In this workout we are going to be focusing on the biceps muscle group and we will be using three different exercises in our routine. These include standing cable curls, then we will be going over to alternating dumbbell curls, and we will finish up our biceps workout with machine preacher curls.
Cable Curls
The first exercise in our biceps workout is cable curls. You want to focus on making sure to always warm-up properly by doing your first set with a very light weight of 12 to 15 reps. This allows you to get some blood into your muscles and fully warm-up your biceps before moving into heavier sets. For this exercise, you will be using the cable machine which most gyms have. Some of the key factors you want to focus on include keeping your elbows into your sides and slowly performing the exercise with correct technique at all times. It’s all about technique and form to place maximum tension on your biceps and avoid injury. So make sure your tempo is nice and slow. Focus on getting a good contraction at the top and then a slow negative as you lower the weight down to the starting position.
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Curls
The second exercise in our biceps workout is standing alternating dumbbell curls. You want to use one arm at a time and focus your attention on curling the weight up and down very slow and controlled. Keep your back straight with a slight bend in your knees and a shoulder width athletic stance. Avoid swinging the weight and using your upper body to curl the weight up. If you find yourself swinging the weight, choose a lighter weighted dumbbell and continue the exercise.
Machine Preacher Curls
The last exercise is machine preacher curls. If your gym doesn’t have this machine, you can use a free weight preacher curl using a barbell or an EZ-bar which is a curved weighted barbell which works great for this exercise. The great thing about using either the machine or an EZ-bar is because it allows you to easily switch the weight being used which comes in handy if you want to do drops sets where you perform the exercise and then decrease the weight immediately after doing each set. If you use a regular barbell that doesn’t have pre-set weights attached to it, you will need to manually take the weight off of the barbell before doing another set, which takes additional time and gets in the way of doing drop sets correctly. Follow the below schedule for this biceps workout depending on your level of training experience.
Training your biceps muscles has many positive effects on your body and plays an important role in increasing your overall upper body strength and endurance. Along with aesthetic benefits (having attractive beach muscles), doing biceps exercises can increase bone density and also helps to strengthen tendons and ligaments in the elbows and other areas of the arm.
By including a workout program of resistance exercises into your overall fitness plan, you will enjoy the benefits of both strength training and muscle building. Some of these benefits include fat loss, muscle toning, improved endurance and improving your overall self-esteem and confidence. Building lean muscle tissue can greatly help you with your weight loss program by not only burning calories while you’re exercising, but also by increasing your metabolism which helps you burn additional calories while at rest.
Many health problems can be avoided or kept under control with regular resistance training workouts. According to medical studies, doing consistent weight training workouts can help with osteoporosis, chronic back pain, depression, arthritis and also help to keep your blood pressure under control. Regular exercise can also reduce the risk of injury and heart disease.
