Building a large pair of 'guns' is the goal of many lifters, but a large percentage of those people aren't doing it in the most effective and efficient way. Here are some tips to show you how you can build your biceps by working smarter, not harder.
Leave your ego at the door | Dropping the amount of weight you're lifting is believed by many to be a barbaric suggestion, but you need to do it. The biceps aren't huge muscle groups, like your quads for example, so you need to hone in on them. Lifting too heavy will simply result in poor form and poor stimulation of the muscle. Drop the weight, focus on form and tempo and your arms will thank you.
Just give it a squeeze | As mentioned in the above tip, you really need to focus on the movement. At the top of the lift, give your biceps a good squeeze to really feel that contraction. After all, you're training your biceps, not your whole arm - contract the muscle you want to build!
There's no rush | As with any muscle building exercise, there's no rush to get it done as soon as possible. Lifting faster will take the emphasis off the muscle you want to work, which kind of makes the whole lift pointless. Slow your lifts down in order to progress faster.
Give it a twist | Twisting your wrists as you perform a dumbbell curl will hit your biceps harder. One of the functions of the bi's is to rotate your wrists, so use that in your lifts. Start with your palms facing your sides, and as you curl up, twist your wrists so your knuckles are facing the mirror (if there's one in front of you). Think of it like an upper cut in boxing.
Control your elbows | When working your biceps, don't let your elbows get out of line. Keep them locked in tight to your sides - this will help to place the strain on your biceps.