Power Through Plateaus – Bodyweight Bicep Exercises for Fast Gains
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In today’s world, exercising can be dull and feel like a chore. Thankfully, with the right training, bodyweight bicep exercises can bring a spark of life into your exercise routine. Power through plateaus and develop strong, flexible biceps with these simple but effective steps, and see results in just weeks.
The bicipital muscle group is one of the major components of the body and has to be taken care of in order to stay healthy and strong. However, most bodyweight arm exercises are focused on the front and back of the arms, leaving the biceps largely neglected. To switch things up, it’s important to include exercises that target the biceps directly, as this will help develop the muscle strength needed to power through plateaus.
Chin-ups are one of the most essential bodyweight bicep exercises and are the best way to engage the entire bicep muscle group. To really power through a plateau and max out your gains while you’re at it, combine chin-ups with negatives or weight-assisted pull-ups. Negatives involve using a partner to help you get to the top of the chin-up bar, and slowly lowering you down to the start position. Do this repeated 10-15 times in three sets. Not only do negatives work the biceps in a unique way compared to other bodyweight exercises, they also teach proper form and force your muscles to become strong and endure a longer distribution of contraction.
For a more challenging exercise, perform difficult single arm chin-ups. These take longer to learn but can take your biceps strength to the next level and really test your limits. To do these, begin with your chosen hand close to the mid-point of the bar and slightly below shoulder height with your other arm extended from the side. Engage your core and then flex the biceps and lift your body until your chin is just above the bar, and then lower with control. This is a full repetition – repeat as many times as you can and switch hands.
Managing fatigue is key when pushing through plateaus. Keeping your muscles energized and healthy will ensure your bicep exercises are effective in making you stronger. After an intense exercise session with biceps training, it’s important to keep hydrated and have a balanced diet full of lean protein, healthy fats, and complex carbohydrates. Meal prepping in advance is a great way to make sure you’re getting the right nutrition.
Don’t forget about those hours in between workouts! Give both your body and mind a break by stretching your muscles and practicing self-care. Soreness is normal, but if it’s getting too intense, then opt for an indirect bicep exercise like a tricep press down. This will keep the tension in the biceps, while letting them rest and aid in a faster recovery.
Go beyond the basics for an efficient plateau busting session and combine traditional bodyweight bicep exercises with high intensity intervals. HIIT is an intense form of exercise that helps burn calories faster while helping you build strength. Alternating between sets of planking, bicep curls, and triceps pull-downs will give your muscles a longer period of contraction that will increase the muscle’s resistance to fatigue and ultimately give you faster gains.
Bodyweight Bicep Exercises to Spice Up Your Routine
Being creative with bodyweight bicep exercises can keep the routine more exciting and ultimately help you power through plateaus. Switch towel pull-ups for bicep rows, or add a grapevine element to any arm exercise. The grapevine works by taking small steps in either a clockwise circle or a zig-zag, while doing a bicep curl or overhead press. Doing these exercises with a resistance band will add an extra challenge and give you an even better arm workout.
Plyometric exercises are great for increasing power and speed as well. Add a jump element to any bicep exercise like bicep curls or press-ups to get your muscles working harder and creating an additional afterburn effect. When incorporating jumping exercises, it’s important to remember to stay light on your feet and gentle with the landing. This will help to reduce the risk of any injuries that may occur and help you reach your plateau busting goals.
Isolation Exercises for Serious Muscle Gains
Meeting your bicep development goals can be faster and easier when incorporating isolation exercises. Isolation exercises involve different parts of the body than compound exercises. Isolation exercises allow particular muscles and joints to move in a more isolated way that targets that muscle group and strengthens it. For biceps, a common isolation exercise is the hammer curl. To perform this exercise, stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and with both arms fully extended and a dumbbell in each hand. Keeping your hands at shoulder height, curl the dumbbells up towards your shoulders and then slowly lower down and repeat.
Success relies on pushing past what we think is possible and when working with biceps, the same concept applies. Take on any challenge and don’t be afraid to switch your traditional exercises with more dynamic ones. Supersets are great for working on multiple muscles at once, so try pairing a bicep curl with a tricep extension or a chin up with a shoulder press.
Shift your focus away from one major movement and engage in different exercises simultaneously, like lateral shrugs with supported curls. Or focus on more core intense moves when aiming for fast gains, such as doing scissors with hammer curls. Working the muscles separately as well as simultaneously is crucial for building strength and aiding in plateau busting success.
Resistance Training to Make the Most of Your Strength
Make the most of your current strength and move to the next level by incorporating resistance training into your bicep exercises. Resistance training is an effective way to build muscle by providing a more controlled movement and can be easy to increase the difficulty if progress slows. Utilize resistance bands to increase the intensity of your movements and apply resistance at different angles.
When performing shoulder raises, make it more difficult by using a resistance band or battle rope to increase tension in the right places. For bicep curls, anchor a resistance band to a stand or door and grab the other side of the band with the same hand. With your feet hip-width apart, curl your arm up and down for 20-25 reps. This exercise can take more time to master, but once you do, you can increase the tension and level up quickly.
Using a partner or a spotter is also a great form of resistance training and can help push your strengths further. Performing exercises with a partner or spotter can engage the muscles more, as it increases the overall range and weight of the exercise. This can range from partner bicep curls, spotter assisted pull-ups, or even partner encircling of the dumbbells. Don’t forget to have fun with it – create fun games or encourage each other.
Stability Training to Take Your Exercise Routine to the Next Level
Train your body using different training methods and your bicep gains will skyrocket. Stability training using bodyweight can challenge the biceps in a variety of ways. The amazing thing about stability training is that you can do it anywhere with no equipment needed. Focus on a combination of static and dynamic exercises when stability training as they complement each other well.
Start off with basic exercises such as planks and scissor squats, and move on to more advanced exercises such as boat and superman holds. For boat holds, sit on the floor with your feet together and balance your body on your sit-bones, with arm extended out. Make sure the core is tight and the back is straight, the lift both feet off the floor and balance for 15-20 seconds. You can even lifting your arms up and reach out to make the exercise more challenging.
Scoring a progression in your biceps can take time and consistency, but there are some shortcuts that give you the upper hand in the game. When up for a challenge, hit the road with a weighted backpack for an increase in resistance. Not only will this add more tension to your bodyweight bicep exercises, but you can also get an amazing cardiovascular workout in as well as some flexibility training.
Conclusion – Bodyweight Bicep Exercises for Fast Gains
Powering through plateaus can be a daunting task but with the right exercises and training, it can be possible. By incorporating bodyweight exercises, resistance, stability, and isolation training, it’s possible to reach fast and steady gains in your bicep strength while strengthening your overall physique. Working smarter and not harder is the key to success here, so be mindful of your exercises and tailor them to what works best for you. All that’s left to do is to grab some weights, get started, and don’t forget to have fun!
