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Bicep stretch is a great technique to complement your upper-body workout. It’s the best workout for those with a busy schedule looking for a sweat.
Stretching works wonders in releasing muscle tension and improving flexibility and mobility. The wider your stretch, the more flexible you become. Bicep stretches target the biceps and open the chest and shoulder muscles depending on the variation. What many love about bicep stretch is requirements no equipment and can be performed at home.
Are you new to stretching? You may want to work with a personal trainer. Till then, here is everything a beginner must know about bicep stretch, its benefits, and variations:
Benefits of Bicep Stretches
A good old bicep stretch targets the biceps and relieves muscle tightness and tension caused by stress or the daily grind that you go through.
If you are looking forward to adding bicep stretch to your exercise routine, these are some of the benefits you will enjoy:
- Better flexibility
- Improved freedom of movement
- Reduced muscle tension
- Posture improvement
- More strength and athletic performance
- Relaxation and overall improved wellbeing
Bicep Stretch Variations
Bicep stretch has many variations. It’s up to you to decide which one to add to your workout. Let’s look at the popular variations with complete instructions:
Seated Bicep Stretch
- Sit on the floor or exercise mat, keeping your head, neck, and spine in alignment.
- Bend your knees and keep your feet flat on the floor
- Place your palms on the floor behind you, and fingers must face away from the body
- Exhale without moving your hands and slide your buttocks forward toward your feet. Do it slowly until you feel the stretch in your biceps
- Hold the stretch for 30 seconds and return to the original position
- Repeat as you like
Wall Stretch
This type of stretch uses a wall to target your shoulders, chest, and biceps. You can adjust the position of your hand to stretch different areas of the bicep.
- Start by placing your palm against the wall.
- Slowly turn your body away from the wall while you maintain contact between the wall and your arm.
- Keep doing it until you feel a pull in your shoulders, chest, and biceps
Standing Bicep Stretch
You can perform this simple stretch anywhere. You will feel this one in your chest and shoulders only. Adjust the height of your hands and angle your arms. Here is how to get started:
- Stand and clasp your hands behind your back.
- Lift your hands until you feel a stretch in your biceps
- Turn your clasped palms downward
- Lower/raise your clasped hands or bring them slightly to one side than the other
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Doorway Stretch
It’s a slight variation of the wall stretch. Follow these steps to get started:
- Stand in a doorway
- Place one palm on the doorway at the height of your waist and grasp gently
- Take one step forward by keeping the leg on the same side of your body as your arms stretch
- Bend your knee and shift the body weight forward until you feel a stretch in the muscles and shoulders.
You must step far enough to feel a good stretch. Make sure your shoulder and arm are relaxed while performing the stretch.
Wrist Rotation
This variation is a little creative. While performing it, you may not feel a stretch in your biceps on rotating your wrists. This means you might have to reverse the rotation to see if that works well. Here is how to perform this stretch:
- Stand on your feet and keep your feet apart
- Raise your arms to the side and your palms facing forward
- Rotate your wrists slowly and arms backward. It is like pointing your thumbs toward the group.
- As soon as you feel some tension in your biceps, stop
- Now rotate your wrists forward in the direction of your face and palms behind you
- Keep doing it until you feel a pull in your biceps
Common Mistakes to Avoid When Bicep Stretching
Bicep stretches are great, but stretching can cause injury if you end up making mistakes and don’t follow safe practices. Speaking mistakes are some mistakes for effective stretching.
Don’t overstretch
If you end up overstretching, it can cause muscle injury. Continue stretching till you feel tension, but if you feel the pain, that means you are overstretching. This will prevent you from getting injured.
Round or rounding the back
While stretching, if you arch or round your back, this means your posture isn’t correct. To prevent that, maintain a tight core and lift your chest while stretching.
Bouncing
A bicep stretch isn’t a bouncing stretch rather it’s a static stretch. Avoid bouncing while performing the stretch, as it may lead to muscle injury.
Safety and Precautions
To perform the bicep stretch the right way and to reduce the risk of an injury, follow these precautions:
- Before getting started, perform 3 to 5 minutes of warmup exercise for increasing the blood flow. This little exercise will maximize your flexibility and prepare you to stretch.
- Stretch to a point you feel the tension. This will be a gentle pulling sensation.
- While stretching, do not hold your breath. Continue breathing.
- While your arms are extended, be careful not to lock your elbows.
- Even if you are doing everything right and continue to experience pain, this means you must discontinue exercising.
Conclusion
Even if you perform simple stretches on a daily basis, it will do the trick in improving your flexibility. Take out some time to include this workout in your daily routine and enjoy the benefits.
