BICEPS.

Form | Instructions | Benefits | Alternatives

Effective for building biceps strength and size.

Exercise Instructions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold the barbell with an underhand grip, hands shoulder-width apart.
Keep your elbows close to your sides and curl the barbell up towards your chest, exhaling as you lift.
Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your biceps.
Lower the barbell back down to the starting position, inhaling as you lower.
Repeat for desired number of reps.

Benefits

Increases bicep strength and size

Improves grip strength

Can be easily modified to target different areas of the bicep

Helps with overall upper body strength and muscle development

Can be done with minimal equipment

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Alternating Dumbbell Curl

Hammer Curl

Preacher Curl

Reverse Curl

Concentration Curl

Effective for building biceps strength and size.

Exercise Instructions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing forward.
Keep your elbows close to your sides and slowly lift the dumbbells towards your shoulders, while exhaling.
Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position, while inhaling.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Benefits

Increases bicep strength and size
Improves grip strength
Targets the biceps brachii muscle
Can be done with a variety of weights and equipment
Can be easily modified for different fitness levels
Helps to improve overall upper body strength and aesthetics

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Hammer Curl
Concentration Curl
Preacher Curl
Reverse Curl
Spider Curl

Primarily targets the biceps and forearms

Exercise Instructions

Stand up straight with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing your thighs.
Keep your elbows close to your body and slowly lift the dumbbells towards your shoulders, keeping your palms facing each other.
Pause for a moment at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Benefits

Targets the biceps brachii muscle, which helps to increase arm strength and size
Engages the brachioradialis muscle, which helps to improve grip strength
Allows for a neutral grip, which can be more comfortable for those with wrist pain or injury
Can be performed with a variety of weights and equipment, making it accessible for beginners and advanced lifters alike
Can be easily modified by changing the grip width or adding a twist at the top of the movement to target different areas of the biceps

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Incline Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Standing Cross-Body Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Reverse Grip Dumbbell Hammer Curl

Helps increase arm strength and size.

Exercise Instructions

Start by sitting on an incline bench with a dumbbell in each hand.
Place your feet firmly on the ground and keep your back straight against the bench.
Extend your arms fully and let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length by your sides.
Slowly curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders while keeping your elbows close to your body.
Pause for a moment at the top of the movement and squeeze your biceps.
Lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position in a controlled manner.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Benefits

Targets the biceps muscles, helping to increase strength and size
Engages the stabilizer muscles in the shoulders and upper back
Allows for a greater range of motion compared to traditional biceps curls
Can be performed with a variety of weights and equipment, making it accessible for all fitness levels
Helps to improve overall arm definition and aesthetics

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Dumbbell Preacher Curl
Dumbbell Spider Curl
Dumbbell Zottman Curl

Helps isolate the biceps

Exercise Instructions

Start by sitting on a preacher bench with your feet flat on the floor and your arms extended over the bench, holding the barbell with an underhand grip.
Slowly curl the barbell towards your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your body and your wrists straight.
Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your biceps.
Lower the barbell back down to the starting position, keeping your movements slow and controlled.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Benefits

Targets the biceps brachii muscle, helping to increase arm strength and size
Allows for a greater range of motion compared to traditional bicep curls
Helps to isolate the bicep muscle, reducing the involvement of other muscles in the movement
Can be performed with heavier weights, leading to greater muscle activation and growth
Improves grip strength and forearm development

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Dumbbell Preacher Curl
Machine Preacher Curl
Reverse Preacher Curl
Close-Grip Preacher Curl
Standing Preacher Curl

Great all-around bicep exercise

Exercise Instructions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a cable handle in each hand.
Keep your elbows close to your sides and curl the handles up towards your shoulders.
Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your biceps.
Slowly lower the handles back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Benefits

Targets the brachialis muscle, which helps to increase overall arm size and strength
Allows for a greater range of motion compared to traditional dumbbell hammer curls
Engages the forearm muscles, improving grip strength and wrist stability
Can be easily adjusted to target different areas of the bicep and forearm
Provides a unique and challenging variation to traditional bicep exercises

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Single-arm Cable Hammer Curl
Standing Cable Hammer Curl
Seated Cable Hammer Curl
Reverse-grip Cable Hammer Curl
Low-pulley Cable Hammer Curl
High-pulley Cable Hammer Curl

Great isolation exercise for building arm strength and size.

Exercise Instructions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing inward towards your body.
Bring the dumbbells up to your chest, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Benefits

Targets the biceps brachii muscle, helping to increase arm strength and size
Engages the brachialis muscle, which can help to improve overall arm definition
Allows for a greater range of motion compared to traditional bicep curls, which can lead to better muscle activation
Can be performed with relatively light weights, making it a good option for beginners or those with limited access to heavy weights
Can be easily modified by changing the grip width or using different types of dumbbells (e.g. hexagonal or adjustable)

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Dumbbell Hammer Curl
Dumbbell Preacher Curl
Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Dumbbell Spider Curl
Dumbbell Reverse Curl

Classic isolation exercise

Exercise Instructions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in one hand.
Place the back of your upper arm against your side and bend your elbow to bring the dumbbell up towards your shoulder.
As you curl the weight up, rotate your wrist so that your palm faces your shoulder.
Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your bicep.
Slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps and then switch arms.

