The bicep is the first body component most people target when they first start working out in the gym. This is because of what we see on television. The majority of the time, we see people working on their biceps when we see them exercising. When I first began working out, I would focus just on my biceps, ignoring the rest of my body. This just shows show individuals, especially newbies love to work on their arms. In this article, I will discuss the most common bicep workouts with dumbbells, as well as some novel ones.
BICEP CURLS
Bicep curls are a common exercise that almost everyone is familiar with. This is the most typical way to develop your biceps with dumbbells. Bicep curls are one of my favorite exercises since they work the entire bicep. You get bicep workouts with dumbbells that only target certain parts of your bicep. I always do bicep curls when working on my arms. This is an activity that I normally do at the start or end of my workout. Never in the middle.
It is ideal for a warm-up and a cool-down, which is why I never do it in between my bicep sessions. This exercise is commonly done with 15kg dumbbells (about 33 pounds). I would complete five sets of 15 reps and be good to go. Stick to a weight that is appropriate for your strength. If you do this workout twice a week, you will see a considerable difference in your biceps.
Bicep curls can be performed in a variety of ways. Bicep curls may go by different names, but they’re still bicep curls. 21’s, hammer curls, and concentration curls are some best bicep workouts with dumbbells that incorporate bicep curls. A long bar can also be used to perform bicep curls. It is all up to you.
21’s
I’m sure most of you haven’t heard of 21’s. This is one of the most efficient bicep workouts with dumbbells. This activity is perfect for anyone seeking to lose arm fats and tone their muscles. I absolutely love this exercise. It is, however, a challenging workout to carry out, so make sure you are mentally and physically prepared before attempting it.
This is how 21s are carried out. Perform 7 reps of conventional bicep curls first. After that, do 7 reps of bicep curls with your left arm while gripping the dumbbell with your right. After that, you will repeat the process but this time you grip the dumbbell with your left arm and execute the exercise with your right arm. And that’s all there is to it. It may appear to be a simple exercise, but believe me when I say that after four sets, you will feel the burn.
The name “21’s” comes from the fact that you complete 21 reps in total. 7 reps with your left arm, 7 reps with your right arm, and 7 reps with both arms. When it comes to 21’s, do not go overboard. Use 5-8kg (11-17 pounds) dumbbells to complete this exercise. To get the most out of this workout, perform it twice a week. Your arms will get more defined, and your veins will become more noticeable.
CONCENTRATION CURLS
Curls of concentration really target the biceps. The most effective approach to complete this workout is to go slowly. When performing this workout, try going heavy. It gets increasingly difficult as it becomes heavier. With this exercise, try going until failure. In other words, do as many reps as you can. When your bicep has had enough, come to a complete stop.
One arm at a time should be used to do this workout. Make sure you are sitting down because it won’t be as effective if you are standing up. Curl your dumbbells while resting your elbow on your knee. To get the most out of this workout, go for four sets of 12 reps. Concentration curls are another of my favorite exercises because they are simple to perform. If you are feeling particularly strong that day, you can super-set this exercise with bicep chin-ups. You will really feel the blood rush to your biceps.
HAMMER CURLS
Hammer curls are used to strengthen the brachialis muscle. The brachialis is a muscle that runs along the outside of your bicep. Not many people realize that our biceps have different muscles that need to be worked. Bicep workouts with dumbbells target different regions of the bicep. Now that I think about it, the majority of your muscles are separated into sections that together make up the entire muscle. Different exercises target certain muscle groups.
In my opinion, hammer curls are the simplest bicep workout with dumbbells. It is essentially bicep curls, but with a twist. Instead of holding the dumbbells horizontally in your hands, you will hold them vertically and do bicep curls. The name hammer curls come from the fact that it works in another region of your bicep. You will see a difference in your brachialis if you do this in every bicep session.
Hammer curls can be performed in two different ways. Either near to your torso or a long way away from it. This exercise can also be done with two dumbbells at the same time or one dumbbell and one hand at a time. It all depends on your personal preferences, but they all get the job done. I prefer to do it one hand at a time, keeping the dumbbell close to my torso.
STAY CONSISTENT WITH YOUR WORKOUTS
And there you have it. These are some bicep workouts with dumbbells I do while I work out. Yes, some of them are standard workouts, but they get the job done when done properly. It is important to train on your biceps twice a week if you want them to expand properly. If you have any questions or queries, please post them in the comments below. I will get back to you as soon as I see your comment.
