If you wish to construct massive, bodacious biceps, it’s important to work the quick and lengthy head of the muscle.
Nevertheless, most individuals simply throw in some bicep curls and name it a day.
That is why I created a listing of the 8 finest dumbbell bicep workout routines that I exploit with my shoppers:
- Bicep Curls
- Hammer Curls
- Zottman Curls
- Spider Curls
- Cross Physique Hammer Curls
- Focus Curls
- Incline Dumbbell Curls
- Preacher Curls
As a power and conditioning coach, I ask athletes to make use of totally different bicep workout routines with varied grips. This helps to vary muscular recruitment and goal particular bicep muscle fibers.
However you solely want 3 of the appropriate workout routines to work your biceps, so make sure to learn the main points about each to maximise your features and reduce harm danger.
Let’s dive into this text to be taught the totally different workout routines, advisable units and reps, and tips about the best way to construct greater arms now!
1. Greatest for Quick Head – Bicep Curls
The bicep curl is a conventional bicep train that extremely recruits the quick head of the bicep. It’s among the best bicep dumbbell workout routines and is mostly utilized in any program.
How To:
- Stand with ft shoulder-width aside, holding a dumbbell in every hand.
- Provoke the curl by bending on the elbows, bringing the dumbbells in direction of your shoulders and preserving the palms going through up. That is additionally known as supination.
- Deal with contracting the biceps all through the motion, particularly on the high of every rep.
- Slowly decrease the dumbbells again to the beginning place, sustaining managed and deliberate motion.
Learn how to Program: I like to recommend performing this train for 3 units of 10 reps. If you wish to make it tougher, attempt specializing in slowing down every rep and doing this train with large stress.
Coach Tip: I’ve had many consumers wrestle with doing this train one arm at a time. In the event you do that motion with each arms concurrently, it may be simpler, particularly for newcomers.
Seeking to practice the quick head of the bicep much more? Take a look at this text a couple of high exercise to practice the quick head of the bicep for greater arms!
2. Greatest for Lengthy Head – Hammer Curls
The dumbbell hammer curl is a good train that trains the lengthy head muscle of the bicep. It is a stronger place for the arms to carry out a bicep curl, because it additionally recruits the brachialis and brachioradialis muscular tissues as a result of grip used for this train.
How To:
- Stand with ft shoulder-width aside, grabbing a pair of dumbbells.
- Ensure to maintain your grip in a impartial place.
- Provoke the curl by bending on the elbows, bringing the dumbbells in direction of your shoulders.
- Maintain the elbows near the physique in order that when performing the curl, you preserve stress within the lengthy head of the bicep.
- Slowly decrease the dumbbells again to the beginning place, sustaining managed and deliberate motion.
Learn how to Program: I like to recommend performing this train for 3 units of 6-10 reps. This train recruits a number of arm muscular tissues, so lifting extra weight can overload the biceps for large development.
Coach Tip: I continuously program this elevate for my shoppers. It’s alright to swing the load barely, as it may well turn into a heavier motion. Simply be sure to give attention to the downward part of every rep and attempt to get a full stretch every rep to fatigue the arm muscular tissues correctly.
Coaching the hammer curl helps to overload the muscular tissues like throughout a compound train. In the event you aren’t conversant in it, try this text concerning the high compound bicep workout routines for constructing greater arms!
3. Greatest for all Bicep Muscle groups – Zottman Curls
The Zottman curl may be one of the vital underrated bicep workout routines because it trains all kinds of arm muscular tissues, together with the quick head and lengthy head of the biceps, the brachialis, and the brachioradialis. This motion requires a transition in grip, which modifications the recruitment of arm muscle teams throughout every rep.
How To:
- Stand with ft shoulder-width aside, holding a dumbbell in every hand.
- Begin with an underhand grip, and curl the dumbbells in direction of your shoulders.
- On the high of the rep, change your grip from an underhand to an overhand grip.
- Decrease the dumbbell with the overhand grip to recruit different arm muscular tissues.
Learn how to Program: I like to recommend performing this train for 2 units of 10-12 reps. This train works your grip in two totally different positions, so it could be clever to make use of a lighter weight and be taught to coach with heavier hundreds with time.
Coach Tip: I might use the Zottman curl early in a exercise routine. It recruits a ton of arm muscular tissues, so it is an incredible catalyst for fatiguing the arm earlier than the exercise continues.
Anatomy Lesson: Whereas the bicep is barely the quick and lengthy head, the opposite two muscular tissues obligatory for flexing the arm are the brachialis and brachioradialis. These two forearm muscular tissues assist work along with the bicep muscular tissues to flex and bend the arm.
4. Greatest for Quick Head – Spider Curls
The spider curl is a restricted model of the bicep curl, requiring the athlete to put on an incline and do curls from an alternate place. You’re leaning onto an incline, which suggests the biceps are remoted greater than in a standing place, and it requires a ton of effort from the quick head to carry out every rep of the spider curl.
How To:
- Place an incline bench at a 45-degree angle.
