If your goal is build size, this is the optimum rep range for hypertrophy, so pick an appropriate weight that allows you to stay within this rep range while still feeling challenged. Lower the pulley to bias the short head, raise it for the long head, or rotate your grip from underhand to neutral for added variety. Small tweaks like these hit the muscle from new directions without overhauling your whole program.

What are the best long-head exercises?

Firstly, good form helps you keep the focus on the right muscle(s) and maximize gains. Secondly, maintaining good form helps you avoid the temptation to “cheat” and lift an unsafe amount of weight. Additionally, avoid the temptation to pack in excessive bicep sets into your routine.

Q: What bicep exercise is most effective?

Bicep workouts typically target either the resident.com/resource-guide/2025/03/18/mad-muscles-review-transparent-pricing-real-fitness-results-in-20255 long or short head, but may also target both simultaneously. Additionally, many bicep exercises such as the Zottman curl work out adjacent muscles such as the brachioradialis and wrist extensors. Biceps workouts consist of strength training exercises that develop the brachialis muscles as well as the two heads of the biceps brachii. The exercises in a biceps workout that target the long head contribute to the classic “peak” of the biceps, while those that target the short head help build thick biceps. I’ve given you my best dumbbell exercise selections for your biceps, regardless of which goal you’re training for.

  • You can do them with kettlebells, dumbbells, a barbell, or no weight at all, depending on what you have at hand.
  • This variation of the traditional bicep curl shifts the emphasis away from the biceps brachii and engages the forearms, making it a well-rounded addition to any upper body workout.
  • Cable curls are a great biceps exercise to include in your workout, as the stress they place on the muscles is a great way to spur extra growth and keep your workouts varied.
  • By engaging these secondary muscles during a biceps workout, you achieve a more effective workout.
  • Remember, with great power comes great responsibility – in this case, that responsibility is not to let your ego take over in pursuit of heavier weights.
  • Reverse curls are one of the best exercises for biceps and brachioradialis development that you can do in the gym.

BRACHIALIS

It’s a compound movement that engages other muscles, such as the forearms and shoulders, making it a staple in many strength training routines. Here are 10 fantastic bicep exercises you can easily do right at home. From focused moves like concentration curls to those awesome compound lifts like chin-ups, you’ll find various exercises to work all aspects of your biceps. This is a crucial part of learning how to build muscle across your body, but you’ll want to combine this with some time to practice your technique. If you’re doing bicep curls, for instance, it should be your upper arm doing the work, rather than allowing the momentum to raise the weights.

Dumbbell Reverse Preacher Curls

By performing concentration curls, you minimize the involvement of other muscle groups, ensuring that the biceps are doing the majority of the work. This makes it an essential addition to any strength training regimen aimed at developing impressive arms. And while some functional fitness 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. Hammer curls are a variation on the biceps curl, but you’ll engage alternative muscles around your shoulders and upper arm. “The types of biceps exercises you [can] perform will be dependent on your ability and fitness level, the equipment available, and your goals,” De Leon explains.

Form First

Squeeze here and reverse the movement under control until your arms are hanging freely again. For those looking to seriously push their biceps to new limits, these workouts will ensure you hit all the right angles, from heavy compound lifts to high-rep pump finishes. Whether you’re after strength or size, these biceps workouts are sure to challenge you. Because of its ability to engage both the biceps and brachialis effectively, the preacher hammer curl earns a spot in the S-tier. While the standing dumbbell curl isn’t the absolute best for isolating the biceps, its versatility earns it a spot in the A-tier. You can easily add variations to target both heads of the biceps, making it a useful tool in your routine.

Hammer curls

The knurled aluminum handle offers a secure grip even when sweaty, and the bells stay shorter at lighter loads, so they handle more like traditional dumbbells. Despite this, I find the standard cable curl reliable and easy to implement in most routines. This workout combines the experts’ picks into one killer training session. We recommend doing this workout on its own and not paired with another larger body part beforehand, so you’re fresh and at your strongest.

best workouts for biceps

Intermediate Workout Routine

Below are the four steps to follow in order to correctly perform reverse curls. In addition to the three spider curl variants above, try adjusting the madmuscles scam angle of your incline to bring further dimensions to your biceps workouts. Below are the eleven best preacher curl variations that keep your bicep progress dynamic and productive.

The best upper body strength exercises to incorporate into your routine

It is also a bodyweight exercise – you don’t need any equipment besides your body weight and something to hang from. Concentration curls used to be hailed supreme for building a great biceps peak. But once you reach the top of the curl, plot twist, you rotate your wrists so your palms face down. Then, you lower the dumbbells back to the starting position with your palms still facing down. This switcheroo makes the Zottman curl a great exercise for adding muscle mass to both your biceps and forearms. Don’t be surprised if you have to use a significantly lighter weight when doing incline dumbbell curls compared to when you stand or sit upright.

EZ Bar Curl A Better Bicep Exercise

Here are three workouts designed to help you accomplish three different fitness goals. For hypertrophy, or building muscle size, keep the weight, number of sets, and number of reps right down the middle. Moderate weight that you can comfortably move for between eight and 12 reps ought to do the trick, and you’ll want to complete between three and five sets. “Functionally, you rely on your biceps for elbow flexion, the movement that involves curling our hands towards our shoulders, but that’s not all,” Kate explains. Barbell or EZ curls are the most effective bicep https://eric.ed.gov/?id=EJ1267698 exercise; they target the biceps without overcomplicating the movement and are great for any skill level.