If you need to use your biceps for powerful or explosive movements in competition, avoid static stretches. Stretching immediately before performance can negatively affect the “torque-producing capability of a muscle at both slow and fast velocities,” according to study by researchers at the Human Performance Laboratory at Nebraska’s Wayne State College. In an article published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" in 2003, the study also revealed that increased stiffness of the muscles resulted in more strength during performance.
Many men don’t consider biceps stretches because they want to give the appearance of looking pumped. However, if you blast your upper arms with weights over a period of time, your biceps will grow tighter. This can result in arms that look bent even at rest. Tight biceps can also cause pain in your elbows and affect your shoulder joints. By performing static stretches for your biceps after an arm workout, you can avoid muscular imbalances and distorted posture. Keeping your biceps flexible will help you move your upper arms through a greater range of motion and activate more muscle fibers.
Static stretches for your biceps can be performed anywhere and can be squeezed into an office break. For example, stand next to a doorway and press your right shoulder against the door jamb. Fully extend your right arm behind you, turning it inward so your thumb points to the left. Slowly move your arm to the right, feeling the stretch in your biceps. For a stretch that requires no leverage, extend both arms directly behind you. Keep your arms parallel to the ground and your palms turned up to the ceiling. Hold the peak position of these static stretches for 20 to 30 seconds before returning to the starting position.
By adding the opposing contraction of your triceps, you can increase the effectiveness of a biceps stretch. When your arms are hanging down in a natural state of rest, they’re not completely straight. Your elbows remain bent, which means your biceps are still slightly contracted. Your triceps must contract to straighten your arms to a maximum extension of 180 degrees. By doing so, you stretch your biceps. Straighten your arms and hold that position by contracting your triceps for 10 to 100 counts. Release your triceps, then repeat the biceps stretch.
