The 10 Best Biceps Building Exercises

It may be tempting to debate the best biceps exercises. But there is no such a thing as a “single best” arm curl. A variety of movements are necessary for complete development, and relying on only a few exercises can lead to overuse injuries and slower progress.

You’ll notice that there is only one barbell exercise on this list. Dumbbell exercises allow for more natural movements, work the muscles through a greater range of movement, and are superior for recruiting the higher-threshold motor units. Also, dumbbells do not force the elbows and wrists into a locked position, which can place excessive stress on the joints and increase the risk of injury.

When programming biceps workouts, pair them with the best triceps exercises to build bigger, stronger arms.

Whether using dumbbells or barbells, it’s best to use thick implements (dumbbells, 2 to 2 -1/2 inches; barbells, 3 inches). Thicker bars increase the training effect by activating more motor units and create tremendous increases in grip strength and forearm development.

With that background, here are the Top 10 most productive, “bang for your buck” arm curl variations.

1. Scott Reverse Curls

Also known as preacher curls, the Scott curl was named in honor of two-time Mr. Olympia Larry Scott, who slaved on it for years to develop his massive arms. This exercise was one of Scott’s favorites, because in addition to adding mass to the biceps it is also a tremendous forearm developer. This exercise corrects this weak link and as such can quickly promote tremendous growth in the biceps. To perform it, use a pronated grip with an EZ curl bar to reduce the stress on the wrists.

2. Seated Dumbbell Hammer Curls

Perform hammer curls with a neutral grip – as if you were holding a pair of hammers. This exercise has the advantage of shifting the overload in elbow flexion to the brachioradialis and brachialis at the expense of the biceps brachii. To prevent cheating, try resting your upper back against the chest pad of a Scott bench. Be sure to keep the position of your lower back fixed.

3. Incline Dumbbell Curls

This is the most effective exercise for isolating the long head of the biceps. Use an incline bench to allow the elbows to be drawn back, away from the body, thus recruiting the long head. It was first popularized by Steve Reeves (’50s bodybuilder and Hercules movie actor) to give his biceps a godly look.

4. Seated Zottman Curls

This is one of the best upper arm thickening exercises because it thoroughly stresses all the elbow flexors. It feels uncomfortable at first, so it may take a few workouts to get used to this movement:

1. Using a supinated grip, curl the dumbbells towards your shoulders.
2. Once the biceps are fully shortened with the weight at the top position, rotate the forearms to a pronated position (palms down) and slowly lower the weight back to the starting position.

5. Standing Barbell Curl

Although EMG evidence suggests that Scott curls and incline curls recruit the elbow flexors more powerfully, this is still a great muscle builder and allows you to handle big weights compared to most other exercises for the biceps. To minimize cheating and maximize isolation, many coaches recommend pressing your back and gluteal muscles against a wall and having your elbows touching the sides of your torso. You can also use a 45- to 55 cm Swiss ball to brace your upper back.

6. Single-Arm, Offset-Grip Dumbbell Curls

An offset grip is an asymmetrical grip where the thumb side of your hand rests against the inside plate of the dumbbell. This will increase the involvement of the short head of the biceps. Start with the dumbbells in a neutral (hammer) grip and curl the weight to about 40 degrees. Then, turn your palm up (supinate) and complete the curl.

7. Single-Arm Dumbbell Scott Curls

This exercise isolates the biceps and is great for adding mass to the upper arms. While most biceps exercises require some assistance and stabilization work by other muscle groups, the Scott bench allows you to isolate the biceps muscles. Single-arm work ensures you can thrash all your biceps motor units without the risk of cheating.

8. Incline Modified Kettlebell Curl

Using a modified kettlebell is a good way to challenge the strength curve to make you stronger. For example, if you do seated dumbbell curls with a modified kettlebell in which the center of mass is three inches below the handle, you have a different strength curve from what you would have when using a regular dumbbell where the center of mass is in line with the handle. With dumbbells, the point in the strength curve that is overloaded occurs much earlier in the motion than with a modified kettlebell. Just by changing the implement from regular dumbbells to kettlebells, you can trigger greater strength gains.

9. Concentration Dumbbell Curls

This is one of the most basic of all exercises. Its name comes from the undivided attention a trainee usually gives to the arm being worked; furthermore, it’s a physiological fact that you can increase muscle facilitation when you look at it.

Perform the concentration curl seated on a bench. When standing, your nervous system is partially distracted because it’s maintaining balance. Sitting down during this movement gives full attention to the curl and enhances neural drive.

10. Standing Midline Hammer Curl

With normal standing hammer curls the trajectory of the weight causes the dumbbells to go out in front of you. This causes you to gently lean back to counterbalance. With midline hammer curls, bring the weight together in front of your sternum as you curl the dumbbells upward.

As midline hammer curls are kept close to your body there is significantly less inclination to lean back and many find it easier to go heavy without losing the proper postural position.

Final Words

Regardless of which of these exercises you decide to use right now, change them about every six training sessions. This will help ensure the greatest gains possible in the shortest amount of time.