You are at the right place if you are looking for the short head bicep exercises. Biceps are small muscles, to grow them takes time, knowledge, and intellect.
To build the bigger and impressive biceps first, we needed to understand the anatomy and functionality of the biceps muscle, which help to perform the biceps exercises at the best level. For building bigger and impressive biceps involves more than doing the same bicep exercises over and over. If you want well-defined, thick biceps, targeting the short head of the biceps brachii is essential.
In this article, we are going to tackle the best exercises for the short head of the bicep, which is often underdeveloped in those who lack a complete understanding of the biceps brachii. It’s time to develop huge bicep!
The best way to work on your short head bicep is to add variations and perform a full range of motion to activate the most amount of bicep muscle.
What Is The Short Head Bicep
The biceps brachii muscle (biceps) is a large, thick muscle of the upper arm. The Biceps Brachii is attached to the forearm bone called the radius and originates at the scapula in two heads (the Bicep gets its name from the two heads).
“Heads” simply means the muscle has different attachment points. In the case of the biceps, it is two, hence the ‘bi’ in bicep.
Your biceps brachii has two heads: short (inner) and long (outer). The short head is located along the inner side of the anterior upper arm and the long head is located along the outer side of the anterior upper arm.
The long head comprises the majority of the biceps’ peak, whereas the short head sits on the inner side and contributes to the biceps’ width.
To be anatomically specific, the long head and short head both originate at the scapula, but along different points.
- The short head originates from a projection on the scapula called the coracoid and runs alongside the long head on the inside of the arm.
- The long head originates from a cavity in the scapula called the glenoid.
The biceps is one of four muscles alongside the brachialis, brachioradialis, and coracobrachialis muscles that make up the upper arm.
How To Build Short Head Of Biceps
It’s important to understand how to differentiate the two bicep heads during exercise, so you can develop both heads to their fullest potential.
The Short head of the bicep is a vital muscle head when it comes to mass and strength. It is the muscle at the inner part of the upper arm.
A well-developed, short head biceps muscle will always make you stand out. Training the short head is important when working to raise the strength of the biceps.
There are many exercises that emphasize the short head (inner head bicep) of the bicep. Many of them you probably already know, but maybe you didn’t realize they are best for the short head. All you have to do is implement the techniques.
There are four main techniques that you can use to emphasize the short head bicep during training:
- Curling with your elbows in front of your body (upper arm held up parallel with the floor).
- Curl with a wide grip.
- Curling with a supinated grip (palm held upward and outward)
- Curing with your arms held laterally toward your body.
An easy way to remember whether you’re working the short or inner head and long or outer head of the biceps brachii is to look in the mirror.
When using a close grip, which, as explained above, targets the long head, the long head will be visible.
When using a wide grip, which targets the short head, the short head will be visible.
Best Short Head Bicep Exercises For Bigger and huge Arms
There are 12 best short head bicep exercises for the inner bicep and thickness. Use these moves to get your short head biceps pumped up and improve the overall function of your upper arms.
1. Wide Grip Barbell Curl
The barbell curl is a highly recognizable biceps exercise that builds biceps muscle mass. Barbell curls are one classic short head or inner biceps workout. It’s a great exercise for seeing results in strength and definition.
A barbell curl is a pull-type, isolation exercise that works primarily on your biceps and also trains the muscles in your forearms. A wide grip focuses effort on the inner head biceps (short head), whereas narrow grip arks the outer biceps (long head).
Doing this exercise will guarantee you will blast your short head biceps in a effective manner.
How To Do Wide Grip Barbell Curl
- Hold a barbell at arm’s length, using a shoulder-width underhand grip.
- Curl the bar up to shoulder level by bending your elbows.
- Lower the bar back down to the arms’ extended position.
- Repeat for desired reps.
Tips
- Your body should remain fixed. Only your biceps should be used to move the weight.
- Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your biceps.
- The motion should occur at the elbow to isolate the biceps, not on the shoulders.
2. Concentration Curl
DB Concentration Curls are an excellent exercise to activate short head bicep and to build a biceps peak and thickness. This exercise should be a part of your arms exercise, as peaked biceps are very impressive to look at.
Resting the upper arm against the thigh prevents movement at the shoulder, which is an excellent way to isolate the biceps. Since it inhibits the involvement of leg, shoulder and upper back muscles, it’s a good exercise for your short head bicep.
How To Do Concentration Curl
- Bend down at your torso holding a dumbbell in your hand and resting your other arm on your thigh.
- Curl your arms to the maximum and twist your wrist. The little finger should be at an upper level than the thumb.
