If your goal is to build wide and muscular biceps, you are at the right place. Today, we are focusing on some of the best short head bicep exercises for the fuller and wider biceps of your dreams.

You may think you don’t have to pay much attention to detail when it comes to building the biceps. But you’d be wrong. Biceps, like any other muscle group, need to be targeted from various angles, using different grips and body positions for the best results. Just curling weights aimlessly and going through the motions is not enough. 

It is vital that you use proper form and technique and understand how and why you are targeting this muscle from different positions and grips. Such knowledge will help you increase the efficiency and effectiveness of your biceps training.

I am here to guide you through my experience of what has worked for me to build a wider-looking and well-rounded biceps.

But your first order of business is to grasp a basic knowledge of the anatomy of the biceps.

 

Basic Biceps Anatomy

The biceps brachii, also known as the biceps, is a muscle located in front of your upper arm. It is made up of two heads:

The Long Head: The long head is located on the lateral side of the biceps. It is also known as the outer head and is responsible for the biceps’ peak. Some exercises that primarily target the long head are hammer curls, drag curls, and incline dumbbell curls.

The Short Head: The short head is located on the medial side of the biceps. It is also known as the inner head and is responsible for the biceps’ width. Some exercises that primarily target the short head are preacher curls and wide grip barbell curls.

These heads work together to perform various functions:

• Supination of the Forearm: When your palms are facing up, it is called supination. The opposite of that is pronation.

• Elbow Flexion: When you move your forearms upwards by bending at your elbows.

• Shoulder Flexion: When you move your arms upwards from your sides.

Brachialis: The brachialis muscle is not necessarily part of the biceps. It lies underneath and significantly influences the appearance of your arms. Developing this muscle is essential for achieving a fuller look.

You need to be aware that it is not possible to completely isolate either of the two heads. Every time you perform a curl, both heads join the party. However, certain exercises allow you to focus on one head more than the other. 

Today, we will focus on exercises that target the short head more effectively. 

Generally speaking, the short head is activated more when:

• You curl a barbell up with a grip wider than shoulder width.
• Your elbow is positioned in front of your upper body.
• Your grip is supinated, which means when you grab a dumbbell or a barbell with an underhand grip, your palms are facing up.
• The short head is visible to the person standing before you as you curl a dumbbell or barbell.

So, with these key elements in mind, let’s get to the list!

 

Short Head Bicep Exercises – 9 Moves For Bigger, Wider Biceps

 

Wide Grip Barbell Curls

If you have been to the gym even once, you have seen some version of a barbell curl. It is one of the most common and popular exercises for training your biceps. It allows you to use different grips and widths to target different parts of the biceps. We will use a wider grip since we are focusing on the short head.

How to do it:

• Stand tall with both feet about shoulder width apart for balance. Grab a barbell with both hands using an underhand grip (palms facing up).
• Your hands should be placed just wider than shoulder width for short head activation. Keep your back straight and chest proud.
• Keeping your elbows pinned to your sides and your upper arms stationary, curl the barbell towards your chest. Make sure to curl all the way up without moving your upper arm.
• Once you have reached the top of your range of motion, slowly bring the barbell down with control.

You can use an EZ bar instead of a barbell to perform this workout. Keep your upper body stationary throughout the movement. Don’t lean back or forward. You might be lifting too heavy if you struggle to keep an upright stance. Adjust the weight to maintain proper form. One trick that works for me is to pin my back against a wall so I cannot lean back. You will also need to keep your wrists straight. Bending your wrists inwards will allow your forearms to assist you, which is not what you want.

 

Wide Grip EZ Bar Cable Curls

Our next workout involves an EZ bar attached to a cable machine. This workout is very similar to the previous one, with the only difference being the use of a cable machine. But why cable machines? Well, the cable machine has its own distinct advantage. One of them is the constant tension it provides throughout the entire range of motion. With an EZ bar or a barbell, the top of the range of motion is the easiest. But with a cable machine, that part is the hardest. However, it is important to incorporate both in your workout routine.  

