Build Your Biceps
Workout
Provided
by American
Council on Exercise
Located at the front of the arm between the elbow and the
shoulder, the biceps are perhaps the muscle most commonly associated with
strength. Ask anyone to show you how strong they are and he or she will
automatically strike the “strong man’s” pose. Strong and sculpted biceps not
only look good, but also have practical uses for daily living skills. Strong
biceps help you with any type of pulling movement, such as pulling weeds or raking,
and also aid in lifting and carrying movements, such as carrying bags of
groceries or assisting a child out of a car seat.
Featuring dumbbells and a resistance band, you will actually
create this workout yourself by mixing and matching the exercises. Your biceps
will be challenged with every workout and the variety will keep you from
getting bored.
Build your biceps workout by choosing one exercise from
column A, one exercise from column B, and one exercise from column C. Perform
each exercise, in order, for 15 reps; rest one minute and repeat this tri-set
of exercises one to two more times for a total of two to three sets.
Here are three sample workout combinations:
·
Zottman Curl—Concentration Curl—Cross Body Curl
·
Drag Curl—Alternating Hammer Curl—Biceps
Curl Switches
·
Zottman Curl---Alternating Hammer Curl-Cross Body Curl
|
Column A |
Column B |
Column C |
|
Both Arms | Choose 1 |
Single Arm | Choose 1 |
Alternating Arms | Choose 1 |
|
Zottman Curl |
Concentration Curl |
Biceps Curl Switches |
|
Drag Curl |
Hammer Curl |
Cross-body Curl |
Zottman Curl | Both Arms | Dumbbells
Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with palms
facing forward. Keeping the inner arms close to your sides, curl both dumbbells
toward your shoulders. Pause and rotate the dumbbells so the palms are facing
downward and lower them back to your sides. Pause and turn the dumbbells again
so the palms are facing forward and return back to the starting position.
Drag Curl | Both Arms | Dumbbells
Stand holding a pair of dumbbells at your sides with palms
facing forward. Pull your elbows back and drag the dumbbells alongside your
torso until the dumbbells reach chest height. Pause at the top and slowly drag
the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
Concentration Curl | Single Arm | Dumbbells
Sit down on a chair or bench while holding one dumbbell in
your right hand; allow the dumbbell to hand between your legs. Place the back
of your right upper arm against the inside of your inner right thigh. With the
palm facing forward, curl the dumbbell toward the shoulder and slowing release
back to the starting position, all while keeping the upper arm in contact with
the inner thigh. Perform the suggested number of reps and then switch to the
left arm.
Hammer Curl | Single Arm | Dumbbells
Stand holding one dumbbell in the right hand, arm by your
side with the palm facing in. Keeping the inner arm close to your side, curl
the dumbbell toward the shoulder and release back down to the starting
position. Perform the suggested number of reps and switch to the left arm.
Biceps Curl Switches | Switching Arms | Resistance Band
Step both feet, hip-width distance apart, onto the middle of
a light-to-moderate resistance band. Hold a handle in each hand, arms by your
sides, with palms facing forward. Curl the right handle up toward the shoulder.
Release the arm back down to the starting position while simultaneously curling
the left handle up toward the shoulder. The arms perform a switching
motion—when one arm goes up, the other arm goes down.
Cross-body Curl | Alternating Arms | Resistance Band
Step both feet, hip-width distance apart, onto the middle of
a light-to-moderate resistance band. Hold a handle in each hand, arms by your
sides, with palms facing in. Curl the right handle up toward the left shoulder
as the arms crosses over the torso. Lower back down to the starting position.
Curl the left handle up toward the right shoulder as the arm crosses over the
torso. Lower back to the starting position.
AUTHOR
Stephanie Thielen
Contributor
Stephanie Thielen,
BS, has a fitness career that spans over 24 years with experience in group
fitness training and management in the community, corporate and collegiate
setting. As an ACE Group Fitness Instructor and Personal Trainer, two-time IDEA
Presenter, NETA trainer, AEA Trainer, and BOSU National Master Trainer,
Stephanie provides land and aquatic workshops that teach logical methods for
class construction, providing the “tools of the trade” to assist fitness
professionals develop their teaching skills. Find Stephanie on Facebook at
Stephanie Thielen Fitness, LLC.