Best Bicep Exercises for Mass (Maximize Muscle Gain)

Barbell or EZ-bar curl is one of the most popular and efficient biceps exercises targeting your upper arm pulling muscles.

How to Perform Barbell or Ez Bar Curls

1. Load the EZ bar with sufficient weight to perform 10 consecutive reps without pausing.
2. Take the normal supinated grip with your hands to hold the EZ bar from below.
3. Assume a hip or shoulder-width stance with your feet, depending on your personal preferences.
4. Start the exercise by curling the EZ bar upward towards your shoulder joints.
5. When you reach maximum elbows flexion, hold that position for one second.
6. Reverse the motion by slowly lowering and extending the elbow for added eccentric muscle contraction.
7. Repeat for 10 reps, 3 sets, and rest for 60 seconds between the sets.

Related Articles:

• Top Barbell Exercises for Strength and Power
• How to Do Barbell Curls
• Best Barbell Shoulder Exercises

Cable Curl

Cable curls are an excellent alternative to regular barbells or EZ bar curls since they offer constant tension during the whole range of motion.

These may be more suitable for beginners since many stabilizer muscles working in the regular barbell curls don’t work when performing the exercise with cables.

How to Perform Cable Curls

1. Load the cable machine with sufficient weight to perform 12 consecutive reps without pausing.
2. Assume a regular hip or shoulder-width position before the cable machine and step back.
3. Ensure the attachment is proper. I advise using a t-bar for starters.
4. Start the exercise by curling the t-bar towards your shoulders.
5. Hold the cable for one second when you reach the maximum elbow flexion.
6. Reverse the motion by lowering the cable following an eccentric muscle regime until you return to the starting position.
7. Repeat for 12 reps, 4 sets, and rest for less than 90 seconds between the sets.

Related: How To Do Bicep Cable Curls

Dumbbell curls are a little more functional exercise option than the cable ones since they will require significant work from your stabilizer muscles.

How to Perform Dumbbell Curls

1. Pick two dumbbells of appropriate weight so you can perform 8 consecutive reps without resting.
2. Assume a shoulder-width apart stance with your knees extended and dumbbells hanging from each hand.
3. Ensure your back is flat during the whole duration of the exercise.
4. Start the exercise by curling the dumbbells toward your elbow joints.
5. Hold that position for one second when the dumbbell reaches the maximum amount of flexion, depending on your elbows.
6. Reverse the motion by initiating a slow and controlled eccentric muscle contraction phase to return to the starting position.
7. Repeat for 8 reps, 4 sets, and rest for 90 seconds between the sets.

Also Read: Best Dumbbell Biceps Exercises

Chin-up

Chin-up may be a back exercise, but it is also excellent for targeting your biceps muscles due to the supinated grip.

If you're new to this exercise or want to ensure you're using the correct technique, check out the proper way to do a chin-up below.

How to Perform a Chin-up

1. Assume a starting hanging position from the chin-up bar where the handles are parallel, so you place your shoulder in the neutral position.
2. This means there is zero internal and external rotation in your shoulders.
3. Start the exercise by pulling your chin towards the bar.
4. Hold the top position for a 1-second isometric contraction when your chin reaches above the bar.
5. Reverse the motion by lowering your body from top to bottom. You should force a slow eccentric lowering portion to target your biceps muscles more efficiently.
6. Repeat for 6 reps, 4 sets, and rest for 90 seconds between the sets.

Rows, like chin-ups, are also excellent for targeting and developing functional strength in your biceps.

However, the biceps will mainly work as the stabilizer component to the rowing motion and a little as a synergist, which is different from the last exercise.

How to Perform a Reverse-Grip Barbell Row

1. Load the barbell with sufficient weight to perform upwards of 12 consecutive rows without resting.
2. Assume standing in front of the bar with your shin close to the barbell, and ensure your feet are a little narrower than shoulder-width apart.
3. Bend, take a reverse or supinated grip on the barbell, keep your back straight, and don’t cave in your knees.
4. Lift the barbell off the floor and assume a starting rowing position with your hips bent forward to become as horizontal to the floor as possible.
5. Start the exercise by rowing the barbell towards the intersection of your stomach and pubic area.
6. When you reach the level of your stomach, hold that position for a 1-second isometric contraction.
7. Reverse the motion by extending your elbows and bending the shoulders to return to the starting position.
8. Repeat for 12 reps, 4 sets, and rest for 90 seconds between the sets.

Hammer Curl

Hammer curls are among the hammer curl variations that are a popular way of exercising your biceps today since they are quite effective for exercising all bicep muscles except the prominent biceps brachii.

How to Perform Hammer Curls

1. Pick two dumbbells of appropriate weight so you can perform at least 10 hammer curls without resting.
2. Assume a standing position hip-width apart and hold the dumbbells on the sides of your body.
3. Start the exercise by curling the dumbbells in the neutral wrist position towards your shoulders.
4. When you reach maximum elbows flexion, hold that position for one second.
5. Reverse the motion to return to the starting position and repeat.
6. Repeat for 10 reps, 4 sets, and rest for no more than 90 seconds between the sets.