- Concentrate on fully activating the short heads of your biceps.
- Curl the dumbbell back to start position.
- Repeat the exercise with your opposite arm.
Tips
- Exhale while you exert.
- Keep form strict and go as heavy as you can.
3. Spider Curl
Spider curls are a remarkable exercise for building the biceps because they produce an intense muscle contraction on every single rep. That why it is one of the best short head bicep exercises you can consider incorporating in your training regime if you want a bulging short head bicep.
This is a good exercise to change things up and keep your biceps working hard, especially the short head, which will have to do most of the work.
As for equipment, you can use a barbell, EZ bar or dumbbells.
How To Do Spider Curl
- Adjust the bench to an incline, level to a 60-degree angle. Grab two moderately light dumbbells with an underhand grip.
- Sit on the bench in a reverse position with your chest pressed into the backrest. Let your arms hang in front of your torso.
- Curl the dumbbells toward your shoulders and squeeze your biceps forcefully and focus on short peak activation.
- Hold the contraction for a moment, and then lower the weights under control until your elbows are fully extended.
Tips
- Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
- Only the forearms should move. Do not swing the arms.
4. Preacher curl
Incorporating a preacher curl into a short head bicep exercise brings a lot of benefits that don’t come with conventional bicep curls. Do preacher curl with a little wider grip to impart more load on short head biceps.
This exercise is done by sitting on a preacher bench with a barbell or EZ-curl bar.
How To Do Preacher curl
- Get seated on the Preacher Bench with your chest against the support and grab the bar placed on the preacher bench rack in front of you.
- Curl the bar as in standard barbell curl and get maximum contraction at the top.
- Lowering the bar slowly gives constant stress throughout the movement. Lowers the bar to get the maximum extension.
- Repeats the desired number of reps.
- During the last few reps, your biceps short heads should feel burning intense.
Tips
- Keep the motion slow and controlled throughout the set.
- Squeeze the biceps as hard as possible as you get the weight to the top.
- Use a wide grip to work the short head biceps and a close grip to work the outer biceps.
5. One Arm High Cable Curl
The High Cable Curl is a great exercise for hitting the short (inner) head of the biceps, which builds width and thickness in the muscle. It is one of the best Short head bicep exercises.
There are two main versions of the high cable curl: one-arm and two-arm. Both variations are effective, but the one-arm version allows you to use more relative weight for potentially greater gains in biceps size and strength.
How To Do One Arm High Cable Curl
- Begin by standing sideways next to a high pulley machine, arm extended out at about shoulder height, and gripping the handle with one of your hands.
- Slowly curl the cable towards your head, isolating the bicep until you feel tension, and hold for a count and focus on short peak activation.
- Return to the starting position and repeat for as many reps and sets as desired.
- Repeat the exercise with your opposite arm.
Tips
- Hold for a count of two and squeeze your biceps brachii.
- Inhale as you extend your elbow, exhale while squeeze.
- Keep tension on the short head the entire time.
6. Standing Dumbbell Preacher Curl
The standing dumbbell preacher curl is an isolation exercise that targets the biceps, but the forearms, brachialis, and brachioradialis receive stimulation as secondary movers.
It is usually performed by using a regular bench and a dumbbell.
How To Do Standing Dumbbell Preacher Curl
- Adjust the bench to an incline level so that you can comfortably rest your arm down the back of the headrest.
- Grab a dumbbell in one arm and extend it over the bench so that your forearm and tricep are rested upon the bench.
- Hold on to the top of the bench with the opposite arm to stabilize your body and to balance the weight.
- Slowly curl the dumbbell up towards your shoulder, isolate the bicep and squeeze your muscle.
Tips
- Make sure to keep your upper arms flat on the bench during the exercise to eliminate cheating.
- Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
- Maintain stress on the short heads throughout this exercise.
7. Wide Grip Ez Bar
This is a great exercise if you want to target your inner biceps. You may find it easier to focus on the short head, as your hands are wider apart during the movement.
The straight bar version of this exercise is excellent too. However, it can cause wrist and forearm discomfort for many lifters due to the need to use a fully supinated grip.
The wide-grip EZ bar curl will emphasize the short head and build the thickness of your biceps.
How To Do Wide Grip Ez Bar
- Stand holding an EZ-curl bar using a wide supinated grip (hands wider than shoulder width apart and palms facing upward). Let the bar rest on your thighs.
- Keeping your elbows fixed to your sides, exhale as you curl the EZ-curl bar up toward your shoulders.
