If you need some inspiration for your next back and bicep workout, allow us to inspire you with this 20-minute session you can do without having to head to the gym.
Using just a pair of dumbbells (we favor the best adjustable dumbbells as you can change the weight in seconds without having to house multiple sets of traditional fixed-weight options at home), this workout from fitness trainer Oliver Sjostrom is specifically designed to help you build bigger arms and a stronger back — minus a studio membership.
Sjostrom’s workout is compiled into a high-intensity resistance training session (HIRT). HIRT is often hailed as the cousin of the more widely known workout style of high-intensity interval training (HIIT). However, HIRT differs because it uses weights as resistance as opposed to just bodyweight. To find out how to do the 20-minute back and bicep workout, keep scrolling.
Watch how to do the 20-minute back and bicep workout
This workout is split into minute intervals, with 40 seconds of work followed by 20 seconds of rest. The idea is to complete each move, with the correct form, as many times as you can inside the ‘work’ period.
This HIRT style can help you carve out muscular endurance and strength in your biceps and back by using a mix of dynamic and isometric exercises. While the high intensity nature of the session will give your cardio fitness a boost.
Before expecting you to complete the exercise, Sjostrom gives you instructions and demonstrates how to master each move. The fitness trainer includes many of the best back and bicep exercises in this session, like bicep curls, dumbbell shrugs and underhand back row — all of which will help to hit the muscles in your posterior chain.
There are many benefits of building a stronger upper body. Strengthening your back can make everyday tasks easier. For example, it can make it easier to maintain proper posture while sitting and standing. A stronger back can also reduce the risk of injuries. Whereas stronger biceps can help you carry heavy objects, like a box or bag of shopping, with ease.
It’s worth noting that there is no warm-up featured in this workout. So if this is your first burst of movement for the day, it’s well worth warming up your muscles and joints before you jump straight into this 20-minute session. You could try out this 6-minute mobility workout for size, as it will help mobilize your whole body and fast.
Fitting in an effective back and bicep workout from the gym is easy, especially when you have got cable machines, a barbell, or rows (and rows) of free weights to use at your disposal. But when you’re time pressed or motivation is low, Sjostrom’s session proves that you can make just as many gains from home as you can from a sweaty gym sesh — you just need to get creative with the exercise and types of weights you choose.
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