Bicep Exercises Backed by Science
- jonathan hazell
- Mar 18
- 5 min read
Updated: Apr 3
Bicep Brachii Biology
To simplify the anatomy of the bicep, this article will focus on its three main sections: the Long Head, the Short Head, and the Brachialis.
EMG Analysis Technique
An electromyography (EMG) machine is a diagnostic tool used to evaluate the function of muscles and the nerve cells that control them. It measures the electrical activity of the muscles at rest and during contraction.
The process typically involves placing small electrodes on the skin over the studied muscle or inserting a needle electrode directly into the muscle. The EMG machine records the electrical signals generated by the muscles and displays them as waveforms on a monitor. This information is crucial for diagnosing nerve disorders, muscle diseases, and injuries. It helps healthcare professionals assess how well the muscles and nerves are functioning and can guide treatment decisions. The research below was conducted using this science-backed approach with EMG machines.
What is Maximum Voluntary Contraction
Maximum Voluntary Contraction (MVC) refers to the maximum force that a muscle or muscle group can produce voluntarily. It is typically assessed during strength testing, where the individual exerts maximum effort to contract the muscle. MVC is important in evaluating muscle function, as it provides a benchmark for muscle strength and can be used to identify any deficits or improvements in muscle performance due to training, rehabilitation, or other interventions.
In research and clinical settings, MVC is often measured using electromyography (EMG) to capture the electrical activity of the muscles during the contraction. By comparing the electrical signals and the resulting force produced, researchers can gain insights into the efficiency and health of the neuromuscular system. MVC is crucial in various applications, including sports science, rehabilitation, and muscle physiology.
What is Mean and Peak Activation
Researchers typically use mean MVC for their data. I used to think that mean activation was more critical as it measured the average activation throughout the entire repetition. However, muscles are not always active throughout an exercise's entire range of motion, especially during compound lifts.
For example, one muscle might be very active down low in the stretched position, while another becomes more active up top in the contracted position of the same exercise.
For this reason, I believe that peak MVC is a more important figure. Peak activation measures the highest point of activation during the repetition.
Still, I believe that mean activation might be more important for bodybuilding purposes in providing constant tension, occlusion, and “the pump.” In contrast, peak activation might be more critical for sport-specific purposes in providing maximum tension at a particular moment for peak force production.
Study One
A team of researchers conducted this study using electromyography. They examined eight young men and women to see which bicep exercise was most effective. They took a sample of bicep exercises and compared them to the activation percentage of the standing barbell bicep curl, which was considered the best and most optimal bicep exercise. They reported the following exercises below based on highest muscular activation to lowest compared to the standing barbell curl:
DB Concentration curl (negative)
DB Concentrated Curl
Scott-Curl
Cable Curl (Straight Bar)
Barbell Curl (Straight Bar)
DB Preacher Curl (60-degree incline)
% EMG activation compared to Barbell Curl
So, as you can see, the dumbbell concentration curl came out on top as the best exercise for the biceps. It doesn't call upon using the anterior deltoid (front of your shoulder) like during other bicep exercises. We must realise that whilst concentration curls activate our biceps the best, it's a challenging exercise to induce the three principles of muscle growth with:
Muscle Tension
Metabolic Stress
Muscle Damage
A detailed description of the three principles is beyond the scope of this article. However, by performing an exercise like standing barbell curls, you're allowing MORE weight to be lifted using both hands. You are more likely to increase that weight as time goes on (thus aligning with the three aforementioned principles more).
Study Two
To determine which exercise is the most beneficial for activating the biceps brachii, researchers compiled a list of the eight most commonly used exercises for targeting the biceps.
The study researchers recruited 16 healthy female and male volunteers (eight men and eight women) between the ages of 18 and 24. All of the subjects had some form of weightlifting experience to ensure that the exercises would be performed correctly during testing.
Before the actual study, each subject attended one practice session in which researchers ensured that the subjects understood how to perform each exercise and were acquainted with the testing procedures. To establish a baseline of fitness, the subjects also completed a one-repetition maximum (1-RM) for each of the eight exercises.
Compared to the other seven exercises, the concentration curl came out on top, eliciting significantly higher muscle activation of the biceps than any other exercise tested. As seen in the graph below, the Concentrated Curl was the optimal bicep exercise with the highest %MVC, and these are the top five bicep exercises from this study:
Concentrated Curl (98%)
Cable Curl (81%)
Chin-up (80%)
Barbell Curl (75%)
EZ Curl wide grip (72%)
Study Three
This study used two variants of the barbell curl: straight (BC) and undulated Bar (EZ). The aim was to induce a selective electromyographic (EMG) activity of the biceps brachii (BB) and brachioradialis (BR). Twelve participants performed one set of ten repetitions at 65% of their 1-RM for each curl variant. Pre-gelled electrodes were applied with an inter-electrode distance of 24 mm on BB and BR. An electrical goniometer was synchronously recorded with EMG signals to determine each curl variant's concentric and eccentric phases.
The study detected a higher activation profile of both BB (P < 0.05) and BR (P < 0.01) during the EZ compared to the DC. Higher levels of activation were found during the concentric phase for only the BR performed with an EZ compared to DC (P < 0.001) and performing BC compared to DC (P < 0.05). The eccentric phase showed a higher activation of the BB muscle in EZ compared to DC (P < 0.01) and in BC compared to DC (P < 0.05). The BR muscle showed a higher activation performing EZ than DC (P < 0.01).
This study found that the optimal bicep exercise is the EZ Barbell Curl variant, as it exhibited the highest level of EMG activity for both BB and BR. Below is a video of how to perform the EZ Barbell Curl.
Summary
From the three studies and my personal experience of training for 22 years, along with training thousands of clients, I would rank the top three optimal bicep exercises in order as follows:
Dumbbell Concentrated Curl
EZ Barbell Curl
Cable Curl (Straight Bar)
My go-to exercise for the bicep is the EZ Barbell curl; this is more effective at engaging and activating the whole bicep than the straight barbell. I follow this with Dumbbell Concentrated Curls, focusing on the negative eccentric for a 3-4 second count, performing 3 sets of 4-6 negative repetitions. I then perform straight barbell cable curls for 4-5 drop sets, aiming for maximum repetitions with no rest between each set, for a more metabolic bicep blast as a finisher. It looks something like this together:
EZ Barbell Curl: 4 sets of 8-10 repetitions
DB Concentrated Curls: 3 sets of 4-6 repetitions with a 3-4 second eccentric negative stretch to near lockout
Cable Curl (Straight Bar): 5 Drop sets of 10-25 repetitions with just 5-10 second rest between sets
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