Biceps exercises with kettlebell

It would seem that kettlebells are a thing of the past, but fairly new and fashionable sports areas like CrossFit are beginning to revive the apparatus. For biceps exercises, one kettlebell weighing 16 and 32 kg may be sufficient. Modern manufacturers of sports equipment offer entire lines of weights starting from 8 kg and even less, so everyone can choose the equipment for themselves, depending on their physical fitness.

Features of biceps training with kettlebells

The unique shape of the kettlebell, in the form of a “barrel” with a wide handle, can provide different grip adjusting the level of load on certain muscles and bundles of the shoulder.

• You can unusually hold the kettlebell – by the round part with two palms on the side, this will provide a load on the short head of the biceps brachii.
• And holding the weight with both hands by the handle of the projectile with the bottom up (in an inverted position) – the brachialis works more. In addition to the biceps muscle when lifting weights with both hands, the upper parts of the pectoral muscle are connected.

Unlike dumbbells, the kettlebell grip for biceps development is not as comfortable, but it develops more fibers and makes the training more functional. A kettlebell can be a substitute for dumbbells at home or an addition to arm workouts, especially if biceps growth has stopped.

Precautionary measures! To reduce stress on your joints and prevent ligament tears, keep your hand in line with your forearm without breaking your wrist when lifting the weight. Can be used special bandages for joints. Eliminate jerking otherwise, you will not be able to fulfill the main condition for biceps growth – isolation.

Technique for lifting kettlebells onto biceps with two hands

Option #1.

1. Performed standing, knees slightly bent, palms on the sides of the kettlebell handle.
2. Hands begin moving from below the hips. You can also turn the kettlebell over from top to bottom, holding the handles on the sides from below, this technique will turn on the brachialis.
3. Exhale: without leaning back, keeping your elbows motionless, we bend your arms, bringing the weight to your chest. In addition to the biceps, feel the work of the upper chest.
4. Inhale: without giving up, lower the weight smoothly keeping your elbows bent to prevent ligament injuries.

Do not swing or throw weight. In this case, the throwing technique, like that of weightlifters, is prohibited. Concentrated work is important, lifting must be done biceps only. For cleanliness of equipment, you can lean your back against the wall. Any option is possible 8–12 times, 3–4 sets.

Option No. 2.

In this version, hold the weight not by the handle, but by the sides of the widest part. The grip must be strong, so don’t take too much weight the main thing is not to miss the weight.

1. In a standing position, hold a kettlebell with both palms.
2. Exhale: Fully bend your elbows toward your chest without rocking your torso.
3. Inhale: Gently straighten your arms, keeping your elbows slightly bent.

If both options with a weight of 16 kg are light, perform a superset – first lift the weight 12 times grab the handle (option No. 1), then immediately perform option No. 2 too 12 times. Have a rest 1-2 minutes between sets.

Standing one-arm kettlebell lift

If you have two identical weights, you can perform lifts alternately. In this version, let’s look at one-arm lifts.

1. While standing, hold the kettlebell by the handle with one hand using an underhand grip. For fixation, you can rest your elbow on the side of your body, slightly tilting your body forward.
2. Exhale: bend towards the shoulder without turning the hand at the top.
3. Inhale: lower smoothly.
4. Repeat on the other hand, performing 3–4 sets of 8–12 once for each.

This technique can also be performed while sitting on a bench at an angle of 90 degrees.

Seated biceps curl

The exercise technique is similar to concentrated dumbbell curls for biceps. Also performed with biceps isolation. When performing one-arm lifts, choose light weight. The technique is more suitable for advanced athletes.

1. Sitting with your feet wide, grab a weight of 8–16 kg in one hand with an underhand grip, rest your elbow on your inner thigh.
2. Exhale: use your biceps to curl your arm as far as possible, bringing the weight to your shoulder.
3. Inhale: Without fully extending your elbow, lower the weight down.

Needed for each hand 8–12 reps, 3–4 sets.

Recommendations: how to pump up your biceps with kettlebells

When pumping your biceps with a kettlebell, consider the weight of the load:

• if you weight 16 kg you can do the exercises one hand;
• with a kettlebell weighing 32 kg, keep in mind that this is a serious load for small muscles, so choose those exercise options that are performed both hands at the same time.

Kettlebell training requires a good warm-up; in order to prevent injury, first warm up your muscles and joints for at least 7 minutes. It is also important to stretch the muscles, this allows them to grow and recover faster while remaining elastic.

Also read how to do goblet style kettlebell squats.