- Hold for a count of two and squeeze your biceps.
- Inhale as you lower the EZ-curl bar to the starting position.
- Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.
Tips
- Keep your elbows locked to your sides and your body still. Only your forearms should move.
- Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your short head of biceps.
- The motion should occur at the elbow to isolate the biceps, not on the shoulders.
8. Standing Inner Biceps Curl
As the name suggests, the standing inner bicep curl works the short head or inner biceps.
There are many possible variations for this movement. For instance, you can perform the exercise sitting down on a bench with or without back support.
You can (and should) turn your hands from the position when palms are facing each other to the position when palms are facing upwards.
This movement also develops the biceps along with the elbow contraction. Must add this workout in your short head bicep exercises arsenal.
How To Do Standing Inner Biceps Curl
- Stand up with a dumbbell in each hand being held at arm’s length. The elbows should be close to the torso. Your legs should be at about shoulder’s width apart from each other.
- Rotate the palms of the hands so that they are facing inward in a neutral position.
- Curl the weights out while contracting the biceps. Your wrist should turn so that when the weights are fully elevated you have supinated grip (palms facing up).
- Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted, and the dumbbells are at shoulder level. Hold for a second.
- Slowly begin to bring the dumbbells back to the starting position. Remember to rotate the wrists as you lower the weight in order to switch back to a neutral grip. Repeat for desired reps.
Tips
- Your body should remain fixed. Only your biceps should be used to move the weight.
- Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your biceps.
- The motion should occur at the elbow to isolate the short head biceps, not on the shoulders.
- For a better stability, you can also do the exercise in seated position
9. Zottman Curl
The dumbbell zottman curl is one of the best variations of the standard bicep curl. The Zottman curl utilizes different hand positioning at different portions of the lift. Due to this, it is one of the best exercises to target the short head bicep.
The first portion, the regular curl, focuses on bicep strength. You can perform Zottman curls with both arms at the same time, or alternate the arm you lift with.
How To Do Zottman Curl
- Hold a pair of dumbbells to your sides.
- Keep your palms facing up as you curl the weights up to your shoulders. Pause at the top of the movement.
- Slowly rotate your grip, so your palms are facing downwards. Lower the dumbbells slowly back to the starting position using an overhand grip.
- When the dumbbells are close to your thighs, again turn your hands while returning to the starting position.
Tips
- Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
- Don’t go heavy. Choose a lighter weight and focus on perfecting your form.
10. One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
The one-arm dumbbell preacher curl is a variation of the preacher curl exercise, uses dumbbells and single arm movements for better control and targeting of the bicep muscles.
It is a great exercise for the short head of your bicep because it positions your elbow out in front of your body, which provides more stimulation to the short head.
How To Do One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl
- Adjusting the preacher bench seat so that your arm is level with the top of the bench.
- Grab a dumbbell on one arm with an underhand (palms up) grip and rest your arm against the bench with your arm extended fully down.
- Slowly curl the dumbbell up towards your head, keeping your arm on the bench at all times until you reach the top position.
- Hold for a count, squeeze and isolate your bicep.
- Repeat the desired number of repetitions, then change to your other arm.
Tips
- Perform this exercise in a slow, controlled manner for best results.
- As a general rule, always hit the weakest arm first. In most cases, this is the left arm.
11. EZ Bar Seated Close Grip Concentration Curl
This exercise can be performed standing with the torso bent forward and the arm in front of you.
In this case, no leg support is used for the back of your arm, so you will need to make extra effort to ensure no movement of the upper arms. It’s going to absolutely annihilate the short head.
How To Do EZ Bar Seated Close Grip Concentration Curl
- Sit down on a flat bench with a barbell or E-Z Bar in front of you in between your legs.
- Use your arms to pick the barbell up and place the back of your upper arms on top of your inner thighs. A supinated grip closer than shoulder width is needed to perform this exercise.
- Your arm should be extended at arms length and the barbell should be above the floor. This will be your starting position.
- While holding the upper arms stationary, curl the weights forward while contracting the biceps as you breathe out. Continue the movement until your biceps are fully contracted.
- Hold the contracted position for a second as you squeeze the biceps.
- Slowly begin to bring the barbell back to starting position as you breathe in.
Tips
- Avoid swinging motions at any time.
12. Chin Up
The chin-up is a strength training exercise. This is a bodyweight exercise that can induce serious muscle growth of the biceps and back. But, when it comes to the biceps, it’s great for targeting the short head of the biceps. You can therefore target your short head of the bicep and a multitude of other upper body muscles at the same time.
