Arm exercises for women - biceps and triceps program

August 27, 2015 Admin Home page » Biceps

The completely correct technique for performing dumbbell curls for biceps while sitting - standing, starting position, main mistakes, recommendations and advice from experts + training video is described.

An excellent basic exercise for increasing arm power, it should come second on the list for biceps, for example, after standing barbell curls.

Technique for lifting dumbbells while sitting - standing

Take a few deep breaths as you prepare to perform the exercise, then take a deep breath and exhale, lift the dumbbell from the bottom position to the top, while rotating your wrist so that about halfway through the movement it is half-unfolded, and at the top point your palm is fully facing you, this process is called supination (rotation of the hand).

At the top point, tighten your biceps as much as you can, you will immediately feel that it is burning, this is the peak of muscle fiber contraction. Lower the dumbbell down while inhaling and repeat on the next hand.

Technique and implementation features

There are several ways to perform a proper seated dumbbell curl. Correct execution is considered to be one in which only the necessary muscle groups are involved, and there is no excessive load on the elbow and shoulder joints or the spinal column.

First, let's figure out which muscles are involved in the work when performing this exercise:

• The main and target muscle, of course, is the biceps brachii muscle;
• Additional muscles (they are called synergists) – brachioradialis and brachialis;
• Stabilizing muscles are the wrist flexors and deltoid muscles.

The exercise is great for both boys and girls. It puts much less strain on the wrists than similar work with a barbell. The seated dumbbell lift gives a very good effect for asymmetry. If you have one biceps larger than the other.

Excellent results can be achieved by lifting dumbbells for biceps on an inclined bench. Include it in a set of arm exercises to better work the biceps brachii muscle. What advantages does this option provide? The fact is that almost all exercises are aimed at developing (increasing the volume) of the inner head, while the outer bundle simply lags behind in growth. This is an obvious mistake that not only beginners, but also experienced athletes make.

When doing the exercise on a bench (flat or installed at an angle), the athlete moves his elbows behind his back, due to which he receives a load on the outer head of the biceps. The biceps stretches better, and it is possible to lift more weight than with the standard elbow position.

Tips for implementation

1) You can lift the dumbbells not together, but one at a time, this way you can take up to 10% more weight, just be careful that the body does not sway from side to side. The biceps should lift the dumbbell, not the back and body swaying.

2) When lifting the dumbbell up, leave a distance to the shoulder of about 15-20 cm, and move your elbow 10 cm forward, this will allow you to contract the biceps more strongly and feel the peak of muscle contraction.

3) From the bottom point, lift the dumbbell exclusively with the strength of your biceps, do not throw the dumbbell up, this will certainly make the exercise easier, but its effectiveness will greatly decrease.

4) If you have back problems, do dumbbell curls while sitting, this will reduce the load on the lower back, but the option of doing it in a standing position will help to include cheating in the last working repetitions.

5) To increase the load on the inner part of the biceps, take the dumbbell not in the middle, but move the grip as much as possible towards the thumb, so that on the outer part of the biceps, move the closed grip towards the little finger.

Some useful tips

When performing these exercises, professionals recommend:

• Keep your torso straight, avoiding swaying. All movements should be carried out exclusively by the elbow joints. The rest of the body should always be blocked.

Alternate lifting is considered less effective.

• When lifting dumbbells, you need to stop breathing, which will help you keep your back straight and also allow you to achieve a more intense load on your biceps.
• You should not sit across the bench. The fact is that in this case you will involuntarily lean forward in order not to touch the edges of the bench with dumbbells. If you exercise with heavy dumbbells, bending forward may cause your spine to round, which can cause injury. Therefore, you should always sit only on the short edge of the bench.

We also recommend studying this topic:

How to quickly pump up your biceps with dumbbells while standing?

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Important! When lifting dumbbells, your elbows should remain motionless. They should be secured to the sides of the torso. By pointing your elbows forward when lifting dumbbells, you reduce the load on your biceps.

• Alternating dumbbell lifting is less effective than synchronous lifting. The fact is that when lifting alternately, your body will reflexively tilt towards the working hand. And if the spine also bends, this can lead to a lower back injury.
• You need to use fairly light dumbbells. Otherwise, you will have to make strong jerks in order to move the weight from the dead point. In addition, the heavy weight of the dumbbells may require you to raise your elbows.

Do not use dumbbells that are too heavy for this exercise.

This material will be perfectly complemented by the following publications:

• Arm training for girls in the gym
• Training biceps and triceps in one day

Triceps exercises

The back of the shoulder is a so-called “problem area” for many women, in particular because fat tends to be deposited there. Therefore, performing exercises on the triceps brachii muscle is a necessary aspect of women's training. However, if you're also working on developing your chest muscles, it's worth keeping in mind that many chest exercises also work the triceps. If you are pumping your pectoral muscles, it is better to reduce the number of triceps approaches.

