Building Big Arms: Exercise Tips for Maximum Muscle Growth
For many fitness enthusiasts, building big arms is a prominent gym goal. This often involves incorporating a variety of standing barbell and dumbbell biceps curls into workout routines. However, it’s worth noting that while these exercises are classic and fundamental, they might not be the most effective for achieving mountainous arms.
Exercise physiologist and strength coach, Dr. Pat Davidson, and MH fitness director, Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., recently discussed the best biceps exercises in an episode of Strong Talk. They revealed that while standing biceps curls can deliver a good pump, there are actually better options for arm growth.
Finding the Best Exercise for Bigger Biceps
The main issue with dumbbell and barbell biceps curls is that they don’t provide maximum “torque” on the biceps. Torque, which is the combination of weight and the horizontal distance that the weight is away from the joint that’s rotating, is what stimulates muscle growth. According to Dr. Davidson, “Muscles don’t respond to load, they respond to torque.”
Achieving Maximum Torque for Bicep Growth
Your goal on any biceps exercise, suggests Dr. Davidson, should be to have the weight as far away as possible from the elbow joint when your biceps is stretched. This occurs when your forearm is parallel to the ground. A standing biceps curl might not fully stretch your biceps at the point of maximum torque, but a preacher curl certainly will.
Preacher Curls: Top Option for Bicep Growth
Both Dr. Davidson and Samuel recommend preacher curls for growing biceps. Preacher curls not only create more torque and potential for growth but also provide better shoulder stabilization than standing biceps curls.
Standing Biceps Curls: Not Worthless, Just Less Effective
Standing biceps curls are still a good exercise. They offer a safer option for beginners or for those who’ve just returned to heavy biceps work after a long layoff. However, from a stimulus perspective, they’re just not as powerful rep to rep as preacher curls.
Finding the Right Balance in Your Arm Workout
Even though preacher curls are best for growth, it’s important to incorporate a variety of biceps curl options into your workout routine, such as incline curls and cable curls. This will help bulletproof your arms and build awareness and mind-muscle connection over the full range of motion.
More Fitness Wisdom from Experts
For more fitness insights from Samuel, Davidson, and other experts, check out the Strong Talk podcast episodes here.
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