Biceps Exercises
The biceps exercise collection — barbell curls, dumbbell curls, hammer curls, preacher curls, cable curls, and concentration curls. Although biceps are a small muscle group, training them through multiple angles and grip variations maximizes hypertrophy. This index covers every curl variation in the library with equipment options.
Training Guide
The biceps crosses two joints — it flexes the elbow and supinates the forearm (turning the palm up) — so curls that combine both actions train it most completely. Its neighbor, the brachialis, sits underneath and pushes the biceps up visually; hammer-grip curls bias it. That is why a biceps plan is really a curl-family plan, not a single exercise.
The library holds 78 arm-flexor exercises: barbell work (Barbell Curl, Close-Grip Standing Barbell Curl), dumbbells (Hammer Curls, Concentration Curls, Incline Hammer Curls for the stretched long head), cable tension (Cable Preacher Curl), and machine isolation (Machine Preacher Curls).
Programming guide: - 8–14 hard sets per week across 2–3 sessions; small muscles need less volume than you think - 8–12 reps, full range, strict form — momentum steals the stimulus from the biceps - One supinated curl plus one hammer/neutral curl weekly covers biceps and brachialis - Chin-ups and heavy rows count as indirect biceps work; program direct curls around them
All Biceps Exercises
78 exercises- Alternate Hammer CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Alternate Incline Dumbbell CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Barbell CurlBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Barbell Curls Lying Against An InclineBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Bottoms-Up Clean From The Hang PositionKettlebellIntermediatePrimary: Forearms
- Brachialis-SMRBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- Cable Hammer Curls - Rope AttachmentCableBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Cable Preacher CurlCableBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Cable Wrist CurlCableBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Close-Grip EZ-Bar Curl with BandBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Close-Grip EZ Bar CurlBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Close-Grip Standing Barbell CurlBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Concentration CurlsDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Cross Body Hammer CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Drag CurlBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- Dumbbell Alternate Bicep CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Dumbbell Bicep CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Dumbbell Lying PronationDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Forearms
- Dumbbell Lying SupinationDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Forearms
- Dumbbell Prone Incline CurlDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- EZ-Bar CurlBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Farmer's WalkBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Forearms
- Finger CurlsBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Flexor Incline Dumbbell CurlsDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Hammer CurlsDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- High Cable CurlsCableIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- Incline Dumbbell CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Incline Hammer CurlsDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Incline Inner Biceps CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Kneeling Forearm StretchBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Lying Cable CurlCableIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- Lying Close-Grip Bar Curl On High PulleyCableBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Lying High Bench Barbell CurlBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- Lying Supine Dumbbell CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Machine Bicep CurlMachineBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Machine Preacher CurlsMachineBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- One Arm Dumbbell Preacher CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Overhead Cable CurlCableIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- Palms-Down Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A BenchDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Palms-Down Wrist Curl Over A BenchBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Palms-Up Barbell Wrist Curl Over A BenchBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Palms-Up Dumbbell Wrist Curl Over A BenchDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Plate PinchBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Forearms
- Preacher CurlBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Preacher Hammer Dumbbell CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Reverse Barbell CurlBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Reverse Barbell Preacher CurlsBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- Reverse Cable CurlCableBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Reverse Plate CurlsBodyweightBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Rickshaw CarryBodyweightIntermediatePrimary: Forearms
- Seated BicepsBodyweightAdvancedPrimary: Biceps
- Seated Close-Grip Concentration Barbell CurlBarbellIntermediatePrimary: Biceps
- Seated Dumbbell CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Seated Dumbbell Inner Biceps CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Biceps
- Seated Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Seated Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Seated One-Arm Dumbbell Palms-Down Wrist CurlDumbbellIntermediatePrimary: Forearms
- Seated One-Arm Dumbbell Palms-Up Wrist CurlDumbbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Seated Palm-Up Barbell Wrist CurlBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
- Seated Palms-Down Barbell Wrist CurlBarbellBeginnerPrimary: Forearms
Biceps Exercises by Equipment
Other Muscle Groups
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best biceps exercises?
A short, honest list beats a long one: Barbell Curl as the heavy base, Incline Hammer Curls or any curl taken from a stretched position for the long head, Hammer Curls for the brachialis thickness under the biceps, and Concentration Curls or Cable Preacher Curl for strict isolation at the end of the session. Two to three of these, progressed consistently, grow the whole arm-flexor group.
How often should I train biceps?
Two to three short sessions weekly with 8–14 total hard sets is plenty — the biceps is a small muscle that also works hard in every pull-up, row and deadlift you do. One dedicated slot after back day plus one or two curl movements at the end of other sessions covers it. More than that mostly produces soreness, not growth.
Why aren't my biceps growing?
The usual culprit is momentum: swinging the torso, heaving the elbow forward, dropping the weight fast. Every shortcut moves tension away from the biceps. Fix it with a 2–3 second controlled lowering phase, elbows pinned at your sides, full stretch at the bottom, and a weight that leaves 1–3 reps in reserve. Growth also needs time — visible arm changes typically appear after 8–12 weeks of this stricter execution.
Should I lift heavy or light for biceps?
Load matters less than proximity to failure with clean form. Research on hypertrophy shows similar muscle growth across a wide rep range — roughly 6 to 20 — as long as sets end within a few reps of failure. For biceps specifically, moderate loads in the 8–12 range are the practical choice: heavy enough to be meaningful, light enough to keep the elbows happy and the technique strict.
Do chin-ups build biceps?
Yes — an underhand-grip pull-up is one of the best compound biceps exercises that exists. The elbows flex under your full bodyweight through a complete range, which is exactly the biceps job description. Program chin-ups or Pull-Ups as your pull of choice and count them toward weekly arm volume; then the direct curls you add afterwards need far fewer sets to finish the job.
How long until my arms look bigger?
Arms are measured in months, not weeks. With consistent progressive training and enough protein, most trainees notice firmer sleeves at 8–12 weeks and a clear tape-measure difference around the 6-month mark. The upper arm also grows indirectly — triceps make up most of its mass, so pressing and overhead work quietly contribute. Track circumference monthly and let the log, not the mirror, tell the story.
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