The strength of the biceps isn’t limited to bodybuilders and professional athletes. However, picking up a dumbbell at first may be daunting.
It does not need to be!
We at Planet Fitness, are obsessed with creating fitness spaces that are open to all, no matter whether you’re going to fitness for the first time since you were in your late 40s, or you’ve been training since high school.
Without further delay, we’ll dive into the immense benefits that exercise biceps provide and get you started with the top seven beginner-friendly bicep workouts.
Are you eager to get your hands on the weights? Find a gym close to your home to get support and advice on starting your bicep-building journey.
The Bicep Workout Benefits
If you’re a strong person you’re probably doing your biceps daily both inside and outside of the exercise room.
By doing regular bicep exercises, you will not lose your flexibility or strength as you get older as well as other amazing advantages like:
- Build Strength and Strength: Stronger biceps help to strengthen muscles of the upper body and help build the strength needed for everyday tasks like pulling, lifting, and pushing.
- Increase the range of motion: By strengthening your biceps the elbow joints are more flexible, and you can enjoy greater flexibility.
- Support Daily tasks: Bringing groceries into the home and reaching for things that are high up and carrying your children are a lot more difficult without functioning bicep strength. Regular bicep exercises help you complete your daily tasks without any difficulty.
- Beware of injuries: Strengthening your biceps assists in stabilizing and strengthening your shoulder joints, decreasing the risk of injury next time you are lifting something heavy.
- Increase Bone Density When you employ weights for training your biceps muscles, you’re not only strengthening your muscles you’re strengthening your bones, too. Bicep exercises increase bones in your arms by stimulating the growth of bone.
Which Muscles Do Bicep Curls Target?
The exercises are primarily focused on the biceps brachii muscles, a.k.a. the big muscle located in on the top of your upper arm, which is responsible for stretching the elbow. However, that’s not the only muscle to be noticed!
Bicep exercises also target the small muscles under the biceps to assist in stretching the elbows. If you zoom in on these exercises, they target the even smaller muscles in the upper arm, which aid in flexing the arm in the joint of your shoulder.
And it’s not only those arms that are upper! Bicep exercises also strengthen the forearm’s front to improve grip strength and strengthen your wrists.
The Best Bicep Workouts for Beginners
Now having covered all of that, let’s explore!
On our list of exercises, we’ve added exercises that use free weights and machines. Are you unsure of the right solution for you? We can help!
Do you need some help? The majority of Planet Fitness machines feature QR codes, which include quick tutorials and strategies to help you get maximum benefit from your exercise.
Make sure to begin by lifting a moderate weight to your current level of strength to ensure safety and prevent injuries.
Always remember to not forget to stretch before you exercise.
Related: The 5 Best Exercise Ball Workouts to Try
The Bicep Curls
Bicep curls are excellent for those who are just starting because they’re an easy movement that can be performed using a dumbbell or barbell.
For curls of dumbbells:
- Start with your feet wide apart with your knees bent to activate your core. Begin by placing your arms to your sides, palms facing each other while with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Bend your elbows to bring the dumbbells towards your shoulders. Pause as they reach. Maintain the same elbow position throughout the entire exercise however, you must turn your wrist to ensure that your palm faces upwards at the point you are reaching the top.
- Then slowly lower the arm to its original position and repeat using the other arm. Alternate arms until the set is completed.
Make sure to keep your elbows near to your body. Concentrate on lifting the weights using controlled, slow movements while keeping the remainder of your body in a stable position.
The Pull-Up Variations
We’ll admit it: Pull-ups aren’t everyone’s favorite. They made our top Bicep exercises list due to the many variations that are often overlooked and help gradually progress to traditional pull-ups.
This technique is vital however. Traditional pull-up technique involves:
- Begin with a hang-up bar using an overhand grip with the palms facing away toward you. The hands should not be much larger than shoulders.
- Lift by bending your elbows until your chin is above the bar.
