Anatomy of the human body - biceps / biceps brachii

Often we see that an article mentions a muscle, but not every reader knows what muscle it is. Based on this, we have decided to create a series of articles in which we will discuss the basic anatomy of the human body and introduce the muscles in more detail. Among other things, we will also show you which exercises to use to exercise a given muscle part correctly and, conversely, which exercises to avoid. In the first part we dealt with the triceps.

And the second part, therefore, we can not devote to anything else than especially beloved by gentlemen, the biceps known as the biceps. For the biceps we can also use the term biceps brachii, or from the Latin musculus biceps brachii.

In the last article we came across that the triceps make up 3/5 of the arm. So logically the remaining 2/5 are the biceps. The biceps is also the antagonist, or the muscle working against, the triceps. The biceps is a very popular training area, but let's talk a little more about its anatomy before we get into the example exercises.

The biceps has, as the name implies, two heads.

The short head, which starts at the hook-like process of the scapula, and the long head, which starts above the shoulder joint. The biceps then attaches by a common tendon to the radius bone. The biceps allows flexion at the elbow joint, pulling the forearm towards the face, so it is a flexor of the elbow and extensor of the shoulder joint. The biceps is also involved in the supination of the forearm, in which the palm rolls upwards.

So, that's probably enough basic anatomy for us, now let's get to what you're probably all most curious about! Let's get into the biceps exercises, of which there's a whole heap.

Basic exercises for biceps

As already mentioned, there are a number of biceps exercises, so let's mention in detail just a few basic ones.

Bicep Raises with Single Arms

An ageless classic that has been practiced by fitness enthusiasts of all generations for years. I don't think this exercise needs a long introduction, we should just note that there are several variations in which you can exercise your biceps from different angles. You can choose the standing or seated variation, which is mainly practiced by beginners because it limits the involvement of other muscles. The basic posture is straight - don't bend or stoop too much.

With an inhale, pull the biceps alternately, or both at once, in an upward arcing motion, and with an exhale, CONTROLLEDly lower. In the top position, squeeze the biceps tightly. The most common mistake is choosing too heavy a load and various bends and engaging other muscles of the body. At the same time, it is also not advisable to drop the dumbbell in the bottom position to full extension and certainly not to drop it quickly, the biceps should remain in contraction throughout the entire series!

Biceps Lying Lifts on Incline Bench

The second exercise we need to mention is just the biceps raise on the incline bench. This exercise is a great option for minimizing the involvement of other muscle groups. The starting position is seated on an incline bench, with the bench inclined at a 60°-45° angle. The back is supported on the bench, the pelvis is supported and the hips are glued to the bench.

The arms are perpendicular to the mat. By contraction, lift one and the other arm alternately, or again both at the same time, in an arc upwards to shoulder level. Exhale as you move upwards and squeeze the biceps tightly in the top position. With an inhale, return to the original position. To get the most out of this exercise, do not shorten the path of the movement. The second common mistake is to push your back off the bench.

Biceps lift with a large dumbbell

This basic and well-known exercise allows everyone to shock the biceps with heavy weights, which is very important for stimulating muscle growth. Again, this exercise can be performed in many variations, which you achieve by changing your grip. When holding the dumbbell wide you exercise more of the inner part of the biceps, when holding it narrow you exercise more of the outer part of the biceps.

To perform the exercise, stand upright - so that you are not bending or stooping. Grasp the dumbbell firmly in your hand and straddle your legs at shoulder level. Pull the dumbbell towards your chest with an inhale, then with an exhale, let the dumbbell back down in a controlled manner. Don't lean over or anything like that during the exercise, also avoid jerky movements and don't be afraid to go to full range of motion.

Biceps lift on pulleys

If you're looking for an exercise that targets deep muscles, biceps pulley lifts are a really good choice! Since the movement is less stable during this exercise, you activate all the stabilizing muscles surrounding the biceps due to the constant tension created by using the pulley.

When using a pulley, it is not so much the weight that is important, but the feel of the exercise. You can use all sorts of tools for this exercise - a rope, a long dumbbell, or a curved dumbbell, which will make the biceps load a little differently each time. Again, the movement should be fluid, and again, watch out for full-body movements, leaning, and jerky or jerky movements.

Other exercises for biceps

There are of course many exercises for the biceps, but you can also include concentrated lifts, underhand bends, overhead pull-ups, or Scott bench presses. Don't forget to use supersets and various training tweaks to keep your biceps sufficiently engaged. It's also important to remember that it's not just the biceps that make the arm, but the triceps, which are often a bit overshadowed by the biceps, are what make a proper arm!

• For proper technical examples of exercises forbiceps development, check out our exercise database.

What to avoid when exercising the biceps?

We asked Robert Humpál from the Supertrener.cz project

"The biggest mistake I see is that everyone tries to crush the biceps with 20 sets and exercises it too often. It is important to remember that it is a small muscle, which we also load when exercising other parts, such as the back muscles."

Sources: www.bodybuilding.com, youtube.com, image - Kenhub.com