Strong and sculpted biceps not only look good, but have a practical use for daily activities. Strong biceps help you with any pulling movement like pulling weeds, raking leaves, and starting a lawn mower. They also help with lifting and carrying movements, such as carrying groceries or lifting your child out of a car seat.
It’s interesting that the bicep is most commonly associated with strength. Ask someone how strong and sculpted they are or to show you their muscles and they will automatically flex their bicep muscle.
All you need for this strong and sculpted bicep workout is a set of dumbbells. This means you can do this workout at home or the gym. Feel free to add a few of the exercises below to your current workout, or do the complete workout below strengthen and sculpt those biceps.
BENEFITS
1. Strength
2. Performance (enhances your performance with any sport that requires throwing, tossing, or swinging)
3. Functionality (improves daily tasks like picking up a suitcase, lifting your child, carrying groceries, raking, or pulling weeds)
4. Bone Density (lifting weights or doing weight bearing exercises helps increase your bone density)
5. Appearance (tighter more defined and toned arms)
EXERCISES
1. Zottman Curl
2. Hammer Curl
3. Drag Curl
4. Cross Body Curl
5. Concentration Curl
Do 10 repetitions each of the 5 exercises above. Start with 1 set, working up to 3 sets. Rest 30-45 seconds between each set.
If you want more of a cardiovascular affect while lifting, take little to no rest in between each exercise, this would be considered a circuit training workout. Exercising this way places an emphasis on stamina as well as ability, and can be quite challenging. Feel free to mix up the order of the exercises to add variety to your workout.
Make sure you are lifting a heavy enough weight that by your eighth repetition it’s a struggle.
NOTE
Make sure elbows are fixed at sides throughout the movements, as this will eliminate any shoulder movement, thus placing a greater load on the biceps.
Always consult a doctor before starting any exercise routine.
TIP
Manage your expectations. Focus on progress not perfection. We all have to start somewhere. Instead of focusing on what you couldn’t do or how many times you stopped, focus on what you did do: a new move, exercising instead of sitting on the couch, doing 2 more than you thought you could, etc.
To get out of our comfort zones, we need to let go of the control and of the thoughts that tell us we should be perfect. Have fun! Laugh! Be silly! And celebrate your successes.
Always remember… you WILL feel better when you’re done.
Enjoy stronger, tighter more toned arms.
Shine On,
Ali
P.S. Here’s another arm workout you can do using a set of dumbbells.