How to do it:

• Set up a cable machine with the pulley at the lowest setting. Attach an EZ bar to it.
• Stand tall, facing the cable machine with your feet shoulder width apart. Grab the EZ bar with an underhand grip.
• Position your hands just outside shoulder width. Keep your back straight without leaning forward or back. Keep your chest up.
• With your elbows pinned to your sides, curl the bar up towards your chest. Remember to keep your upper arms fixed by your sides.
• Once you reach the top of your movement, squeeze your biceps and pause for a second or two. Pausing at the top of your curl while using a cable machine will provide a solid bicep contraction.
• Slowly lower the bar down to the starting position, controlling the eccentric part of your movement.

People tend to lean back while doing biceps curls on a cable machine. To get the most out of this amazing exercise, you must stay upright.

 

Inner Bicep Curls

Inner bicep curls with dumbbells are slightly different from conventional dumbbell bicep curls because of the position of your forearms and wrists. This workout, as the name suggests, is specifically designed to target the inner or the short head of your biceps. You will need a pair of dumbbells to perform this.

How to do it:

• Stand with your feet just outside hip width apart.
• Hold a dumbbell with each hand with an underhand grip.
• While holding the dumbbells, rotate your wrists and forearms outwards as much as possible. Your elbows should be touching your sides. You can do that by externally rotating your shoulders.
• Bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders. Try to supinate your wrists even more as you curl up, as this will help you engage the short head to the near maximum.
• Once you are at the top, pause briefly and slowly bring those dumbbells down to the starting position.

It is vital that you keep your elbows pinned to your sides for proper short head activation. If done properly, this exercise will engage your short head like never before.

 

Wide Grip Spider Curls

Remember we discussed how the short head is targeted more when your elbows are positioned in front of your upper body? That’s what you will get to do with the spider curl. In addition, we will add another critical component of activating the short head by taking a wider than shoulder width grip.

How to do it:

• Get an adjustable bench and set it at an angle of 45 degrees. Set up a barbell just under the inclined bench.
• Lie on your stomach on the bench. Make sure your chest is supported. Extend your arms and let them hang straight down.
• Grab the barbell placed under the inclined bench with an underhand grip. Place your hands just outside shoulder width. 
• Keeping your elbows and upper arms stationary, curl the bar towards your upper chest. Keep your wrists straight.
• Once you reach the top, lower the bar down slowly to the starting position with control.

Spider curl includes two key components of short head activation, making it a fantastic workout for the short head of the biceps. Remember, the goal is to keep your elbows stationary and wrists straight throughout the movement. 

 

Wide Grip Preacher Curls

Just like the spider curls, the preacher curls also involve positioning the elbows in front of your upper body. Here, a preacher pad is used to rest your upper arms. This exercise is a very common and popular bicep builder. Just as we did with the spider curls, we will use a wider grip with this one as well.

How to do it:

• Sit on a preacher bench with your feet on the ground or on the leg rest.
• Lean forward enough to rest your upper arms on the preacher pad. Keep your back straight.
• Grab an EZ Bar with an underhand grip (palms facing up) and with a wider than shoulder width grip.
• Keeping your wrists and back straight, curl the bar towards your upper chest. Do not bend your wrists inward, as it will activate the forearms.
• Pause and squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement. This will provide a strong short head contraction.
• Slowly extend your arms and bring the bar back down. Do not fully extend your arms at the bottom. This is to ensure your biceps are in constant tension and to protect your elbow joints.

Don’t just drop your weight down during the eccentric. This is true in pretty much every workout, but with preacher curls, doing so will badly injure your elbow joints, so always be careful.

 

Concentration Curls

Concentration curl is a single arm exercise, great for correcting any muscle imbalances. Concentration curls are great for training your biceps. You get to focus on one arm at a time, which helps you build symmetrical biceps. It is also amazing for the short head of your biceps.

