These Targeted Workouts Will Help You Shape Your Physique And Build Serious Strength.

It has been a classic muscle-building exercise for decades to pair your back with your biceps in one workout session. Most rowing and pulling movements that target your back and recruit your biceps to lift weights are time-tested, reliable, and effective, and they make perfect sense - many of the movements that target your back also recruit your biceps. There is nothing wrong with biceps exercises that don't really stimulate your muscles since they can be done at the beginning of the workout to warm them up and get them partly pre-fatigued so that you can finish off the workout with some direct biceps exercises. The back and biceps are a perfect match when it comes to body part split programs, and many programs would not be complete without a solid back and biceps day.

Back & Biceps Workout Benefits

Although there are many factors to consider when planning your weekly workout split depending on whether you want to split your body into different body parts or if you want something different, there are a few distinct reasons to consider planning a back and biceps day.

• An improved posture and happier joints. Research has shown that people who do more pulling exercises and who have a strong back have happier, healthier joints as a result of doing more pulling exercises. The risk that you may get sore shoulders can increase if you bench press excessively or perform overhead presses without properly compensating your muscles with rows, pulldowns, or pull-ups in order to maintain proper muscle balance. To restore your joints and connective tissues, you will need to do a lot of rowing and to have a stronger back in the near future. There are many things that can be done in order to create healthy spines, improve joint function, and improve posture as a result of this treatment.
• Despite the fact that not everyone wants to be that friend that everyone in the group asks for help when they move, the alternative is even worse, meaning that no one wants to approach you for help when they move out of fear that you'll snap in half. In order to do this, you need to take a consistent back and biceps day every week. Throughout your daily life, you will feel more capable, and you will be able to move furniture more easily than ever before. Additionally, building strength in your back, biceps, and grip can boost your performance in the gym beyond the practical benefits. It can boost performance in anything from farmer's walks and deadlifts to overhead pressing, which can be strengthened by a strong back to help stabilize the upper body during that exercise.
• As a matter of fact, many people rightly believe that training the biceps is essential for a more aesthetic body. It is common for people to think that the chest, abs, and even shoulders are other contenders for eye-catching body parts, however, a nicely sculpted back will take your muscularity to the next level and create an undeniably athletic and powerful appearance. As a result of training your back and arms, you'll be able to fill out any T-shirt with more volume, in comparison to looking like a malnourished college freshman swimming in baggy clothes if you don't do it. As a bonus, if you are still trying to lose some of the extra fat from your waist, you will also look like you have a small waist in comparison to when you have a big back.

Back & Biceps Workouts For Beginners

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Beginner-level training focuses on getting strong with a low barrier of entry, using exercises that are relatively easy to master. Barbell rows are a popular method of training the back for new lifters. It's often skill-intensive and highly exhausting, especially for beginners, to work out with a barbell for back training. Exercises used in this back and biceps workout routine are relatively simple to learn and are more appropriate for establishing a base of strength and muscle. When you apply the strict technique and focus on the target muscles, you will also get a gnarly pump in your pulling muscles at the end of the session when you apply the target muscles. Depending on how you define your workout in a technical way, you could label it as a "back, biceps, and shoulders workout" since you're also directly applying some attention to the rear head of the shoulder muscle during this workout.

The following are some of the best back and biceps workouts to add size and strength to your arms, whether you are new to the gym or think you have done it all.

Bent-Over Dumbbell Row

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In comparison to a standard barbell row, the bent-over dumbbell row provides a strong back-building stimulus without straining your spinal erectors (lower back) in the manner that a barbell row does. To move the weight, you should avoid swinging your torso back and forth.

Step To Do: Your arms should be straight down by your sides as you hold a dumbbell in each hand. Keep your back neutral, not rounded, while bending your legs slightly and hingeing forward at your hips. With your hands facing each other, reach the weights toward your toes. Your elbow should be driven past your ribs and your back should be contracted. The weights should be returned to the stretched position before being repeated. Throughout the exercise, maintain the same hip angle.

