Biceps are a muscle every guy wants to grow, but after months of hammering away at curls in your home gym, you might realize that you aren’t making much progress. If you find this to be the case, then it’s time to reassess your workout routine and discover what you are doing wrong. You can start by learning about some of the biggest biceps workout mistakes you can make.
Lifting Too Much Weight
An easy mistake many tend to make on any workout is trying to lift too much at once. There’s a common misconception that, to build more muscle, you need to lift as much weight as possible. The problem with this is that heavier weight could negatively affect your form, and your form is just as important as the amount of weight you’re lifting. Therefore, make sure you are choosing your dumbbell weight wisely to get the most out of your exercise.
Swinging Back and Forth
Whenever you are doing biceps training from a standing position, an easy mistake you might also be guilty of is swinging your body back and forth during your lifts. The problem with doing this is you use your momentum to lift the weight instead of your biceps. Again, this mistake tends to happen when you are lifting too much weight, but you can also avoid it by putting yourself up against a wall as you perform the exercise.
Going Too Fast
It’s also common for gymgoers to try to get through their workout as fast as possible and rush through their biceps training. However, movements that are too fast can lead to disappointing results. Slow things down as you bring the weight down past your waist—this way, you put stress on the muscle you are targeting for maximum growth.
Not Incorporating Triceps
Many believe that building the biceps is the only way to get bigger arms. The truth is, your triceps make up most of your arms, which is why it’s the perfect muscle group to pair with your biceps workouts. An easy way to this is by working supersets into your routine that will give your biceps a break and allow you to still get bigger arms by incorporating an exercise like triceps extensions.
Neglecting Grip Strength
During your biceps workouts, it can be easy to neglect your grip strength because the focus tends to go to your arms. Grip strength is just as important when you are doing your biceps exercises. Having a better grip can improve your lifespan, and biceps workouts are a great way to build that strength.
Never Changing Your Grip Length
Speaking of grip, not only should you pay attention to your grip strength, but you also need to vary your grip positioning. One of the biggest biceps workout mistakes you can make is getting comfortable and only doing exercises with close or wide grips. Instead, try to work in both; doing so changes the rotation of your arms and works different muscles, which will lead to bigger arms.
Not Locking Your Elbows to Your Body
There’s another bad habit that you might be making during your biceps workouts, and that’s not locking your elbows during the lift. Do your best as you perform a biceps exercise to keep your elbows attached to your body because otherwise, you’ll be working out your shoulders instead.
Van Rundell is a writer and author who specializes in transportation, travel, guidance, health & fitness. With over 10 years of experience in the industry as a driver and an entrepreneur, he has seen it all. His tone is professional but friendly with a dash of humor thrown in for good measure. In past, he has been advising, educating and writing about transport for the public and professionals alike.
A qualified fitness instructor with over 5 years’ experience as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor, Van brings his deep knowledge of health and exercise science to his articles on health & fitness.
