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Biceps · 159 exercises

Bicep workouts

Two biceps workouts that train the biceps at a stretch, at the bottom of the curl and through the brachialis, plus every curl in the library.

Curls are the whole story for the biceps, but not every curl does the same job. Curls with your arms behind your body (incline curls) train the biceps at a long stretch, curls in front of it (preacher and concentration curls) load the bottom of the movement, and hammer curls bring in the brachialis and forearm.

Bicep workout

A heavy curl, a stretched curl, and a hammer curl for arm thickness.

  1. Barbell Curl
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    8–10
    Rest
    90 s
  2. Dumbbell Incline Curl
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    10–12
    Rest
    60–90 s
  3. Dumbbell Hammer Curl
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    10–12
    Rest
    60 s
  4. Cable Curl
    Sets
    2
    Reps
    12–15
    Rest
    60 s

Bicep workout, preacher and cable

Preacher curls load the bottom of the curl, where the biceps is most stretched in front of you.

  1. Preacher Curl (EZ Bar)
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    8–12
    Rest
    90 s
  2. Cable Overhead Curl
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    12–15
    Rest
    60 s
  3. Dumbbell Concentration Curl
    Sets
    2
    Reps
    12 each side
    Rest
    60 s
  4. Cable Hammer Curl (With Rope)
    Sets
    3
    Reps
    12
    Rest
    60 s

Can’t do one of these?

Machine taken or training somewhere else? Each of these has substitutes that work the same muscles.

Tips

  • Keep your elbows still. If they drift forward, the shoulders start lifting the weight.
  • Take two to three seconds to lower each rep. The lowering half is where much of the growth stimulus is, and it’s the part people rush.
  • Train the biceps after your back, not before. Rows and pull-ups need the biceps fresh to pull heavy.

Run this workout in SPLYT

Every exercise here is in SPLYT’s library. Save the workout as a template, log your sets on iPhone or Apple Watch, and next time your weights are already filled in from what you lifted.

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159 biceps exercises

Every one links to step-by-step instructions and a demonstration. Swap any of them into the workouts above.

All biceps exercises →

Questions

How many biceps exercises are there?

SPLYT’s exercise library has 159 biceps exercises, including Bicep Curl, Cable Curl and Barbell Curl, each with step-by-step instructions, a demonstration and the muscles it works.

How many times a week should I train biceps?

Two or three times a week, with six to ten direct sets in total. Pulling on back days already trains them, so they don’t need a huge amount of extra work.

Do hammer curls work the biceps?

Yes, though they shift more of the work to the brachialis, under the biceps, and to the forearm. Doing both kinds of curl builds a thicker arm.

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