Workout Sets: 3 Sets Of 8-12 Reps

Rest Period: At Least 60 To 90 Seconds Between Sets

Close-Grip Lat Pulldown

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It is important to remember that the close-grip lat pulldown will stretch your lats and hit them in a way that the row could not do. The combination of vertical pulling (like a lat pull down) with horizontal pulling (like a row) is one of the most effective ways to target multiple muscles in your back at the same time.

Step To Do: The pulldown cable should be gripped in a neutral grip (palms facing each other) with both hands. Hold the handles of the chair, sit down, and allow your arms to stretch overhead as you straighten them. Secure your knees under any pads available and plant your feet flat. Maintain a nearly vertical posture of your upper body with a slight backward lean in your posture. It is important that you drive your elbows down until your chin or face is close to the bar. In order to return to the arms-overhead position, you should be able to control the stretch.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Rest Period: At Least 60 To 90 Seconds Between Sets

Machine Reverse Flye

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A reverse flye on a machine will destroy your rear deltoids. Even though the rear deltoids are technically shoulder muscles, they play an important part in many back exercises. The rear delts are pre-fatigued after you train your back, so training them directly makes sense.

Step To Do: When using a reverse flye machine (or "reverse pec deck"), brace your chest against the pad. Take hold of the handles with both hands at shoulder level and grip them tightly with a thumbs-up grip. Keep your elbows bent a little bit at all times. The hands should be pulled back until they are in line with your shoulders to the side of your body. You should avoid overpulling when reaching behind your body with your hands to reach your hands. Ensure that you return your hands to the forward position before allowing the weights to crash onto the stack.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Rest Period: 60 seconds between sets

Alternating Dumbbell Curl

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It is a good idea to alternate dumbbell curls between the arms so you can concentrate on each arm individually, resulting in some real biceps training benefits. Adding slight supination to the exercise (turning of the wrists in the opposite direction) is helpful in recruiting more of the biceps muscle, this includes the brachioradialis, making the exercise an excellent exercise for building biceps.

Step To Do:

Stand with a dumbbell in each hand and your arms at your sides. In a thumbs-up position, raise your left hand up in front of you. In order to keep the curl going, turn your hand palm up as you pass your hips and continue curling your hand until the weight reaches the level of your shoulders. In order to return the weight to your side, you will need to reverse the motion. The movement should be repeated with your right hand as well. After each repetition, alternate between the left and right arms.

Workout Sets: 3 x 10-20 reps for each arm

Rest Period: 45 to 60 seconds in between sets

What You Need to Know To Progress

As The goal of a beginner is to learn the correct form with simple movements while getting stronger in the process. Using compound (multi-joint) exercises and using the good technique will help you build muscle in all the right places as long as your compound (multi-joint) exercises get stronger and use good technique. Make sure you push each set until you reach the end of the rep range. In the event that you reach that ceiling, increase the load so that you can repeat the process, but only if your form remains strict throughout the process. If you want to lose weight, do not become accustomed to cheating just so you can move the weight. When you have been able to increase your loads by a significant amount, around 30% or more, you can move up to the next program.

Intermediate Back And Biceps Workout

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It is possible to get tempted to start "ego lifting" once you reach the intermediate stage of your training - when your shirts are filled out with a bit of muscle, and you feel more proficient in the gym. Particularly when you start seeing people in the gym who lift a lot of weight swinging around when they row. It is not a good idea to do that. As a result, it can result in injury as well as not stimulating your back as well as using a sharp, firm technique that is crisp and precise. Your back should be working deeply across the targeted muscle fibers as long as you maintain good form so that you can trigger muscle growth as a result. In the same way, you should not swing your biceps when working on them. The work should be done by your biceps, not your ego. In order to grow arms, elbow flexion must be used, not momentum.

Workout For The Back And Biceps From New Angles

As an intermediate lifter, you will likely be able to handle some more volume, provided you eat enough nutrients to recover and grow. This time is also a good time to introduce some variety in order to prevent overuse injuries while also stimulating muscle regions in a variety of ways in order to prevent overuse injuries. The exercises in this back and biceps gym workout are designed to target your muscles in a variety of ways. Performing a chest-supported row as your first exercise of the day is a great idea. There is no need to warm up as much as you would when doing a free-standing row since it is stable.

