7 Best Long Head Bicep Exercises for Building Huge Peaks

Well, building bigger arms is a common goal for all people, building strong and bigger arms can improve your arms strength and overall appearance. So, here are 7 best long head bicep exercises.

To work effectively on your biceps, first you should know how these muscles work. Although the bicep is a single muscle and that included two separate heads: long head and short head.

These two heads work together to help move the elbows or twisting your forearms. If you develop biceps muscles strongly and bigger, then both short head and long head are clearly visible.

The long head adds peak to the biceps and long head bicep exercises also called peak exercises, and short head adds lots of width to the biceps.

Read the article to understand why your long head biceps are called biceps peaks and here is everything that you need to know about targeting the long head bicep for building your peak and bigger arms.

What is the Long Head Bicep?

The long head bicep muscle is one separate muscle is biceps and that works together with short head muscle to control forearm supination and help move the elbow. The long head runs on the outside and it’s responsible for the peak during flexion and movements.

So, here we are listed 7 best long head bicep exercises that will be great for arms growth and target the long head bicep to build huge peaks. 

Location and Function of the Long Head Biceps

The long head muscle is located on the outer side of the front of the arm or upper arms and the short head is underneath it. The long head attached from above the shoulder joint to down to the elbow.

The long heads are at the top of the biceps muscle, and these peaks have great value in bodybuilding because they can add more size and definition to the upper arms.

However, the long head’s important function is to stabilize the round top of the humerus. That gives strength to your forearms and it’s responsible for the peak during the flexion.

How Do I Train Long Head of My Biceps?

It will be impossible to target a single muscle or head in any muscle group. However, you can make some changes in exercise so that you can target muscles that you want to give tension. To target long head biceps, try to use the exercise that lets your arms extend behind the body.

Whenever you’re working with a barbell or EZ bar, hold with a narrow grip because that will be more useful for hitting the long head.

If you’re doing curl exercise then try to add a twist because this is a fantastic way to target the long head of the biceps.

Most of the bicep exercises target the large head of the bicep but they do work out the short head as well. You can make some changes while exercising so that you can target the long head of the biceps.

7 Best Long Head Bicep Exercises

These 7 best biceps long head exercises are every once favorite and that are effective exercises for building the peak, pump up the long head biceps and improve the overall function of the upper arms.

01. Incline Dumbbell Curls

Incline Dumbbell Curls

Incline dumbbell curls are great for extending your range of motion and target the long head by just shifting the starting position slightly behind you.

This exercise doesn’t require much equipment, just you will have a seat with an incline back and pair of dumbbells. While exercising, incline dumbbell curls focus on control and maintaining tension to get the most out of this exercise.

How to perform:

  • Sit on the bench and keep the bench at a 45-degree incline, rest your shoulder and back against the bench.
  • Lean back on the seat and hold the dumbbells in each hand in an underhand grip and let them hand, creating a straight line from the shoulder to your wrist.
  • Lift the dumbbells up towards your chest and your elbows are bent.
  • Hold the position for second at the top of the movement and twist your wrist slightly outward.
  • Then, slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position. That’s one rep.
  • Repeat 3 to 4 sets of 10 to14 reps for each set.

02. Dumbbell Hammer Curls

Dumbbell hammer curls are great exercise and long-time favorites for everyone because they target the long head of the biceps and brachialis even more effectively compared to incline dumbbell curls.

If you’re trying to get huge peaks and bigger biceps then the hammer curls should be in your arms workout routine. You can alternate between hammer curls and incline dumbbell curls on different days.

You can perform hammer curls with dumbbells or even with resistance bands. Also, you can do this move by standing or sitting down on a bench.

How to perform:

  • Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart, and hold the dumbbells upright in each hand and let them rest with your thighs.
  • Keep your back straight and look straight ahead.
  • Brace the core and lift the dumbbells towards your shoulder.
  • Hold the position at the top of the move and then, slowly lower back to the starting position and maintain a control motion on your movements.
  • Repeat the exercise 2 to 4sets of 10 to 14 reps.

03. EZ Bar Drag Curls

EZ bar drag curls are best exercises to target the long head of the biceps and this exercise is very effective and movements are well worth it. This exercise gives more stress on your biceps and doing more sets could help you get more work done.

How to perform:

  • Sand straight with feet hip-width apart, hold the EZ bar with both hands in an underhand grip. Start this movement with the EZ bar resting against your thighs.
  • Look straight ahead and keep your back straight.
  • Brace your core and slowly lift the EZ bar towards your chest. Allow your elbows to shift back.
  • Hold the position at the top when the bar reaches the chest level.
  • Then, slowly reverse the motion back to the starting point.
  • Repeat 2 to 4 sets of 8 to12 reps.

04. Preacher Curls

Preacher Curls

Preacher curls are a great exercise that help you to grow your biceps faster by targeting both the long head and short head of your biceps. This exercise also works well on your brachialis and brachioradial is, the muscles that assist in flexing the elbows joint.

To do this exercise, you will need a preacher bench and you can use a barbell bar or EZ bar to do preacher curls.  