- Lay face down, holding a dumbbell in every hand with an underhand grip, arms hanging straight down.
- Maintain higher arms perpendicular to the ground and curl dumbbells in direction of the face by flexing on the elbows.
- Squeeze the biceps on the high of the motion.
Learn how to Program: I like to recommend performing this train for 3 units of 10-12 reps. If you wish to make this motion tougher with out including weight, pause on the high of every rep.
Coach Tip: I’ve had shoppers work the incline from totally different positions to change the fatigue of the motion. I wouldn’t advocate curling lower than 30 levels or larger than 60 levels.
Restricted on bicep workout routines at dwelling with dumbbells? In that case, attempt trying out this text about body weight bicep workout routines used to get greater and stronger!
5. Greatest for Lengthy Head – Cross Physique Hammer Curls
The cross-body hammer curl is similar to the hammer curl. Nevertheless, the motion happens throughout the physique, and from this place, it helps to recruit the lengthy head of the bicep along with the brachialis and brachioradialis muscular tissues additional.
How To:
- Stand with ft shoulder-width aside, holding a dumbbell in every hand.
- Ensure to maintain your grip in a impartial place.
- Provoke the curl by bending on the elbows, bringing the dumbbells throughout the physique in direction of the opposing shoulder.
- Transfer at an honest velocity to take care of stress within the lengthy head of the bicep.
- Slowly decrease the dumbbells again to the beginning place, sustaining managed and deliberate motion.
Learn how to Program: I like to recommend performing this train for 3 units of 10 reps. With the place of this motion, it is arduous to elevate tremendous heavy in comparison with the standard model of the hammer curl.
Coach Tip: This is among the workout routines that I might program close to the tip of a exercise. It creates a ton of stress with how the load is displaced, particularly within the lengthy head of the bicep.
6. Greatest for Quick Head – Focus Curls
The focus curl higher isolates the quick head of bicep than the standard curl as a result of arm’s place and the motion’s grip.
How To:
- Sit on a bench, legs aside, and seize a dumbbell.
- Place the again of your higher arm towards the internal thigh.
- Use an underhand grip along with your arm totally prolonged.
- Curl the dumbbell in direction of your shoulder, specializing in bicep isolation.
- Squeeze the biceps on the high of every rep.
- Decrease the dumbbell slowly for a full vary of movement.
Learn how to Program: I like to recommend performing this train for 3 units of 12-15 reps. If you wish to make it tougher, attempt specializing in slowing down every rep and performing this motion with a ton of management on the backside of every rep.
Coach Tip: My greatest tip for folks doing the focus curl is to do it in entrance of a mirror to ensure your higher arm is vertical and in a constant place.
7. Greatest for Lengthy Head – Incline Dumbbell Curls
The incline curl is a good possibility for these trying to goal the lengthy head of the bicep. Since your arms are barely behind your torso throughout an incline curl, the lengthy head of the biceps is essentially the most recruited.
How To:
- Alter the bench to a 45-degree incline.
- Sit on an incline bench with a dumbbell in every hand, arms totally prolonged.
- Enable the dumbbells to hold by your sides along with your elbows barely bent.
- Maintain your higher arms stationary and curl the dumbbells in direction of your shoulders by flexing on the elbows.
Learn how to Program: I like to recommend performing this train for 3 units of 12-20 reps. This train places the biceps in a susceptible place for the reason that weight is behind the torso, so begin off gentle and construct up from there.
Coach Tip: Let your again keep in full contact with the bench from begin to end. In case your again comes off the bench, you can trigger harm throughout efficiency.
8. Greatest for Quick Head – Preacher Curls
The dumbbell preacher curl is a variation to the preacher barbell curls that work supinated grip and problem the elbow joint tremendously. This is among the finest bicep workout routines to make use of for rising the quick head of the bicep for greater arms.
How To:
- Alter the peak of the preacher that works finest for you.
- Sit along with your chest towards the bench, gripping the dumbbells with palms going through up.
- Bend on the elbow, curling the load in direction of your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps on the high of each curl for a full contraction.
Learn how to Program: I like to recommend performing this train for 3 units of 12-20 reps. The biceps are very susceptible on this place, so begin off gentle and construct up from there.
Coach Tip: In the event you really feel this exercise is just too powerful, give attention to the stretch of every rep by controlling the load downward very slowly every rep.
How To Create The Greatest Bicep Exercise
To create the perfect bicep exercises with dumbbells, you will need to prioritize the grip of your wrists and physique place to carry out motion from totally different angles. These are massive components in making free weight bicep workout routines profitable, whether or not constructing dimension or definition.
As a lot as you practice the biceps, you need to practice the triceps. This stability in power is required to construct acceptable power and be protected.
Greatest Bicep Exercise for Measurement
Add this on the finish of any exercise session you do. Ideally you do it 1 day per week.
Greatest Bicep Exercise for Definition
Add this on the finish of any exercise session you do, ideally 2 days per week.
Unsure for those who can practice your biceps continuously? Take a look at this text concerning the thought of coaching bicep curls every day and whether or not it’s potential!