A pair of strong, defined biceps does more than look good. When you focus on the best bicep exercises, you also improve your pulling strength, grip, and everyday function, from carrying groceries to doing pull-ups at the gym.
Below, you will find a clear guide to the most effective bicep moves, how to perform them with good form, and how to turn them into a simple workout you can start this week.
Understand your biceps first
Your biceps are not just one simple muscle. They have two heads, plus supporting muscles that help your arm bend and rotate.
- The biceps brachii has a short head and a long head along the front of your upper arm.
- The brachialis sits underneath the biceps and helps push the muscle outward, which adds arm thickness.
- The brachioradialis runs along the top of your forearm and supports elbow flexion and grip.
The best bicep exercises challenge all of these muscles with different grips and angles. Changing small details like your hand position, torso angle, or equipment can shift where you feel the work.
Start with classic dumbbell bicep curls
If you only pick one exercise, make it the dumbbell biceps curl. It is the standard, accessible option that works for nearly every fitness level.
How to do a perfect dumbbell curl
- Stand tall with feet hip width apart, holding a dumbbell in each hand.
- Let your arms hang by your sides with palms facing forward and elbows close to your torso.
- Keeping your wrists straight, curl the weights toward your shoulders in a smooth arc.
- Pause briefly at the top, then lower the dumbbells slowly until your arms are straight again.
Dumbbell biceps curls directly target the biceps muscle, and performing the exercise slowly increases time under tension during both the lifting and lowering phases, which improves muscle building effectiveness.
If you are working out at home without equipment, you can curl a loaded backpack or a heavy purse in the same way. For beginners, using household items as weights is an effective way to train biceps without traditional dumbbells and lets you increase resistance gradually as you get stronger.
Add hammer curls for thicker arms
Hammer curls change your grip so that your palms face each other. This simple tweak pulls more work into the brachialis and brachioradialis, which helps your arms look fuller from the side.
Hammer curls target the brachialis and brachioradialis muscles by using a neutral grip with palms facing the midline. This reduces wrist and shoulder stress and complements regular biceps curls for a more complete arm workout.
How to do hammer curls
- Stand or sit with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other.
- Keep your elbows close to your body and your shoulders relaxed.
- Curl both dumbbells up while maintaining the neutral grip, like you are using a hammer.
- Lower slowly, fighting gravity on the way down.
Hammer curls, performed with a neutral grip, primarily target the long head of the biceps while also engaging the brachialis and brachioradialis. They build balanced arm strength and appearance when you focus on form instead of swinging the weight.
You can also try cross body curls, where you curl each dumbbell across your body toward the opposite shoulder. Cross body curls focus on the biceps, forearm, and brachialis with a movement toward the midline of the body, which gives you another useful at home option.
Use incline curls to really isolate the biceps
The incline dumbbell curl is one of the best bicep exercises for isolating the muscle. Because you lean back on a bench, you cannot cheat as easily with momentum.
The incline dumbbell curl is performed lying on an incline bench at roughly a 45 to 60 degree angle. This position stretches the biceps and makes them work harder through a longer range of motion, so you usually need lighter weights to maintain proper form and avoid injury.
How to do incline dumbbell curls
- Set an adjustable bench to 45 to 60 degrees and sit back with your head and shoulders supported.
- Let your arms hang straight down, palms facing forward.
- Without letting your shoulders roll forward, curl both dumbbells up toward your shoulders.
- Squeeze your biceps briefly, then lower with control until your arms are straight again.
Because your upper body is supported, incline curls are especially good when you want to minimize help from your shoulders or lower back.
Try Zottman curls for biceps and forearms
If you want stronger forearms along with bigger biceps, Zottman curls give you a lot of value in a single move.
The Zottman curl combines a traditional biceps curl with wrist rotation. You perform the lifting phase like a regular curl, then rotate your wrists at the top and lower the weight with your palms facing down. This variation engages both the biceps and the forearm muscles.
Since the wrists and smaller forearm muscles are involved, it is smart to use lighter weights to protect the joints and avoid strain.
How to do Zottman curls
- Stand with a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing forward.
- Curl the dumbbells up like a standard biceps curl.
- At the top, rotate your hands so your palms face the floor.
- Slowly lower the weights in this pronated position.
- Rotate your hands back to palms up at the bottom and repeat.
You get a strong stimulus during both the lifting and lowering phases, which can be especially effective for building size and strength over time.
Explore barbell and EZ bar curl variations
Once you are comfortable with dumbbells, barbell and EZ bar curls let you overload the biceps with heavier weights. They require more attention to technique, so you protect your elbows and shoulders.
