Why Throwers Should Train Their Biceps Functionally (It’s About Performance, Not Just Strength)

By Dr. Carmen Jansante, PT, DPT, CSCS 

Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance

When most people think about training their biceps, they picture bodybuilders doing endless curls in front of a mirror. While the biceps may be one of the most commonly trained muscles in the gym, many throwing athletes underestimate how important they are for arm health, performance, and injury prevention.

At Undefeated Physical Therapy & Performance, we don’t train the biceps just to make your arms bigger. We train them because they play a critical role in keeping your arm healthy throughout the throwing motion.

The Biceps Do More Than Bend Your Elbow

Most people know the biceps flex the elbow, but that’s only part of their job.

The biceps are responsible for three important functions:

• Elbow flexion (bending the elbow)

• Forearm supination (rotating the palm upward)

• Assisting with shoulder flexion because the long head of the biceps crosses the front of the shoulder

For baseball players and other overhead athletes, these actions become extremely important during throwing.

Tight Biceps Don’t Always Mean They’re Overworked

One of the most common things I hear from athletes is:

“My biceps are always tight. I think I’ve trained them too much.”

In many cases, that’s actually not what’s happening.

Often, the biceps become tight because they’re trying to provide extra stability to the shoulder and elbow. Rather than simply stretching them, I like to strengthen the muscle through a full range of motion.

Training through full elbow extension allows the biceps to lengthen under control, helping improve mobility while also increasing strength where throwers need it most.

Why Elbow Extension Matters

After throwing, it’s common for athletes to temporarily lose some elbow extension.

Research has shown that repeated loss of elbow extension is associated with an increased risk of injury in throwing athletes.

One way we address this is by strengthening the biceps through their full available range. As the elbow reaches full extension during exercises, the biceps receive a controlled stretch while learning to produce force in that lengthened position.

The goal isn’t simply stronger biceps—it’s helping athletes maintain healthy elbow motion throughout a long season.

The Biceps Help Slow the Arm Down

One of the biggest reasons we emphasize biceps training is because of its role in deceleration.

During a pitch, the elbow rapidly extends at extremely high speeds. After ball release, the biceps must contract eccentrically—meaning they lengthen while producing force—to help slow the elbow down.

If the biceps can’t effectively control this motion, other structures often have to compensate.

This is one reason I frequently see athletes with triceps pain. In many cases, the triceps aren’t necessarily weak. Instead, the biceps aren’t doing enough of their job to help decelerate the arm efficiently.

Improving eccentric biceps strength can reduce unnecessary stress on the elbow while improving overall arm function.

Three Functional Biceps Exercises We Use With Throwers

Here are three of my favorite exercises that we regularly include in our arm care and performance programs.

1. Suspension Trainer/ TRX Curl

The TRX Curl is one of my favorite functional biceps exercises because it loads the entire body while allowing the elbow to gently move into extension.

As you lower yourself, the elbow is pulled into extension, creating a slight traction effect while placing the biceps under tension. The key is controlling the lowering (eccentric) phase instead of simply dropping back.

I typically prescribe 6-12 repetitions, using the lower end of the range when we’re specifically emphasizing eccentric strength.

2. Single-Arm Cable Hammer Curl

Next is a unilateral hammer curl using a cable and single handle attachment.

The neutral (hammer) grip places additional emphasis on the brachioradialis while still heavily training the biceps. Using a cable also challenges grip strength throughout the movement.

Keep the elbow tucked against your side and avoid allowing it to drift forward. Once the shoulder starts helping, you’re no longer isolating the biceps as effectively.

Slow, controlled repetitions work best.

3. Rotating Preacher Curl

This is one of my favorite exercises for throwers.

Start with a neutral grip at the top. As you slowly lower the weight, maintain that neutral position during the eccentric phase.

Once you reach the bottom, rotate your hand into a fully supinated position before curling back up.

This combines eccentric control with the biceps’ powerful role as a forearm supinator, making it highly specific to the demands placed on throwers.

The Bottom Line

For throwing athletes, biceps training should be about far more than aesthetics.

When trained correctly, the biceps can:

• Improve elbow and shoulder function

• Help maintain elbow extension throughout the season

• Reduce unnecessary tightness

• Improve eccentric deceleration after ball release

• Potentially decrease stress placed on the elbow and triceps

If you’re a baseball player, softball player, or overhead athlete, don’t overlook your biceps. Training them functionally may be one of the missing pieces in keeping your arm healthy and performing at a high level.

If you’re dealing with arm pain or want an individualized arm care program designed specifically for throwing athletes, we’d love to help.

Call or text: 412-627-2131

Instagram: @undefeated_pt

About the Author

Dr. Carmen Jansante, PT, DPT, CSCS is the owner of Undefeated Physical Therapy and Performance, a baseball-focused physical therapy and sports performance clinic in the greater Pittsburgh area, located inside Bianco School of Baseball, the official Pittsburgh Pirates Training Center. He specializes in helping baseball and softball athletes recover from injuries, improve throwing performance, increase velocity, and safely return to competition through evidence-based rehabilitation and performance training.

References

Aguinaldo AL, Chambers HG, Correlation of throwing mechanics with elbow valgus load in adult baseball pitchers. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2009.

Fleisig GS, Andrews JR, Dillman CJ, Escamilla RF. Kinetics of baseball pitching with implications about injury mechanisms. The American Journal of Sports Medicine. 1995.

Wilk KE, Macrina LC, Fleisig GS, et al. Deficits in glenohumeral passive range of motion increase injury risk in professional baseball pitchers. The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

Reinold MM, Wilk KE, Reed J, Crenshaw K, Andrews JR. Interval sport programs and rehabilitation of the overhead athlete. Journal of Orthopaedic & Sports Physical Therapy.

American College of Sports Medicine. ACSM’s Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription