Biceps exercises with dumbbells: technique

All types of biceps exercises must be strictly subject to technique, strict technique. If you decide to do biceps, do only it, don’t be distracted by other exercises, leave other muscle groups. Exercises with dumbbells, along with a barbell, are basic for the formation of relief.

If you decide to work out biceps, do only them

Let's look at the most effective exercises with dumbbells for biceps. Let us note all the points through which you can understand the advantages. Let's highlight the strengths of each exercise and take into account the weaknesses, if any.

Important!!! Before starting exercises, warm-up and stretching are required! When working with dumbbells, you can first warm up the muscles with active swings with light weights, and then stretch significantly.

Types of biceps exercises with dumbbells

Lifting dumbbells for biceps while standing (only at first glance it seems that this is the same exercise as with a barbell);
Hammer exercise (a good basic exercise where, in addition to working the biceps, it is possible to develop the shoulder girdle);
Lifting dumbbells for biceps while sitting on a bench (middle part of the workout);
Concentrated curling of the arm with a dumbbell while sitting (it is possible to achieve the greatest muscle contraction);
Bending your arms while sitting on an incline bench (a complex and very working exercise in which it is impossible to “cheat”);
Biceps exercises with dumbbells on a Scott bench (one of the most effective auxiliary loads)

And now - in detail about the technique and precision of performing each exercise.

Technique

Grab. If we talk about the technique of lifting dumbbells, most athletes make the same mistake thinking that they are working the biceps correctly. They take the dumbbell in the center for convenience and in this position bring their forearms to the outside. The supinating function is only slightly involved. After all, with such a position of the hands (the grip on both the left and right is the same weight, it is balanced.

The dumbbell must be taken at the edge, near the thumb, so that the main and heavier part of the dumbbell comes out from the little finger. It is this part that will have to be supinated by turning the forearm.

Hands. An important point is that you don’t need to lift the dumbbells too high and throw them towards your chest. Indeed, in this position, the load goes from the biceps to our deltoids. This option is a relief for our biceps and unnecessary help. After all, we are bodybuilders, we need to make the load heavier, create obstacles for ourselves, perform the exercises correctly and in a more complex version.

Elbows, Shoulders. At the first stages of training, it is advisable to press your hands to your body. The shoulders need to be brought forward a little and lowered to the bottom. This is done to minimize the work of absolutely all accompanying muscle groups to which the load from the biceps can transfer.

More on hand:

Scott Bench Curl

Execution option. There are several ways to do supinated dumbbell raises. You can bend the dumbbells one by one, with your left and then your right hand, you can do certain series, first 5 times on one hand, then 5 bends on the other hand with dumbbells.

Are dumbbell curls better done standing or sitting?

Based on our reasoning, a better option would be to perform dumbbell curls while standing than in a sitting position. After all, in the standing version it will be easier for you to control your body, tilt your body forward, backward, lower your shoulders down, bring them forward, raise them a little, and so on. Your pelvis will not interfere with you, and this will make it easier for you to do the work for yourself and harder for your biceps.

Standing dumbbell curl

The exercise sufficiently shapes the biceps and gives them definition. Loads the outer head of the biceps.

Both in simultaneous bending of both arms and in alternate bending, you need to follow a clear execution technique.

In the starting position, feet shoulder-width apart, dumbbells in hands along the body. Elbows pressed to the sides.
The palms are facing the sides, and when lifting the dumbbell, you need to turn the hand with the palm facing up.
At the top point, you need to fix the position of your hand for a second, and do not immediately throw it down. Squeeze your biceps as much as possible when the dumbbell is at the top. Exhalation is required at the moment of bending.
The downward movement must be controlled, no inertia! Exhalation.
The body should be as static as possible. Do not swing or jerk your body. Lifting should only be done using the biceps.
When lifting, ensure maximum rotation of the hand and turn the palm upward.
Watch your elbows, if they come forward, the deltoid muscle will take the load on itself. And we pump up our biceps!
Take the optimal weight. Everything is correct - if you can do 8 - 10 repetitions, significantly tired by the last one.
Whether you do simultaneous lifting or alternate lifting is entirely up to you. The main thing is to do it right. It all depends on personal preference and weight.
Technique for performing dumbbell curls while standing

Biceps: Introduction

Biceps are one of the favorite muscle groups of almost any bodybuilder.
Well, tell me: who hasn’t admired the size of Arnold Schwarzenegger’s biceps? Yes, almost every guy who comes to the gym. Why is this so important for a man? Perhaps this comes from the past, when strong hands helped our ancestors in hunting. The second is aesthetics, you will agree: strong hands make a man beautiful. By the way, according to various sources, the size of Arnold’s biceps was: 52-56 cm. Impressive, isn’t it?

Exercise "Hammer"

A simple and effective exercise. Works on the inner head of the biceps. The exercise is best performed at the end of a cycle of biceps exercises, as it effectively “works out” both the biceps and the forearm.

Main muscles involved

The exercise can also be done with both hands at the same time, or alternately, it depends only on your preferences.
Feet shoulder-width apart, arms along the body, dumbbells held with palms facing us. It is important that the hand is in the same position during the exercise. Always inside.
The elbows are pressed to the sides, motionless and tense.
Only the elbow joint works!
Imagine that you are holding a heavy seal in your hand - this is more correct than a hammer, since when you hit with a hammer, your hand also works.
Maximum tension at the top, inhale!
Watch your breath!
It is necessary to lower your arms with dumbbells under tension. Don't let your hands fall by inertia.
The weight should also be optimal for repetitions of 8 – 10 times. Everything is going right if you struggled with the last reps.
Technique for performing the biceps hammer exercise

Why don't my biceps grow?

There are quite a lot of reasons. Let's look at the main ones.

Exercising too often

If you think that the more often you train your biceps, the bigger they will be - no. The gym is full of such “personnel”. Previously, and maybe even now, they were called “snowdrops.” The type of guys who only trained biceps and abs. Do not expect biceps growth in this case: due to the state of overtraining, there will be no progress. It is also worth remembering that muscles grow during rest, not during training.

Poor nutrition

Perhaps this item will compete with the first for a leading position. The most common reason why your muscles aren't growing is because you don't eat enough. How can muscle tissue be built without the proper amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates? That's right, no way. You don’t have to eat with pots and pans; make a smart meal plan. Snickers, chips, Fanta - tasty, but useless for creating titanium arms.

Need a meal plan to suit your goal? Write through contacts or messengers.

Worse than incorrect technique is monotony of exercises.

Be sure to learn the technique for each exercise you plan to do. Alternate exercises during your workouts. Alternate dumbbells/barbells.

Bad genetics

This is a factor that should frustrate a professional bodybuilder. The average person is capable of building voluminous biceps, but it takes effort. In bodybuilding, the main thing is discipline both in training and in life: proper nutrition and recovery.

Lifting dumbbells for biceps while sitting on a bench

This exercise is best done in the middle of your workout, after heavier exercises such as standing biceps curls. Works the biceps and forearm (Read more about how to pump up your forearms at home).

3 – 4 sets of 10 – 12 repetitions is ideal.

Sit on the edge of a horizontal bench, place your feet as comfortably as possible for you. The back is straight, the shoulders are turned, the elbows are pressed to the sides.
Palms with dumbbells along the body, looking inward, elbows pressed to the sides.
When lifting the dumbbell, rotate your wrist outward so that it faces upward as much as possible.
Don't jerk, concentrate your strength on your biceps.
Lower while controlling the movement as much as possible.
At the top point, tighten your biceps as much as possible. Stay there for seconds. Inhale.
The body is straight throughout the entire exercise, do not swing it, do not round your back.
The exercise can be done with both hands simultaneously, or alternately. You can alternate simultaneous lifting with alternate lifting.
If you do lifts alternately, you should not allow the moment when you tilt your working shoulder. This happens by inertia, you need to watch your technique!
Technique for performing dumbbell curls while sitting on a bench

Basic mistakes

Too much weight

This is the scourge of the modern world. Every person wants to express themselves and be noticed. And instead of discovering the dormant talent in themselves, people working out in the gym try to show everyone who they are. And they grab dumbbells that they are not yet able to lift. Because of this, the execution technique suffers and the effectiveness of the exercise will decrease. This increases the risk of injury to your elbows and shoulders. If the longevity of your joints is important to you, then choose the right weight and increase it as your strength increases.

Bending arms by inertia

This is a very dangerous technique that should be avoided by all bodybuilders regardless of skill level. It looks like this. We lift the dumbbells up and then relax our arms. They straighten under the weight of the burden. This creates a see-saw effect. Which greatly affects our elbows. And over time, this will definitely lead to injury.

Flexion due to a large number of assistant muscles

As you understand, we are talking about “Chitting” (Forced repetitions with the help of other muscles). I have already said that if we keep this process under control and understand what we are doing. Then it turns into a tool that will help you get the most out of your muscles. But if we resort to it unconsciously, this especially often happens when athletes take too much weight. Instead of efficiency, we put our joints at risk.

That's basically all I wanted to share with you in this article. You can use these options either separately or combine them into supersets. That is, at the beginning you do an exercise for the length of the head, and then finish off the biceps with curls with an emphasis on the short one. Choose a medium rep range of 12-20 reps for 3-4 sets. And your biceps will gradually take on the shape you wanted.

Good luck to everyone in your training!

Seated concentrated dumbbell curl

Biceps work. This exercise will give sharpness to the biceps and significant definition.

Sitting on the edge of a bench, spread your legs, place your feet on the floor, and press your heels to the floor.
Take the dumbbell in your hand, lower it between your legs, and rest your forearm on your inner thigh.
Raise the dumbbell to your shoulder, while turning your hand outward until your wrist is fully rotated upward.
Fix at the top point for seconds.
While controlling your hand, slowly lower the dumbbell.
Next - the same thing, only with the other hand. It is possible to plan the sequence in person.
You can't start with heavy weights! You must do 8 – 10 repetitions!
Technique for performing concentrated biceps curls

conclusions

To pump up your biceps well by lifting dumbbells with supination, you need to learn the technique and apply it in practice. First, start with light weights, experiment, and only then add weight to the weights. This exercise is very effective and targeted at the biceps muscles. It loads the muscle group as fully as possible and involves a large number of fibers in the work. This means that good work is being done, you can take good weights, the exercise is basic and mass-building.

Author: ForceMan from 04/11/2017, 22:13

Arm curl while sitting on an incline bench

The exercise will force you to strictly approach the execution, since the pressed back will prevent you from swaying. This exercise stretches the biceps to the maximum. This exercise works the biceps muscle from all sides. In addition to the biceps, the brachialis, brachioradialis and pronator teres muscles work. The exercise is quite difficult, and you need to approach it seriously with help.

For beginners: optimally, do 2 - 3 sets of 8 -10 repetitions with 5-8 kg. This way you can evaluate your preparation and increase weight depending on your success.

Sit on an incline bench, pressing your feet firmly to the floor. Press your shoulders against the bench. Don't arch your back.
Hands with dumbbells along the body with arms down, palms facing each other. Press your elbows to your sides.
When lifting, work your biceps into flexion. Turn your palms up while lifting. Rotate the hand, the wrist tends upward as much as possible.
Don't lift your back off the bench. Watch your elbows.
Do not spread your arms out to the sides; they should be parallel to your body.
If you spread your arms while lifting, the load will shift to the inside of your biceps.
Make sure you are breathing correctly. Thanks to him, shortness of breath will not bother you. At the moment of bending, exhale, at the moment of lowering the dumbbells, inhale.
To stretch your biceps more, press your head against the bench.
The exercise is quite difficult, and the weight of the dumbbells should be 70-80% of those you use while standing.
Do not tilt the bench relative to the floor below 50 degrees. This will give your biceps a super stretch. Trauma under such conditions increases with progression!
Technique for performing arm curls while sitting on an incline bench

Features of training the biceps muscle of the arm

To achieve maximum results and to avoid injuries when pumping your biceps with dumbbells, it is recommended to adhere to the following recommendations:

First and foremost: watch your technique. Perform the exercises smoothly and without jerking. This will help achieve maximum pumping and avoid injury.
Don't chase too much weight! You need to increase the weight slowly and steadily every 2-3 workouts, but if you can't consistently perform 8-12 repetitions in each set, then moderate your ardor and take a smaller dumbbell.
Do at least 8, and preferably 10, repetitions per set. Biceps, like triceps, love high repetitions and training to failure. Try to make sure that the last 2-3 times in a set are given to you through strength, but not at the expense of technique.
Don't train your biceps more than 1-2 times a week! The biceps muscle is quite small and can be easily overtrained. In addition, the biceps receive additional load in basic exercises, for example, when training the shoulders and back. For athletes with less than one year of experience, you can completely forget about isolation exercises.
Perform no more than 2-3 exercises in one workout. This way the muscles will receive optimal load and have time to recover before the next session.
Replace exercises every 5-6 workouts. The arm muscles are especially prone to adaptation, and to shock them it is necessary to adjust the program.
Don't focus on dumbbells alone. Pumping up any target muscle should include pumping from different angles, so use barbells, crossovers and pull-up bars as well as dumbbells.
Don't forget to train your brachialis, which will subsequently affect the width and volume of your biceps. Lifting dumbbells with a hammer grip is ideal for this.
Use a mirror. It will help you monitor the technique of performing the approach and correct existing errors.
Don't hesitate to ask your gym colleagues for help. Partners will help you perform the exercise to failure and avoid injury.
When pumping up your biceps, don’t forget about other muscle groups. The body must develop harmoniously. In addition, a developed back, shoulders and legs will give you a huge impetus for the growth of your arms.

The article discusses the most common and effective exercises with dumbbells for the biceps brachii muscle. The biceps are very important in building muscle mass, as they are involved in most basic exercises. However, you cannot pay more attention to it than to other muscle groups. Haste and overtraining have ruined a huge number of novice bodybuilders. Warm up, pay attention to your technique, avoid excessive stress and have a good rest - then your body will “repay” you with a beautiful, sculpted body.

Biceps exercises with dumbbells on a Scott bench

The exercise will prevent you from cheating and helping yourself by rocking your back or tilting your shoulder. Physically challenging exercise. It's worth asking someone to be nearby.

Main muscles involved

The exercise can be done with both hands simultaneously or alternately.
It is possible to do the exercise either by rotating the hand and raising the wrist, or by statically holding the hand upward, as in lifting a barbell.
The emphasis should not be higher than the middle of the chest, the shoulder should not lift up.
As you lift up, concentrate the tension in your biceps.
When lowering the dumbbells, keep your arm tense and never lower them under the weight. This moment is the most traumatic.
Watch your breathing.
Read also: Training program for ectomorph at home | How to maintain and gain weight
Technique for performing biceps exercises with dumbbells on a Scott bench

Incorporation into a training program

It is important to properly develop a biceps training plan. If the main goal is to increase its volume, then just lifting the shells will not be enough. The complex also includes barbell lifts using a reverse grip.

For men just starting to master bodybuilding, as well as girls, it is recommended to start training with light weight equipment. Once the technique has been mastered, you can gradually increase the load by increasing the weight.

To pump up your biceps, it is enough to perform up to 4 approaches with a maximum of 12 repetitions each. In order to increase efficiency and stimulate blood circulation, it is recommended to stretch the muscle tissue after each approach.

It is also worth considering that not everyone can perform biceps exercises. There are a number of contraindications to such physical activity. For example, with injuries to target groups of muscle tissue, with inflammatory and degenerative processes in the wrist and elbow joints. Such physical activity, if contraindicated, can cause significant harm.

It is enough to include up to 4 approaches to a maximum of 12 repetitions each in your workout.

Beginners should choose light weight equipment to perform the exercise.

