10 Best Bicep Exercises
Build strong arms at home with the most effective bicep exercises. From classic dumbbell curls to hammer curls and chin-ups, these exercises hit your biceps from every angle. Whether you’re at home or in the gym, these exercises will make your arms both look and feel strong.
As a personal trainer (and mom of 3 who’s constantly carrying kids, groceries and laundry baskets), I can tell you that strong biceps are about so much more than just looking good in a tank top. Your biceps help with lifting, pulling, carrying and even stabilizing your shoulders and elbows. Whether it’s picking up your toddler or hauling in a big bag of dog food, stronger biceps and arms make everyday life so much easier.
Women in particular should strengthen their biceps and back (or pull muscles). You don’t have to be in the gym every day, but working your biceps 1-2 times per week is a great addition for most women. That’s enough to challenge the muscle and give it time to recover and grow.
If you’re wondering how to grow your biceps, the key is progressive overload or gradually increasing the challenge over time. That can mean lifting heavier weights, doing more reps or slowing down your movements to increase time under tension. Aim to push yourself close to fatigue (that feeling when you could only do 1 or 2 more reps with good form). For bicep curls, that usually means somewhere between 8-15 reps, depending on the weight you’re using.
Some of my go-to exercises to build muscle in the biceps are bicep curls, hammer curls, chin-ups and concentration curls.
If you’re a beginner, I recommend starting with simple dumbbell curls or hammer curls, focusing on good form before adding weight. If you don’t have weights, don’t worry. There are plenty of ways to work your biceps without them. You can do bodyweight chin-ups, resistance band curls or even use household items for curls (a gallon of milk or laundry detergent works surprisingly well).
If you don’t have any equipment at all, try towel isometric holds (loop a towel under your foot, pull up like you’re curling it and hold) or slow push-up variations that emphasize the pulling and stabilizing work your biceps do.
Training biceps isn’t just for bodybuilders. It’s for moms, students, busy professionals and anyone who wants to move through life feeling stronger and more capable.
Workout Equipment:
A medium-to-heavy pair of dumbbells. I suggest anywhere from 5-20 lbs. Optional pull-up bar and long loop resistance band if needed (discount code: NML). If you’re a beginner, try performing these exercises with just your bodyweight or a light dumbbell.
Workout Instructions:
Note that this is a list of my favorite home bicep exercises. If you prefer a full guided workout video (complete with a warm-up and cool-down), try this Bicep Workout. If you need modifications for pregnancy, try this workout.
How To Use This Biceps Workout:
- Beginner: 30 seconds work, 15 seconds rest. Perform each exercise x1 set.
- Intermediate: 40 seconds work, 20 seconds rest. Perform each exercise x2 sets.
- Advanced: 45 seconds work, 15 seconds rest. Perform each exercise x3 sets.
Workout Outline
1. Standard Dumbbell Curl
Targets: The biceps brachii (the front of your arms or the long head of the biceps muscle).
How to Do a Standard Supine Curl
- Start standing with your feet shoulder-width apart and your core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supinated grip).
- Exhale, squeezing the biceps muscle to curl the weights up to shoulder height. Think about keeping your elbows tucked into your sides and your shoulder blades pulled down.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides. Return to the starting position and repeat.
2. Flip Grip Curl
Targets: The bicep muscles (upper arms), the brachialis (mid-arm), brachioradialis (forearm), anterior deltoids and core.
How to Do a Flip Grip Curl
- Start standing with feet hip-width apart and core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supine curl).
- Keeping your elbows locked by your sides, squeeze your bicep muscle to curl the weights up to shoulder height.
- At the top of the movement, rotate your hands so palms face in towards each other (hammer curl grip). Slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides.
- At the bottom of your movement, flip your grip so palms face out again and repeat.
3. Eccentric Curl
Targets: The biceps brachii, the brachialis and brachioradialis.
How to Do an Eccentric Curl
- Stand with your feet under your hips, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supine curl).
- Keeping your elbows locked by your sides, curl the dumbbells up to shoulder height.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down on a 4-count through the full range of motion, returning to the starting position.
4. Alternating Hammer Curl
Targets: The long head of the bicep as well as the brachialis (another muscle in the upper arm located at the elbow joint) and the brachioradialis (a forearm muscle).
How to Do an Alternating Hammer Curl
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing in towards each other (hammer curl grip or neutral grip).
- Squeeze your bicep muscle to curl the weight in your right hand up to your right shoulder, before lowering it with control, performing a single arm hammer curl. Keep the upper arms stationary as you curl.
- Then repeat on the left side, curling the dumbbell in your left hand up to your left shoulder before lowering with control and returning to the starting position.
5. Wide Curl
Targets: The biceps brachii with a greater emphasis on the short (inner) head of the bicep.
How to Do a Wide Curl
- Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palms facing outward (underhand grip or supine curl). Keep the elbows tucked in close to the hips.
- Perform a wide bicep curl by extending the arms out wide as you curl the weights up to shoulder height.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells down to your sides.
6. Goblet Curl
Targets: The biceps brachii for elbow flexion, brachialis and brachioradialis.
How to Do a Goblet Curl
- Start standing feet hip-width apart and core engaged. Hold one dumbbell vertically, hands supporting the head of the dumbbell. Palms are facing up and elbows are tucked in near your sides.
- Exhale, squeezing the biceps muscle to curl the weight up towards your chest. Think about keeping your elbows tucked into your sides and your shoulder blades pulled down. Keep your torso upright and shoulders relaxed.
