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Your Guide to the Best Beginner Bicep Workout

    biceps exercises for beginners

    When somebody starts muscle building, one of the most focused muscle groups after the chest is the arms. Who doesn’t want big, strong arms?

    However, many beginners do not train their arms properly. They do not do the right exercises and routines, which may lead to muscle and strength growth, but the results can be much better.

    In this post, we are going to focus on biceps training. You will learn the best biceps workouts for beginners, and you can find many other useful bodybuilding tips.

    The Basics

    1. Want big arms? Pay attention to other muscles!

    One misconception of beginners is that they only train their biceps. Your upper arm consists of two muscle groups: triceps and biceps. The bigger muscle group is the triceps. However, if you want to build big arms, you should pay attention to your triceps as well.

    In addition, to perform the various biceps exercises correctly and efficiently, you should have strong forearms and a good grip. Don’t forget about your lower arm exercises.

    Recommended: How to build big arms

     

    2. Which are the most efficient biceps exercises for beginners?

    There are a lot of exercises you can do for biceps exercise with and without equipment. However, there are a few that are essential.

    The top arm workouts you can do with weights include the bicep curl with barbell or dumbbells, preacher curls, and the hammer curl.

    I would add chin-ups as well. Chin-ups are considered a compound bodyweight exercise but improves biceps significantly.

    If you do these movements, you can work out all parts of your biceps as well your forearms. A good bicep exercise helps you develop muscle mass and strength.

    Watch the video playlist below to learn how to perform the mentioned exercises correctly.

     

    Related: Arm workouts for beginners without weights

     

    3. Want results? Do moves accurately!

    If you want a more efficient bicep workout and want to avoid injury, it is crucial to perform the movements correctly. I have seen so many people doing the biceps curls badly. Not only is this inefficient, but it is also dangerous.

    Here are some things you should focus on.

    • Proper posture. Your back should be straight during the entire move
    • Your shoulders should be pulled back  to avoid injury and improve focus on the bicep muscles
    • Never lean forward and then lean back to “support” the motion
    • Avoid jerking and twitching
    • Your upper arm should stay almost in the same position as you pull and lower the weights
    • You should “feel” your muscles during the exercise. The muscles should be engaged
    • Keeping your wrists straight is also essential
    • Squeezing the bar also helps to engage the muscles more
    • Finally, use weights that let you perform the moves correctly but provide enough resistance. There is no need to use large weights; you will commit the mentioned mistakes and may get injuries.

     

    4. How often should I workout my biceps? And what about sets and reps?

    If you are a beginner, it is recommended to work out all body parts three times a week. You will work your arms up to three times a week, but you should only follow through with a maximum of 3-5 sets per session. That comes out to about 12-15 sets per week.

    For example, you can do three sets of barbell biceps curls and two sets of hammer curls.

    Once your body gets used to weight training and learns how to do the exercises properly, you can start split training. During split training, you train one to three body parts at each workout session. You can do a 2, 3, or even 5-day split.

    You can have harder arm workouts and more sets since your muscles have more time to recover.

    The number of repetitions for beginners is between 8-12.

    Beginner Biceps Workouts

    Below you can find some beginner arm workouts. You can learn other movements besides the mentioned ones. 

     

    biceps-workouts-for-beginners

    I hope the next time you go to the gym, you will know what to do with your biceps. However, never forget muscle building is about training and eating the right things. Without proper nutrition and a healthy diet, you will not build the strong arms and muscles you want.

    Beginner Bicep Workout Summary

    Here are a few of the best bicep workout options you can incorporate into your workout plan at home or in the gym for stronger biceps and triceps.

    Dumbbell curl

    The brachioradialis muscle in our forearms is responsible for grip strength and is activated when we do a dumbbell curl. This isolation exercise is good for improving performance during compound exercises that require you have good grip strength like deadlifts, bench presses, and pull ups. It is best to do 12 to 20 reps for muscular endurance with thirty-second rest periods over one to three sets.

    Barbell curl

    A barbell curl is a bicep curl variation but uses a weighted barbell. A barbell curl is good for working out and targeting your biceps brachii muscle and the brachialis, the muscle that allows elbow flexion. Regular barbell curls also help improve your grip strength over time. Simply hold the barbell in your hands on the outside of your hips with an underhand grip. Your chest should stay up, and your elbows need to be glued to your sides. Raise your hands slightly until you feel your biceps are engaged.

    Hammer Curl

    Also known as the dumbbell hammer curl, the hammer curl or neutral grip is a strength training exercise people do when they want to target their forearms and biceps. In addition to engaging the forearms and biceps, a hammer curl also maximizes arm gains, improves grip strength, and can engage additional back and chest muscles when the exercise is performed correctly.

    Bicep curl

    When doing a bicep curl, you can use a dumbbell, barbell, or kettlebell to give your bicep muscles a good workout to build muscle and strength. They have the same benefits you would find with a hammer curl. When doing a bicep curl, the bicep muscle works with the lats, traps, deltoids, and triceps in shoulder and elbow functions.

    Concentration Curl

    A concentration curl is an isolation movement that targets your bicep muscle. A concentration curl alone is not good for mass or building bulging biceps. However, it can help you build larger biceps when you use it in a workout plan. When doing a concentration curl, you should focus on the weight you are lifting and the volume.

    Close grip bench press

    A close grip bench press can work your entire chest area and your inner pecs. Your anterior deltoids, or shoulder muscles, are active when performing a close grip bench press. While it is not a good standalone exercise, it is considered a good accessory exercise to increase your upper body muscle mass, tricep health, and lockout strength.

    What are the Benefits of Compound Exercises?

    When you do compound exercises, you are doing exercises that work multiple muscle groups at the same time. Compound exercises are beneficial for burning more calories, improving performance, elevating your heart rate, improving flexibility and strength, and gaining more muscle mass.

    The primary compound exercises you want to incorporate into your workout plan include the bench press, deadlift, squat, shoulder press, and pull up. These are all great exercises for strength training.

    I hope the next time you go to the gym, you will know what to do with your biceps. However, most not forget about that muscle building is not only about training, but also eating the right things. Without proper nutrition, you will hardly build massive muscles.

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    Don’t know where or how to start your new arm workout routine for building muscle? Discover the best exercises, find beginner workout routines, and start building big arms today.

    Last update on 2023-11-22 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API

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    James Wright

    James (36) has been working out since he was 15 years old. He has a home gym where he pumps iron, does bodyweight workouts and boxing. He likes sharing his experiences with others who want to build a better physique.

    1 thought on “Your Guide to the Best Beginner Bicep Workout”

    1. Besides the best suggestion give, how about adding one equipment called Grenadier Grip on your bar that can give you better grip that distributes the weight from one point to entire palm. It not only gives your strong grip but also ensures less stress on joints, fewer injuries, less imbalances and maximum results. You also maximize grip training; it’s no longer an afterthought. I think one should try out.

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