Exercises with dumbbells for triceps allow you to work the back of your arms.

Extension of arms behind the head while standing

Stand straight, feet shoulder-width apart. Take the dumbbell with both hands, lift it up and move it behind your head. Your elbows should be bent at right angles and pressed to your head. The chest does not sag. As you exhale, straighten your arms from the dumbbells. As you inhale, return to the starting position.

To perform this triceps exercise, you can take one heavier dumbbell or two lighter ones.

Repeat the exercise 15-20 times. Make sure that your elbows do not move out to the sides.

Bent over arm extension

Take dumbbells in your hands. Stand straight with your knees slightly bent. Lean your body forward, bend your elbows at right angles and press your elbows to your waist. This is the starting position. As you exhale, extend your arms back without lifting your elbows from your waist. Straight arms should be completely parallel to the body. As you inhale, return to the starting position.

Perform 15-20 repetitions.

Back push-ups

You can use a bench, chair, sofa or any other stable surface as support. Stand with support behind you. Lean your hands on it, straighten your legs forward. If it is very difficult to do with straight legs, you can bend your knees. The pelvis should be hanging slightly in front of the support. Gently bend your arms, lowering your pelvis down in front of the support. Do not sit on the floor; your pelvis is suspended all the time. As you exhale, straighten your arms. Thus, you perform push-ups, but your hands are not in front of your body, but behind it.

Push-ups can be performed anywhere: at home, in the country or in the park.

Do as many of these push-ups as you can.

To train your arms, it is advisable to have dumbbells

It is preferable for girls to perform exercises for arm muscles with dumbbells rather than on exercise machines. In the case of a simulator, exercises are performed in isolation - this loads the target muscle as much as possible, which is very good when training for mass. When using dumbbells, in addition to the target muscles, stabilizer muscles are included in the work. This partially relieves the load from the main muscle, but also allows you to work your arms comprehensively and harmoniously.

To train your arms, you will need light dumbbells with which you can perform 15-20 repetitions. As a rule, dumbbells of 2-5 kg ​​are enough for girls. It all depends on your level of preparation. Ideally, have several pairs of dumbbells of different weights at your disposal.

It is better to alternate exercises for arm muscles. While you work your biceps, your triceps rest (and vice versa).

Seated dumbbell curls

Seated dumbbell curls are one of the best exercises for building strength and sharpening the shape of your biceps.
This shaping exercise thickens the middle of the biceps. Exercise technique:

• Hold dumbbells in both hands with a neutral grip (palms facing the sides of your thighs).
• Sit on the edge of the bench. Straighten your torso, straighten your chest and shoulders, pull in your stomach. Bend your lower back slightly, tighten your lower back muscles and maintain this body position until the end of the set.
• Take a deep breath and hold your breath. Tighten your biceps and, bending your elbows, lift the dumbbells up.
• When the dumbbells rise above your hips, begin to turn your hands upward. At the top point of the exercise (dumbbells at the level of the top of the chest), the palms are directed towards the ceiling.
• Lift both dumbbells at the same time and at a moderate pace.
• While lifting the dumbbells, do not move your elbows and keep them at the sides of your body.
• When your hands are level with the top of your chest, pause and tighten your biceps even more.
• Exhaling, slowly lower the dumbbells while rotating your hands at the wrists. At the bottom point, the arms are fully straightened, palms facing each other.

Exercise Tips:

• Don't sit across the bench. In this case, for fear of touching the edges of the bench with dumbbells, you will involuntarily lean forward. If you are working with heavy dumbbells, bending forward will cause your back to round, which can lead to spinal injury. Therefore, always sit only along the bench (on its short edge).
• Keep your torso straight and don't sway. All movement occurs only in the elbow joint. The rest of the body must remain motionless at all times.
• Hold your breath while lifting the dumbbells. This helps maintain correct posture and allows you to develop more powerful biceps strength.
• Fix your elbows at the sides of your body and do not move them. By pointing your elbows forward as you lift the dumbbells, you relieve the stress on your biceps.
• Simultaneous dumbbell curls are much more effective than alternating curls. As you lift the dumbbells one at a time, you involuntarily lean towards your working hand. If at the same time you still round your back, then lower back injury cannot be avoided.
• Use fairly light dumbbells, otherwise you will have to jerk to move the weight. In addition, heavy dumbbells provoke the raising of the elbows.

Application of the exercise:

• To whom: Everyone, from beginner to master.
• When: In the middle of a biceps workout. Before seated dumbbell curls, perform heavier biceps curls (with a barbell or standing dumbbells).
• How much: 3-4 sets of 8-12 repetitions.

Muscle Function: Strong arm flexor muscles are important in gymnastics, rock climbing, tennis, golf and baseball. For example, in wrestling and martial arts, when you grab or hold an opponent, the success of the technique you perform is largely determined by the strength of the biceps muscle. In everyday life, your biceps work whenever you carry a load in front of you.