It's possible to develop strength and build muscle in your arms just using some dumbbells and this simple piece of equipment is especially good for targeting the biceps. This 10-minute dumbbell routine uses something called pyramid sets to challenge your biceps and improve your upper body strength.
Pyramid training involves using sets of identical exercises that begin with light weight and higher reps and then build up to heavier weight with fewer reps. So you'll need to be able to work with more than one size of dumbbell. You should consider using a pair of the best adjustable dumbbells as they allow the flexibility to modify the load mid-workout.
Joe Wicks, or The Body Coach as some may know him better, designed this short workout as part of a new strength challenge he has created. This upper body session is all about targeting the biceps. Wicks uses three different weights for this routine, light, medium, and heavy. He explains what this pyramid set will look like:
"We are going to start off by doing a heavy weight,10 reps. Then the middle weights are going to be 15 reps and the lighter weight 20 reps. Then we go back down so it's 10, 15, 20, 15, 10. The weight decreases as you increase the reps and then you go back down and increase the weight again".
Watch The Body Coach's 10-Minute Bicep Workout
He will keep you right with his video demonstrations and audio cues, just make sure you are ready to 'burn out the biceps' with him. Although it's an intense session, allow yourself time to master the correct form for each move. Proper form will boost your muscle gains and will help to prevent injury.
Those who are new to weights and still learning strength training tips as they go can benefit from learning this challenging resistance training technique. Likewise, seasoned weight lifters can also gain from trying out this dumbbell pyramid set. If you've hit a plateau in your training, pyramid sets are good for shocking your muscles and this new training format can help stimulate growth again.
Plus, pyramid training can be applied to other muscles and not just the biceps. Perhaps you have tired of your usual shoulder dumbbell workout and fancy applying this tough technique to your next shoulder session.
There are plenty of ways to keep your strength workouts fresh and help you reach your fitness goals. You can also aid your progress by getting in sufficient amounts of rest and recovery. For example, massaging out your muscles using one of the best foam rollers after workouts will be beneficial. The same as how important it is to top up your diet with plenty of protein to help repair your muscles and boost growth.
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