Having toned and properly shaped arms is the desire of almost all those who enter the realm of fitness. A Good biceps workout not only helps you build a better body image but also increases your pulling strength, keeps your elbows healthy and aids everyday activities such as lifting and carrying items. Here is your comprehensive biceps training guide, regardless of whether you go to the gym or do exercises right from your apartment, courtesy of befitin.com.
Why You Should Do a Biceps Workout
Your biceps muscles are located in front of your arm and are responsible for your elbow bending and forearm rotation. Your biceps workout helps build strong biceps, improves arm contour and balances your physical development. Ignoring them will cause poor performance of your pulling movements and muscle imbalance.
A regular biceps workout helps to perform heavier lifts including rows and pull-ups. Better developed biceps help your back exercises. This is the reason why a good biceps workout is part of practically every training routine at least once or twice a week.
Biceps Anatomy Insight
There are two parts of the biceps – one known as the long head (external) and the short head (internal). Both together help form the peak that you like. In order to build up the muscle, your biceps training needs to target both heads in different ways.
| Biceps Head | Targeted By |
|---|---|
| Long head | Close grip and incline exercises. |
| Short head | Wide grip and preacher exercises. |
Targeting both heads is the actual key to perfect arm development.
Top Biceps Exercises for All Levels
A good biceps exercise is not necessarily complex. What matters is that you have control and make continuous progress. Check out the following proven moves.
Classic Dumbbell Curl
It is the basic biceps exercise for both novices and experienced athletes. Perform it standing up, keeping elbows stationary, and curl the dumbbells without any jerky movements. Controlled reps create more muscle gains than rapid and heavy reps.
Barbell Curl
A biceps exercise allowing you to load more weight. Straighten your back during performance of the exercise and do not rely on momentum. It develops the full muscle thickness quickly.
Hammer Curl
By rotating the palms inwards, the biceps exercise engages the brachialis, which pulls the biceps upward, adding thickness to the muscles.
Concentration Curl
It involves a sitting position and one-arm execution of the biceps exercise. It allows creating a great mind-muscle connection and developing the muscle peak.
Exercise Summary
| Exercise | Benefit |
|---|---|
| Classic Dumbbell Curl | Basic biceps exercise for both novices and experienced athletes. |
| Barbell Curl | Allows loading more weight and develops the full muscle thickness quickly. |
| Hammer Curl | Engages the brachialis and adds thickness to the muscles. |
| Concentration Curl | Creates a great mind-muscle connection and develops the muscle peak. |
Biceps Workout at Gym: Equipment and Plan
Performing a biceps workout at gym provides various equipment and machines. A well-designed biceps workout at gym allows increasing the load incrementally and attacking the muscle from different angles.
Biceps Workout at Gym Sample Routine
Do the following routine twice weekly:
| Exercise | Sets x Reps |
|---|---|
| Barbell Curl | 4 × 8-10 |
| Incline Dumbbell Curl | 3 × 10-12 |
| Cable Curl | 3 × 12-15 |
| Preacher Curl | 3 × 10 |
Take 60-90 seconds rest between sets. The biceps workout at gym is the one that requires you to prioritise good form and gradually increase weight.
Advice for a Good Biceps Workout at the Gym
- Get your elbows and shoulders warmed up.
- Use a cable to maintain constant tension.
- Do not speed up your lifts; each repetition should be deliberate.
- Keep track of the weights used to make sure you’re moving forward.
The proper biceps workout at gym takes away all the guesswork from you.
Biceps Home Workout: No Gym Required
Having some sophisticated gym equipment is not necessary for building your arms. You can have an effective biceps workout at home that requires just a few things, like two dumbbells or even just a resistance band.
Home Biceps Workout Sample Program
| Exercise | Sets / Reps |
|---|---|
| Dumbbell Curls | 4 sets of 12 reps |
| Hammer Curls | 3 sets of 12 reps |
| Resistance Band Curls | 3 sets of 15 reps |
| Towel Isometric Curls Hold | 3 sets of 20 seconds |
The above biceps home workout will hit both heads and generate lots of tension. If you do not have dumbbells, you can easily substitute them with a couple of water bottles with water or even just a backpack full of books.
How to Have a Good Biceps Home Workout
What makes a great biceps home workout? First, it needs to involve slow motion during reps and squeeze as much as possible at the top position. You will usually work with light loads and high reps.
Increasing Biceps Muscle Size the Proper Way
Many people wonder how they can increase biceps muscle size without spending months on it in vain. The thing is that consistency, progressive overload, and recovery become more important than some magic.
Progressive Overload
Learning how to increase biceps muscle size requires gradual increases of weight and/or reps for your workout once or twice a week in order to stimulate the growth of your muscles.
Nutrition
It is impossible to build any kind of muscles without energy. Make sure you eat enough protein (approximately 1.6-2 grams per kg of your weight), have a slight excess of calories. It is one of the most essential parts of increasing biceps muscle size.
Rest
Resting days are when your muscles recover and grow. Have 7-9 hours of sleep and do not train biceps daily. If you are concerned with increasing biceps muscle size, let your muscles rest for 48 hours.
Mistakes to Avoid
Even the best biceps routine will not be effective if you make these mistakes:
| Mistake | Why It Should Be Avoided |
|---|---|
| Swinging the weight | This removes all tension from the muscles. |
| Choosing too much weight | Bad form leads to injury. |
| Neglecting the negative rep | Slow lowering helps to build muscle faster. |
| Not having rest days | Overtraining makes you progress slower. |
Correcting even the slightest details may give amazing results.
Weekly Workout Routine
In order to have balanced muscle development, it is recommended that you train your biceps after back day or have an arm day. It is best for you to do two workouts a week for your biceps. At first, you can try to have only one workout and then add another later.
Weekly Schedule
| Day | Workout |
|---|---|
| Monday | Back + Biceps |
| Thursday | Arms (biceps) |
Conclusion
Larger bicep muscles are not created through some special workout but require effort, dedication, and persistence. No matter whether you like a biceps exercise at gym or a biceps exercise at home, you should follow the rules and do the workouts in the right way. Apply the techniques listed above, have patience, and your arms will get the shape you want. If you need more information on fitness training, visit befitin.com.
Frequently Asked Questions
Definitely. Such training may cause injury due to overworking the muscles. In order to achieve a better result, it is necessary to work out two times a week because of the muscle recovery time.
Yes, there are if you make them without warming up, with wrong technique, and with too much weight.
Improvements will become noticeable in 6-8 weeks with the help of physical exercises and a diet. Biceps will grow in 2 months on average.
Yes, for an intermediate athlete it surely will be. Home workouts with proper tension and overload result in real muscles being developed. In future, professional bodybuilders will need more weights in the gym.
Repetitions should amount to 8-15.
It is not obligatory. The consumption of full food products providing protein and calories will be enough.
