Introduction
Building muscle doesn’t have to be a daunting task. The key lies in choosing the right methods. If you’re eager to enhance the size and strength of your arms, and you’re tired of the same – old dumbbell workouts at home, here are 9 excellent moves to challenge yourself. First, consider the size of your arms. Are they bigger or smaller than 40cm? These exercises will take your arm – training to a new level, whether you’re a beginner or an experienced lifter.
Overhead Bend
The deadlift has limited variations, but doing it on an incline bench can add more challenge. Sit on an upward – incline bench with two dumbbells in your lap. Lie down, hold the dumbbells at your sides with palms facing each other. Bend your elbows and lift the weights towards your shoulders, pausing at the top. Lower slowly, keeping your elbows slightly bent at the bottom. Perform 3 sets of 10 – 16 reps each. Since you need to counter more gravity on the incline, it’s advisable to reduce the weight.
Alternating Dips Head Bends
If you want to spice up your dips head training, try alternate bends. By alternating arms, you can use a bit more weight as one arm rests while the other works. Stand with your feet hip – width apart, hold a dumbbell in front of your thighs with palms facing outwards. Bend one elbow and lift the weight towards your shoulder, keeping the elbow still. Lower the weight, maintaining a slight elbow bend at the bottom. Switch to the other hand and repeat. Do 3 sets of 8 – 16 reps each, avoiding inertia and moving the weight slowly and under control.
Yoga Ball Arm Rest Bend
The preacher’s bench is a variation of the traditional bicep exercise. Since home training may not have a preacher’s bench, a yoga ball can be a great alternative. Kneel in front of the ball with two dumbbells, lean your upper body up and place your elbows on the ball. Lower the weights until your arms are almost fully extended, then contract your biceps to lift the weights until your forearms are perpendicular to your upper arms. Do 3 sets of 10 – 16 reps each. Be careful as this movement may strain the front side of the elbow, so don’t use excessive weight and stop if you feel pain.
Hammer Bend
Similar to the traditional curl, the hammer curl focuses on the biceps. With the wrist internally rotated, it also stimulates the forearm more. Stand with your feet hip – width apart, abs tight, hold a medium – weight dumbbell in front of your thighs. Rotate your wrists so that your palms face each other and contract your biceps to lift the weight towards your shoulders. Keep your elbows stable, move the dumbbells as high as possible. Lower slowly, keeping your elbows slightly flexed at the bottom. Do 3 sets of 8 – 15 reps each. You can combine it with the conventional bend for overall biceps and forearm development.
Concentration Curl
As the name implies, the concentration bend is a strict movement that focuses all your energy on biceps contraction. Sit with a dumbbell in one hand, lean your torso forward, keep your abs tight and your elbow close to your inner thigh. Contract your biceps, bend the dumbbell towards your shoulder without touching it, and lower it while keeping the elbow slightly bent. Do 3 sets of 8 – 16 reps each, a great finishing move to exhaust bicep muscle fibers.
Barbell Concentration Curl
The barbell concentration curl is an intensified version of the concentration curl. Sit on a bench, hold a medium – weight barbell with a shoulder – width grip. Bend over, keep your back flat and abs tight, with elbows close to your inner thighs. Start with arms straight and the barbell dangling over your mid – shin, contract your biceps to lift the barbell as high as possible. Lower slowly, keeping the elbows slightly flexed at the bottom. Do 3 sets of 10 – 16 reps each, maintaining a tight core and straight back throughout.
Reverse Grip Curls
While traditional biceps exercises work the biceps and forearms, reverse grip curls emphasize the forearms more. Hold a barbell in front of your thighs with palms facing your thighs, bend the dumbbell towards your shoulders while rotating your wrists so that your palms face outwards at the top. Lower slowly and do 3 sets of 8 – 16 reps each. This is beneficial for those involved in grip – intensive sports.
Barbell Biceps
The barbell bicep is a classic exercise for developing both biceps heads. You can use more weight compared to dumbbells. Stand with your feet hip – width apart, abs tightened. Hold the barbell and drape it over the side of your body. Bend your arms, contract your biceps and lift the barbell towards your shoulders. Keep the elbows stationary, lift the weight as high as possible, hold at the top without locking the joints. Do 3 sets of 8 – 15 reps each.
Dumbbell Curls
The dumbbell bend is the most traditional movement. It allows you to work each arm independently, helping to improve left – right imbalance. Keep your feet hip – width apart, core tight. Hold the dumbbells and drape them over the side of your body. Tuck in your biceps and bend your arms, keep the elbow position fixed while raising the dumbbells to a fully tightened position at the biceps. Lower the weight slowly, keeping the elbows slightly flexed at the bottom. Do 3 sets of 8 – 15 reps each.
