bicep peak exercises · biceps workout · May 25, 2023

10 Bicep Peak Exercises For Bigger Biceps

by Priya Samuel

If there’s one muscle group that fitness freaks love to flaunt, it’s the biceps.

But if you thought that having a great set of guns was all about vanity, think again!

As per a study published in Clinical Orthopaedics and related research, the long head of the biceps functions as a dynamic stabilizer of the glenohumeral joint. This means not training your biceps could compromise your shoulder stability leading to issues in people who weight lift regularly.

Also, it helps to have strong biceps when you’re trying to pull that heavy suitcase from the top shelf or carry your crying toddler up the stairs 😁

So now that you know why bicep peak training is important, allow us to share with you a few of the best bicep peak exercises that’ll make your biceps go from molehills to mountains!

Overview of bicep muscles

bicep peak exercises

The biceps brachii is a single muscle located on the anterior side of the upper arm. It consists of 2 heads:

Long head – Forming the outer half of the bicep, the bicep long head assists in pulling your arm away from your torso.
Short head – Forming the inner half of the bicep, the bicep short head aids in pulling your arm back to your torso.

Now another muscle deserves a special mention when it comes to building your bicep peaks – the brachialis.

Located under the biceps, the brachialis is responsible for giving your bicep long head a ‘push’ thus giving you a more prominent bicep peak.

How to build a bicep peak

Picture your bicep as a hilltop. Your bicep short head rests at the base of this hill to provide width and support. The bicep long head is what forms your bicep peak when you flex your arm (when it’s well-developed, anyway 😉).

bicep peak exercises

So if you want to get those bulging bicep peaks like Arnold Schwarzenegger or Dwayne Johnson, you cannot ignore your bicep long head!

While trying to build bicep peaks, it is important to focus on different training variables such as:

Grip width
Grip position
Arm position

Here are a few ways in which you can build bicep peaks:

Using a close grip by bringing your hands closer together. E.g. close-grip barbell curls.
Using a neutral grip where your palms are facing each other. E.g. Hammer curls.
Performing curls with your elbows by your sides. E.g. Drag curls.
Doing curls with your elbows back behind you. E.g. Bayesian curls.

You might like: Get Killer Arms With These 15 Most Effective Tricep Exercises

10 Best Bicep Peak Exercises

Try these 10 best bicep peak exercises at home or the gym and you’ll have those bulging peaks in no time!

1. Incline Dumbbell curl

This is one of the best bicep peak exercises at home as it has a unique strength curve that increases the neuromuscular activation of your biceps throughout each phase of the curl.

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Grab a pair of dumbbells and sit on an incline bench that is set at 55-65 degrees.
Lean back with your back flat against the bench.
Hold the dumbbells with your palms facing up. This is the starting position.
Now slowly curl the dumbbells towards your shoulder until your biceps are fully shortened.
Return to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

2. Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl

One of the top bicep peak exercises for beginners as the neutral grip gives you a great stretch on the bicep long head. Plus the seated position makes it hard to cheat while performing this bicep peak workout.

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Sit on a bench with your back upright.
Grasp a dumbbell in each hand such that your palms are facing inward (neutral grip). The dumbbells should be hanging by your side at the initial position.
Now squeeze your biceps and gradually lift the dumbbells upwards until your thumbs are close to your shoulders.
Pause for a moment and then slowly lower the dumbbells back to their initial position while maintaining tension in your biceps.
Perform the desired number of reps.

You might like: 10 Best Bodyweight Triceps Exercises At Home

3. Bayesian Cable curl

A great bicep peak exercise for women and men as there is constant tension on your biceps throughout the range of movement. This creates more metabolic stress which in turn is a trigger for muscle growth.

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Set up a cable machine to the lowest pulley position.
Stand with your back to the machine.
Grab the handle using an underhand grip with one hand and position yourself in a split stance.
Begin with your arms extended behind you.
Engage your core, and then curl the handle forward and up to around shoulder height.
Pause for a moment and then return to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps on one side before switching sides.

You might like: Sculpt Your Arms With These 10 Lateral Head Tricep Exercises

4. Barbell drag curl

Since your elbows are pulled back behind you, this bicep peak exercise for definition really hones in on your bicep long head. Also, this bicep peak workout allows you to isolate your biceps by preventing your shoulders from coming into the picture.

bicep peak exercises

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold a barbell with an underhand grip (palms facing up) that is slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
Let your arms fully extend down in front of you so that the barbell is in front of your thighs. This is the starting position.
Keeping your back straight, chest up, and core engaged, curl the barbell by dragging it up along the front of your thighs, keeping it in contact with your body throughout the entire motion.
Ensure that your elbows are close to your sides.
Continue curling until the barbell reaches your upper chest or is close to touching your shoulders.
Pause for a second and then lower the barbell back to the starting position, in a slow and controlled manner.
Perform the desired number of reps.

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5. Close-grip barbell curl

The close-grip position used in this bicep peak exercise for definition makes it excellent for targeting the bicep long head.

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis, abs, obliques.

