This 5-movement back and biceps workout utilizes pulling power and strengthens upper body muscles.
If you’re already familiar with the push-pull splits commonly found in resistance programs, training your chest and triceps or your back and biceps in parallel is “the way it’s done”. You know. Although it doesn’t have to be. Although he prefers to train several muscle groups together, sometimes it’s worth concentrating his attention on one or he two groups and hitting them hard.
Thankfully, your back and biceps contract naturally, so the five exercises below will work those muscles and give you more in less time. Get the best adjustable dumbbell set and give it a try.
There are hundreds of upper body exercises that can help you develop stronger backs and biceps, including both solo and compound exercises, which combine movements that work one muscle group with movements that target multiple muscle groups. to build lean body mass and strength.
It begins with compound movements that fatigue the large, powerful muscles and ends with isolation exercises that fatigue the biceps. Biceps are much smaller than back muscles such as the latissimus dorsi (the wing-shaped muscle that runs down the side of your back). ) and trapezius muscles (upper, middle and lower).
Pushing activates your chest and triceps, so if you want to save time for your next workout, a natural combination of pushing and pulling makes sense.
Dumbbell workout for back and biceps in 5 movements
Instead of adopting a traditional strength training session of sets and repetitions, try this back and bicep workout as a circuit. Watch the short videos below to see how to do each exercise. If you’re not sure if it’s right for you, talk to your personal trainer first.
We recommend doing 45 seconds per exercise with 15 sets of rest in between. Limit the rest between rounds and depending on the time he will aim to complete 3-5 rounds.
1. Renegade Column
The Renegade Draw activates the same muscles as the plank, including the chest, shoulders, core, arms, back, hips, glutes, and legs. Deeper stabilizing muscles work to keep you in a plank position while rowing. Rowing exercises work your back muscles, such as your lats and biceps. Learn more about how to do Renegade Law and its benefits here.
Remember to keep your hips square with the mat and your core locked in. Pull your elbows higher than your back toward your hips and stop at the top of the row.
2. Dumbbell bent over row
This move targets the lats, rhomboids, trapezius, posterior deltoids, erector spinae, biceps, and activates the glutes, hip flexors, and hamstrings. These muscles are responsible for correct posture and defining back muscles.
Begin in a bent over position with your hips bent forward and a dumbbell in each hand. With his chest nearly parallel to the floor, row the dumbbells toward his hips. Bending and extending the elbow puts a constant load on the muscles. Be aware of your core and try not to arch your back. Learn Pendley Rows and Barbell Rows to experiment with barbell moves.
3. Dumbbell reverse fly
Dumbbell exercises reduce strain on the lats and target the traps, posterior deltoids, and rotator cuff. Start by flexing your hips forward and keep your core engaged throughout. Adopting a neutral grip for flies, slowly raise your arm to the side and bring your shoulder blades together. Avoid swinging your arms to lift heavier weights and always move with control.
4. Dumbbell hammer curl
The Hammer Curl isolates the biceps, which includes the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles, and uses a neutral grip. Click here to learn how to do a hammer curl. Keep your elbows steady and close to your body during the movement and don’t rush. In order to keep the muscles working longer, we use time-in-tension techniques and controlled movements.
5. Shrug the dumbbells
Shrugging stimulates the trapezius, rhomboids, and forearms to improve grip strength. We recommend using a trap bar, but dumbbells work well too. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your side, keeping your core engaged as you raise and lower your shoulders. The activation should be on your upper back. So try not to round your shoulders as you move. Squeeze your shoulder blades together.
Conclusion
If you don’t have access to a personal trainer and don’t know how to program a workout to build muscle, learn more about hypertrophy and strength training with tips on sets, reps and resistance to consider.
Building strength and building muscle are two different things. Improved muscle strength does not guarantee defined muscle contours or a toned back or biceps.
It also depends on whether you want to develop maximum strength. That means you’ll typically be using barbells to lift heavier weights. Dumbbells are helpful because hypertrophy tends to increase reps and decrease percentage of maximal capacity.
But if you’re looking for an easy, accessible back and bicep workout, these five exercises are a great way to put your muscles into torch mode with a combined upper body program.
If you don’t currently have a training plan, don’t worry. It’s still possible to build muscle and strength and improve muscle definition using short circuit training like this. Be sure to train consistently (preferably at least three times a week) and mix and match weightlifting exercises to challenge and stimulate different muscle groups.
