What changes do you want to make when you go to the gym? Improve your posture, build a strong back, or do you want to build arm and muscle strength? If all of the above are true, then you need to do a back and bicep workout. If you are a beginner, you may be able to use the pull-and-push structure to do a back and bicep workout to achieve the goal of building a strong back and building arm and muscle strength. However, when doing a back and bicep workout, you can’t just focus on these two areas and ignore the training of other parts; no matter what your daily exercise plan is, the most important thing is to keep your body balanced, which is good for your body and function.
However, the benefit of adding a back and bicep workout to your daily exercise is that it protects your spine. Combining back and bicep exercises is also an effective way to exercise. No matter what movements we perform, we will exercise our back and arms. Moreover, doing a back and bicep workout can strengthen the back and biceps, which also helps our body reach the best condition.
When choosing a workout plan that suits us, we should pay more attention to the efficiency of the exercise. Yes, the goals we set will depend on the efforts we make on the way to achieve them. Whether your goal is to build muscle in your arms or improve your body strength, knowing that realistic workouts are more achievable will make your goals easier to achieve.
So what does that mean? It’s simple. You can split up your workouts, doing pulling movements (like rows) on day one and pushing movements (like presses) on day two. By the end of the week, you can work on your lower body with leg exercises.
Read on to learn about the benefits of doing a back and bicep workout and how to do it for beginners. Then, grab your dumbbells and start with a 15-minute back and bicep workout to build muscle and strength.
Related: 12 Best Back Exercises for Build a Bigger, Stronger Back
The Benefits of a Back and Bicep Workout
A focused back and bicep workout offers numerous benefits that contribute to overall fitness and functional strength.
1. Improved Posture
Back Muscles: Strengthening the muscles of the back, including the latissimus dorsi, rhomboids, and trapezius, helps support the spine and maintain proper posture.
Biceps: Strong biceps support the arms and shoulders, contributing to overall upper body alignment.
2. Enhanced Upper Body Strength
Back Muscles: A strong back is essential for lifting and pulling movements, providing a foundation for exercises such as deadlifts and rows.
Biceps: Strengthening the biceps improves your ability to perform pulling motions like chin-ups and curls.
3. Improved Functional Strength
Daily Activities: A strong back and biceps enhance your ability to perform everyday tasks such as lifting, carrying, and pulling.
Athletic Performance: These muscle groups play a significant role in various sports and activities, enhancing performance and reducing injury risk.
4. Reduced Injury Risk
Back Strength: A strong back helps protect the spine and reduces the risk of lower back injuries.
Bicep Strength: Strengthening the biceps can help prevent injuries during pulling exercises and daily activities.
5. Balanced Muscle Development
Overall Strength: Working the back and biceps together ensures the balanced development of upper body muscles, preventing imbalances that can lead to injuries.
Synergistic Effect: Many back exercises involve the biceps as secondary muscles, providing a comprehensive workout.
6. Enhanced Grip Strength
Biceps: Strong biceps contribute to better grip strength, which is beneficial for lifting heavier weights and performing various exercises.
Back Exercises: Exercises like rows and deadlifts also challenge and improve grip strength.
15-Minute Back And Biceps Workout
Time: 15 minutes | Equipment: Choose the right dumbbells for you | Goof for: Biceps and back
Instructions: You can choose 6 exercises from the following 10 exercises to exercise. Perform 3-4 sets of each exercise, and repeat 12 times per set. Take a proper rest in between according to your situation. Then continue to the next exercise.
Chinup/Pullup
Why it rocks: Chin-ups and pull-ups are highly effective back and bicep workouts that target the upper body, particularly the back and arms. While they share similarities, they differ in grip and the specific muscles they emphasize.
How to Do It:
1. Hang from a bar with an underhand grip and extend your arms.
2. Pull yourself up until your chin is above the pull up station, squeezing your shoulder blades together at the top.
3. Use your arm strength to control your body’s descent until the phone is able to stretch out at night.
Biceps Curl
Why it rocks: A biceps curl is a back and bicep workout for targeting the biceps muscles in your upper arms. Incorporating biceps curls into your routine helps build arm strength and muscle size.
