Are you looking to get some major gains on your biceps and are not seeing them? The following bicep exercises are considered crucial for anyone’s bicep workout which is looking to develop big, shirt busting biceps.
1. Standing Bicep Barbell Curls
The central part of the bicep muscle targeted while performing Standing Barbell Curls is the Biceps Brachii and with Secondary muscles (Synergist/Stabilizers) Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Deltoid Anterior, Trapezius Upper and Middle, Levator Scapulae and Wrist Flexors.
To Perform Standing Barbell Curls:
- Hold the bar with a shoulder-width grip, with arms straight towards the floor and elbows locked an inch from your sides.
- Curl the weight towards the chest, while keeping the elbows and back fixed.
- Pause briefly and squeeze the bicep at the top.
- Resist weight as you slowly lower the bicep back to starting position for a full stretch.
- Repeat
Tips for Standing Barbell Curls:
- Do not cheat yourself by lift to much weight that you require momentum to swing the barbell up. Use a lighter weight and keep the bicep curl movement slow and controlled.
- Do not curl the weight too high that the tension leaves your biceps.
- Vary the barbell curl by using different types of barbells (i.e., an EZ curl bar) to work the bicep muscles at different angles.
2. Standing Bicep Dumbbell Curls
The primary part of the bicep muscle targeted while performing Standing Dumbbell Curls is the Biceps Brachii and with Secondary muscles (Synergist/Stabilizers) Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Deltoid Anterior, Trapezius Upper and Middle, Levator Scapulae and Wrist Flexors.
To Perform Standing Dumbbell Curls:
- Pick up a pair of dumbbells and stand with your feet shoulder-width apart.
- Let the dumbbells hang at arm’s length on each side of your body with palms facing in.
- Keep your elbows locked to your sides the whole time.
- You are moving only the lower half of your arm, isolating your bicep strength to curl the dumbbells up to shoulder level. As the dumbbells approach your shoulders, rotate your hands so that your palms are facing you at the top.
- Hold this position for a second while maintaining tension on the biceps to maximize the peak contraction.
- Finally, slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position.
- Repeat until fatigued.
Tips for Standing Dumbbell Curls:
- Do not lift an excess weight that requires you to use momentum to cheat the dumbbells up. Use a weight that challenges you and fatigues your muscles fully while using slow and controlled movement.
- Do not curl the weight to the point where the tension leaves your biceps. Going past the point of tension is easier to do on this exercise since you can get the dumbbells closer to your shoulder.
- For variety, do one arm at a time. Make sure that you pause at the bottom before you lift the other arm. If you don’t pause, you will be using the counter-momentum to lift and not your bicep.
3. Incline Bicep Dumbbell Curls
The main part of the biceps muscle targeted while performing Incline Dumbbell Curls is the Biceps Brachii and with Secondary muscles (Synergist/Stabilizers) Brachialis, Brachioradialis, Deltoid Anterior, and Wrist Flexors.
To Perform Incline Dumbbell Curls:
- Lying back on an incline bench, hold a dumbbell in each hand, palms facing each other, with arms extended down and back.
- Slowly curl the dumbbells up with both hands while turning wrist out so that your thumb is on the outside.
- Squeeze your biceps at the apex point and hold for a second then slowly return to the starting position.
- Repeat.
Tips for Incline Dumbbell Curls:
- Do not lift an excess weight and use momentum to swing the dumbbells up. Use a lighter weight and keep the bicep movement slow and controlled. For variety, you can do this bicep exercise one arm at a time.
4. Dumbbell Concentration Curl
The Dumbbell Concentration Curl is a bicep exercise that is similar in concept of the preacher curl in that it positions the arm in such a way that the bicep is entirely isolated and the muscle produces your maximum effort. Dumbbell Concentration Curls are great for getting a peak bicep contraction.
The main part of the bicep muscle targeted while performing Dumbbell Concentration Curls is the Brachialis and with Secondary muscles (Synergist/Stabilizers) Biceps Brachii, Brachioradialis, Trapezius Upper and Middle, Levator Scapulae, Obliques, Erector Spinae, and Wrist Flexors.
To Perform Dumbbell Concentration Curls:
- Sit on an exercise bench, chair or plyometric box with your legs spread and feet flat on the floor.
- Reaching down between your legs pick up a dumbbell with one hand palm facing up.
- While bracing your elbow against your knee fully straighten your arm. You can place your free hand on your opposite leg to maintain your upper body stable.
- Next move only your lower arm keeping your elbow in place on your leg and isolating your bicep strength to curl the dumbbell up toward your collarbone. Pause slightly at the top position for a second or so to maximize the peak contraction, and fatigue of your bicep.
- Now, slowly lower the dumbbell back toward the ground stopping with your arm straight and the dumbbell elevated above the floor.
- Repeat for the desired number of reps. Do the same for your other arm.
Tips for Dumbbell Concentration Curls:
- Since this is an isolation bicep exercise, use lighter weights and focus on using perfect form.
- You can also twist your wrist outward at the top of the bicep movement help maximize peak contraction in biceps.
- The slower you go, the more you will fatigue your muscles, many bodybuilders will use a 5-second count up and down per repetition.
5. Dumbbell Bicep Hammer Curls
The main muscle targeted while performing Dumbbell Hammer Curls is the Brachioradialis and with Secondary muscles (Synergist/Stabilizers) Biceps Brachii, Brachialis, Trapezius Upper and Middle, Levator Scapulae, Deltoid Anterior, Flexor Carpi, and Extensor Carpi Radialis.
To Perform Dumbbell Hammer Curls:
- Stand with your feet shoulder width apart, elbows secure at the side of your body and place your palms in a natural position (facing one another).
- Raise the dumbbells, the same way you would for a regular dumbbell curl, except maintain your hands’ palms facing each other. Don’t rotate your wrist.
- You may need to tilt your wrist forward to prevent the weight from hitting your shoulder, or stop when the dumbbell touches your shoulder.
- Pause and squeeze biceps then lower dumbbells slowly and repeat.
Tips for Dumbbell Hammer Curls:
- Ensure your elbows are locked at your sides throughout the movement, eliminating any shoulder movement and better isolating your biceps.
- Do not cheat, if you cheat with your shoulders, you will not be placing as higher a load on the brachialis.
- It is critical to muscle fatigue not to curl the dumbbell past the point where your bicep is no longer under tension.
- Again like all curls, do not lift an excess weight and use momentum to swing the dumbbells up.
- For variety, you can do this bicep exercise with one arm at a time.
6. Bicep Preacher Curls
The main part of the bicep muscle targeted while performing Preacher Curls is the Brachialis and with Secondary muscles (Synergist/Stabilizers) Biceps Brachii, Brachioradialis and Wrist Flexors.
To Perform Preacher Curls:
- Sit on a preacher bench resting your upper arms flat on the pad and grip barbell with palms facing up.
- Next, lower the barbell until your elbows are almost straight and you feel a good stretch in the biceps.
- Pull the weight up keeping your triceps secure on the preacher bench. You will be isolating your bicep strength to curl the barbell up to shoulder level.
- Squeeze your biceps and hold for a second at the top, then slowly lower the barbell back to the starting position.
- Now hold your arms in the starting position for a second as well to stretch the biceps.
- Repeat.
Tips for Bicep Preacher Curls:
- Since this is an isolation bicep exercise, use lighter weights and focus on using perfect exercise form.
- For variety, you can do the Bicep Preacher Curl with dumbbells instead of a barbell.
Honorable Mention Bicep Exercises: Seven Ups (21s), Dumbbell Bicep Preacher Curl, Supinating Bicep Dumbbell Curls.
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