Muscle guide · Arms

The Best Exercises for Biceps

The best biceps exercises are curls with a full range of motion (barbell, dumbbell, incline and preacher curls) plus chin-ups. Use hammer curls for the brachialis and forearms, and 6 to 12 direct sets a week on top of your pulling work.

Includes: Biceps Brachii · also called Biceps Left, Biceps Right, Two-headed muscle

Written by the FitStack training team. Last reviewed .

Front view: muscles worked by biceps training. Primary: biceps.
Back view: muscles worked by biceps training. Primary: biceps.
Primary

What the biceps do

  • Bends the elbow.
  • Turns the palm up (forearm supination).
  • Helps raise the arm forward at the shoulder.

The biceps brachii has a long head and a short head. The brachialis lies underneath and bends the elbow regardless of grip, and the brachioradialis runs along the forearm. Incline curls stretch the long head; preacher curls load the short head at long lengths; hammer curls bias the brachialis and brachioradialis.

7 best bicep exercises

  1. Barbell curl — Heaviest curl.
  2. Dumbbell curl — Adds supination and works each arm alone.
  3. Incline dumbbell curl — Stretches the long head.
  4. Preacher curl — Strict, hard at the bottom.
  5. Hammer curl — Brachialis and forearms.
  6. Chin-up — Compound with heavy biceps involvement.
  7. Cable curl — Constant tension.

Sample biceps workouts

Gym arm day: biceps

Gym · Intermediate

Gym arm day: biceps: exercises and sets × reps
Barbell curl 3 × 8–12
Incline curl 3 × 10–12
Hammer curl 2 × 12–15

Home biceps workout

Home · Beginner

Home biceps workout: exercises and sets × reps
Dumbbell curl 3 × 10–15
Hammer curl 3 × 10–15

Sets × reps. Finish each set with one or two reps left in reserve, and rest 2 to 3 minutes after compound lifts and 1 to 2 minutes after isolation work.

How many sets for the biceps?

Rows and pull-ups already work the biceps. 6 to 12 direct sets a week is a good range for most lifters; add more only if your arms lag.

Muscle growth rises with weekly volume: in a meta-analysis, 10 or more hard sets per muscle per week produced more growth than fewer than 5 (Schoenfeld et al., 2017), and training a muscle at least twice a week beat once a week when volume was matched (Schoenfeld et al., 2016). Start near the low end and add sets while you are still recovering between sessions.

More biceps exercises by equipment

Dumbbell

Cable

Barbell

Ez Barbell

Leverage Machine

Band

Body Weight

Resistance Band

Smith Machine

Weighted

Filter every biceps exercise in the library →

Exercises that also work the biceps (50)

Biceps training FAQs

How often should I train biceps?

Two or three times a week with a few sets each time works well; they recover quickly.

Do chin-ups replace curls?

They help, but most people grow their arms faster by adding some direct curls.

Should I curl heavy or light?

Both work if sets go close to failure. Most people do well with 8 to 15 reps and strict form.

Sources

  1. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Dose-response relationship between weekly resistance training volume and increases in muscle mass. J Sports Sci. 2017;35(11):1073-1082.
  2. Schoenfeld BJ, Ogborn D, Krieger JW. Effects of resistance training frequency on measures of muscle hypertrophy: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Med. 2016;46(11):1689-1697.

General fitness information, not medical advice. Speak to a doctor or physiotherapist about injuries or health conditions before starting a new programme.