Best Biceps Exercises

The best biceps exercises are the incline dumbbell curl, which starts the long head stretched, the barbell curl for heavy loading, the hammer curl for the brachialis and brachioradialis, the preacher curl for strict reps with no swing, and the standing dumbbell curl for training each arm on its own.

The 5 best biceps exercises

  1. Incline Dumbbell CurlStretch isolation

    Arm hangs behind the torso, so the long head starts stretched instead of slack.

  2. Barbell CurlHeaviest loading

    Easiest curl to add small plate jumps to, so week-to-week progression is easy to track.

  3. Hammer CurlArm thickness

    Neutral grip shifts work to the brachialis and brachioradialis, which supinated curls under-train.

  4. Preacher CurlStrict isolation

    The pad blocks body english and puts the hardest point near the stretched bottom.

  5. Dumbbell Biceps CurlBeginner-friendly

    One pair of dumbbells, each arm on its own, so the strong side cannot carry the set.

Every biceps exercise (8)

Below is every biceps exercise in the FORMA library, with the equipment and muscles for each. Filter by what your gym actually has, then send any of them straight into a workout.

Dumbbell Biceps Curl demonstrationDumbbell Biceps CurlBiceps · DumbbellHammer Curl demonstrationHammer CurlBiceps · DumbbellBarbell Curl demonstrationBarbell CurlBiceps · BarbellPreacher Curl demonstrationPreacher CurlBiceps · EZ BarConcentration Curl demonstrationConcentration CurlBiceps · DumbbellCable Curl demonstrationCable CurlBiceps · CableIncline Dumbbell Curl demonstrationIncline Dumbbell CurlBiceps · DumbbellEZ-Bar Curl demonstrationEZ-Bar CurlBiceps · EZ Bar

Common questions

How many sets of biceps work should I do per week?

Most lifters do well on 8 to 14 hard sets of direct biceps work per week, split across two sessions. If you already row and chin heavily, stay at the lower end. Keep most sets between 8 and 15 reps, leave a rep or two in reserve on heavy barbell curls, and take cable and preacher sets closer to failure.

Why are my forearms failing before my biceps on curls?

Usually it is grip and forearm fatigue, not the biceps giving out. Thick bars, long sets, and squeezing the handle as hard as you can all tax the forearm flexors first. Try a machine or cable curl with a comfortable handle, loosen your grip so the fingers only hook the bar, and put curls before heavy rowing rather than after.

Do I need to curl at all if I do rows and pull-ups?

If bigger arms are a goal, yes. Rows and chin-ups do train the biceps, but the back and grip usually give out first, so the arms rarely reach their own limit. Curls let you take the elbow flexors to failure on their own terms, and the incline version loads a stretch that pulling never reaches. Two curl variations a week is plenty.

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