Table of Contents
- 1. What is Stretching?
- 2. What is Bicep Stretching?
- 3. Bicep Muscle Analogy
- 4. Why Stretching Biceps is important?
- 5. How to Stretch Your Biceps?
- 6. Five Best Ways to Stretch Your Biceps
- 6.1. Dynamic Bicep Stretching
- 6.2. Seated Bicep Stretching
- 6.3. Standing Bicep Stretching
- 6.4. Doorway Bicep Stretching
- 6.5. Flat Wall Bicep Stretching
- 7. Avoid Common Mistakes
- 8. Tips for an effective Biceps Stretch
- 9. Takeaways
Stretching plays a big role in increasing muscle control and flexibility. Biceps are considered one of the most desirable muscles in the entire body. Hence, an effective bicep stretching routine is important for growing this trophy muscle.
Here you will learn what bicep stretching is and how you can stretch your biceps for increased strength and flexibility.
1. What is Stretching?
Stretching is a physical exercise in which specific muscles are flexed deliberately to increase their elasticity.
It is done by placing a body part into a particular position that elongates and lengthens the muscles, improving muscle tone. It is used as both a warm-up and cool-down exercise in workouts.
2. What is Bicep Stretching?
Bicep stretching involves upper body movements where the biceps brachii (forward facing muscles of your upper arm) are expanded and contracted.
3. Bicep Muscle Analogy
The biceps brachii consist of two heads:
- One long outer head
- One short inner head
The primary function of these heads is to support shoulder lifts and elbow flexion by working in tandem. Stretching biceps help activate these muscles and stimulate blood flow. Moreover, this can increase the range of motion and flexibility to a greater extent, allowing your biceps to grow effectively.
4. Why Stretching Biceps is important?
Biceps stretching is important to complement your upper body exercises. An effective bicep stretch can:
- Stimulate blood flow
- Improve performance
- Increase flexibility and range of motion
- Aid in speedy recovery
- Reduce muscle soreness and tension
- Prevent injuries and prepare you for your next workout.
5. How to Stretch Your Biceps?
There are three steps of an effective bicep stretch:
Step 1
Warm up by walking, jogging or doing any short cardio workout to increase heart rate and stimulate blood flow.
Step 2
Gentle Stretch: Start with a low-strain bicep stretch, e.g. standing bicep stretch, to avoid putting extra strain on your muscles.
Step 3
Deeper Stretch: Lastly, move to a deeper stretch that involves high muscle strain, e.g. seated bicep stretch, for increased flexibility .
6. Five Best Ways to Stretch Your Biceps:
6.1. Dynamic Bicep Stretching
Dynamic bicep stretching is great for warming up your muscles before a workout. Common dynamic bicep stretches include:
● Arm Swings
These are excellent dynamic pre-workout bicep stretches that help increase heart rate and prepare you for a workout.
How to perform?
- Stand with your knees bent.
- Keep your arms by your sides and bend your elbows slightly.
- Swing your arms back and forth for about 30 seconds.
Reps: Three to Four
● Arm Rotations
How to perform?
- Stand Straight.
- Keep your arms up straight at your sides.
- Move your arms in circular and vertical motions simultaneously for 30 seconds.
Reps: Three to Four
6.2. Seated Bicep Stretching
It is an effective post-workout or cool-down bicep stretch. It is probably the only stretch listed by the American Council on Exercises that primarily targets the biceps.
How to perform?
- Sit on the floor with your knees bent and feet flat on the ground.
- Move your hands behind your back. Place your palms on the ground with fingers facing away from you.
- Keep your back straight and slowly move your body forward by sliding your buttock towards your feet.
- Hold this pause for about 15-30 seconds and then return to the starting position.
Reps: Two to Four
Ninja Tip:
- Weight should be felt in your biceps, shoulders and chest.
6.3. Standing Bicep Stretching
It is a great stretch to cool down or warm up your body during an upper-body workout. It may seem to be focusing only on your shoulders and chest but you can vary the angle and height of your hands and arms to make it more of a bicep stretch.
How to perform?
- Stand straight with your legs apart at shoulder width.
- Move your arms behind your back and interlace your fingers.
- Keep your arms straight and your hands near the base of the spine.
- Lift your arms upwards as much as you can.
- Hold for 60 seconds and then repeat.
Reps: One to Three
Ninja Tip:
Make sure that your knees are straight and you’re not leaning too far.
6.4. Doorway Bicep Stretching
Doorway bicep stretching not only stretches your biceps but also flexes your chest. You can perform it either before or after the workout.
How to perform?
- Stand straight in a doorway.
- Hold the doorway at the waist level with your left hand.
- Move forward your left foot by bending at the left knee.
- Move your weight forward by stretching your left arm against the doorway.
- Stay in that position for 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
Reps: Two to Three
6.5. Flat Wall Bicep Stretching
Flat wall bicep stretch can be performed anywhere with much ease. It targets your arms, shoulders, and chest at the same time. You can adjust your hand's location on the wall by moving it lower or higher and repeating the movements to stretch different parts of your biceps.
How to perform?
- Stand straight in front of a flat wall.
- Press your right palm against the wall at your shoulder level.
- Slowly move your body away from the wall.
- You should feel the stretch in your bicep, arm, and shoulder.
- Hold that position for about 30 seconds and then repeat on the other side.
Reps: One to Four
7. Avoid Common Mistakes
In order to reap the maximum benefit from the bicep stretching, try to avoid these common mistakes:
- Bouncing during stretch: Bicep stretch involves a controlled static stretch instead of a bouncing stretch. Therefore, avoid bouncing during the movement to prevent any injury.
- Overstretching can result in muscle injury due to greater muscle exertion. Hence, never stretch too far past your limits.
- Bending your back can ruin stretching by developing a poor body posture. Always keep your core tight and your chest elevated to maintain a straight back.
8. Tips for an effective Biceps Stretch
- Don’t forget to breathe properly when stretching.
- Make sure to warm up before stretching.
- Always use bicep stretching prior to a workout.
9. Takeaways
Adding different variations of bicep stretching in a single session can increase your fitness level and overall performance. Hence, try alternating between different types of bicep stretches during your workout routines.
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