Best Beginner Bicep And Shoulders Workouts To Build Strength

The Barbell Curl is a great exercise that targets your biceps by isolating the muscle. Using a barbell helps keep your movements stable so you can focus on building strength without losing balance.

How to do it

1. Stand up straight and grasp a barbell with both hands, shoulder-width apart, palms facing away.
2. Tighten your core by taking a deep breath and flexing your stomach muscles.
3. Bend your elbows to lift the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
4. Exhale and slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Bicep Curl is a popular exercise that targets the biceps, helping to build strength and muscle. Using dumbbells allows for better control and range of motion, making it an effective choice for workouts.

How to do it

1. Stand upright and hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing you.
2. Engage your core by breathing deeply and tightening your abdominal muscles.
3. Flex your elbows to lift one dumbbell up towards your shoulder while keeping your elbow close to your side.
4. As you lift, rotate your wrist so your palm faces your shoulder at the top of the curl.
5. Lower the dumbbell back to the starting position by rotating your wrist back to palms-facing position.
6. Once the first dumbbell is down, repeat the process with the other arm.

The EZ-Bar Curl is an exercise that focuses on strengthening your biceps. Using an EZ-Bar offers better stability and comfort for your wrists, making it easier to concentrate on lifting weights.

How to do it

1. Stand up straight and hold the EZ-Bar with both hands, palms facing away from you, at waist height.
2. Engage your core by tightening your stomach muscles.
3. Curl the bar by bending your elbows, raising it to shoulder height while keeping your elbows close to your body.
4. Lower the bar back to the starting position and exhale.

Hammer Curls are a bicep exercise that involve turning your wrists for a more natural grip. This helps target the long head of the bicep while building muscle and strength.

How to do it

1. Stand tall with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward and arms at your sides.
3. Engage your core by tightening your stomach muscles.
4. Curl one dumbbell up to shoulder height while keeping your elbow close to your side.
5. Lower the dumbbell back down to the starting position.
6. Switch arms and repeat the movement.

The Dumbbell Back Fly targets the back of your shoulders while providing stability from an incline bench. This exercise helps strengthen your posterior deltoid by isolating the muscle effectively.

How to do it

1. Grab a pair of dumbbells.
2. Lie chest-down on an incline bench with your knees slightly bent.
3. Hold the dumbbells in front of your shoulders, palms facing forward.
4. Keep your elbows slightly bent and back straight.
5. Lift the dumbbells out to the sides until shoulder height, squeezing your shoulder blades together.
6. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position slowly.

The Cable Lateral Raise is a shoulder exercise that targets the middle deltoid muscle. Using a cable machine allows for better control and can help identify strength differences between your left and right sides.

How to do it

1. Adjust the pulley to the lowest position and attach a handle.
2. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, facing the pulley with your left side.
3. Grab the handle with your right hand, keep your palm facing in.
4. Tighten your core to maintain a straight back.
5. With a slightly bent elbow, raise the handle to shoulder height while rotating it slightly upwards.
6. Lower the handle back to the starting position and repeat on the other side.

The Dumbbell Front Raise is an exercise that strengthens the front part of your shoulders. It helps build muscle and balance strength between both sides of your body using dumbbells.

How to do it

1. Stand upright holding a dumbbell in each hand at waist height, palms facing inward.
2. Keep your arms slightly bent and lift the dumbbells in front of you to just above shoulder height.
3. Lower the dumbbells back to waist height, maintaining a neutral back.

The Dumbbell Shoulder Press is an exercise that focuses on strengthening the shoulders. Using dumbbells helps engage stabilizing muscles and can improve balance between both sides of the body.

How to do it

1. Sit on a bench with your back straight.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand, just outside shoulder-width, palms facing forward.
3. Bend your elbows and keep them close to your sides.
4. Press the dumbbells overhead until your arms are fully extended, keeping your wrists straight.
5. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.

The Dumbbell Shoulder Raise is an exercise that focuses on strengthening the middle part of your shoulders. It helps improve muscle balance and can enhance shoulder strength by using dumbbells.

How to do it

1. Stand upright with your feet shoulder-width apart.
2. Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing in at your hips.
3. Tighten your core by breathing deeply and engaging your abs.
4. With a slight bend in your elbows, raise the dumbbells to the sides until they reach shoulder height.
5. Lower the dumbbells back to the starting position in a controlled manner.

The Preacher Curl is a great bicep exercise that helps build strength. Using a preacher curl bench keeps your elbows still and focused, reducing any swinging or cheating. This exercise allows you to concentrate on working your biceps effectively with the help of an EZ-bar for support.

How to do it

1. Sit on the preacher curl bench with your chest against the pad.
2. Grab the EZ-bar with an underhand grip, arms extended over the pad.
3. Flex your elbows to lift the bar, keeping your upper arms on the pad.
4. Lower the bar back to the starting position after it touches your biceps.

The Reverse Barbell Curl is a bicep exercise that focuses on grip strength and functional strength. By using a barbell with a reverse grip, you can stabilize the movement better, allowing for more effective bicep training.

How to do it

1. Stand upright holding a barbell with both hands, palms facing towards you, at waist height.
2. Engage your core by tightening your stomach muscles.
3. Flex your elbows to raise the barbell to shoulder height, keeping your elbows close to your body.
4. Lower the barbell back to the starting position and repeat.

The Seated Dumbbell Curl is an exercise that focuses on building your biceps. By using dumbbells while sitting, you can maintain good form and prevent using your body to lift the weights.

How to do it

1. Sit upright on a bench with a dumbbell in each hand, arms at your sides and palms facing in.
2. Tighten your core and bend one elbow to lift the dumbbell towards your shoulder, keeping your upper arm still.
3. Lower the dumbbell back down and repeat with the other arm.
4. Alternate lifting each arm.

The Incline EZ-Bar Curl is a bicep exercise that uses an EZ-Bar for better grip and stability. Leaning on an incline bench helps maintain tension in your biceps throughout the movement.

How to do it

1. Set the incline bench to your preferred angle and lie face down with your chest aligned with the padding.
2. Grab the EZ-Bar with both hands, palms up, ensuring the bar is positioned between you and the bench.
3. Slowly lower the bar until your arms are straight, beneath your shoulders.
4. Curl the bar upwards by contracting your biceps, keeping your elbows steady under your shoulders.
5. Pause briefly at the top of the movement to fully engage your biceps.
6. Keep your posture straight and feet planted on the floor for stability.

Cross Body Hammer Curls are a bicep exercise that involves lifting weights across your body. This movement targets the biceps effectively by moving the dumbbell in a diagonal path rather than straight up and down.

How to do it

1. Stand with feet shoulder-width apart holding a dumbbell in each hand.
2. Position the dumbbells in front of you with palms facing your body and elbows slightly bent.
3. Raise one dumbbell in an arc to the opposite shoulder, keeping your elbow locked.
4. Hold for a moment at the top, then lower the dumbbell back to the starting position.
5. Switch arms and repeat the movement.

The Cable Rear Delt Fly targets the rear shoulders to improve your shoulder balance and posture. Using a cable machine allows for better muscle activation with constant tension. This exercise also strengthens the upper back and helps correct shoulder imbalances.

How to do it

1. Adjust the pulleys to just above your eye level.
2. Stand facing the pulleys with your feet shoulder-width apart.
3. Grab the left pulley with your right hand and the right pulley with your left hand.
4. Engage your core and extend your arms out to the sides, keeping them straight.
5. Pause briefly when your arms are fully extended, then slowly return to the starting position.