How to perform

Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart and grab a barbell with a grip narrower than shoulder-width. Your palms should be facing upward (supinated grip).
Keep your upper arms close to your sides, your elbows tucked in, and your back upright.
Start with the barbell hanging down in front of your thighs, arms fully extended.
Now exhale and curl the barbell up until it is close to your chest.
Feel the contraction in your biceps and then slowly return to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

6. Chin-up

Your biceps move through a large range of motion in a chin-up, making it one of the best exercises for bicep peak.

Muscles worked: Biceps, latissimus dorsi, deltoids, forearm flexors, rotator cuffs.

How to perform

Stand underneath a pull-up bar. Reach up and grasp it with an underhand grip at shoulder-width apart.
Hang from the bar with your arms fully extended, and your feet off the ground. Keep your body straight, and core muscles engaged.
Pull yourself up towards the bar until your chin clears the bar. Your elbows should be tucked in and your shoulder blades pulled back.
Feel the contraction in your biceps and then slowly lower yourself back to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

7. Machine preacher curl

Since your upper body and arms are stationary, your biceps are forced to work much harder in this bicep peak exercise for beginners.

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Sit down at the preacher curl machine and place your feet firmly on the floor.
Lean forward and grasp the handles with an underhand shoulder-width grip. Your chest, armpits, and upper arms should be pressed into the pad.
Now squeeze your biceps and curl the handle up towards your shoulder, while keeping your glutes glued to your seat throughout the movement.
Pause for a moment and then lower the bar back down.
Perform the desired number of reps.

8. Cable bicep curl

Research shows that the cable curl is one of the best bicep peak exercises for women and men. The arm positioning in this exercise makes it one of the best to target your bicep long head.

bicep peak exercises

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, forearms, anterior deltoids.

How to perform

Stand about 2-3 feet away from a cable machine with your feet slightly narrower than shoulder-width apart.
Place the pulley at the low position with a handle attachment. (Use a rope, straight bar, or v bar.)
Grab the handle and lean back slightly to maintain balance.
Keeping your elbows close to your sides and core engaged, curl the handle towards your chest as far as you can go.
Squeeze at the top, feel the tension in your biceps, and then slowly lower back to the starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

9. Cross Body Hammer Curl with Resistance Band

This bicep peak exercise for mass is ideal for targeting not just your bicep long head but also the brachialis. For further activation of the brachialis, try slowing down on the eccentric phase.

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Step onto a resistance tube with your feet hip-distance apart.
Grab both handles of the tube one in each hand with your palms facing each other.
Stretch the resistance tube until it’s taut and your arms are by your sides. This is the starting position.
Now curl your right arm up towards your left shoulder as you exhale.
Pause for a few seconds before bringing your arm back to the starting position as you inhale.
Now repeat the same movement with your left arm.
Keep alternating between both arms.
Perform the desired number of reps on each side.

Tip

Complete each rep slowly without using momentum as this will keep the tension on your biceps and forearms, forcing them to grow.

10. Dumbbell waiter’s curl

This bicep peak exercise for mass is an excellent finisher exercise as it can help you get maximum pump.

Muscles worked: Biceps, brachialis, brachioradialis.

How to perform

Assume a hip-width stance.
Hold a dumbbell such that both your palms are under the plate, supporting the weight.
Begin by positioning the dumbbell in front of you at thigh level.
Keeping your back straight and shoulder blades pressed back, curl the dumbbell towards your chest.
Feel the squeeze in your biceps and then return to starting position.
Perform the desired number of reps.

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Tips to build bicep peaks

While doing bicep peak exercises, pay attention to these crucial parameters.

1. Rep ranges

Since your biceps consists of both fast twitch (60%) and slow twitch muscle fibers (40%), it is important to train through a varied rep range for maximum activation. (Fast-twitch fibers respond better to moderate to heavy loads for lower reps while slow-twitch fibers respond better to low to moderate loads for higher reps.)

Here’s the breakdown you can use while doing bicep peak exercises.

For heavy load: 5-8 reps
For moderate load: 8-15 reps
For light load: 15-25 reps.

2. Volume

Aim for doing 10-15 sets of bicep peak exercises per week.

Here’s what the breakdown of these sets should be:

50% low rep, heavy load
25% moderate reps, moderate load
25% high reps, light load

3. Tempo

Tempo is defined as the speed at which you perform a rep of any exercise. For bicep peak exercises, the tempo consists of 2 phases – the concentric (curling) phase and the eccentric (uncurling) phase.

Research shows that when you slow down on the eccentric phase of exercises, the better your muscle growth will be.

Try these tempos while practicing bicep peaks exercises:

Fast concentric, pause at the top and squeeze, and slow eccentric
Slow concentric and slow eccentric.

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Conclusion

As you can see, building those mountain-like bicep peaks doesn’t have to be a distant dream. With our expert tips and targeted exercises (and the right diet, of course) you can take your bicep peak training to greater heights and see amazing results!

So grab those dumbbells, and resistance bands or hit the cable machine at the gym and try these awesome bicep peak exercises right now!