If your biceps look flat when you flex them, I am going to show you the REAL reason why. In this video, I’m going to show you how you can get bigger biceps that don’t look deflated when you flex your arms. With Just a simple tweak to the exercises you are doing now, you can grow those biceps peaks more effectively.
The fact of the matter is that flat biceps comes from two problems. Body fat and a lack of biceps long head development.
In order to develop the most defined, aesthetic biceps possible – you need to lose excess body fat. Too much fat covering the arm will make your biceps look puffy and flat in comparison to what it would look like at a leaner body fat level.
The long head of the biceps is responsible for the biceps peaks, or height of the muscle, which prevents it from looking flat or deflated. The long head of the biceps is also the part of the muscle that is most responsible for supinating the forearm. We already know that when performing bicep exercises, we need to be engaging in the act of supinating.
When it comes to building the peaks of the biceps, we need to focus on the long head and its function of supination in order to maximally grow the height of the muscle. When you curl, you need to not just supinate, but supinate with a purpose. You want to essentially resist the supination to engage the muscle to its maximum potential.
Now, it is worth noting that without supinating, a bicep curl is not going to target the long head as effectively as you could if actually did. Even going so far as curling with a neutral grip is going to target the brachialis. While a powerful flexor of the elbow, it is not going to be as effective at growing your bicep peak as it would if you were to actually supinate the forearm while you curled.
So, we know there is an important action and specific muscle that is responsible for the height of the biceps. Now, let’s use this knowledge to our advantage and make an attack plan to grow those bicep peaks.
To do this, let’s take a look at 3 popular pieces of equipment for performing curls that allow for the act of supination. Dumbbells, bands, and cables.
When doing dumbbell curls, a great way to overload supination is to offset your grip when holding the dumbbell itself. By placing the weight in your hand this way, you are allowing yourself to create more resistance against supination when you curl the dumbbell up. By doing so, this biceps exercise will have a greater engagement of the long head of the biceps.
Growing the bicep peak doesn’t stop with dumbbells however as we can resist supination with bands as well. By wrapping the band around your hands strategically, you are able to create resisted supination by way of tension of the band itself. By supinating against that resistance, you again are allowing for greater engagement of the biceps long head which will lead to more growth.
We’re not done yet, though. Head over to cable machine and instead of grabbing the handles as would traditionally, you again want to offset the handle in your grip so that you are basically holding the handle vertically. Instead of simply curling the cable up, which would mimic a hammer curl (targeting the brachialis), you supinate as you flex your arm up.
Once again, you are engaging in resisted supination, this time with just a different implement. Any biceps exercise that allows for you to supinate as you curl will require just a simple tweak in order to effectively target the biceps long head.
In short, resisted supination (with greater intent) and lower body fat levels are going to be the biggest drivers of generating taller biceps, letting you show off those peaks that have been hidden by improper biceps training and higher body fat percentages.
Looking to build bigger arms overall, quickly? We have a workout plan to grow bigger arms in just 22 days. You can find this 22 day arm workout video using the link below.
If you want a step-by-step program that is designed to take your arm gains to the next level, you’ll definitely want to check out the 6 week Ultimate Arms training program over at the ATHLEAN-X website via the link below.
If you are looking for more exercises and workouts to grow bigger biceps, then you are going to want to subscribe to this channel here by clicking the link below to make sure that you never miss a video when we put one out.
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Chris Wright
*NOTIFICATION SQUAD “FAST ACTION” Q&A* – Leave your most burning question about this video or any other training, PT or nutrition question within the first 2 hours of this video’s release (AS A SEPARATE COMMENT!!) and I will pick 10 to get a detailed reply from me right here in the comments. Answers will be posted within the first 24-48 hours of you leaving the question. Good luck!
@ezzat jabban Are you referring to the shoulder joint, mainly the rotator cuff? If so he has mentioned external rotations as a way to strengthen the rotator cuff. I have been doing them myself and no longer do inclined bench press for that reason, flat bench is easier on the rotator cuff. I also do Arnold Presses at a 60 degree incline for that reason.
I am Muslim, and right now is the month of Ramadan for us. We are supposed to fast everyday from before sunrise to sunset ( so we can’t eat or drink anything for about 15, 16 hours, nothing can go past are throat). So should I workout while I am fasting or just really hungry in general?
please clarify if this particular movement will lead to pain in the elbow in the long run as I developed tennis elbow over time, in my right elbow.
@Tony Robinson yes I am , thanks for the tip
Your consistency and quality of content never disappoints!
You could learn a thing or 2.
I know, thanks
Bot
@AG. you know
Jeff You’re a beast bro, I’ve been taking advice from your videos and I see so much more gains, this is by far the best Channel on YouTube thanks for sharing your knowledge with us stay blessed brother
Thank you for your easy to follow and understand instructions!