Incline curls are also great bicep exercise variation since they will quite effectively target your biceps brachii due to the different angles of the movement.

How to Perform Incline Curls

1. Pick two dumbbells of appropriate weight so you can perform at least 10 incline curls without pausing.
2. Select the proper incline position on the adjustable bench, so it closes the 45-degree angle with the imaginary line following the height of the bench seat.
3. Let the dumbbells hang from your hands as you sit on the adjusted bench with your feet firmly placed on the ground.
4. Start the exercise by curling the dumbbells towards your shoulders by flexing your elbows with maximum tension.
5. Hold that position for one second when the dumbbells reach maximum elbows flexion.
6. Reverse the motion by slowly lowering the dumbbells toward the starting position with controlled eccentric contraction.
7. Repeat for 10 reps, 4 sets, and rest for 90 seconds between the sets.

Concentration Curl

Concentration curls will effectively isolate your biceps muscles and let you focus on making the best muscle contraction to produce maximum hypertrophy effects.

How to Perform Concentration Curls

1. Pick one dumbbell of appropriate weight so you can perform at least 8 concentration curls in a row without resting.
2. Sit on the bench and lay down your elbow on your quadriceps to enter the starting concentration curl position.
3. Start the exercise by curling the dumbbell towards your shoulder without moving your elbow since it should be fixed on your quadriceps.
4. When the dumbbell reaches the top position close to your shoulder, hold that position for one second.
5. Reverse the motion to return the dumbbell to the starting position by initiating the controlled eccentric contraction with your biceps brachii.
6. Repeat for at least 8 reps, 4 sets, and rest for no more than 90 seconds between the sets.

Preacher curls are the staple biceps exercise that will effectively target and isolate your biceps brachii, brachialis, and brachioradialis.

How to Perform Preacher Curls

1. Load the EZ bar with sufficient weight to perform at least 10 preach curls without pausing.
2. Place the EZ bar in the preacher curl machine rack and assume a sitting position on the machine.
3. Start the exercise by forcefully contracting your biceps muscles by curling the EZ bar towards your shoulders.
4. When the EZ bar reaches close to your shoulders in the top position, hold it for one second.
5. Reverse the motion by lowering the EZ bar towards the rack with a controlled eccentric portion of the movement.
6. Repeat for 10 reps, 4 sets, and rest for 90 seconds between the sets.

Drag Curl

Drag curls are great variations of regular biceps curls where you can lift more weight by limiting the range of motion in the joints.

How to Perform Drag Curls

1. Pick two dumbbells of appropriate weight so you can perform at least 10 drag curls without pausing.
2. Assume a regular hip-width apart standing stance and hold the dumbbells on the sides of your body.
3. Slightly extend your shoulders to enter the drag curl starting position.
4. Start the exercise by curling the dumbbells towards your shoulders until they reach the top position with maximum elbow flexion.
5. Hold the top position for one second and immediately initiate the eccentric contraction by lowering the dumbbells to the starting position.
6. Repeat for 10 reps, 4 sets, and rest for 90 seconds between the sets.

Rope curls are great for beginners since the cable machine offers sufficient stability and enables you to focus on your biceps muscles without using too many stabilizer muscles.

How to Perform Rope Curls

1. Load the cable machine with sufficient weight to perform at least 12 consecutive rope curls without pausing.
2. Assume standing in front of the cable machine and grabbing each rope end with one hand.
3. Keep your back flat, knees slightly flexed, and hips neutral. Don’t use compensatory extending movements to perform more rope curls in your hips.
4. Start the exercise by curling the ropes towards your shoulders.
5. When you reach the top position of maximum elbows flexion, hold for 1-second isometric contraction.
6. Reverse the motion by slowly lowering the ropes towards the starting position with controlled eccentric contraction.
7. Repeat for 12 reps, 3 sets, and rest for as little as possible between the sets.

"Every bicep exercise will be slightly different based on where an individual’s current training levels are. In order to grow any area on the body, then there needs to be some form of progressive overload. For the biceps specifically, there are multiple ways you can progressively overload them for growth."

- Jake Boly, Certified Personal Trainer

Seated Cable Row

Seated cable row is a beginner back exercise, but it can contribute to better biceps growth since it can be loaded with significant weight.

How to Perform Seated Cable Row

1. Load the cable machine with sufficient weight to perform 8 consecutive reps.
2. Sit on the machine and place your feet on the pads so you have enough stability.
3. Start the exercise by rowing the tripod or whatever attachment you use towards your stomach.
4. Hold the top position for one second and reverse the motion to return to the starting position.
5. Repeat for 8 reps, 4 sets, and rest for 90 seconds between the sets.