NO ARM DAY WORKOUT is complete without a solid biceps . The big arm muscles are one of the most popular points of focus for mass-obsessed gym bros, and for good reason.
The biceps take up a prime position on the of the upper arm, making them one of the most visible muscles you can put on display, whether you're wearing a form-fitting t-shirt or no sleeves at all. And while some adherents might not give the biceps their due, the muscles are essential for a wide range of movements too, like pulling and holding onto heavy objects.
There's more to biceps training than just stepping up to the weight rack and pumping through reps after rep of sloppy curls. You might eke through a few sessions without good form or alternating exercises and feel satisfied with your efforts, but you won't have success for very long. You'll need to understand more about the muscles and how you'll use them during each exercise variation to produce the results you're hoping for to .
There's nothing like a big-time biceps flex—and to achieve a muscle peak you can be proud of, you'll need these biceps exercises.
Before jumping into biceps training, it helps to understand more about the muscles you're targeting. The biceps brachii is composed of two heads: a long and short head. Both heads originate at the scapula, although at different points. The long head sits on the outside of the arm, forming the , while the short head sits on the inside.
Most importantly, the muscle is tasked with flexion of the elbow, which means that any time you bend your arms—like the aforementioned bodybuilder pose—your biceps are putting in the work to make the move.
And when you train your biceps, you can't neglect , the muscle the sits beneath the biceps and generates even more flex power. You'll get stronger, and your arm muscles will look bigger to boot.
To work your biceps, you'll mostly need to do and force it to flex and supinate under load. That might not be as efficient as your training plan for some other muscles, which you can target as just one part of a more comprehensive plan using multi-joint movements—but isolation exercises allow you to really dial in on your progress and development.
Considering everything we've already covered, it should be fairly easy to identify some major benefits that come from training your biceps. Firstly, you'll grow the muscle, which is in line with what most people consider to be ideal physique goals. But it's more than just about looks—healthy elbow flexion will allow you to do more than you might expect, from hauling grocery bags to picking up your kids.
To help you hone those arms, we created this list of go-to moves to work your biceps. Some of these are classics; some are new. Some are a grind; some are fun. Some hit the long head of the muscle; some focus on the short head. To vary up the stimulus to your muscles, we'll mix up the tempo, add pauses with isometrics, and even change up the arm angle.
Pick the ones you like (and maybe some that you don’t), and use them to pump up your arms—and fill out your sleeves.
Why: In a biceps-focused list like this, you can’t leave out the classic dumbbell curl. So we didn’t. It's everything you want: you'll hone elbow flexion and supination while isolating the biceps. But we would ask that you use a weight that makes sense: If you’re swaying back wildly and contorting your body—especially excessively arching your lower back—to lift the load, you should probably get a lighter pair of dumbbells.
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Why: This is as basic as it gets. You've probably heard serious lifters carrying on about oblivious meatheads taking up space in squat racks to do bicep curls, so be mindful when and where you load up a barbell—but that shouldn't be an excuse to skip out on the move entirely.
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Why: The concentration curl is a biceps isolating standard that you've undoubtedly seen performed in just about any gym. You can rip through reps for volume, or take a cue from the name and focus on the eccentric portion of the move for even better results.
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Why: The dumbbell preacher curl gives you an opportunity to change your upper arm angle during the movement even if you don't have a dedicated preacher curl setup and E-Z bar.
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Why: The name of the game is isolation. Use a cable tower for this technical curl variation, then kneel down to help to isolate the muscle even more for maximum gains. You'll be able to emphasize the contraction—and hone your shoulder and core stability—much more than other versions of the movement.
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Why: Eliminate any chance at using body English to cheat your reps by backing yourself up against the wall.
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Why: Curling a weight with one arm helps you zero in on weak spots. And performing the biceps exercise in a kneeling position will diminish the chance that you use body English to heave the weight up to the top position.
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Why: Move your resistance band biceps work to the floor to recreate the position needed for the preacher curl without a bench.
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Why: This biceps move uses smart positioning to blow up your arms. According to fitness director Ebenezer Samuel, C.S.C.S., the exercise is so effective because you'll eliminate most of the cheating that happens with other, standing curls, which allow you to use body English to lift up the weights. Samuel recommends that you pick a weight in the lighter end of what you might typically work with, so you can handle the full challenge.
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Why: Take your standard-grip curl and flip it on its side. This small difference in the way you hold the dumbbell helps transfer more of the work from your biceps brachii to your brachialis—a muscle that can make your arms look thicker.
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Why: By sitting on the incline bench, you'll allow your arms to drop down behind your body. This puts an extra challenge on the long head of your biceps brachii because you’re working from a deficit—meaning, you’re starting the movement at a point where you have less leverage than normal.
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Grab a pair of dumbbells and lie with your back against a bench that’s set to a 45-degree incline.
Without moving your upper arms, bend your elbows and curl the dumbbells as close to your shoulders as you can.
Pause, then slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.
Each time you return to the starting position, completely straighten your arms.
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Why: Whether you're stuck with limited equipment or you're eager to hone your grip strength, this curl variation is perfect to shake up your routine.
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Why: This exercise targets the three major muscles that make up the biceps—the biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis—by rotating from an underhand to an overhand grip halfway through the move.
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Why: Flip your perspective and hit the bench to give your biceps a challenging exercise that allows you to get a killer squeeze a peak muscle contraction. You'll also be forced to keep your shoulders fired on the bench, which can help you to keep the focus on the bis.
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Why: While the chinup doesn’t fully isolate your biceps, it certainly trains them hard.
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