Let's be honest, pretty much all guys that lift weights want bigger biceps. There's no rhyme or reason to this desire either, the biceps don't do much in our everyday activities except look good. An often overlooked exercise to target the biceps is called the reverse pull-up (also known as the reverse chin-up). Before we get too far ahead, let's take a quick look at what makes up the bicep muscle group.
When exercising the biceps, there are two main aspects to consider: the outer bicep and the inner bicep. The outer bicep is furthest from the body or along the outside of the arm while the inner bicep is closest to the body along the inside of the arm. The two remaining muscles in the bicep muscle group are the brachialis and the coracobrachialis, which lie beneath and outside the main bicep heads.
So what makes this exercise so effective? Well, most bicep exercises out there let the wrists bend or move because they are performed with dumbbells or a barbell. What makes the reverse pull-up so great is that you grab a bar in a fixed location. This lends itself to equal amounts of work performed by each head of the biceps brachii. You'll see it all the time at the gym with guys working out, moving their elbows wildly while lifting or their wrists are curled over; reducing focus on the bicep. Any break in form results in less effectiveness of the exercise.
Doing the exercise is easy, just grab an overhead bar with a supinated (palms facing you) grip. Hang from the bar, and lift yourself up as high as you can go. It's recommended to hold the peak moment to truly blast the biceps. Just remember to never let your feet touch the floor until the set is complete.
One of the best things about this exercise is that you need no special equipment or machine to do it. This can also be considered a negative to them as well. Since they only use your body weight, you can never go beyond how much you weigh for each lift. A solution to this is the use of a dip belt that can wrap around the waist that allows weight plates to be threaded through for additional resistance.
Further pros of reverse pull-ups:
This exercise is good for people with back problems as there is little to no spinal compression due to the hanging nature of the exercise.
Aside from working the biceps, they also target the lats. If you tuck your knees or extend your legs, you can also target the abs.
The forearms are also critical while performing this exercise. Both the extensors and flexors are used due to the overhead grip.
If you're ready to start sculpting your biceps to perfection, try the reverse pull-up. Give it a go two times a week over the next two months and see the difference they can make.
If you enjoyed this exercise, complete your workout of bicep exercises with video demonstrations and step-by-step instructions.
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