Quite a good description Daniel. As an Old guy I fully understand that you must do weights to maintain some sort of
arm dimensions away from flabby biceps.
I do them two or three times a week however with much less weight than you young guys curl.
I would like a video on the middle explanation as I don’t quite understand what you do.
Besides that all is good.
Peter H
Would you like a video on all exercises or is there one in particular that you would like to see?
Even not as a Newbie I also admit that I over-concentrate a bit on biceps. They are the most visible and for me pretty easy to complete. I use concentration and hammer curls to good effect in my routine now. So these suggestions I concur work well. I could do with a little more forearm strength. I did not know about 21’s and will try to see how I respond to this next time I am in the gym. Appreciate the advice.
21’s will surely grow your forearms too. It is such a great exercise, you’ll love it.
Yeah, for sure, I too hear of 21s the first time. Sounds like a properly fun exercise if that makes sense. I will have to give that one a try. But since I’m an absolute beginner as far as weight training, I will probably pick a lower weight option though.
Also, the concentration curls exercise really spoke to me. It, indeed, sounds like a great and simple exercise to do. Plus, I really enjoy the fact that this one is fine to do until failure. It makes it kind of easy to remember and follow. And, yeah, bicep chin-ups sound like the kind of thing to try as well.
And last but not least, I appreciate the heads up about doing biceps twice a week. 🙂
You should definitely try these exercises. You will see results within three months. Thank you for your feedback.
Hi, I wasn’t aware of the brachialis muscle running down the side of the bicep. I will therefore try the hammer curl next time. Also will also try the 21 curl. Think I will definitely feel the burn. Good article and full of very useful information. Wondering though if you would try to do all the exercises for biceps each session or divide the different exercises equally for the 2 weekly sessions?
I could do that. It actually sounds like a good idea. Thank you for your input. It is well received.
I came across this article when I was looking for ways to tone and define my arms. I like the simplicity of these and the fact that I can do them with just dumbbells, no fancy equipment needed!
Although I want to strengthen my arms, I have no desire to build up bulky muscle, just tone and define. What weight dumbbell would you recommend for this result? What is the minimum weight that would produce results?
Try using 5-10kg dumbbells. Do not go above that if you just want to tone your arms. That weight will get the job done.
hi, Daniel Tshiyole
I will share this post with my friends, I think it is very useful for some men’s friends, bicep workouts with dumbbells, as you said, is the first thing you need to do to enter the gym. But if there is a short video, I think this post is more perfect.
Okay, I will look into incorporating a video into this article. Thank you for your input.
This is a pretty cool and informative article, love the piece on the 21’s. I never knew about them but I’m certainly going to give them a go. I’m not much of a gym goer at the moment but hitting my 40’s has certainly made me feel like I need to be taking more care of myself and this article has inspired me.
Cheers
Ben
The 21’s are a hit! You should definitely try it out. Thank you for your feedback.
I have been doing Bicep curls for a long time. But your post has encouraged me to try several new exercises. The first one I will bring into my routine is hammer curls. And I am excited about the advantages it has in strengthening the brachialis muscle. I had seen some videos on this but had not taken action. I will also use the dumbbell close to my torso as you do!
You will definitely see results! Thank you for your feedback.
Hey, Daniel,
The good thing about dumbbells is that they’re easier to use and store, not to mention they’re almost always available at the gym. When I go to the gym, the benches are always taken ugh (I go after work in the evening). Luckily, there are always dumbbells available to work out.
I’ve done all of the exercises you mention in your article, except for the 21’s. I’ll start doing those and see how it goes.
Thanks for sharing.
I would suggest that you buy your own bench and dumbbells. Let’s be honest, having your own equipment just makes life so much easier. So yes, going to the gym is fun, but look into purchasing your own equipment. You should definitely try out the 21’s
Hi and thanks for this. I’ve been doing dumbbell exercises as part of my workout for a while now. I understand that this is especially important as I am advancing in years and there is a risk of gradual loss of muscle mass if you don’t do strength exercises. One exercise I have found particularly effective is the Arnold press. I understand that the Arnold press is good for shoulder muscles as well as biceps. Do you recommend this exercise as part of a workout routine for someone who is over 60 or not? Thanks, Andy
Anyone can do the Arnold press, age does not matter. I would suggest that you do not go too heavy though. I do not want you to injure yourself so try sticking to 5kg dumbells.