- Slowly lower the dumbbell down, returning to the starting position.
7. Single-Arm Concentration Curl
Targets: Both the long and short heads of the bicep muscle (upper arm).
How to Do a Single-Arm Concentration Curl
- Start in a seated position on a bench. Hold one dumbbell in your left hand, palm facing out.
- Slightly hinge forward at the hips and press your left elbow into the inside of your left thigh.
- Curl your left palm up towards your left shoulder.
- Lower the dumbbell back down with control as you return to the starting position.
Modification: Option to take this from a standing position, curling the dumbbell across your midline. Place the opposite (right) hand on your left shoulder for support and to help you stay facing forward.
8. Bottom-Half Bicep Curl
Targets: The lower portion of the biceps brachii muscle and the brachialis.
How to Do a Bottom-Half Bicep Curl
- Start with feet under hips, core engaged. Hold a dumbbell in each hand at your sides, palm facing outward (underhand grip or supine curl).
- Keeping your elbows tucked by your sides, exhale to slowly curl the dumbbells up halfway, pausing to hold both arms at a 90-degree angle.
- Inhale as you lower the dumbbells down towards your thighs with control, returning to the starting position.
9. Pull-Ups or Chin-Ups
Targets: Latissimus dorsi (lats), erector spinae, trapezius (traps), biceps, pectoralis major and minor (chest) and core.
How to Do a Pull-Up or Chin-Up
- Start standing underneath your pull-up bar, feet hip-width apart, neck and shoulders relaxed.
- Reach up and grip the pull-up bar. An overhand grip, with palms facing away from your body, is a true pull-up grip and will focus more on the back muscles. Whereas an underhand grip, with palms facing you, is a true chin-up grip, and will target both the back and bicep muscles. With both grips, hands should be slightly wider than shoulder-width distance apart.
- Allow your body to hang freely with your arms fully extended.
- Initiate the pull-up by squeezing your shoulder blades together and pulling your chest towards the bar. Keep your elbows pointed downward throughout the movement.
- Continue to pull your body, pulling your chest up until your chin is above the bar, or as high as you can comfortably go. Keep your core engaged and your body straight throughout the movement.
- Slowly lower yourself back down to the starting position, extending your arms fully.
Modification: Option to perform assisted pull-ups with a long loop resistance band. Or perform dumbbell pullovers.
10. Bent-Over Back Row
Targets: Latissimus dorsi (lats), trapezius, rhomboids, erector spinae, biceps, forearms and posterior deltoids.
How to Do a Bent-Over Back Row
- Stand with your feet hip-width apart, knees slightly bent. Grip a set of dumbbells, palms facing in towards each other (narrow grip).
- Hinge at the hips until your chest is parallel to the floor (neck in line with your spine, flat back, and belly button and rib cage pulled in).
- Pull the weights back towards your hips, squeezing the shoulder blades together.
- Slowly lower the dumbbells back down to the starting position.
FAQs
How long does it take for women to build biceps?
If you consistently train biceps and challenge yourself by lifting heavy weights, you may notice changes in your bicep growth within 4-12 weeks. You need to train arms consistently and focus on proper nutrition to support your strength training. Some women may see initial changes in the first few weeks, while others might need closer to 3 months to see significant results. Training intensity, frequency and individual body composition play a role in when you’ll start to notice results from your workouts.
How can you do bicep exercises at home without dumbbells or barbells?
If you don’t have access to dumbbells or barbells, you can still effectively work your biceps at home. You can strengthen the biceps using your body weight, household items or resistance bands. Exercises like chin-ups, inverted rows and towel curls are great for building bicep strength when you don’t have access to equipment.
How many exercises should you do per muscle group?
If your goal is muscle growth, you should perform at least 2-4 exercises per muscle group per workout. This allows you to target the muscle group from various angles. The specific number of exercises you do in a workout can vary based on training goals and fitness level.
Which is better: hammer curls or supinated curls?
Hammer curls work more arm muscles than standard bicep curls. Thus, hammer curls have been known to build bicep muscles faster. That said, there are several bicep curl variations like preacher curls, reverse curls, barbell curls and Zottman curls. Each variation requires a slight grip change to work a slightly different head of the bicep muscle. The best way to train biceps is to include a variety of these curl variations in your workout routine.
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10 comments
I like this workout I would like it better if cross body curls were added
Hi Cindi! So happy to hear you loved this workout and thanks for the feedback! Keep coming back for more!
Finished it! And now husband will have to deal with the baby cause I can’t lift anything
Yeah Anya! Way to go — seriously arms are so dead after this one! Nice work! -Lindsey
AMAZING. Unbelievably compact workout. I was able to get in a very necessary sweat in such a short amount of time. Very simple moves but so effective.
Cynthia! So glad you liked this Bicep Workout! It’s quick and effective for sure. Nice work and I hope you come back for more challenging home workouts! -Lindsey
I loved this 20 min workout, as I have each of your workouts that I’ve done. Thank you!
Way to go Misi! I’m so glad you’re loving the workouts; keep up the great work and keep coming back for more! -Lindsey
Thank you so much for another fabulous session of blessed bananas! I can’t tell you how much I appreciate the workouts and schedules you post, it takes the indecisiveness out of the equation. Please keep up the awesome work!
Way to go Kate! So glad you liked this Bicep Workout! Yes, I’m a big fan of having a plan (helps take the guesswork and easy option to bypass a workout out of the equation)! Keep up the great work! -Lindsey