If you could only grab one piece of exercise equipment in an overcrowded gym, push up bars really aren't the best choice if you wish to work your biceps. One variation of the push up, the inside or narrow push up, does target the biceps. You can use the push up bars in place of dumbbells to do bicep exercises, but unless you can find 12 lb. push up bars these exercises will get pretty easy pretty quickly.
Inside Push Ups
Step 1
Kneel on the floor to do inside push ups to target the biceps and muscles of the upper back, recommends fitness studio owner Ellen Barrett in her article entitled "Fight Flabby Arms" on MyLifeTime.com. Place the push up bars vertically on the floor and grip one in each hand. Straighten your arms and position your shoulders above your hands. Walk your knees back while maintaining a flat back parallel to the floor until your knees are at a 45-degree angle from the ground. Cross your ankles and hold the lower part of your legs in the air. This is the basic knee push up position.
Step 2
Move both your right and left hands 3 inches toward each other, but keep them under your chest. Rotate your elbows in so that they are pointing behind you. Bend your elbows and lower yourself toward the floor. Go as low as you can without touching the floor. Keep your elbows close to your body.
Step 3
Straighten your arms to raise yourself back up to the starting position. Lift your torso as one unit so your head, shoulders and hips stay in line with each other. Perform as many reps as you can with good form. Work up to two sets of 20.
Bicep Curls
Step 1
Stand up tall with your feet hip-width apart. Hold a push up bar in both hands. Straighten your arms and rest them against the front of your body. Turn your palms away from you. Bend your knees slightly.
Step 2
Raise the push up bars toward your armpits by bending your elbows.
Step 3
Lower the weights by straightening your arms to perform one repetition. Do two sets of 20 or more reps.
Hammer Curls
Step 1
Stand up straight with your feet hip-width apart. Hold your arms straight at your sides with a push up bar in each hand. Your hands will be in line with your shoulders. Turn your palms inwards to face each other for the hammer curl exercise. Hammer curls emphasize your biceps slightly more than bicep curls, which also engage your forearm muscles.
Step 2
Bend your elbows and raise the push up bars toward your shoulders as if simultaneously preparing to hit a nail with a hammer in each hand.
Step 3
Lower the push up bars toward the starting position as if hitting two nails with hammers, except that you will completely straighten your arms. You, of course, wouldn't do this with real hammers because you would risk hitting yourself in the legs. Perform two sets of 20 or more reps.
Tips and Warnings
- The bicep curls and hammer curls with push up bars may be ideal as an exercise for an elderly person or someone that is severely deconditioned due to an illness or accident because of the light weight of the bars. One bicep exercise per workout is sufficient to build your muscles. Perform three full-body workouts every week to increase strength, recommends the National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM).
References
- Mylifetime.com: Fight Flabby Arms
- "NASM Essentials of Personal Fitness Training: Course Manual;" Michael Clark, Scott Lucett, Rodney Corn; 2008
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