6 Best Exercises to Get Biceps Like Shawn Ray

Shawn Ray is a retired professional bodybuilder who is also a successful entrepreneur, author, and legendary fitness icon. He has competed in bodybuilding competitions with icons like Lee Haney, Dorian Yates, and Ronnie Coleman.

Ray only failed to finish in the top five once in more than 30 major bodybuilding competitions. He has been in six video documentaries since signing his first professional bodybuilding sponsor contract in 1988.

This article will take you through six bicep building exercises you can do to get biceps like Shawn Ray's.

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Exercises to Get Biceps Like Shawn Ray

Shawn Ray's fitness routine placed a lot of emphasis on compound exercises, a healthy diet and proper hydration. He was often inspired to do exercises that others weren't willing to. To build biceps like the legend, check out these six exercises that can help you achieve your goal:

1) Dumbbell Supinated Biceps Curl

A supinated or underhand grip places constant tension on the biceps and is an excellent exercise to build biceps like Shawn Ray's. This curl also helps work out the forearm muscles.

For supinated biceps curls, hold the dumbbells with your palms facing your thighs, and rotate your wrists outward as you curl them up. That gives the exercise a wider range of motion.

Here's how you do this exercise:

• Stand up straight, and grab a pair of dumbbells with a neutral grip.
• Curl your fingers up towards your shoulders, and turn your forearms so that the palms of your hands face your shoulders instead of your thighs.
• Take a short break at the top, and go back to the starting position.
• Do three to four sets of 8–15 reps each.

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2) Dumbbell Reverse Biceps Curl

To get well defined biceps like Shawn Ray's, you need to work out all the muscles surrounding them. The reverse grip works out the biceps brachii's long head. It also works the smaller extensor muscles in the forearm, which don't get much attention.

Here's how to do this exercise:

• Grasp a pair of dumbbells with your overhand grip (your knuckles will face away from you).
• As you curl the dumbbells to the outside of your shoulders, keep your wrists in the same position.
• Take a short break at the top, and slowly go back to the starting position.
• Do two to four sets of 10-15 reps per set.

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3) Standing Barbell Biceps Curl

Standing barbell curls are a simple and effective way to work your biceps. They can help you build bigger arms and biceps like Shawn Ray's.

Here's how you do this exercise:

• Put the right amount of weight on the barbell.
• Grab the barbell with your underhands, and put your hands just outside your hips while standing.
• Your back should be straight, core tight, and chest up.
• Curl your arms till you feel a squeeze in your biceps.
• Stop for a moment, and straighten your arms to complete the first rep.
• Do two to four sets of 10-15 reps for each set.

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4) Preacher Curl

This is one of the best exercises you can do to get biceps like Shawn Ray's. The preacher curl is an excellent workout for the biceps. It works the biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis, in addition to the forearm.

Here's how you do this exercise:

• After sitting down on a preacher curl bench, load your chosen weights onto an EZ bar, and grab it with an underhand grip while keeping your hands hip-width apart.
• Make sure your triceps rest firmly on the bench.
• Curl your arms up till the muscles in your biceps are tight.
• Take a short break, and go back to the starting position to complete one rep.

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5) Dumbbell Hammer Curl

When you do the hammer curl variation with a neutral grip, your elbows and shoulders are less stressed, as your shoulders are neither turned in nor out. Hammer curls work the long head of the bicep and the brachioradialis, which is an important forearm muscle. Perform this exercise regularly to get brawny biceps like Shawn Ray.

Here's how you do this exercise:

• Grab a pair of dumbbells, and hold them by your sides, keeping your wrists straight.
• Curl the dumbbell so that the end is close to your front shoulder.
• Take a short break, and slowly move the dumbbells back to the starting position.
• Do two to four sets of 12-15 reps for each set.

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6) Barbell Drag Curl

The barbell drag curl is a good exercise for isolating the biceps because at the top of the movement, your biceps do most of the work without much help from other muscles. If you want biceps like Shawn Ray's, add this exercise to your routine.

Here's how you do this exercise:

• Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and arms out in front of you.
• Grab the barbell with your palms facing down.
• As you take a deep breath in, tighten your core, and curl your arms so that the palms of your hands face your shoulders.
• During the movement of the barbell drag curl, your elbows should move slightly back.
• Once your arms are fully bent, go back to the starting position to complete one rep.

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Takeaway

Include the aforementioned exercises in your workout routine to build biceps like the bodybuilding legend Shawn Ray's.