While you don’t need a gym membership to build muscle in your upper body, it certainly helps to have access to a wide range of free weights and other equipment, especially if you’re already an experienced lifter looking to add mass.
Once you have the membership, you need to know what to do with it — it’s always wise to enter a gym with a clear plan of what you’re going to do while there. This 7-move back and biceps session from fitness trainer Davis Diley is ideal for those looking to strengthen their upper body and core using a variety of different weights and machines in the gym.
This is a gym workout and one aimed at those who are already quite experienced, but you can replicate most of the exercises at home with a set of adjustable dumbbells and a pull-up bar. Just make sure you have your technique nailed down when lifting heavy weights, whether you’re in the gym or at home.
Watch Davis Diley’s Back And Biceps Workout
The workout involves doing seven exercises, with Diley giving the details on the sets and reps he does for each at the start of each move. You don’t have to match his sets, or even do all of the moves in one workout — these are all great exercises for the back and biceps and you can pick one or two of them to add into another training session.
Diley explains and demonstrates each move throughout the workout, giving insights into what he’s aiming to do with each exercise to get the most from it. It’s worth watching the video through in advance to get the info on each exercise and understand what you’ll need for the workout.
You’ll be using a variety of gym equipment for the workout, including a trap bar, dumbbells, kettlebells, a pull-up bar and the cable machine. It’s a great session for those looking to get full value out of their gym membership for sure, but if you’re struggling for easy access to each bit of kit in a busy gym you can adapt the workout to do more moves with just dumbbells.
While the workout focuses on back and biceps exercises, some of which are isolation moves to target specific muscles, there are also compound exercises like pull-ups in the session, and it will help to improve your core strength as well as building muscle in the upper body.
There are parts of the body that aren’t worked during the session though, and it’s best to add it into a training routine where you then do workouts that focus on other areas, like the legs and chest. Give this dumbbell leg workout a go if you're in need of some inspiration.
Diley’s session is designed to help you get stronger and bigger and is a challenging workout for even experienced gym-goers, so if you’re looking for something that is more approachable but still involves using daily heavy weights, try this dumbbell back and biceps workout.
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