Best Bicep Workout Routine For Women
Below is the best bicep workout routine for women looking to promote muscular hypertrophy. This workout can encourage better muscle tone in the upper arms for women looking for more defined muscles.
Exercise | Sets x Reps | Reps |
|---|---|---|
| Dumbbell Bicep Curl | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps |
| Dumbbell Cross-Body Curl | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps |
| Zottman Curl | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps |
| EZ Bar Preacher Curl | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps |
| Dumbbell Concentration Curl | 3–4 sets | 8–12 reps |
Anatomy Of The Biceps
Understanding the anatomy of the biceps is important for a better understanding of muscle growth and workout programming. Below, let’s examine the different parts of the biceps.
Biceps Short Head
Most inside portion of the biceps. Located at the front of your upper arm closest to your chest.
Biceps Long Head
Most outside part of your bicep.The front of your upper arm.
Biceps Short Head
The biceps brachii, more commonly known as the biceps, is a muscle in the upper arm. It has two heads, the short and long biceps heads.
The biceps short head is the shortest of the two. It is found closest to the body’s midline at the medial section of the upper arm. It originates from the upper arm, or humerus, and inserts into the ulna, or forearm.
This head’s responsibility lies with supporting forearm rotation and elbow flexion. This means rotating the forearm and bringing it towards the body.
Each exercise listed above uses elbow flexion as its main movement. With this, each one incorporates the biceps short head to prioritize strength in this crucial muscle.
Biceps Long Head
The biceps long head is the longer and larger of the two heads. It’s located on the lateral side of the biceps brachii. This means away from the body’s midline at the front of the upper arm. Because of the outer location, exercises using a narrow grip will lead to a bigger activation of the biceps long head.
The role of the biceps long head includes elbow flexion and inward rotation of the arm. Because of this, it works alongside the biceps short head for the movements above.
As women, we use elbow flexion when we pull open doors, lift objects, scratch our heads, and carry our children. Incorporating these bicep exercises into our workout routines can strengthen the biceps long head to support these daily activities.
Benefits Of Bicep Exercises For Women
There are various benefits of bicep exercises for women that should not be overlooked. From muscle toning to strength building, find out more about the benefits of strong biceps below.
Tones Muscles
One benefit of implementing bicep exercises into women’s workout routines is that they tone these muscles. By incorporating exercises that stimulate hypertrophy, muscle growth can occur, establishing a more defined physique.
Exercises like the preacher curl and its many variations are excellent for targeting the biceps to encourage muscle growth. By incorporating these bicep workouts into their routine, women can benefit from changes in muscle tone.
It is important to note that significant muscle tone differences can differ between lifters. This is because of differences in body fat and muscle mass percentages. A lifter with lower body fat and higher lean body mass percentage will have greater noticeable progress in muscle tone.
Builds Strength
Incorporating these bicep exercises into their routines can benefit women seeking upper-body strength. Utilizing volume and intensity in these exercises can help build muscle and promote strength improvements in the biceps. By incorporating these isolation exercises into your workout routine, you can specifically promote strength and its related benefits.
Most of these bicep exercises concentrate solely on the bicep brachii rather than targeting other upper-body muscles. This provides a much larger workout intensity to stimulate strength gains. They emphasize growth and strength in this muscle to improve functionality and support in daily activities.
Pairing them with exercises to target the back, shoulders, and tricep muscles is productive for enhancing total upper body strength.
Expert tip
Perform the bicep exercises above after your main compound movements. Good examples include when using a full-body routine or an upper-body split.
Improves Posture
Due to poor posture in work and school environments, a large population is affected by back and neck pain. Desk workers who work at computers can experience pain in the shoulder (49.6%), elbow (18.2%), and wrist (35.5%). These individuals can practice more postural awareness to reduce pain and strengthen posture-related muscles.
Some examples of posture-related muscles include the trapezius, abdominals, and erector spinae. The biceps help maintain correct movement paths in exercises like rows and squats to build strength in these key postural muscles.
Strengthening the biceps can improve posture by providing better support for the shoulder joint to reduce hunching or rounded shoulders. A correlation was found between rounded shoulders and increased thoracic kyphosis, a spinal deformity of a humpback appearance. Promoting good posture is an effective way to reduce this risk.
Expert tip
When sitting down or walking around, think about pushing your chest forward and keeping your shoulders back. This may help to improve posture.
Expert Training Tips
- Different grips can promote different muscle engagement. A wide grip targets the biceps short head, while a narrow grip engages more of the long head. A neutral grip will promote more brachialis engagement, while a pronated grip uses more of the brachioradialis.
- Supersetting the triceps and biceps is an excellent method of temporarily enhancing a muscle’s appearance. This will help establish a fuller and well-rounded upper-arm appearance.
- When squeezing your biceps at the top of the movements above, think about working them. An improved mind-muscle connection has been shown to have a big impact on muscular hypertrophy.
Conclusion
This guide provides the best bicep exercises for women to include in their workout routine. These exercises offer numerous benefits. These include increased upper body strength and muscle growth to improved posture and muscle tone.
When it comes to a workout routine for women, muscle groups like the biceps and triceps should be incorporated. The biceps brachii are essential in everyday activities like brushing our teeth and supporting good posture. Emphasizing strength and functionality in the biceps is productive for enhancing overall quality of life.
Frequently Asked Questions
Women can benefit from bicep exercises, as this muscle is used in everyday activities. Strengthening the biceps brachii makes these activities easier. Plus, muscle tone can lead to a stronger and leaner appearance.
Like with any muscle group, a combination of a balanced diet and exercise should be prioritized to promote hypertrophy. Eating enough protein and targeting the biceps are vital steps for growing biceps as a woman.
It is not recommended to train the biceps every day. The bicep muscles need at least 48 hours to recover and grow stronger. Without rest, progress can be stunted, and injury risk increases.
With proper nutrition and exercise, women can see improvements in bicep growth in approximately 4-8 weeks. Some experts also suggest this is around 18 training sessions. Rest exercise, and nutrition can significantly determine the quality of the results.
Resources
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