The Best Exercises for Split-Peaked Biceps

Your biceps, or biceps brachii, is a two-headed muscle. The long part of the muscle is located on the outside of your upper arm and the shorter part on the inside. Biceps function to flex the elbow as well as to rotate objects, such as unscrewing a cork. Some bodybuilders are able to separate their biceps in competition. Former Mr. Universe Boyer Coe was famous for his split biceps, which looked as if someone had carved a line through the middle of the muscle, according to Anita Ramsey writing for Bodybuilding.com. While the definition of your biceps depends on nutrition and genetics to an extent, certain exercises will blast your biceps with a little extra zing.

Perform strength-building exercises for your biceps once every five days, according to Ramsey. Start the workout with two warm-up sets using light resistance. By doing a proper warm up, you can focus on correct form as well as raise your body temperature. Advance to your work set, adding enough weight to make biceps work that much harder. Perform a dozen reps or until you reach muscle fatigue or failure. Rest at least 90 seconds between each set.

Effective exercises to build massive biceps include the seated cable preacher curl, seated alternate dumbbell curls and standing barbell curls. For the seated cable preacher curl, put a preacher bench in a crossover machine. Attach a straight bar to the low cable. Use a close to medium grip and perform medium speed curls with a full range of movement. Pause at the peak position and contract your biceps. In the seated alternate dumbbell curl, sit on the edge of a flat bench. Lift one dumbbell at a time, rotating your wrist on the upward movement. Increase the weight by five pounds on each successive set. In the standing barbell curl, begin by standing with feet shoulder-width distance apart. Use a medium to wide grip and, locking your wrists, curl the bar above your chest and chin. On the return, bring the bar to the floor, fully extending your arms. Keep your elbows by your sides throughout the exercise. Add five pounds to the load on a weekly basis. For each exercise, perform 12 reps for three sets.

Exercises that can further define the peaks of your biceps are incline dumbbell curls and concentration curls. If you want to give your biceps a good stretch and build a big-bellied muscle, the incline dumbbell curl will do the job. Adjust a weight bench to a 45-degree incline. Lean back on the bench until your shoulders are resting against the pad. Hold dumbbells of moderate weight with your arms fully extended downward. With thumbs forward, lift the dumbbells along your sides and rotate your wrists so your palms are facing up. Reverse the motion as you return to the starting position. To perform concentration curls, sit on the edge of a bench. Holding a dumbbell with your elbow pinned to your side, lean over. In this position, lift the dumbbell up to your shoulder and squeeze.

Avoid using momentum or any swinging motion to do the work on curls or lifts. If you give in to momentum, you can lose control of the weight and even drop it on your foot. Also resist using your shoulders or back to help you lift a weight. By doing so, you make yourself vulnerable to overuse injuries, muscle strain or tendonitis. Focus on applying correct form throughout all of the exercises. If the weight is too heavy and you’re tapping muscles rather than your arms to do the work, put your pride on the shelf and adjust your workout to a lower weight.