Benefits

Targets the biceps muscles, helping to increase strength and size
Improves grip strength and forearm muscles
Engages the core muscles for stability and balance
Can be done with a variety of weights to increase or decrease intensity
Can be easily modified for individuals with wrist or elbow pain

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Dumbbell Standing Double Spider Curl
Dumbbell Seated Single Spider Curl
Dumbbell Seated Double Spider Curl
Barbell Standing Single Spider Curl
Barbell Standing Double Spider Curl
Barbell Seated Single Spider Curl
Barbell Seated Double Spider Curl
Cable Standing Single Spider Curl
Cable Standing Double Spider Curl
Cable Seated Single Spider Curl
Cable Seated Double Spider Curl

Helps to improve grip strength and forearm endurance

Exercise Instructions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and your knees slightly bent.
Attach a rope handle to a low pulley cable machine.
Grasp the rope with an underhand grip, with your palms facing up and your hands shoulder-width apart.
Step back from the machine to create tension in the cable.
Keeping your elbows close to your sides, curl the rope towards your chest by flexing your biceps.
Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your biceps.
Slowly lower the rope back to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Benefits

Targets the biceps brachii muscle, helping to increase arm strength and size
Allows for a greater range of motion compared to traditional bicep curls
Engages the brachialis muscle, which can help create a more defined and aesthetically pleasing arm shape
Can be easily modified by adjusting the weight or cable height to accommodate different fitness levels
Helps to improve grip strength and forearm endurance

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Single Arm Cable Drag Curl
Reverse Cable Drag Curl
Standing Cable Drag Curl
Seated Cable Drag Curl
Wide Grip Cable Drag Curl
Narrow Grip Cable Drag Curl
Low Cable Drag Curl
High Cable Drag Curl

This targets both the biceps and the forearms.

Exercise Instructions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing up.
Curl the dumbbells up to your shoulders, keeping your elbows close to your sides.
At the top of the curl, rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing down.
Lower the dumbbells back down to your starting position with your palms facing down.
At the bottom of the curl, rotate your wrists so that your palms are facing up.
Repeat for the desired number of reps.

Benefits

Targets multiple muscle groups including biceps, forearms, and brachialis
Improves grip strength and wrist mobility
Allows for variation in grip and weight to increase difficulty and challenge muscles
Can be done with minimal equipment and in a variety of settings
Helps to prevent muscle imbalances and injury by targeting both the flexor and extensor muscles in the arm

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii
Brachialis
Brachioradialis
Forearm supinators
Forearm pronators

Variations & Alternatives

Reverse Dumbbell Zottman Curl
Seated Dumbbell Zottman Curl
Standing Alternating Dumbbell Zottman Curl
Hammer Curl to Zottman Curl
Single Arm Dumbbell Zottman Curl

Variation of the traditional bicep curl to increase the amount of weight lifted.

Exercise Instructions

Set up by grabbing your barbell. Keep your hands about shoulder-width apart on the bar.
Hinge softly at the hips, and use your glutes to explode forward and help power the bar to your chest.
Once in this position, stiffen your body. Engage your glutes, shoulder blades and core.
Lower slowly back down, keeping your elbows tucked into your sides and your wrists straight. Focus on going slow here to get the most out of your eccentric contraction – lower for at least 4 seconds.

Benefits

Targets the biceps muscles
Allows for heavier weights to be lifted compared to traditional bicep curls
Can help break through plateaus in bicep strength and size
Engages the forearms and grip strength as well
Can be used as a variation in bicep workouts for added variety and challenge

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii
Brachialis
Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Reverse grip cheat curl
Standing cheat curl
Seated cheat curl
One-arm cheat curl
Close-grip cheat curl

Can be modified by adjusting the weight, grip, and angle

Exercise Instructions

Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart and hold a cable handle in each hand.
Keep your elbows close to your sides and curl the handles up towards your shoulders.
Hold for a second at the top of the movement, then slowly lower the handles back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

Benefits

Targets the biceps muscles, helping to increase arm strength and size
Allows for a greater range of motion compared to traditional dumbbell curls
Provides constant tension on the biceps throughout the entire movement
Can be easily adjusted to target different areas of the biceps by changing the grip or angle of the cable
Helps to improve grip strength and forearm development

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Single-arm cable curl
Double-arm cable curl
Low-pulley cable curl
High-pulley cable curl
Reverse-grip cable curl
Wide-grip cable curl
Narrow-grip cable curl
Standing cable curl
Seated cable curl
Cable hammer curl

Classic isolation exercise, can help one arm that needs extra attention.

Exercise Instructions

Start by sitting on a bench with your feet flat on the floor and your knees slightly apart.
Hold a dumbbell in one hand and place your elbow on the inside of your thigh, just above the knee.
Make sure your arm is fully extended and your palm is facing up.
Curl the weight up towards your shoulder, keeping your elbow stationary and close to your thigh.
Pause at the top of the movement and squeeze your bicep.
Slowly lower the weight back down to the starting position.
Repeat for the desired number of reps, then switch arms and repeat the exercise on the other side.

Benefits

Targets the biceps muscle specifically, helping to build strength and size in the arms
Allows for a greater range of motion compared to traditional bicep curls, leading to increased muscle activation
Helps to improve grip strength and forearm development
Can be performed with a variety of weights and equipment, making it accessible for individuals of all fitness levels
Can be easily modified to target different areas of the biceps muscle

Muscles Worked

Biceps brachii

Brachialis

Brachioradialis

Variations & Alternatives

Alternating Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Seated Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Standing Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Hammer Dumbbell Concentration Curl
Reverse Dumbbell Concentration Curl