You are able to focus on the back because of the stability. By using both arms during single-arm rows, the possibility of unilateral (single-arm) strength-building is available to you, because when using one arm, you can lift a lot more weight than if you were trying to lift two dumbbells at the same time. There are some benefits to this unilateral focus, such as allowing any imbalances that might have to be corrected. It is important to note that an incline dumbbell curl stretches your biceps more than a standing movement, so it elicits a strong response that stimulates growth. There is also the possibility that stretching will cause you greater soreness as a result of the increased range of motion, but now that you've gained more experience you'll be able to handle that as well.

Chest-Supported Row

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There are very few limitations to this back-building exercise since it completely supports your upper body and removes the need for your lower back to be involved in the exercise. The lats and large back muscles will do most of the work when you start your back-focused training day with a chest-supported row. Your low back will remain intact without being overworked.

Steps To Do: The best way to do this exercise is to lie on a bench with your chest down and grab the handles with your palms down. Before pulling up the bar as high as possible, it is recommended that you use a racket as the weight. It is advisable that you pause briefly in the contracted position for a few seconds before lowering the weight to a full stretch.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Rest Period: 60 to 90 seconds in between sets

Pulldown With Wide Grip

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This type of pulldown is considered to be one of the most basic variations of the pullup, which is why you should be familiar with it. Wide-grip pulldowns are one of many variations of the pulldown, but they are among the most fundamental.

Steps To Do: A long bar should be attached to a pulldown station. Grasp the handle slightly wider than the width of your shoulder and sit down. Make sure your knees are securely covered under any pads you may have as you extend your arms straight overhead. Hold your torso mostly upright and drive your elbows down, lifting the bar to near chin level while keeping your elbows down. In order to return to an overhead position, you will need to pause briefly.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Rest Period: 60 to 90 seconds in between sets

Rowing Dumbbells With One Arm

This exercise is one of the most classic back-training exercises that can be performed with a dumbbell. Developing your back long-term requires mastering this movement. Using it, you are able to target your back muscles one side at a time, reducing back stress to a large extent.

Steps To Do: The first thing you need to do is grab a dumbbell in one hand while facing the palm of your hand toward your body. It is best to brace your non-working hand on a flat bench or on the knee on the same side as your working hand. Push the dumbbell up and back as far as you can until the dumbbell is near your ribs and then release. The contraction should last for a brief period of time. This should be followed by a full stretch. Prior to switching sides, perform all reps with one arm before switching to the other arm.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Rest Period: There is no rest between arms, and one minute is allowed between sets

Delt Fly With Cable Rear

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As opposed to using a machine to target your rear deltoids, using cable instead can increase the time your muscles are under tension, leading to a more effective muscle-building stimulus. It is a very unique way of moving that allows you to get more benefits with relatively less weight.

Steps To Do: Each hand holding a cable from the other side of a double cable station that has a high pulley in the middle of each station stands in the middle of the station. In order to perform this exercise, you need to flex your abs and bend your knees slightly. Keep your arms slightly bent while you move your elbows back and forth as you keep your arms slightly bent. As you are in the process of performing a full contraction, your arms should be slightly in front of your torso. Once you have stretched your arms out in front of your body again, return to the stretched position.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 10-15 repetitions

Rest Period: 45 to 60 seconds in between sets

Incline Dumbbell Curl

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There is no doubt that the incline dumbbell curl is a powerful choice for developing the biceps muscles. As a result of the intense stretch and concentrated contraction, the process of muscle growth is greatly accelerated. Don't forget to prioritize technique over heavy loads - if done correctly, even relatively light weights can feel as if they weigh a great deal. Avoid cheating at all costs.

