Bicep Curls for Single Parents: Stronger Arms for Lifting
Here is a job description nobody warned you about: lift a 15 kg child from the floor about 40 times a day, carry them up the stairs, hold them while you unlock the door with your elbow, then carry four bags of shopping from the bus stop. When you parent alone there is no one to share the lifting. This guide to bicep curls for single parents is about turning a “gym show-off” exercise into something genuinely useful: stronger arms and grip for the lifting and carrying you already do, using shopping bags, a resistance band or a pair of dumbbells.
Why curls matter more than you think
The biceps bend your elbow and help turn your palm up. Every time you scoop a child up, hold a car seat by the handle or carry a laundry basket against your tummy, your biceps are working with your back and grip. When they are weak, you tend to compensate by hunching your shoulders or leaning back through your lower back, which is often where the aches come from. I wrote more about that in my post on back pain from lifting kids.
The NHS lists “lifting and carrying children” as a muscle-strengthening activity in its guide to strength exercises, which tells you how much load parenting already puts through your arms. Training them on purpose makes that load feel lighter.
Bicep curls for single parents: three ways to load them
1. The shopping bag curl
Take two strong reusable bags with handles and add tins, bottles or bags of rice until each weighs about 2 to 4 kg. Hold the handles, palms forward, and curl. The bag swings a little, which makes your forearms and grip work harder too. It is a great way to start if you have no equipment at all.
Tip: weigh the bag on the bathroom scales once so you know what you are lifting, then add a tin each week to progress.
2. The band curl
Stand on the middle of a long resistance band, feet hip width apart, and hold an end in each hand. The band is light at the bottom and heavy at the top, which is kind to elbows that are not used to training. Bands are cheap, fit in a drawer and are silent, so they suit flats and after-bedtime sessions.
3. The dumbbell curl
If you own a pair of dumbbells, most beginners start with 4 to 6 kg for women and 6 to 10 kg for men, but go by feel, not by numbers. Pick a weight you can curl 12 times with good form where the last two reps feel hard.
Form: how to curl without cheating
- Stand tall, knees soft, tummy lightly braced, as if someone might poke you in the stomach.
- Pin your elbows to your sides. They should hardly move.
- Curl the weight up towards your shoulders, palms up.
- Squeeze at the top for one second.
- Lower for three slow seconds until your arms are almost straight.
The two cheats I see most are swinging the body back to “throw” the weight up and letting the elbows drift forward. Both take the work off your biceps and put strain on your lower back or the front of your shoulder. If you need to swing, it is too heavy.
Stop if you feel sharp pain in the elbow or wrist. A burning feeling in the muscle is fine, joint pain is not. If elbow pain lingers (common in parents from constant carrying), see your GP or a physio before training through it.
Curl variations that copy real parent jobs
Once you have the basic curl, these variations train your arms the way you actually use them.
- Hammer curl (palms facing each other). This is the grip you use on a car seat handle, buggy handle and shopping bags. It trains the forearm and a deeper arm muscle, the brachialis.
- Cradle hold. Hold one dumbbell or a heavy bag horizontally across your forearms, elbows bent at 90 degrees, like holding a sleeping baby. Hold for 20 to 30 seconds. It builds the stamina you need when a child falls asleep on you.
- Slow eccentric curl. Use both hands to lift the weight, then lower with one arm over five seconds. Brilliant for building strength when you only have light weights.
- Curl to carry. Curl the bags up, then walk round the flat with them held at elbow height for 30 seconds. It is a curl and a carry in one.
If you enjoy carrying work, my guide to the farmer’s walk for single parents is the perfect partner to this post.
A 15-minute “lift the kids” session
Do this two or three times a week, after bedtime or during a nap. Rest 45 to 60 seconds between rounds. Go round 3 times.
| Exercise | Reps or time |
|---|---|
| Shopping bag or dumbbell curl | 10 to 12 |
| Squat holding one bag at your chest | 10 |
| Hammer curl | 10 |
| Bent-over row with the bags | 10 |
| Cradle hold | 20 to 30 seconds |
The squat and the row are there on purpose. Lifting a child is never just an arm job: your legs and back do most of it. Training them together makes the arm work safer.
Progress without buying more kit
- Add one tin per bag every week or two.
- Slow the lowering down from three to five seconds.
- Add a pause halfway up.
- Move to one arm at a time so each side has to cope alone, just like real life.
Write down what you did each session. On low-energy weeks, just repeat last week. That still counts.
Where a bootcamp class fits
Curls are a useful extra, but the biggest gains come from training the whole body together: legs, back, core and arms. That is what we do in my classes, with kettlebells, carries and pulls, and an easier and harder option for every move. My SYP Built To Last functional strength class is designed for exactly this kind of everyday strength. For the bigger picture on training as a solo parent, read my single parent fitness guide.
FAQs
Can I do bicep curls with shopping bags?
Yes. Strong reusable bags filled with tins or bottles make good weights. Weigh them once on the scales so you can track your progress.
How heavy should my bicep curls be?
Heavy enough that the last two of 10 to 12 reps feel hard, but light enough that you do not need to swing your body. Form first, then weight.
How often should I train my biceps?
Two or three times a week is enough. Your arms already work hard every day as a parent, so give them a rest day in between.
Will bicep curls make my arms bulky?
Not by accident. Building large arms takes years of heavy, focused training and lots of food. For most parents, curls just make arms stronger and more toned.
Book your first class
If you have a regular window when the kids are with family, spend it getting stronger with a coach and a small group of other parents. SYP Bootcamp runs 45-minute classes in a church hall in Archway N19, max 10 people, £15 a class, all fitness levels. Book your £15 class here or call or WhatsApp me on 07301 512215. If you want a longer, structured plan, take a look at the SYP Fitness transformation programme.
About the author
Artem Olekhnovych is a personal trainer in Archway and the founder of SYP Fitness and SYP Bootcamp. He has coached clients in Archway, Highgate and across North London for over 10 years, and runs small-group bootcamp classes for busy mums and dads. Read reviews from his 1-1 clients.