- Slowly increase the speed and repeat.
assisted pull-ups and various variations of the same technique however knees or feet are supported, instead of hanging in the air. Here are some assisted pull-ups that we enjoy:
- A dip machine that is assisted, such as the one shown below, will be found at all Planet Fitness locations
- Bands of resistance
- A chair
- A stepladder
- A Partner
Whichever method you pick, concentrate on pulling your chest toward the bar while focusing on the core and biceps. Make sure that your movements are slow and controlled.
Do you want to learn more about pull-ups? Take a look at these pull-up alternatives.
Using Hammer Curl
It’s time to give your upper arm muscles in the inner part of your body a little focus by using Hammer curls.
For hammer curls:
- Get up and standing straight with arms straddling your sides, with palms with their backs to each other, with a dumbbell in each hand.
- Use one elbow to raise weights as far as you can and stop when you have reached your top position. Your knuckles must be facing toward the front.
- Then slowly lower the arm down, and repeat the process using the other arm. Alternate arms until the set is completed.
Be careful not to lean forward, and engage your glutes and abs to keep your body upright so that you can concentrate all your energy into your arms. Keep your wrists straight and make sure your elbows are resting in your body.
The Preacher Curls
If you’re looking to focus the biceps in totality, using the Preacher Curl could be an ideal workout to do it. If you’ve got an exercise bar or a Preacher Curl machine beginning with upper arms set on the pad directly in front of you with your palms facing upwards. Then:
- Use the barbell or machine’s handles using a grip that is underhand.
- Bend your elbows in order to pull the bar handles, then stop until you are at your shoulders.
- Slowly lower your arms until they are straight and repeat.
Be sure to exhale while you lift, and inhale when you lower. Do not lock your elbows after each repetition. If you’re sitting, work the core.
Curls of Cable Work
If your gym is equipped with a machine that can be cabled, this is a fantastic option for bicep exercises. Although it looks like a traditional bicep curl, when you use cables, you can maintain the tension throughout the entire course of the workout.
For curls of cable:
- Connect a curling bar to the cable machine.
- You should stand just in front of the cable, with your feet at a shoulder width to each other.
- Use the curl bar in an underhand grip with your arms towards the downwards.
- Turn your elbows inwards to pull the bar upwards and stop when you’ve reached your shoulders.
- Then slowly lower it lower and continue to do so.
It is also possible to do cable curls in a sitting position or focus only one arm at each time. Whichever you choose be sure not to hold your elbows snug into your body, and your spine straight. Begin with 6-10 reps each set.
The Concentration Curls
A limited shoulder movement is limiting your bicep exercises? The curl for concentration could be a great option for you.
For curls of concentration:
- Relax on a bench with legs spaced apart.
- You can hold a dumbbell with your palm facing towards the inside and then let your arm stretch. The elbow should rest on the inner thigh on the same side of your leg.
- Place the hand with no dumbbell on the opposite side of the leg, with elbow bent to ensure stability.
- The dumbbell should be positioned towards the shoulder. Bend the elbow, however without lifting the elbow off the thigh. Stop when you reach the highest point.
- Lower the arms slowly back to the starting position, and continue to lower the arm until it is at its lowest.
- Do the same number of reps using both arms.
Concentration curls can be difficult after an extended period of time, so make sure to exhale during the lift, then inhale on the lower part, and make sure your elbows are locked into your body.
Incline Dumbbell
Leaning back, and letting arms drop in front of the body, you can can increase the distance of curls from an extended arms to shoulders.
For incline curls:
- Lay on a bench that is inclined with your arms towards the ground extended behind the body.
- The palms face forward. Hold one dumbbell in each hand.
- Use one elbow to pull the dumbbell towards your shoulder, while keeping your palm pointing forward.
- Stop at the top of the hill.
- Slowly lower, then repeat to the other side.
Do not lock your elbows while lowering the arms.
Reminders for your bicep workout with dumbbells
Keep in mind that this is only an initial step in your fitness journey. Begin by lifting lighter weights and making sure you are in good form and engaging as your biceps grow stronger.
Biceps are only the beginning of. Learn to strengthen the other upper body muscles or download the no-cost PF app to gain access to additional workouts and tutorials.
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