Steps To Do: The angle of the bench needs to be set at roughly 45 degrees on an adjustable bench. The best way to perform this exercise is to lie back while holding a dumbbell in each hand. On the bench pad, you should place your head, shoulders, and back so that they are supported. Your arms should hang straight with your palms facing forward as you allow your arms to hang straight. In order to curl the weight up, you should move the dumbbell and your hand only - don't move your elbow, upper arm, or head at all while you are doing this. Slowly lower the weight to a full stretch once you have reached the highest position possible without moving your elbow or upper arm in any way.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Rest Period: 45 to 60 seconds in between sets

What You Need To Know To Progress

It is important to increase the load in the next workout once you have been able to hit the end of the rep range for an exercise. There are a few basic progressions that you can follow in order to improve your skills. As long as things are not overcomplicated, there is no need to worry about it. In the long run, as long as you stick to the following form while getting stronger, your arms should expand and eventually your back will get its own zip code, so long as you eat enough during the process.

An Advanced Back & Biceps Workout

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With your strength increased, you may now want to add lifting straps to your regimen along with periodizing to new variations. There is a tendency for advanced lifters to find that their grip and forearms become a limiting factor during back exercises, leaving them unable to achieve progression-building reps during each set because of a weakened grip or forearms. By this point in your development, your back should be significantly stronger than the small muscles in your forearms. When using lifting straps strategically, you can prevent your forearms from being fatigued while allowing yourself to impose more stimulating reps on your back and biceps at the same time.

Lifters With Experience Should Lift Back And Bi's

For a more advanced lifter, you should be more specific about hitting all the areas of your back, especially the small ones. Due to the fact that the barbell row is extremely comprehensive and skill-intensive, it becomes the very first exercise of the workout. As a next step, vertical pulling will help you target your lats more thoroughly. It is recommended that by this point you are able to do at least five strict pull-ups. Keep doing lat pulldowns if that doesn't help, and figure out whether your lack of strength or an excess of body weight is hindering your ability to do pullups.

In order to train your spinal erectors from top to bottom, the Jefferson curl is a unique movement. As a result of the unconventional nature of this exercise, it usually gets a bad rap due to the fact that it requires a rounded back, which is usually discouraged, but your spine was designed to move. The best way to grow your muscles is to perform controlled, dynamic contractions.

If Jefferson curls can be your secret weapon when it comes to creating a thick, back-dominant look in both the upper and lower back. Don't allow your ego to take over. Do them with control and don't let anything get in the way. The workout concludes with a barbell wrist curl that adds some additional intensity to the workout. It's likely that your forearms will need some isolation to keep them growing since you'll be using straps to supplement your gripping strength, so using straps will benefit your forearms.

Barbell Row

It has been said that there are times when the bent-over barbell row is considered to be the most definitive back exercise, as it can have a huge impact on both the size and strength of the back. Don't fall victim to the temptation of cheating the technique just because you are able to move heavy weights. The weight should not be bounced or swung around too much, and you should maintain good form throughout the exercise.

Steps To Do: Maintain a stable shoulder-width stance in front of a loaded barbell. With an overhand grip, slightly wider than shoulder-width, hinge at the hips and grab the bar. The weight should be accelerated up toward your lower ab region, just below your belly button, using your core to brace yourself. The weight should be lowered slowly and controlled after a short pause.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Rest Period: Two minutes in between sets

Pull-Up

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One of the most classic bodyweight exercises is the pull-up. As a measure of your true experience and aptitude in the gym, your pull-up performance is considered by many to be second only to your bench press ability as the best indicator of your true ability and experience.

Steps To Do: With your palms facing away from your body, grab an overhead pull-up bar using a shoulder-width grip with your palms facing away from your body. Maintain a straight back after you have lifted the weight, flex your abs, and make sure your legs are pointing upwards. During the lift, try not to lift your legs too high. Lean back slightly and pull your chest toward the bar as you pull your chest toward the bar. Keeping your mouth or chin near the level of the bar, lower yourself with control to full extension (a straight-arm stretched position) when your mouth or chin is near the bar. Keep yourself from falling to the ground if you don't want to.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 5 - 10 repetitions

Rest Period: Two minutes in between sets

Jefferson Curl

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It is important to note that the Jefferson curl is performed in contravention of an overriding rule of weight training - you should allow your back to round throughout the exercise. The correct technique for many other exercises, such as squats, deadlifts, and rows, involves maintaining a stiff and neutral spine throughout the movement. It is important to keep in mind that the goal of the Jefferson curl is to deliberately round your spine.