I appreciate you and all that you do for us!
The question I have for you Jeff is: Should you try to “feel” the mind-muscle connection when training with heavy loads – low reps if you are trying to maximize your strength gains ? I mean yes, in the short-term you want to just get the weight up for a PR for example and in the long-term you want to also “feel” the muscle for more hypertrophy gains but as a constant training form what do you recommend ?
For strength is better to just do reps without thinking to have mind muscle connection.
Personally I just don’t do most exercises with more weight than I can *slowly* lift and put down otherwise if I don’t control the weights I will feel like Idid it wrong.
Focas on the muscle in question. If you can’t ” feel” it doing reps then slow down more. Always squeeze a little at the top too. Your mind-muscle connection will increase with time. Oh and maybe increase the weight a little? If i go to light i can’t focas. I always go medium heavy or just heavy.
If you train mainly for strength you don’t have to worry so much on that on movements like bench squat deadlift ohp or barbell rows focus on them more in isolation excercises
Excellent content as always, Jeff. What is your recommendation whenever you have reached a plateau, particularly around compound lifts? Let’s say on a bench press especially, where I have improved my weight using dumbbells, but progress with the bar is much slower.
A few options that you can utilize: building your strength in higher rep ranges, working on accessory exercises to help strengthen assistance muscles, as well training different variations of the lift itself (i.e. incline bench press)
@ATHLEAN-X™ Currently on your ISO program and all these techniques you mentioned as well as “contrast Wave loading” definitely gave me results! thanks Jeff!
Best thing to do is giving your muscles a different kind of stimulation. Whether be it different reps, different weight or even a completely different exercise (or the same exercise in a different way e.g. with bands). This will give new life to your workouts
Dear Jeff,
First of all, I would like to thank you for being one of my staple role models that not only is currently helping me to improve my fitness life, but also helped to initate it.
I love training calisthenics and have quite recently started training weighted calisthenics. I am trying to increase my strength in the department (e.g. how much weight i can pull up). I am therefore doing quite low reps (3*5) but I am seeing very little progress. I’m not sure how well this translates into weighted training, but I am wondering about tips regarding how to increase your strength (weight you are working with).
Appreciate you!
Hello Jeff. What would you recommend as the best way to strengthen the spine? My legs can push much more than my back can support. I always feel like I can’t improve my back squat because my spine compresses so much that just hiding the weight on my back is painful.
I’m sure you get this a lot Jeff and for good reason, but you changed my life for the better. I was a really lanky guy for so long and it highly impacted my physical and mental health. Watching your videos has given me that push I needed and I think the biggest problem was lack of proper information. Not only do you give valid and applicable advice, but your method and attitude in doing so is unmatched. Thank you for doing what you do and sharing it with people like me without asking for anything in return. You’re a really good guy, keep up the great work.
Your comment is vaild
Hi Jeff, my question is how similar can the exercises be that we program into a workout? The main example in mind is a flat barbell bench press, followed by an dumbbell incline press. I don’t have access to a cable machine so the main chest exercises I can perform are limited to variations of the press. I know the different angle targets tension differently but would having already performed the barbell version affect what we can get out of the dumbbell incline press?
Hey Jeff. My question to you is:
In this video you spoke about placing the thumb and index at one end of the dumbbell. Does it not put too much pressure on the common flexor origin and eventually lead to medial epicondylitis with such a grip?
Hi Jeff! I have a burning question for you about pullups. When I start my pullups from the bottom (from a dead hang) and begin pulling myself upwards, I hear pops and nudges in my right shoulder during the first rep. However, when I begin my pull ups from the top of the bar, lower in a controlled fashion, then pull back upwards I hear no popping. What is this and how can I fix it?
Thank you
Hey Jeff, I’m currently going through college towards becoming a Physical Therapist, you were actually my biggest inspiration to choose this path. I currently work at a PT Tech. and I love the clinical setting, but it would be my dream to work with a MLB team as you did! Would you have any suggestions for me that would point me in the right direction of working as a PT in professional sports?
I’m sure the website has his email or phone number, you might have better luck getting answer from that
@Poofy174 Thanks for the idea, I’ll give that a try!
I became a PT because of Jeff too. Best decision I’ve ever made
@Garrett That’s awesome!! What field do you work in?
Actually been doing this for the last few weeks and getting a real nice pump every time. Good tips as always Jeff!
Hey Jeff! Huge fan of ur channel, been following it since 8 years. I am a regular athelete and coach. One thing I consistently struggle with is the abdominal fat. Could you please do a video explaining why do some people gain more fat over their abdominal region over others while being on the same calories.
Also my favorite bicep workout is doing 7 curls of the bottom third portion of the curl, 7 of the middle portion, 7 at the top, then 21 full range of motion as fast as possible
And this is all in 1 set without stopping or dropping the weights