The best 15 biceps exercises: complexes and training programs

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Every man who comes to the gym thinks about powerful arm muscles. And first of all, he pays attention to the development of the biceps flexor muscle - biceps. How to train it correctly and what biceps exercises are the most effective? Read about it in our article.

A little about the anatomy of the biceps

Before considering exercises for pumping up the biceps, let’s refresh our anatomical knowledge. The biceps is a small muscle group that is involved in flexing the arm at the elbow joint. It has a lever structure - this means that the closer the weight is to the hand, the more you need to strain to pump.

Another important feature is that the biceps is not one muscle, but a complex of closely intertwined muscle groups:

Short head of the biceps. Responsible for the most natural lifting of weights for the body with the hands turned towards the athlete (with supination).
Long head of biceps. The main muscle head, which gives the biceps mass and strength. The functions are the same. The emphasis on the head depends on the grip width (narrow - long, wide - short).
Brachialis. Another name is the brachialis muscle, located under the biceps, responsible for lifting weights with a neutral and reverse grip.

Note: The brachialis is not actually a biceps muscle, but it does a great job of adding volume to the arm, sort of pushing out the biceps.

What factors cause muscle growth?

Before moving on to the exercises, let's look at the main factors of muscle growth. This is necessary for a clear understanding of the appropriateness of the exercises that we will consider below.

To simplify it as much as possible, muscle development requires building material (amino acids), energy (glucose), hormones (the body synthesizes them in response to training stress) and muscle tension or tension, which initiates growth. Moreover, sufficient muscle tension is the main factor , without which there will be no progress, even if the accompanying conditions are met.

Accordingly, for effective development of muscles, including biceps, it is necessary to create conditions in which there is noticeable muscle tension without unnecessary stress on the ligaments and tendons. This is achieved by using the correct technique for performing the exercise and understanding its biomechanics.

We recommend reading: Military bench press with dumbbells standing: correct technique, tips

In the case of the biceps brachii muscle, for example, the grip width of the barbell during a classic biceps curl does not matter. Let me remind you that with any bending of the arm, both heads of the biceps are always tense. Thus, the grip should be comfortable to maximize muscle tension with minimal stress on the hands and elbows.

This is much more effective than trying to pump up the outer and inner heads of the biceps separately by varying the grip width. You will spend more time, and due to a grip that is too wide or too narrow, you will overstrain your joints and ligaments, which will not allow you to create sufficient muscle tension. Progress in increasing the weight, and therefore adapting the muscle to the load through its growth, will stop before the size of the biceps begins to please you.

Training principles

To correctly create a complex for biceps, remember the simple principles of its training:

Despite the almost complete lack of basic exercises for working the biceps flexor muscle, it works great in all back exercises. That is why it is usually done on back day, finishing it off with 2-3 isolation exercises.
To pump up your biceps, it is enough to use one projectile. But you can alternate, muscles love new exercises and unusual angles of movement.
The biceps is a small muscle group not designed for intense and long-term work. Therefore, just one arm flexor workout per week with 2-4 exercises is enough.

Technical features when working with dumbbells

In addition to the basics of proper technique, it is important to take into account some nuances that can increase the benefit and effect of the exercises. The choice of sports equipment is of no small importance. Today there is a wide variety in stores; it is recommended to pay attention to collapsible models. These dumbbells can be used to adjust the weight.

You need to choose sports equipment with a rigid steel rod, threads and 0.5 kg discs; this part of the equipment can be made of metal or rubber. The latter option has a clear advantage, since it does not damage the floor during exercise.

At home, amateurs often use one-piece sports models, usually of the old type. But they, in the absence of new gymnastic dumbbells, are suitable as a load for starting training. However, with solid sports equipment it is impossible to increase the weight, which is important for loading. In the absence of the opportunity to increase weight, one-piece options can be used for a certain period of time.

If you have a goal to train your biceps, use a regular container of water. The analogues correspond to the type of gymnastic equipment, which is also suitable for dumbbells.

Exercises

Let's look at the basic exercises for pumping up the biceps.

Basic

The only basic exercise for biceps is the pull-up on the horizontal bar with a narrow reverse grip. Despite the fact that the back is also involved in this movement, you can shift the emphasis to the biceps brachii muscle, without fully extending your elbows and concentrating on lifting by bending your arms.

Various bent over and block rows are also basic, but for the back muscles. The biceps work less here. Therefore, almost all training for this muscle group consists of isolation.

Insulating

Due to the small volume, the easiest way to develop biceps is with a complex of predominantly isolation exercises. They all have similar techniques and differ only in the position of the hand and body. Therefore, we will consider them in groups.

Standing barbell/dumbbell curls

This exercise is considered fairly simple to learn and allows you to gain basic biceps strength. It must be performed in compliance with the amplitude and the number of repetitions of 8-12. There is no need to cheat and swing your body; it is better to take less weight and work strictly according to technique:

Take the shell. The barbell can be made with a straight or curved bar. The only difference is the convenience for your brushes. The grip is shoulder-width apart or slightly narrower. The dumbbells can be immediately rotated with a grip away from you, or you can rotate the hand from a neutral grip when lifting. If you don't rotate the dumbbell and continue to lift it without supination, you'll end up with a hammer-style exercise. It develops the brachialis and forearm muscles well. Doing both dumbbells at once or alternately is not so important, the main thing is technique.
Slowly raise the projectile to its peak, without jerking or moving your back. Try not to bring your elbows forward.
Hold it in this state for 2-3 seconds.
Lower it down as slowly as possible, without fully extending your elbows.