Steps To Do:

With a light barbell in your hands, stand with straight arms resting in front of your body, and hold the barbell in your hands. When you reach for your feet, imagine that you are curling each vertebra downward as you lean forward at the waist. In order to maintain a straight back and a close grip on the bar, you should keep your arms straight. After you have reached the end of your flexibility, you will have to "uncurl" slowly in order to return to a standing position.

Workout sets: 3 sets of 5-10 reps

Rest Period: There should be 60 seconds between each set of exercises

Cable Rear Delt Flye

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As a reliable, high-intensity way to finish off your rear deltoids at the end of your back and biceps workout, the cable rear delt flye remains to be one of the most popular ways to do this. During your delt workout, make sure that your form is strict and that you focus on feeling your delts working hard.

Steps To Do: With each hand grabbing the cable from the opposite side of a double cable station with a high pulley, stand in the middle of the station. Your knees should be bent slightly and your abs should be flexed. Pull your elbows down and back with a slight bend in your arms. You should have your arms slightly behind your torso during full contractions. With your arms crossed in front of you, return to the stretched position.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps each

Rest Period: One minute in between sets

Incline Dumbbell Curl

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With the incline dumbbell curl, you will be able to blast your biceps. There is no doubt that this exercise is an excellent choice to focus on your arms due to the intense stretch and hard contraction.

Steps To Do: The angle of the bench should be set at roughly 45 degrees on an adjustable bench. In each hand, hold a dumbbell while lying back in a relaxed position. Rest your head on the bench pad, your shoulders on the bench pad, and your lower back on the bench pad. The palms of your hands should be facing forward, with your arms hanging straight. It is essential that you do the curling-up exercise while only using your hand and the dumbbell - does not move your elbow, your upper arm, or your head at all. The weight should be slowly lowered to a full stretch once you have reached the highest position possible without moving your elbow or upper arm.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 8-12 reps

Rest Period: 60 seconds in between sets

Wrist Curls With Barbells

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With the barbell wrist curl, you will be able to work your forearms (specifically, your wrist flexors) in a very effective manner. With this targeted movement, you will be giving some attention to your forearm muscles during heavy back exercises, which might otherwise be understimulated when you are using lifting straps during these exercises.

Steps To Do: Put yourself in a flat bench position and grasp a barbell underhand (palms up) with underhand grip. It is important to support your forearms across the bench while doing this exercise. To lower the weight, extend your wrists down and allow the bar to roll toward your fingertips as you lower it. You should be able to curl your hand over your forearms without lifting your forearms off the bench as you bring your wrists up. Due to its relatively short range of motion, you should try to apply tension without swinging your arms.

Workout Sets: 3 sets of 10-15 reps

Rest Period: 45 to 60 seconds in between sets

What You Need To Know To Progress

Training is going to be hard, but don't swing any weights, and each week you will be adding more repetitions or loads until you reach your desired level. As long as you can match or beat the performance you had with your previous reps, that's great. As soon as you reach the highest end of the rep range, you will need to add load the following week. When you are lifting heavy weights, but feel like you are getting fatigued and losing performance after a period of time, it may be time to reload your program. There is a general understanding, however, that in order to maintain the growth process, continual strength gains must be made as well as continuous nutrient intake to ensure continuous growth occurs. The only thing you need to keep in mind when it comes to progressing pull-ups is to be cautious. The tendency is to justify reps that swing around, which may result in adding loads hastily if they aren't justified first. It is important that most weeks you focus on your form and only count reps that are performed under control during the workout. The goal is to reach 10 repetitions of strict pull-ups. At this point, add five to ten pounds, reduce the reps back to five, and continue.

By Rashmi Goel