There are literally hundreds of bicep exercise variations that you could potentially throw into your arm day workout, or training program. But with so many different variations and options, which bicep exercises should you include in your training split to build more muscle mass? We’re going to give you the inside scoop into the best bicep exercises, according to clinical research, to stack on more gains.

Bicep Anatomy

Before we get into the best bicep exercises, it’s important to know what the specifics are of the bicep anatomy, to ensure you are targeting and activating the right areas for optimal gains.

BICEPS BRACHII

The biceps brachii, or commonly referred to as the biceps have two heads and are located on the anterior (front) part of your upper arm between the elbow and the shoulder. Your biceps assist in elbow flexion (bending your arm at the elbow), supination (moving from palm down to palm up), and with shoulder flexion (raising your arm in front of you). As you can see the bicep is actually a small muscle compared to the other muscles of the arm, especially the triceps.

BRACHIALIS

The brachialis is more distal to the bicep, (lies beneath) and assists in flexion of the elbow.

The 5 Best Bicep Exercises To Build More Mass

1. Dumbbell Preacher/Concentration Curl 

The dumbbell preacher curl or concentration curl can effectively isolate your biceps, inducing more stimulation directly to the muscle tissue, increasing muscle hypertrophy. More isolation, with better contraction, flexion, and full range of motion, will help produce bigger gains. 

How To Do A Dumbbell Preacher Curl

• Grab a dumbbell and place your elbow flush on a preacher curl, or incline bench at 55 degrees.
• Slowly lower your arm, and contract your muscles, effectively isolating your bicep.
• Raise back up squeezing your bicep as you curl the dumbbell

2. Incline Bench Dumbbell Curl

The incline dumbbell curl can be a great addition to your arm day workout split. While performing an incline dumbbell curl, your arms tend to move behind your body, increasing the range of motion and creating a deeper stretch, which is why it's one of the best bicep exercises.

How To Do An Incline Dumbbell Curl

• Position the incline bench at 55-65 degrees.
• grab two dumbbells are let your arms hang at your sides, slightly behind your shoulder.
• Using a supinated grip, curl the dumbbells towards the shoulders.
• Once your biceps are contracted, lower the weights back down, and repeat.

3. Hammer Curls

The hammer curl is a strength training exercise primarily targeting the brachialis, a muscle located underneath the biceps, and the brachioradialis, a muscle in the forearm. This exercise also engages the biceps brachii, making it a great movement for overall arm development. The "hammer" name comes from the grip style that resembles holding a hammer.

How to Perform a Hammer Curl

Setup:

1. Equipment: Use a pair of dumbbells. Start with a manageable weight that allows you to maintain good form.
2. Starting Position:
   • Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart for a stable base.
   • Hold a dumbbell in each hand with your palms facing each other (neutral grip).
   • Keep your arms fully extended down by your sides.

Execution:

1. Lift:
   • Keeping your palms facing each other, curl the dumbbells upward by bending your elbows.
   • Focus on moving only your forearms; your upper arms should remain stationary.
   • Raise the dumbbells until they reach shoulder height or as high as you comfortably can.
2. Squeeze:
   • At the top of the movement, squeeze your biceps briefly for maximum contraction.
3. Lower:
   • Slowly lower the dumbbells back to the starting position in a controlled manner.

4. Dumbbell W Elevator Curl 

Unconventional but extremely effective, one of the best bicep exercises is the w or elevator curl. The w curl positions your elbows into your sides, and turns out your arms, to effectively target and isolate your biceps.

How To Do A "W" Curl

• While seated on a bench, grab two dumbbells, and set your elbows into your sides, and turn your palms away from you.

• Curl both dumbbells simultaneously, and slowly lower the weight back to starting position, and repeat for a set of 10-15 reps.

5. Twisting Dumbbell Curl 

One of the best and most popular bicep exercises, is the twisting dumbbell curl. The twist activates your forearms, and the head of the bicep, for a more effective arm workout.

How To Do A Twisting Dumbbell Curl

• Grab two dumbbells at a comfortable weight.
• Positioned at your sides with your palms faced in, begin to curl one arm towards your shoulder
• Twist the dumbbell, so that your palms face your chest, as you contract your bicep.
• Once you get to the top of the curl, keep twisting slightly to isolate the bicep and contract your muscle for 1-2 seconds
• Release, lower the weight back to your side, and repeat.

Best Bicep Exercises: Takeaway

According to electromyographic studies these are some of the best bicep exercises, you should be including on your arm day training split, or in your functional training accessory programming to build bigger and stronger biceps. Of course, there are hundreds of different bicep exercise variations and exercises such as the concentration curl and cable curl which can also induce greater changes in strength and mass.  

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