© Makatserchyk — stock.adobe.com
Extension of the arms at the elbows increases the load when lifting again, shifting it from the muscles to the tendons, which does not allow you to work more intensely and threatens injury when working with heavy weights.

Seated dumbbell raise

A biceps exercise program often includes seated variations of the previous exercise. They are more effective, since even in the initial position the biceps brachii muscle is stretched and under tension. In addition, cheating is eliminated by fixing the case.

The technique is completely identical to the previous version.

Lifting barbells/dumbbells on a Scott bench

If you don't know how to do biceps exercises correctly and don't want to ask an instructor about it, use the Scott bench. The design features of the machine allow you to completely disable not only the back muscles, but also the deltoids, thanks to which you will receive a concentrated biceps workout. It will be difficult to make a mistake with the technique here.

It is preferable to exercise with a W-shaped barbell to reduce the stress on the wrists. If you are doing the exercise with dumbbells, it is better to do it with each hand in turn.

Sit on a bench, press your body against a special pillow, on which you need to place your hands on top.
Take the apparatus from the racks of the simulator, you can rise a little if you can’t reach them. If you are working out with a partner or trainer, he can hand you a barbell.
Raise the projectile with a smooth movement.
Hold it in the peak state for 2-3 seconds.
Lower it down as slowly as possible, without fully extending your arm at the elbows.

Bent-over biceps curls

There are several options for performing this movement. What they have in common is that the body is inclined to the floor, the arm is hanging (strictly perpendicular to the ground), but the elbow should not move, like the body itself. It turns out to be a very targeted biceps workout, provided the weight is correctly selected.

The most common variations of the movement include bending with a barbell while lying on your stomach on an inclined bench:

© Makatserchyk — stock.adobe.com
Another common option is to bend the arm with a dumbbell at an angle, with the other hand resting on the thigh. Most often it is performed standing, but it can also be done while sitting:

© djile — stock.adobe.com
This also includes concentrated curls with dumbbells. Here the working hand rests on the thigh, but the meaning is the same:

Lifting on a block and in simulators

Modern fitness clubs have many different biceps machines. It’s worth trying them all and choosing the one on which you feel the work of the muscle being worked as well as possible. There is no need to put them at the beginning of an arm workout, but they can be used towards the end to “finish off” the biceps. One of the most common options is a machine that imitates a Scott bench:

© Makatserchyk — stock.adobe.com
You can also perform several different variations of bends on the lower block and in the crossover. Using the lower block, you can do lifts with a straight or slightly curved handle, with a rope without supination (analogous to “hammers”), or with one hand:

© Makatserchyk — stock.adobe.com
It is most convenient to work from the upper block in a crossover, while simultaneously bending your arms raised to shoulder level, or bending your arms without supination with a rope (working out the brachialis):

How to train?

How many biceps exercises should you do during one workout? The answer to this question depends on the type of activity itself.

If you are focusing on biceps training (if it lags) and want to speed up your results, allocate a separate arm day in the split, and also pump it up additionally on the back day:

On arm day there is an alternation: biceps exercise - triceps exercise.
In total, on this day it will be enough to perform 4 exercises: three for the biceps and one for the brachialis. And 3-4 for triceps.
The first step should always be a reverse grip pull-up, standing barbell curl or seated dumbbell curl.
The second is another exercise from the same list or bending on a Scott bench.
Third, it is best to place one of the lifts in an incline or on a block.
After a back day, it is enough to do two pump-style exercises for 15-20 repetitions in 3 sets.

If we consider the general program for massing/cutting within the framework of a split, it is reasonable to combine the biceps with the back. Then two, maximum three exercises are enough.

Recommendation rules

How to pump up your biceps with dumbbells at home? To get the desired result, you should learn all the nuances and principles of sports activities. The basic rules are as follows:

Don't overdo it in training. The muscle is involved in work when exercising with the back and sternum. Therefore, it is undesirable to pump your arm more than once. in 4-5 days.
The desire to increase volume. Genetics helps create the shape of a muscle. At the beginning of the sports complex, basic tasks are included in the training.
Follow the execution technique. This ensures good stretching and contraction of the biceps muscle and also minimizes injury.
Set aside a day. Pumping on a separate day is more intense and muscle tissue is quickly restored.
Warm up. Before starting classes, warm up and stretch your muscles, this will give them elasticity.

To achieve mass growth, it is recommended to stress the muscles. It is necessary to monitor the safety of execution, because if you are injured, you will have to recover for a long time.

Effective training program

To effectively work the biceps flexor muscle, use classic programs^

Program	How often	Incoming exercises
Arm day with emphasis on biceps	Once a week + 1-2 more pump-style biceps exercises after back	Standing barbell curls 4x10 Close grip press 4x10 Curls with a barbell on a Scott bench 3x12 French bench press 3x12 Raises on the lower block with a straight handle 3x12-15 Overhead arm extensions with rope on a 3x12 block Raising dumbbells on an incline bench with a neutral grip 4x10-12 Arm extensions with rope on the upper block 3x15
Split back + biceps	No more than once a week, evenly distributed with other training days	Wide grip pull-ups 4x10-12 Deadlift 4x10 Bent-over row 3x10 Wide-grip lat pull-down to chest 3x10 Standing biceps curl 4x10-12 Lifting dumbbells while sitting on an incline bench 4x10
Home	Two times a week	Reverse grip pull-ups 4x12-15 Lifting dumbbells for biceps while standing, alternately 310-12 Concentrated dumbbell lift while sitting 310-12 Hammers with dumbbells standing 4x12