Gym Workout Planner

Dumbbell Bicep Exercises

All bicep exercises are curls; changing your grip and arm angle changes the emphasis, so pick a regular curl plus a hammer or incline curl.

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Bicep Curl
01

Bicep Curl

The standard curl, palms up.

Biceps

DumbbellNo bench3 × 10–15

Hammer Curl
02

Hammer Curl

Palms facing each other; adds brachialis and forearms.

Biceps · Brachialis

DumbbellNo bench3 × 10–15

Concentration Curl
04

Concentration Curl

One arm, braced on your thigh, no swinging.

Biceps

DumbbellFlat bench3 × 10–15 per side
How to
  1. Sit on the end of a flat bench with your feet wide and a dumbbell in one hand.
  2. Lean forward and rest the back of that upper arm against your inner thigh, arm extended and palm facing forward.
  3. Curl the dumbbell up toward your shoulder, keeping your upper arm on your thigh.
  4. Lower slowly until your arm is straight.
  5. Finish all reps, then switch arms.

A simple dumbbell biceps workout

Do 3 × 10–15 of bicep curls, then 3 × 10–15 of hammer curls.

Hammer curl or bicep curl?

Do both if you can: the bicep curl targets the biceps most, and the hammer curl adds the brachialis and forearms.

FAQ

How heavy should my dumbbell curls be?

Pick a weight you can curl for the whole rep range with about 2–3 reps left and without swinging your body.