How to do it:

• Sit on the edge of a chair or a bench. Spread your legs to form a V-shape with your inner thighs.
• Lean forward slightly and rest the lower part of the triceps of your working arm on the inner thigh. If you are working in the right arm, rest THE lower part of the right triceps on the inner thigh of your right leg. Place your other hand on the knee of your other leg.
• Extend your working arm down and grab a dumbbell with an underhand grip. Make sure to keep your back straight. This is your starting position.
• With your wrists straight and elbow pinned to the inner thing, curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder.
• Once your biceps are fully contracted, extend your arm down fully with control.

The great thing about this exercise is that you can start incorporating this in your workout routine even if you are just starting out. It is very difficult to use momentum to help you with this exercise as the elbow movement is restricted. So it is difficult to cheat. You can do this at home, too, as long as you have a dumbbell.

 

High Pulley Cable Curls

We are back to the cable machine with high pulley cable curls. This exercise hits the biceps from a unique angle. It is great for both heads of the biceps, with special attention on the short head.

How to do it:

• Stand in the middle of a cable machine. Set both pulleys at a height that is over your head when standing up. Attach a D-handle on both sides.
• Place your feet about shoulder width apart. Keep your back straight and engage your core. Grab the D-handles with your palms facing up. This is your starting position.
• Keeping an upright stance and wrists straight, bend at the elbows and curl your hand towards your shoulders. Your upper arm should stay parallel to the floor as you curl.
• Once your biceps are fully contracted, pause briefly and slowly extend your arms back to the starting position, maintaining control. 

Make sure to keep an upright stance throughout the workout. Don’t lean forward, back, or toward one side. Don’t allow your forearms to aid you by bending your wrists inwards.

 

Wide Grip Chin Ups

Chin up is one of my favorite bodyweight workouts ever. It targets so many upper body muscles that it is a must-have in your workout routine. In addition to being a great back builder, chin ups are an amazing bodyweight exercise for your biceps. It is highly convenient to perform as well. All you need is your body weight and a pull-up bar. We will use a wider-than-shoulder-width grip here for short head activation.

How to do it:

• Jump up and grab a pull-up bar with your wrists facing towards you. Your grip should be just wider than shoulder width.
• Extend your arms fully and let your body hang down from the bar.
• Engage your core and pull your body up until your chin is over the bar.
• Once you reach the top, pause for a second and slowly bring your body back down to the starting position, extending your arms fully.

If you find the bodyweight chin up too challenging, try using a resistance band to assist you first and gradually build your strength. On the other hand, if the body weight is not challenging enough for you, place a dumbbell between your feet or use a dip belt by attaching weight plates to it for added resistance.

 

Zottman Curl

We end your list of exercises with an exercise that hits both heads of the bicep with equal effect. The zottman curl is different from every other exercise we have discussed today. 

How to do it:

• Stand tall with your feet about shoulder width apart for balance.
• Grab a dumbbell with each hand and your palms facing up.
• Your back should be straight, chest proud, and core engaged.
• Keeping your elbows pinned to your sides, curl your arms towards your shoulders. Keep your palms facing up as you do so.
• Once you have reached the top of the movement, rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing down. With that wrist position, lower the dumbbell down by fully extending your arms.

Take care of your breathing. Make sure to exhale on your way up and inhale on your way down.

 

So, there you go guys. We have reached the end of our exploration of the short head bicep exercises. 

 

Final Thoughts: Short Head Bicep Exercises

It is needless to say that for a well-rounded upper arm, you need to take each head of your biceps seriously. You can’t ignore one or the other. The short head makes your biceps wider, while the long head takes care of your biceps’ peak. You can only achieve the biceps of your dreams by incorporating a balanced approach.

In this article, I have tried to highlight the tricks to target the short head in the best way possible. The exercises listed above are the ones that I have incorporated myself in my biceps training and have gotten results. These varieties of movements, ranging from concentration curls to preacher and spider curls, ensure proper engagement of this significant muscle group.

Remember, the key to success lies in proper form, consistency in training, patience, and, of course, nutrition. You can only hope to reach your goal with a combination of all of them. 

I hope this guide will help you achieve the elusive width you want in your biceps. Give it a try, and I assure you you won’t be disappointed.