When you want to build impressive arms, knowing the difference between short head and long head biceps exercises is very important for balanced muscular growth.
Also, who wouldnot want to hear those three magical words? The three magical words “Got massive arms, bro!!” The biceps are the king when it comes to flexing muscles. One of the proudest moments for gymgoers is when you can fill the sleeves getting tight for those big arms.
However, in reality, it is pretty hard to grow those juicy muscles. It also becomes more challenging when you do not know how the biceps work, what exercises you need to do to grow the biceps, how many sets you need to perform, and so on.
You do not need to worry; I will discuss everything you need to know about biceps. From the breakdown of the biceps muscle to the exercises you need to perform to grow those muscles, I will simply discuss everything and not bore you with extra scientific breakdowns.
Breakdown of biceps
The word “bi” means two. By now you already undestood that there are two muscle or heads in biceps. Those two muscles are:
Long Head:
The long head of the biceps is on the outer section of the bicep. The biceps peak that you can see from the side when flexing is because of the long head of the biceps.
Short Head:
The short head of the bicep is on the inner side of the bicep. It is responsible for providing width to the biceps.
Brachialis Muscle: The brachialis muscle sits under the biceps muscle. Though it is not part of the biceps muscle, it helps to showcase a peaky bicep from a side view.
Short head Bicep Exercises
Remember that no particular exercise trains only a particular head of the biceps; it trains the whole biceps. Just tweaking a bit will help to emphasize one head over another.
When your hand in front of your shoulder, it emphasizes the short head of the biceps. Bicpes exercises in which your hand position is in front of your shoulder will put more emphsis in the short head of the biceps.
The best short head bicep exercises are:
Bicep Curls
The good old biceps curls are one of the “OG” exercises for developing the short head of the biceps. It is also one of the most convenint short head bicep exercises as you do it anywhere if youjust have a paid of dumbbells.
There are many variations iof the biceps curl:
- EZ-bar biceps curls
- Straight bar biceps curls
- Cable biceps curls
- Dumbbell biceps curls
Each variation does the same thing, and it is up to you which one you prefer. I love doing the cable biceps curls.
How to perform: Performing biceps curls is pretty straightforward and that is it is one of my favorite short head biceps exercises. Just follow the steps mentioned below:
- Pick up the dumbbell, barbell, or cable handle and align your hand with your shoulder. If you are using a cable, your hand should be in front of your body.
- Straighten up your back.
- Curl the weight up and hold it in the top position for a second.
- Slowly lower the weight; take at least 2/3 seconds to lower the weight. Do not rush.
- Perform 8 to 12 reps for 3 or 4 sets.
Preacher Curl
Preacher curl is a great exercise that emphasizes the biceps’ short head. In a preacher curl, you fix your elbow on a pad and curl from that position.
One of the benefits of the preacher curl is that you cannot use other muscles to cheat on reps. It is a great short head bicep exercise for beginners as the your movement patteern is fixed by the pad.
Many people are scared to perform the preacher curl as they presume the injury risk is high. However, they do not consider the fact that in a preacher curl, the injury only occurs when you use too much weight.
The biceps are the smallest muscle of the arm, and they do not need that much heavy loading.
If you do not ego lift, then preacher curl is a great exercise. You can do preacher curls with free weights and also with machines to grow the short head of the bicep.
How to perform: Follow these steps to safely perform the preacher curl.
- Choose the weight that is appropriate for you.
- If you use a machine, grab the handle while sitting and fix your elbow with the pad of the preacher bench. If you are using barbells, slowly put your elbow on the pad and extend your arm, or you can ask someone to put the barbell on your hand in that extended position.
- Curl from the extended position and hold for a second in the top position.
- Slowly bring the weight down. Do not let gravity do the work for you. In the lower half position or eccentric phase, your muscles will get more stimuli to grow.
- Perform 10 to 20 reps with moderate weight for 3 to 4 sets.
Spider Curl
It is one of the best biceps exercises for training the short head optimally. Like the preacher curl, you cannot cheat in this exercise, as it prevents using excessive momentum and it also keeps constant tension in the biceps, which makes it more effective.
It is called the spider curl because, in this exercise, your body remains in a position that looks like it is attached by a thread.
You can use both dumbbells and barbells to perform spider curls. Setting up spider curls is a bit difficult, especially if you perform them alone.
You can always ask someone for assistance or put some boxes in front of you in which you set up the barbell so that you do not need to struggle to lift the weight in the starting position.