Barbell curls strengthen both arms simultaneously, but they place extra forces on the long head of the biceps tendon. This increases the risk of injury if you use poor form or too much weight, as noted by Mr Dimitrios Tsekes, orthopaedic surgeon at St John & St Elizabeth Hospital in London (December 2023).
EZ bar curls are often more joint friendly. The angled grip lets your hands sit in a semi supinated position, which is usually more comfortable than a straight bar. EZ bar curls activate the biceps, brachialis, and brachioradialis effectively, and different grip widths can emphasize either the long or short head of the biceps.
Preacher curls for strict form
Preacher curls, done on a slanted bench with your upper arms supported, are excellent when you want to remove momentum and isolate the biceps.
The preacher curl mainly targets the short head of the biceps and prevents you from swinging the weight. Using an EZ bar here lets you lift relatively heavy with more wrist comfort, while dumbbells provide even more freedom of movement. This style of curl is useful if you are trying to correct strength or size imbalances between arms.
Include bodyweight and cable options
You do not have to rely only on free weights to build your biceps. Bodyweight and cable exercises can be some of the best bicep exercises in a full program.
Chin ups for total upper body strength
Chinups are an advanced bodyweight exercise that target the biceps along with your upper back and shoulders. You use a bar and a supinated grip, which means your palms face you. This position shifts more work to the biceps compared with traditional pull ups.
Chin ups with a supinated grip engage both the long and short heads of the biceps depending on how wide you place your hands. If you are still building strength, you can loop a resistance band around the bar, use an assisted pull up machine, or practice slow negative reps where you lower yourself from the top position.
Cable curls for constant tension
Cable curls maintain constant tension on the biceps through the entire movement. You can use a straight bar, EZ style bar, or rope attachment depending on what feels best.
To perform a basic cable curl, stand facing the machine, hold the bar with an underhand grip, and curl it toward your shoulders while keeping your elbows close to your sides. Focus on a stable spine and controlled motion rather than leaning back to pull the weight.
Because the cable pulls throughout the entire range of motion, you get steady muscle activation that can complement your free weight work.
Use intensity techniques like 21s wisely
Once you have a base level of strength and good form, you can add intensity techniques to challenge your biceps without simply piling on more weight.
The 21s technique involves 21 total reps split into three segments of seven. You do seven reps through the bottom half of the curl, seven through the top half, then seven full range reps. You can use dumbbells, kettlebells, cables, bands, or a barbell for this style of set.
Since 21s accumulate a lot of fatigue, it is best to reserve them for the end of your bicep workout and keep the weight moderate.
Think of 21s and other advanced techniques as seasoning, not the main ingredient. The foundation is still controlled, full range curls with a weight you can manage safely.
Sample beginner bicep workout
You do not need a long or complicated routine to see results. Consistency and good form matter more than fancy exercises.
Here is a simple beginner plan inspired by common recommendations for new lifters:
- Warm up for about 5 minutes with light cardio and dynamic arm movements.
- Do 3 sets of 10 to 12 reps for each exercise at roughly 70 to 85 percent of your maximum effort.
- Rest 60 to 90 seconds between sets and focus on controlled movements rather than speed.
A straightforward session could look like this:
- Seated dumbbell curls
- Standing hammer curls
- Preacher curls or concentration curls if you have access to a bench
Concentration curls are especially helpful if you struggle to feel your biceps working. They are considered one of the best short head bicep exercises because they isolate the muscle strongly and encourage a focused mind muscle connection.
Follow a basic routine like this for 4 to 6 weeks before you add more volume or advanced methods. Aim for 2 dedicated arm sessions per week or add bicep work after your back workouts.
Protect your biceps and avoid injury
Strong arms are only useful if they are healthy. The best bicep exercises are safe when you respect your limits and warm up properly.
To avoid bicep injuries in the gym, it is important to:
- Warm up thoroughly before lifting.
- Use correct posture and avoid swinging or jerking the weights.
- Build up activity levels gradually instead of jumping to heavy loads.
- Stop exercising when you feel unusual pain rather than pushing through it.
- Stretch the muscles gently before and after workouts.
Specialist orthopaedic surgeon Mr Dimitrios Tsekes in London emphasizes these habits as key steps to reducing biceps tendon problems and related injuries.
Pull it all together
If you want to build strong arms fast, focus on a small group of proven moves and perform them consistently:
- Dumbbell curls for direct biceps work.
- Hammer and cross body curls for the brachialis and forearm.
- Incline and preacher curls for strict, isolated tension.
- Chin ups and cable curls for variety and full range strength.
Start with two or three of the best bicep exercises from this list, train them two times per week, and slowly increase the weight or reps as they get easier. With patient, steady progress, you will notice stronger, more defined arms that help you in and out of the gym.