How to perform:

  • Sit on the preacher’s bench and adjust the height according to your compart, so your armpits are resting on the upper sloped section.
  • Hold the barbell with both hands in an underhand grip (palms facing up) with your arms fully extended and your upper arms resting on the bench.
  • Lift the barbell up until your arms are horizontal with your body or your forearms are vertical.
  • Pause for a second at the top of the movement.
  • Then, slowly lower the weight toward the starting position (until your arms are fully extended).
  • Make sure feet are on the ground while doing exercise.

05. Narrow Grip Barbell Curls

Barbell curls are one of the best biceps exercises for targeting long head biceps, by just alternating your grip width you can focus on the exercise that will give more tension to your long head biceps.

How to perform:

  • Stand straight with your feet hip-width apart and hold a barbell with your both hands in an underhand grip, bit inside of shoulder width.
  • Keep your back straight and shoulder back, look straight.
  • Engage your core and curl the barbell towards your chest, make sure your elbows do not slide forward.
  • Pause and squeeze at the top of the movement.
  • Then, slowly lower back to the starting point. That’s called one rep.
  • Repeat 2 to 4 sets of 10 to 14 reps.

06. Cable Curls

Cable Curls

Cable curls are best exercise to target long head biceps, biceps brachii, brachialis, forearm, muscles and also engage your core. This exercise is mostly an isolation exercise and you need to stabilize during the movement.

To do this exercise you will need a cable machine and they put up resistance throughout the movement.

How to perform:

  • Stand straight in front of the cable machine with your feet hip-width apart.
  • Attaché a straight bar up to a cable machine and set a pulley to the low position.
  • Hold the bar with your both arms in an overhand or an underhand grip and your hands shoulder-width apart.
  • Keep your back straight and keep your elbows tucked, curl the bar towards your shoulder as you can.
  • Pause the position at the top and the, slowly lower the bar back to the starting position. That’s one rep.
  • Perform 2 to 4 sets of 10 to14 reps.  

07. Chin ups

Chin-ups is a great compound exercise that will hit your long head biceps or biceps muscle group, shoulder, chest and your triceps too. You need a stable horizontal bar to lift your body weight without any issues.

Chin ups and pull-ups are underhand grip that will activate different muscles in your upper body. So, you can alternate between them in your workout routine.

How to perform:

  • Hold the bar with both hands, with your palms facing you, and your arms shoulder-width apart.
  • Then, start pulling yourself up until your chin is above the bar, your elbows are fully bent.
  • Hold the position for second.
  • Then lower yourself with a fully controlled motion until your arms are straight.
  • Repeat 2 to 3 sets of 8 to10 reps.

Common Mistakes with Bicep Exercise

Most of the people often make the same mistakes trying to build bigger and stronger biceps. So, try to avoid making any mistakes and make sure to do the above 7 best long head bicep exercises correctly and safely.

Here are some mistakes people are often made:

  • Lifting too much heavy weight: many people just to show off they frequently take heavy weight for the exercise. Keep in mind that if you want to build bigger biceps then go with less weight and high-reps, which will lead to greater gains and you can easily target the long head of the biceps.
  • Lack of variation: many people follow the same exercise throughout the week, it’ very important to do different exercises or you can also make some changes between the exercise or workout routine. Try to experiment with different grip and challenge the muscle grope from different directions.
  • No focus on muscle tension: if you’re looking to build muscle mass, then you need to focus on the exercise that targets or gives more tension on the muscle. So, try to workout with great tension for your muscles. That will be a smarter way to build muscle mass.
  • cheating too much: there is a place and time for cheating during bicep curls. Many people cheat with their exercises and they will not do it properly and correctly. To correct this mistake, try to limit how much other parts of your body can move. For example: if you’re doing standing barbell curls, then put your back up against a wall to prevent using your back to bring the front deltoids into the mix.

QNA on Long Head Bicep Exercises

  • How Many Bicep Exercises Should I Do?

    If you’re training your biceps, then its best idea to select 3 to 4 exercises per cycle, that will vary in angle and can target the biceps with different angles

  • Do Push Ups Help Biceps?

    Push ups are one of the best exercises that improve your upper body strength and that actually work great for your biceps, shoulders and as well as triceps

  • Do Bicep Curls Work Both Heads?

    The biceps exercise has many variations, these all variations target the long head and short head of the biceps, also smaller muscles in the arms. This exercise allows you to build size and strength of the biceps and also increase the overall grip strength.

  • Can You Workout Your Biceps Every Day?

    The short answer is YES, you can workout your biceps every day, but it’s not recommended. Doing a long head bicep curl everyday will get your body into a mode where it functions on autopilot and gets used to the strain. So, it is very important to get time to recover. 

Conclusion

Working on long head bicep exercises can help you to build massive and bigger arms and a defined peak when you flex. Remember, do the exercise with correct form and safely. If you’re not sure about the instruction then take personal trainer help or fitness experts help.

Hopefully, you like this article, if you have any questions and suggestions kindly put them in the comment box below. 

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