In this exercise, the palms are faced towards the body. Since the lifter is pulling their own bodyweight, the biceps are usually exposed to loads heavier than what one can lift with a barbell. Must add this compound bicep workout in your Short head bicep workouts arsenal.
Muscles Worked
Primary: latissimus dorsi and biceps brachii
Secondary: Teres major, posterior deltoid, infraspinatus, teres minor.
How To Do Chin Up
- Grasp a pull-up bar with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower.
- Straighten your arms, keep your knees bent and cross your lower legs.
- Retract your shoulder blades and pull your body until your chin becomes aligned with the bar.
- Pause for one to two seconds at the top, with the biceps under maximum tension. Slowly lower to the start position.
Tips
- Don’t get in the habit of doing half reps and chasing numbers.
- Lower to almost full extension of the elbow, but avoid locking out completely.
Short Head Bicep Exercises Training Tips
Training Volume (Sets and Reps)
Of course, the number of sets and reps will be determined based on your fitness journey, but here is a great starting point:
Short Head Bicep Workout Sets & Reps
- Beginners: ~10 sets per week.
- Intermediate: ~15 sets per week.
- Advanced: ~20 sets per week.
When a certain amount of volume stops being effective and your progress stalls, you can add sets to increase volume and use that as a driver of renewed progress.
The best rep ranges and loads to work with.
- 6-8 reps with heavy load
- 8-15 reps with moderate load
- 15-20+ with light load
The load should bring you to or near failure within the given rep ranges to be effective.
Short Head Bicep Exercises Workout Samples
If your short head is lagging, and you really want to build a big bicep thickness, you can prioritize it, but still don’t forget about your long head.
Short Head Bicep Workout Plan #1
- Wide Grip Barbell Curl: 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Standing Inner Biceps Curl: 4 sets of 8-10 reps.
- Standing Dumbbell Preacher Curl: 3 sets of 15-20 reps.
Bicep Short Head Workout Plan #2
- Chin-ups : 3 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Preacher curl: 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
- Concentration Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
- One Arm Dumbbell Preacher Curl: 3 sets of 10-15 reps.
Short Head Bicep Workout Plan #3
- Wide Grip EZ Bar: 4 sets of 6-8 reps.
- Spider Curl: 4 sets of 8-12 reps.
- One Arm High Cable Curl: 3 sets of 10-12 reps.
- Zottman Curl: 3 sets of 8-12 reps.
Takeaways:
Working on your short head bicep allows you to shape your upper arm and make them appear stronger and bigger. You can increase the weight and reps recommended, achieving a better outcome, but you should do so slowly.
Remember that the slightest shift in the range of motion or hand positioning can make a significant impact.
If done correctly, these short head bicep exercises should help you build up that impressive inner and short head bicep peak and bicep strength.
Frequently Asked Question
How Do You Activate The Short Head Of The Bicep?
To activate the short head bicep during training, four main techniques can help you achieve that:
- Curling with your elbows in front of your body (upper arm held up parallel with the floor).
- Curl with a wide grip.
- Curling with a supinated grip (palm held upward and outward)
- Curing with your arms held laterally toward your body.
What Bicep Workouts Work The Short Head?
There are many exercises that work the short head of the bicep. Many of them you probably already know, but maybe you didn’t realize they are best for the short head.
Use these exercises to strengthen your short head of the biceps and improve the overall function of your upper arms.
- Wide Grip Barbell Curl
- Spider Curl
- Preacher Curl
- One Arm High Cable Curl
- Dumbbell Preacher Curl
- Standing Inner Biceps Curl
Does short head make the bicep wider?
The shorter head of your biceps usually helps make your arm look bigger and fuller. If you are looking to gain size on your arms, you should train your short head.
The Short head of the bicep is a vital muscle head when it comes to mass and strength. It is the muscle at the inner part of the upper arm.
Do Preacher Curl Work Long Head?
Curling with your elbows in front of your body targets more of the short head bicep and brachialis. Incorporating a preacher curl into a short head bicep exercise brings a lot of benefits that don’t come with conventional bicep curls.
Which bicep exercises hit which head?
In general, bicep exercises that use a narrower grip will target the long (outer) head of the bicep better, such as close-grip preacher curls and close-grip barbell curls.
Whereas bicep exercises that use a wide grip will engage the short (inner) head of the biceps to a greater extent, such as wide grip barbell curls and inner bicep curls.
Know More about Bicep Training
Video illustration on 12 Most Effective SHORT “INNER” HEAD OF BICEP EXERCISES For Bigger Arms
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