How to Do It:
1. Stand or sit with your arms fully extended and holding a dumbbell or barbell. Your palms should face upward.
2. Curl the weight up towards your shoulders by bending your elbows. Keep your upper arms stationary.
3. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
Barbell Curl
Why it rocks: The barbell curl is a back and bicep workout for building biceps strength and size. The barbell curl is excellent for building overall bicep mass and strength.
How to Do It:
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell with an underhand grip (palms facing up) and hands slightly wider than shoulder-width.
2. Curl the barbell up towards your shoulders by bending your elbows, keeping your upper arms stationary.
3. Squeeze your biceps at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
Wide Biceps Curl
Why it rocks: The wide biceps curl targets the outer part of your biceps for a more defined look. This variation can help enhance the overall shape of your biceps.
How to Do It:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a barbell or dumbbell with an underhand grip. Your hands should be wider than shoulder-width apart.
2. Curl the weight up towards your shoulders, focusing on contracting the outer biceps.
3. Squeeze at the top, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
Crossbody Alternating Biceps Curl
Why it rocks: The crossbody alternating biceps curl, also known as the cross-body hammer curl, is a back and bicep workout that targets both the biceps and the brachialis (a muscle that lies underneath the biceps) for a more complete arm workout.
How to Do It:
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral grip (palms facing each other).
2. Let your arms hang straight down by your sides.
3. Curl one dumbbell up across your body towards the opposite shoulder. For instance, curl the left dumbbell towards the right shoulder.
4. Keep your upper arm stationary and avoid swinging your torso. Focus on the biceps and brachialis of the arm doing the curl.
5. Squeeze your biceps at the top of the movement.
Isometric Biceps Hold
Why it rocks: The isometric biceps hold is a back and bicep workout designed to build endurance and strength in your biceps by holding a static contraction. Including isometric biceps holds in your routine can help strengthen your biceps and improve overall muscle endurance.
How to Do It:
1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand with a neutral or underhand grip, depending on your preference.
2. Bend your elbows to about a 90-degree angle, bringing the dumbbells up to shoulder level.
3. Maintain the bent elbow position and hold the dumbbells in place for a set amount of time, usually 20-60 seconds.
4. Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position after completing the hold.
Alternating Bent-Over Row
Why it rocks: The alternating bent-over row is a great exercise for targeting the back muscles, particularly the lats and rhomboids, while also engaging the biceps.
How to Do It:
1. Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. With your knees slightly bent, use your hips as a pivot and gradually lower your body until it is almost parallel to the floor.Keep your back flat and core engaged.
3. Pull one dumbbell up towards your hip, keeping your elbow close to your body and squeezing your shoulder blade at the top.
4. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
5. Alternate arms, performing the same motion with the other dumbbell.
Reverse Fly
Why it rocks: The reverse fly is a back and bicep workout that targets the posterior deltoids and upper back muscles, promoting balanced shoulder development and improved posture. Incorporating the reverse fly into your routine will help you develop toned shoulders and upper back.
How to Do It:
1. Sit on the edge of a bench or stand with a slight bend in your knees. Place your palms together and hold a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Bend forward at the hips until your torso is nearly parallel to the floor, keeping your back straight.
3. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells out to the sides until your arms are level with your shoulders.
Single-Leg Row
Why it rocks: The single-leg row is a back and bicep workout for targeting the back muscles, specifically the lats, and rhomboids, while also engaging the core and improving balance. Incorporating single-leg rows into your workout routine can enhance your back strength and improve your balance and stability.
How to Do It:
1. Hold a dumbbell in one hand and place the opposite knee and hand on a bench for support.
2. Keep your supporting leg slightly bent and your body in a straight line from head to heel.
3. Do the movement to a certain extent, then squeeze the shoulder blades.
4. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Single-Arm Rear Delt Raise
Why it rocks: The single-arm rear delt raise is a back and bicep workout that primarily targets the isolated rear deltoid muscles, building shoulder strength and definition. Adding the one-arm rear delt raise to your routine can help you achieve overall shoulder development and improved upper body strength.
How to Do It:
1. Stand or sit with a slight bend at the hips and knees. Hold a dumbbell in one hand with a neutral grip.
2. Lean forward slightly, keeping your back flat and core engaged. Rest your non-working arm on your knee or a bench for support.
3. With a slight bend in your elbow, lift the dumbbell out to the side until your arm is level with your shoulder.
4. Squeeze your rear deltoid at the top of the movement.