Tips for implementation

Some dumbbell exercise tips to help you achieve the best results:

Dumbbells are designed to develop endurance, dumbbells promote muscle growth, but once you overestimate your capabilities, you will remain away from sports for a long time. Stretched tendons take a very long time to recover, torn tendons take even longer. And therefore, standing in front of dumbbells, making a choice in favor of more weight than you need, know that you are taking three steps back, having one forward!
When doing biceps exercises, it is worth giving up the hard work of the rest for a while. This is not a prank, not selfishness, but truly wise advice from athletes. Give all your energy to your biceps and you will notice the difference.

Nuances

The wider the grip, the more the outer surface of the hand is used, the narrower the inner surface is, which is logical. But the width of the grip should be determined to a greater extent by the comfort in the elbow joint and to a lesser extent by the need to shift the load.
Full bending of the arm at the elbow joint is not the goal of the exercise. The upper part of the amplitude of this exercise is “empty”; a person cannot further contract the muscle in it, and therefore it is worth stopping not there, but at the point of maximum tension;
Slow execution of the negative phase helps improve the effectiveness of the exercise;
Hammers with dumbbells on a Scott bench develop brachialis to a greater extent.

What weights should you work with?

What weights should be taken as initial ones?

Here are a few examples based on which you can increase weight. Controlling the load.

Biceps curls with straight and EZ bar, standing – 10-13 kg;
Biceps curls with dumbbells, standing and sitting – 5-7 kg;
Biceps curls with a barbell on a Scott bench – 10-11 kg;
Concentrated biceps curls – 4 kg;
One-arm biceps curls with a dumbbell on a Scott bench – 4-5 kg;

LIFTING THE EZ-Bar WITH A REVERSE GRIP

EXERCISE TECHNIQUE - this exercise perfectly trains the forearm and the muscle lying under the biceps - the brachialis; as it increases in size, it raises the biceps, making it visually larger. While bending, make sure that your elbows remain in place, this is the only way the load will go to the right place.

TIPS - it would be correct to take the grip on the second bend, this is a more natural position for the hands and trains the muscles better.

Sport equipment

When performing the exercise, you can use various sports equipment: a bar, an EZ-bar, a barbell. In fact, the bar is an element of the barbell - its base, onto which discs of various weights are attached. Most often, beginners and athletes who are contraindicated for heavy weights work with the bar. Bars that have a large mass can be used as the main equipment for lifting, squats and deadlifts. Externally, the neck is a long and straight metal rod with threads for discs. Among the types of equipment, we can highlight the curved EZ bar, which is also suitable for training biceps. It differs from the classic bar in its wave-like shape, which allows you to reduce the load on your back and wrists when using heavy weights. The EZ bar is also equipped with threads for training discs.

Sport equipment

Types of bars: straight and curved (EZ) with threads for training discs

Straight and curved (EZ) bar with training disc threads and disc locks

Together, the bar and discs represent a completely different piece of equipment - a barbell, which also comes in several varieties: Olympic (20 kg, diameter 28 mm), powerlifting (20 kg, diameter 29 mm), standard (from 10 to 20 kg, diameter 25 mm). As a rule, a large number of discs are not used in biceps exercises; the barbell is loaded in accordance with its weight. The barbell can be either straight or curved. The discs are attached to the neck using threaded locks.

Types of equipment

Barbells with straight and curved bars: examples of use in men's and women's training

The design of the bar allows you to use different weights in training. After the bar, to develop the strength and volume of the biceps, athletes move to a more complex level of training, where the barbell becomes the main working equipment.

Anatomical certificate

Before performing barbell curls, it is important to become familiar with the target muscles of the exercise. This information gives an idea of which part of the body should feel the maximum load from the barbell and where, according to standards, it affects the body secondary. The final result of bending, the effectiveness of the exercise and the productivity of training depend on this.

So, the main muscle involved when bending is the biceps (muscle interlacing of the short and long heads). Secondary, and therefore less active, is the brachioradialis muscle, the main function of which is to flex the forearm. Stabilizing muscles include: deltoids, pectoralis major, serratus, rhomboids, lower back and wrist muscles.

Muscle atlas

Active muscles during barbell curls