises that involve elbow flexion like chin-ups, pull-ups, and rows benefit from stronger biceps and grip. These are the reasons why biceps curls are programmed into the later stages of a rehab program as a way to strengthen the rotator cuff and the upper back 1-2. Plus, when you’re performing curls, your upper back muscles ( rhomboids and traps) contract isometrically to keep you in good posture and prevent the shoulders from rolling forward. The biceps muscles are engaged along with your anterior deltoid when your shoulder goes into flexion. This is because the rotator cuff secures the humerus to the shoulder joint and the biceps secures the shoulder joint to the humerus and this compression from both sides benefits your shoulder stability.Īlthough the biceps main function is flexing the elbow, they also play a minor role in shoulder flexion.

The biceps are a double-headed muscle, which attaches to the scapula and shoulder joint and helps the rotator cuff with shoulder stability, particularly through the front deltoid. Benefits Of Training The Bicepsīesides vanity reasons, there are four important reasons why you need to include the biceps curl as an accessory exercise in your routine. The biceps and triceps muscles work together to support the humeral head in the shoulder joint otherwise known as shoulder stability. Because the biceps also cross the shoulder joint, it assists the anterior deltoid with shoulder flexion. The biceps rotate the forearm outwards (supination) and this movement is better when the elbow is flexed. When both biceps heads contract at the same time this leads to elbow flexion which is the primary function of the biceps (along with the brachialis). The biceps short head assists with pulling the arm back to the torso (shoulder adduction). The long head of the biceps assists in pulling the arm away from the torso (shoulder abduction) and helps with the inward rotation of the arm. The long head of the biceps originates on the supraglenoid tubercle of the scapula (a small projection of the scapula near the shoulder joint) and inserts on the radius bone.īoth of the bicep heads come together at the radius bone of the forearm to form the biceps peak we love so much.īecause the biceps crosses the shoulder and elbow joint it acts on both joints. The short head of the biceps originates on the scapula (near the ball and socket joint) and inserts on the forearm bone the radius. The biceps brachii (or biceps/bi's for short) is a Latin term for two-headed muscle (short and long heads) of the anterior upper arm. Without further ado, let’s build some biceps.

Here we’ll go into the biceps anatomy, their functions, benefits, and 12 dumbbell bicep exercise variations to build guns of steel.

Dumbbells allow more freedom of movement and can target the biceps from a variety of angles and with different grips. Walk into any gym and you’re guaranteed to find at least one lifter in front of the mirror doing biceps exercises, likely with dumbbells, to their heart's content.Īnd quite possibly making a lot of noise.īarbell curls and their variations are a great way to build a set of guns because these allow you to use the most weight. And the most popular of these is the biceps curl. Most lifters when they’re at the beginning of their journey only know a few exercises. The biceps curl is a rite of passage exercise.

Dumbbell hammer curl