Exercises To Work Your Biceps At Home
Training at home is a very useful way of not losing physical shape or muscle mass when you cannot go to the gym for any reason. In this article we are going to focus on how you can work your biceps at home, specifically the biceps brachii.
Before continuing, it is advisable to make a clarification. Biceps is the generic name for the muscles of two bellies. Humans have biceps in the arms (biceps brachii) and in the legs (biceps femoris). In popular language, when it is spoken of without further ado, it is referring to the brachialis.
Benefits of training biceps
Many people believe that the importance of working the biceps is that this muscle gives the arm a nice shape. And yes, it is true. A well defined bicep is elegant and a bulky one is impressive. But the benefits of training the biceps go beyond aesthetics.
The first thing to keep in mind is that you are not training just that muscle, but all those involved, either in flexion-extension of the arm, or in stabilizing the body. For example, in the flexion and extension movements of the biceps, it is the triceps that works as an antagonist, providing support.
On the other hand, if the bicep work is carried out correctly, a significant increase in the strength of all the muscle groups involved is achieved. This helps to be more efficient in workouts in general, but also in activities of daily living. The tasks related to weight lifting in any circumstance become easier.
Another benefit of bicep training is that it helps avoid injury. For example, in the event of a fall, an impact or an accident, the arms will be more efficient when it comes to supporting the body or resisting a blow. And, in case of injury, recovery will be much faster.
Exercises to train biceps at home
You can work your biceps at home in a number of ways. In addition, training can be done with material and without material. Below we see different exercises to do it effectively.
Push-ups
The push-ups, also known as lizards , are an exercise body weight that does not require any material. In addition, they not only serve to work the biceps, but an important approach to the upper body is performed.
To do push-ups or push-ups, lie on a mat with your arms shoulder-width apart. The exercise consists of going up and down flexing the arms, in this case with the elbows out, supporting the toes.
The body, from the feet to the head, must move as one piece. For this you need to activate all the core muscles well. If it’s too hard, you can do the push-ups with your knees bent and supported.
You have to take into account the general posture of the body and the opening of the arms. If you separate them a lot, you will be working your pecs more; if you bring them close, the triceps.
Crab walk
The crab walk is another material-free, body-weight home bicep exercise that involves many muscle groups. To do it, sit on the mat with your legs bent, slightly apart and your hands resting next to your hips. Raise your hips off the ground.
In that posture, start your walk: forward, backward, to one side and to the other. It is an exercise that requires strength, but also a lot of coordination. That is why it is important to be careful at the beginning and be very aware of what needs to be moved and where.
Background
Dips are another type of bodyweight exercise where you only need a stable surface to lean on, like a chair or something similar in height. If you are using a chair, place it against the wall so it doesn’t slide away. You can also use an exercise bench, a fitness cube, or the stairs at home.
Stand with your back to the chosen support. Rest your hands on the edge. The legs can be stretched forward or bent. The more you bend your legs, the easier it will be. Go up and down by bending your arms.
Chin up biceps
The ups chin is a body weight exercise like traditional pull ups , but with a different grip. To perform them you need a sturdy bar.
Take the bar prone, that is, with the palm of the hand towards the face, so that the arms are shoulder-width apart. Go up and down by flexing your arms. Going down, do it slowly, with control and without fully stretching your arms.
Curl Biceps
The bicep curl is done with dumbbells, rubber bands, or barbells. In both cases the execution is similar. To do this , the weight is grasped with the hands, with the palms facing forward and the arms slightly bent. Take care that the shoulder, elbow and wrist are aligned in the same plane.
From here, flex your arms, bringing your wrist toward your shoulder. Do it slowly and with control, especially in the extension of the arm. If you do it with dumbbells, they should be raised and lowered at the same time. If you struggle, do the barbell exercise. With dumbbells you can do the alternating bicep curl , that is, flexing first one arm and then the other.
Waiter curl
The waiter curl is an exercise similar to the previous one, in the same posture, but with a single dumbbell. In this case, the push-up is carried out by grasping the dumbbell with your hands under the upper disk. It is raised to the chin, keeping it vertical.
The main difference from the bicep curl is that in the waiter curl the hands are positioned towards the center , which makes a slight difference in work. Doing both works the muscles in a broader way.
Common mistakes when working biceps
Working your biceps at home seems very easy at first glance. After all, you just have to bend and stretch your arms, right? But it is much more than that. Correct technique and posture are essential, not only to achieve results, but to avoid injury.
With this in mind, we mention the main mistakes to consider, especially if you do it at home, without professional supervision:
- Use a single angle : it is not only about incorporating varied exercises, but also that these work the biceps at different angles to achieve a more harmonious and balanced result.
- Do not train triceps: as an antagonist muscle, the triceps needs to be trained in a specific way as well.
- Move the elbows away from the body: the elbows should remain aligned and at the correct angle. Moving them away to facilitate exercise makes the exercise less effective and increases the risk of injury.
- Swinging the arms: the flexion of the arms must always be controlled. Swinging may seem helpful in getting to the end of the movement, but doing so only increases the risk of imbalance.
- Taking on too much weight: if you take on more weight than you are capable of handling, it is easy to hurt yourself. It is preferable to do more repetitions and a lower weight.
- Not letting the muscle rest long enough – Muscles need to rest between workouts. In the case of the biceps, they must pass at least 48 hours before training them again.
You can avail yourself of professional help
If you want to train your biceps at home, keep in mind that you must follow a well-defined program, complementing the exercises with the work of other muscle groups in a balanced way.
In the event that you do not have the necessary knowledge to design the plan, you can consult specialized books or subscribe to specific online programs to do at home. Do not forget also that many personal trainers offer services remotely and virtually.