How to perform: The steps of performing a perfect spider curl are:
- Choose a weight 20 to 25% lower than the regular weight of the other biceps exercises.
- Set the bench at a 45 to 60-degree angle.
- Keep your head straight; do not look up.
- Your hand should be in a straight position. Do not tuck it inside.
- Curl the weight and hold for a second, then slowly lower the weight.
- Perform it for 10 to 20 reps with moderate weight for 3 sets.
Concentration Curl
Concentration curl is also another on the go short head bicep exercises that you can literally do anywhere.
It has one of the basic biceps movements that is very beginner-friendly. Except for a dumbbell you do not need any other equipment to perform this exercise.
The biceps are trained at a forward angle, which emphasizes the short head of the biceps more.
How to perform: The steps of performing a perfect concentration curl are:
- Take a dumbbell with the appropriate weight.
- Fix your elbow on the side of your leg.
- Curl from that position. Hold a second in the top position and slowly control the weight on the way down.
- Always train the weaker hand first.
- Perform 8 to 12 reps for 3 sets for each hand.
Long head bicep exercises
Training the biceps behind shoulder level will emphasize the long head of the biceps more. To target the long head you need to choose those bicep exercises in which your arm position remains behind your body.
There are some great exercises that will help you improve your biceps peak, which most people usually lack. Those exercises are:
Bayesian Curl
The name may seem very hard to pronounce, but the exercise is not that hard to perform.
You just need a cable machine and a D-handle, which every gym has. This is a great exercise as you can get a great stretch at the biceps, which stimulates the most growth of the long had of bicep.
How to perform: Following these simple steps, you can perform Bayesian perfectly.
- You can set the cable to your waist height or put it down at the bottom. We prefer the waist height.
- Choose a moderate weight.
- Grab the handle and take two or three steps forward, facing away from the machine. You can do two hands at a time or do a single hand.
- Lock or tuck your elbow behind your shoulder.
- Curl the weight from that position until your hand reaches 90 degrees. Hold the weight at 90 degrees for a second.
- Slowly lower the weight and stretch as much as possible in the bottom position without breaking the form.
- Go for higher reps, 15 to 20, for 3 sets for this exercise.
Incline Dumbbell Curl
Incline dumbbell curls have the same functionality as the Bayesian curls and is a good long head bicep exercise.
However it is a bit difficult to perform. Over time, it will become easy, and it is a really good exercise that helps to build that peak of the biceps.
How to perform: Follow these steps to perform the incline dumbbell curl:
- Set the bench at a 75-degree angle.
- Choose a moderately lower-weight dumbbell and keep it on each side of the bench.
- Pick up the dumbbells and fix your back with the seat. Keep your chest up.
- Curl the weight up. You can do both hands at a time or do a single hand.
- Do not lean forward while curling to generate momentum.
- Hold the weight at the top for a second and slowly lower it.
- Perform 8 to 12 reps for each hand for 3 sets.
Chin-ups
You might think, wait, aren’t chin-ups for back development?
Yes, you are right; however, performing chin-ups where your arm reaches 90 degrees’ will help you to grow bigger biceps.
You see the Olympic gymnasts have massive arms, which they mostly make by doing chin-ups. If you cannot perform regular chin-ups, then go for assisted chin-ups as it will help you to put more emphasis on the long head of the biceps.
How to perform: By following the steps, you can do chin-ups perfectly:
- Grip the bar at shoulder height or closer.
- Straighten up your back.
- Pull your body up until it reaches 90 degrees.
- Slowly lower your body down.
- Do 5 to 12 reps for 3 sets.
Bonus Exercise
Hammer Curl
Hammer curls train the brachialis muscle. The brachialis muscle sits under the bicep tendons, and when it grows, it pushes the bicep muscle up, creating an illusion of a bigger bicep if you view it from the side.
Hammer curls can be performed with both dumbbells and cable. They are very easy to learn, so every beginner should incorporate them into their training.
How to perform: Follow the steps to perform hammer curls optimally:
- Take a pair of moderate-weight dumbbells, or take the rope attachment if you are using a cable.
- Hold the dumbbells on each side of the waist in a neutral grip. If using the cable, then hold the rope in front of the body in a neutral grip.
- Curl the weight from that position and thoroughly squeeze at the top.
- Slowly descend the weight. Do not rush.
- Perform 10 to 15 reps for 3/4 sets.
In the comments, tell me about your favorite biceps exercise and why.
Also, do you want to know how to train your forearms? I have a article for that too. Click here to check “Best forearms exercises”