Moves That Are More Effective Than Bicep CurlsLoaded CarriesThe muscles you work during loaded carries (the traps and deltoids, located at your upper back) play a large role in creating pulling and grip strength; strengthen these muscles, and you’ll also be able to spur more muscle growth in your arms. The carry is simple: Pick up the heaviest dumbbells you can safely hold, and walk with them by your sides for as long as you can before putting them down.Chin-UpsWhen it comes to arm size and biceps development, the chin-up is the gold standard. Pulling from above the head actually gives the brachialis muscle (it lies under the bicep) a chance to develop, which is something conventional curls typically can’t provide. As a by-product, doing chin-ups also improves upper- and mid-back strength and development, which helps pull the shoulders back and make the chest look broader. Remember: A chin-up requires you to grip the bar with palms facing you. A pull-up uses palms facing away from the body.Single-Arm Dumbbell RowsDoing high rep sets of rows (especially using a neutral or underhand grip) can attack the biceps and trigger growth. The increased time under tension that a long set of rows can create — especially if you’re using heavier weights — can also work the forearms. One important forearm muscle is called the brachioradialis, which actually crosses over the elbow joint and contributes to upper arm thickness. Think about it: There aren’t too many people with big forearms who don’t also have big upper arms.DipsYou won't get bigger arms without cranking on the triceps. And as long as your shoulders are healthy enough to handle them, using parallel bars to do dips is a great way to hit the lateral head of the triceps (with very few ways to cheat).Reverse CurlsIf you just can’t live without implementing some form of curl in a workout, do reverse curls. Similar to rows, this move targets the forearms, and helps make the muscles closer to the elbow of the upper arm stronger and appear thicker. Hold a bar or dumbbells with the palms facing down, and go to town with curls.
Effective moves 4 Bicep Curls
